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Show MUCH ADO ABOUT VERY LITTLE. " If any daring impresario were attempt just at present to organize a Tiarmony club among our local musical talent, he would probably find a padded suit and a baseball mask fitting equipment for the task. The truth is that lurid strife prevails among local musicians and composers, and if the discord in their musical ventures were as great as that which is evident in their strained relations, rela-tions, the muses would be justified in going out on a strike. It is all because of the Tribune anthem con-'!' con-'!' test, which has created more lurid trouble, both , r"Mcal and otherwise, than any experiment of , the kind ever attempted in the arid west. Added ( to all of this, there isn't an anthem in the whole TiOune collection of twenty-five, from a poetical I viewpoint, worthy for a tribal song on the Un- ; compaghre reservation. Of course the Tribune did not go into the affair with War-like intent, but its object was not altogether philanthropic. The matter of increasing increas-ing the circulation of the paper was not overlooked over-looked when the project was launched, and the paper did not fail to reserve a copyright on everything every-thing submitted, and besides, it was not deemed impossible that, by leaving the selection of the prize anthem to a popular vote, there would be a greatly augmented sale of the paper. While the newspaper is not to be blamed on account of these financial considerations, the result re-sult of leaving the choice of the anthem to a public vote might have been easily foreseen. Many of the musicians are now industriously campaigning for votes, with the probable result that the creakiest anthem in the whole collection is as likely to be selected as they very best of what appears to be a poor lot. The best politician is almost certain to be the prize-winner, and already methods are being resorted to which would fan ;o look very alluring allur-ing in a ward primary. One of our most distinguished distin-guished musicians, for instance, is said to have bought hundreds of extra copies of the papers containing the voting coupon, and these are turned over to newsboys, who, for a small consideration, secure votes for a particular anthem from people not particularly interested in the contest. The story goes that this method of fastening an anthem an-them on the state was discovered quite recently by some rival composers,' and immediately there were harsh words and much contention in local Bohemia. Another prominent local musician, it is ' claimed, "pooled" his interests with a musician who has considerable influence with thj schools, with the understanding that if the school vote were secured for a certain anthem, the Tribune's IP" monetary prize was to be divided. The names of some of the people engaged in this and other I schemes would, if published, create quite a sen sation in all the borders of Zion. The musicians who refuse to descend to such methods were very indignant when this style of sleuthful work became generally known. Among them, it was conceded that only three or four of the anthems were really entitled to serious consideration. con-sideration. It was generally understood that the composers of three of the most meritorious were Professors Radcliffe, Pedersen and Stephens, none of whom is even remotely accused of having done any of the kind of wrok mentioned on behalf of his musical production. The musicians generally are merely incensed because able anthems by such composers as these are not at all likely under the circumstances, to win over the medicore productions pro-ductions of those who are doing the manipulating. One prominent lady of great musical talent called at the Tribune, it is said, and urged that the selection be left to a competent committee of some adjoining state, so that the merits of the various anthems could be passed upon intelligently intelli-gently and without prejudice, but the suggestion was unfavorably received, possibly because the increased sale of papers was not at all displeasing displeas-ing to the newspaper offering the prize. Some f the anthems which were given a first public airing on Monday night were so weirdly uncouth; or such palpable thefts, that they were greeted with derision and jeers. Others of musical merit were equally laughable on account of the uursery rhymes and peripatetic meter which formed the vehicle. None gave any evidence that it was likely to electrify musical circles either at home or abroad. But aside from this doleful outlook, it is quite apparent that, with the methods being followed by some of our notable lyrists, some peace destroying de-stroying rhythmic absurdity will probably be selected se-lected which will make all of Israel gasp. It all suggests the advisability of selecting some inpartial and efficient committee to adjudicate adjudi-cate the matter, or, better still, of getting a brand new deal by throwing the whole mournful cluster of twenty-five into the ornate barrel usually re served for ashes and similar debris. |