Westdale Secondary School - Le Raconteur Yearbook (Hamilton, Ontario Canada)

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MUSIC Modern Music By Irwin Goldberg The younger generation is hailing swing music as something typical and expressive of this day and age. Old-timers recognize it as a modified expres- sion of the post-war jazz. The current swing songs are tricky. The rhythms consist of a set of blended melodies, com- pletely unlike the more sedate and lilting waltzes of another era. The words are usually inane, but their departures from the accepted are compara- tively understandable. Every day our makers of music are trying to find better and more entertaining ways of presenting their material. The straight singer or instrumental- ist is no longer news. There must be some special angle of showmanship, some individuality, some- thing that sets a performance apart from the con- ventional and traditional, before the elusive thing known as the public will sit up and take notice. lYhere some orchestras seem to have been success- ful in satisfying the musical appetite of the country, others fail to receive recognition and remain obscure and unknown. To play what is written in the average copy of a popular song is just to begin to play. The only thing which brings the orchestra into the limelight is when they are different and they have to re-cast and ornament the music before them. Unce they learn how to build up a piece of music that way then they being to have style. The leader of an orchestra has much to do with the success of his band, for upon the orchestra is reflected his character. Scattered throughout the country are thousands of orchestras, and all have set for their mark the top. llow many of these actually do reach the top? The public demands something different, and that is what the orchestra leaders have to contend with. .Xmong the handful of acknowledged leaders of orchestras is Fat's lYaller, who has risen from ob- scurity to his present fame by his inimitable ren- ditions. liis modern conception of popular music, combined with an ear for classics, has made him Victor's greatest record seller tB.C.-before crea- tion of Music Goes 'Round 'n' 'Round j. 30 Eddy Duchin created a new epoch in the history of popular music when he brought his wide technical knowledge of music to the rough and vital energy of jazz. :Xt the present time no piano style is better known than Eddie Duchin's. Hundreds of thousands of radio listeners know without being told that it is Eddie Duchin playing, for none can help but recognize his intricate and inspired musical twist which makes his style so effective. Duke Ellington became famous by his brilliant playing, featuring unique and daring cross-rhythms combined with strange and broken tempos. His selections give one the feeling of the very spirit of physical Africa moving in stirring rhythm. He has, better than any other orchestra leader, the ability to express himself musically. Ray Noble has created a new vogue in American music. His orchestra is a perfect example of how a leader characterizes his band. On account of the musicians' union he could not bring from England his own band, but in spite of this, he came over to America, assembled an orchestra, and by his spec- tacular arrangements of dance tunes forged to the top of orchestral distinction. .lack Hylton, another English invader of America, who seems to have been more fortunate than Ray Noble, as he was permitted to bring most of his London troupe with him, is a sort of British Fred XYaring, and emphasizes stage effects and novelty numbers. His version of the tune entitled Dick Turpin's Ride to York is an English counterpart of XK'aring's Annie Doesn't Live Here Any More. Fred XVaring has risen from nowhere to a place among the prominent array of radio talent. XYaring's Pennsylvanians, founded in Pennsylvania State College, began their career as a dance band with a few private dance engagements in their home section, to rise rapidly by endurance, practice and self-sacrifice to their present position, earning last year close to a million dollars. Guy Lombardo, voted by the radio editors throughout Canada and the U.S.A. as having Amer- ica's best dance band for 1935-6, has an orchestra that is made up of men who have played together as musicians for years. Beginning what seemed a small career in London, Ont., they rose to a position among the great popular musicians of the era.

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Die deutsche Seite Editor, Peggy Bath. Die Deutschen Die Deutschen sind Teutonen und gehoren zu jenem grossen Teil des Menschengeschlechts wel- cher die Skandinavier, Hollander und Englander und sehr viele Bewohner von den Yereinigten Staaten und Kanada enthielt. Der vorbildliche Deutsche hat blondes I-Iaar und blauen Augen und ist von einem ziemlich festen Korper, aber es ist geschatzt dass wenigere als ein Drittel von den Bewohnern des Landes von diesem Urbilde sindg die grossere Zahl bei weitem gehiirt zu einem Urbilde mit ganz braunem I-Iaare. Temperamentlich, haben die Deutschen gewisse sehr getrennte Kennzuge. Vielleicht ist der wich- tigste davon Vollstandigkeit. Ohne die Schnellig- keit von dem Franzosen oder die bullenbeisserlichf: Entschlossenheit des Englanders vollendet der Deutsche Folgen durch schwerfallige Beharrlich- keit die keine Hindernisse beachtet. Deutsche Schwerfalligkeif' ist ein Sprichwort geworden, aber der Ausdruck Schwerfalligkeit ist keineswegs unhoflich, weil keines Volk tiefer und mit mehr Nachdruck in die Philosophie gegrabt hat, obgleich etwas davon sich verderblich bewahrt hatg keines Volk hat fleissiger sorgfaltigere wissenschaftliche System ausgearbeitet oder hat die Literatur ent- weder von dem realistischen oder phantastischen Urbilde von mehr XVichtigkeit hervorgebracht. Kein Land hat mehr erstklassige Komponisten zu der XVelt gegeben. Alle Deutschen im Deutschland sprechen nicht genau dieselbe Sprache oder Mundart. Im Norden ist das sogenannte Plattdeutsch wahrend im Hoch- land vom Siiden das sogenannte I-Iochdeutsch mit wenigen geringeren Mundarten ist. Das Hoch- deutsch ist die Sprache der Schule und der grosse Mehrheit von den Leuten sowohl als die Sprache von der Literatur des Deutschlands. Die Stadt Berlin Berlin ist die grosste Stadt auf dem Kontinent Europa, die zweite grijsste unter allen europaischen Stadten, die dritte grosste auf der XVelt. Sie ist das Kapitiil von Deutschland. Sie ist beruhmt wegen ihrer eindrucksvollen Gebaude, schone Parke und prachtige Gauge. Der Mittelpunkt von sozialem Leben ist unter den Lin- den, einer von den beriihmtesten Strassen auf der Wfelt. Am ijstlichen Ende dieser Strasse ist der Palast worin der Kaiser VVi1helm III. wohnte. Am westlichen Ende ist das beriihmte Brandenburgtor welches Napoleon nach Paris im Jahre 1807 abtrug. LE IIACIINTEUR Zwischen dem Palast und dem llrzinrlenbnrgtrrr liegt die Universitat von Berlin, dit- grosse liibli- othek, die feinsten llotels und die eleganten Linlen: von all den Staatsgebauden ist das liefclistaggv- baude das herrlichste. Im Nlalen und Iiildbancr- kunst hielt Berlin eine hervorragende Stelle. Im Musik hat Berlin sein Konscrvatorium und sein Orchester welche grossen Ifiniluss baben. In den Geschaften von dem Theater nimmt Berlin die erste Stelle nicht nur in dem .Xuffiihrcn von mod- ernen deutscben Schauspielen aber auch in Uber- setzungen von Moliere, Ibsen, und Shakespeare. Eine Erzihlung Ein Fremd verkaufte einer riimiscben Kaiserin falsche Juwele. Sie forderte ausfallende lienug- tuung von ihrem Mann. Iler Kaiser. der ein seb- gnadiger und milder Furst war, fand es Linnioglicii sie zu beruhigen und verurteilete den ,Iuwelier zum Kampfe mit den wilden 'l'ieren. Die Kaiserin entschied mit ihrem Hofstatt seines Todes Zeuge zu sein. Als er auf den Kampfplatz gefiihrt wurde. machte er sich auf den Tod gefasst: aber statt eines wilden Tieres, naherte ein I.amm sich ihm, welches ihn liebkoste. Die Kaiserin, iiusserst drauber ver- drossen, sich zum Besten gehabt zu sehen, belg- lagte sich bitter desswegen bei dem Kaiser. Iir antwortete, Ich bestrafte den Yerbrecher nach dem XYiedervergeltungsrecht. Er betrng dich und er ist wieder betrogen Worden. Witze -4 Sie Sind Apotheker, nicht wahr? Ujawohl, gnadiger Herr. Sind Sie lang in dem Geschaft gewesen? ja, gnadiger Herr. Begreifen Sie Ihren Geschaft ganzlich? Allerdings, gnadiger Herr. Das ist Ihr Diplom an der Wand? Das ist es, gnadiger Herr. Q. rr rx it U ri XYohl, geben Sie mir etwas Zahnpulrer, zehn pfennig Wert. Ein argerter Kunde: Bedienter du hast deinen Daumen in meiner Suppe! Der Bedienter: Ach, ich danke Ihnen, Herr, aber das tut nichts. Die Suppe ist nicht heiss, gnadiger Herr. Ein junger Mann, der eine zu hohe Heinung von sich hatte, sagte zu einem Kondukteur. Dui hor' mal! Ist diese alte Arche Noahs besetzt? Der Kondukteur: Mit Ausnahme von dem Esel. Springe auf. 29 T s

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Listening to Music By Wilfrid Proctor ln these days, thanks to the radio-and, in a smaller degree, to mechanized reproduction-line music, expensively produced, may be easily and cheaply obtained. This no doubt would seem to the majority of us excellent, yet it is not without its drawbacks and may quite easily have the bad effect of dulling out sensitiveness to musical stimuli. If we are content to employ music as a pleasant background for our reading, conversation or dozing, we need only to switch on our loud speakers and continue our various occupations. But listening to music is an active process which demands our full attention, and unless we concentrate on what we hear, it will, using the old expression, merely come in one ear and out the other, leaving no sediment of meaning or sensation behind it. Music to-day is so plentiful that we are tempted to regard it too cheaply. Even the few of us who attend good concerts regularly can supplement our experience by means of radio or gramophone. Music is almost literally Hin the air, but it is no easier to extract full enjoyment from it than it was before reproducing instruments were invented. It may be argued perhaps that once the habit of listening to soothing music is acquired it is possible to relax vigilance and divide attention, .Xctually the more habitual listening to music becomes, the more dillicult it is to attempt anything else at the same time. The distinction between hearing and listening may be illustrated by means of a simple analogy. Listening to our mother tongue is hab- itual, in a sense that we do not need to make any conscious effort in order to understand what is said to us. That is the effort lfor it is an effort, as first formers plainly see, when beginning another lan- guagel which has become so natural as to be negli- gible. Howeyer, in music we cannot afford to allow our attention to lapse. The whole point that l have been tryinff to make K . S clear may be easily demonstrated by one attempt- ing to read a newspaper and listen to a broadcast speech at the same time. lt may not be, of course, utterly impossible, but we realize at once that it demands a special kind of mental application. The average person will find that either the speech or the newspaper will be sufficient to keep his mind comfortably engaged, and in the end he will either listen to the broadcast or read the paper. Music, which, after all, is a form of language, equally de- mands respectful attention if it is to be enjoyed or be something more than a pleasant noise. To derive any benefit from it whatsoever we must not only hear music but listen to it. ORCHESTRA BACK ROW-W. Royce, W. Brown, M. Swlck, D. Oates, K. Burke, R. Cartmell, M. Cochrane, K. Lemmond, E. Wright. THIRD ROW-Mr. I. W. Lomas, L. Griffith, W. Lumsden. R. Thompson, W. Mummery, J. Feeney, R. Groom, A. Chilman, R. Cattell, V. Brldgewood, J. Young, A. Ward, W. Gilliland, R. Gardlner, R. McPhle. SECOND ROW-A. MacFarlane, L. Smlth, l. Kellar, M. Cattell, B. Lalng, K, Mitchell, A. Bertram, D. Mitchell, M. Walker, J. Maglll. FRONT ROW-V. Roberts, B. Harrlson, M. Spence, J. Forbes, E. Morehead, L. Llnkert, S. Turner, I. Parkhouse, F. Davls, I. Goldberg. '31