Show DIRECTORS OF CHOIRS TAUGHT Musical f History Being Made fade By In III Dayton 0 O HY BY Y lItRE HARVEY JUR ANDERSON Special lal Correspondent pon of Copyright 1927 By The rho Consol Consoli Consolidated dated Press Pre s Association NEW YORK YORE Feb Fob 5 6 S Rne n of the most significant mu musical de- de de developments in this era of ot Jazz jan Is being worked out In Dayton Daton Ohio where John Finley Williamson Wllliam- Wllliam son flon director of ot the tho WestmInster choir school has lias lM started train train- training ing tog a class of professional church choir directors Their efforts once they have been graduated and taken positions in the na- na nation's na nation's tion's larger churches are ex- ex expected ex ox expected to revolutionize re the Quality of church music and to aid In popularizing waning church at- at attendance at attendance Walter Valter Damrosch the noted conductor who eho tor for 40 years has directed the New York symphony orchestra has Just returned front from froma fronta a 1 tour lour full of enthusiasm for forthe forthe the Ito choir school which he ho d while in Ohio J WORKERS The Westminster choir school Mr Ir Damrosch told the tho writer Is Isa a 0 most unusual Institution It is 19 the only one of it its kind so far fara faras a as I X lmH for or the training of choral conductors and the better better- betterment betterment ment mont of church music Seldom have I witnessed more determined and eager workers than the sIn stu- students stu students dents who form the Westminster choir The year three-year cours with an entering class of ot 60 each ach tar Insures the regular presence of at least trained voices voices- voices that Is the two upper classes classes- classes to provide material for tor the choir Itself Conductors are born not made and John Finley William William- WilliamsOn William son sOn director of the school and choir is certainly a born con con- conductor conductor con conductor ductor In thO th the very short Unie of its existence he lie has developed the choir to an extraordinary de- de degree de degree gree He has built up a a horal body boch that Is always faithful to pitch that produces a constantly noble Quality of tone and he has brought about a merging ot of the various arlous voices that Is always son son- sonorous sonorous son sonorous orous and homogeneous in qualIty qua qua- quality ity The women's wing needs strengthening somewhat oc- oc oc occasionally the men are too heavy for it Except for tor that the ba- ba bal balance ance anee Is e CHOIR IS YOUNG The choir Is young young it has haa not yet reached the point of o per per- perfection perfection per perfection but If it It continues along the present lines for a 1 few years It will compare favorably with an any choral body in the world and be quite worthy to go abroad as a n representative of ot the best beat beatIn bestIn beatin In American music especially If It extends its repertoire to In- In Include In Include clude elude Jho the best secular music as aswell aswell well ell i as religious I X feel teel that mu- mu music music mu music sic Is tor for all mankind Irrespective Irrespective tive of ot race color or creed A point not to be overlooked too is tho the fact tact that the existence of such a choral organization will encourage the tho American compos compos- composers composers ers ore to write for It and thus tn- tn in inevitably build up a a higher stand stanl stanl ard ard for native nathe choral compost compost- compositions compositions than we have previously had Director Williamson organize the Westminster choir seven years ears ago It started merely as a sing sing- singIng sing ins inS Ing organization but even at th t time the director had the tho idea In Inthe 1 Inthe the back of his head of convert convert- convertIng converting ing log the choir into a II training school for choir masters NATIONAL K NOTICE Mr Williamson took his first 60 singers recruited largely from the ranks ot of business an and achieved national notice through their performance as a choir choh This organization made tour jour tourS tour In various parts of ot the country Last 1 May fay Mr Williamson asked all the members of tho thio choir who did not propose to tomake tomake make malte music their profession to tore re resign Gradually all but two of othe the original choir stepped out but as fast as tho the older members s dropped out new ones were brought 1 In Today Mr Ir Williamson has bas 62 men and women in the choir 18 13 sopranos 15 16 altos 13 12 tenors aol and 16 6 bassos The personnel of ot the organization was recruited from 14 states and represents 18 protestant denominations Each member of the choir Is Isa isa Isa a trained musician and a student In the school for choir masters mastera Originally the tho singers were ero taken from the local ocal vocal school of ofIr Mr Ir Williamson Now the world Is his field in selecting material mater Most of ot the members today have ha been graduated from Irom somo some col- col college col col lege In ton nil Ohio tho choir Is regarded not as 88 an organization but as a community enterprise It now v has bas tho support of o the thc entire city Protestants and Cath Cath- Catli- Catli Catholic olic services nUke alike are taught Mr r Williamson has haa had numerous je e re requests quests questa to turn furnish Ish choir masters but since training was only be- be beI begun begun be begun I gun in this field last laet September none can be sent out from the I school for a period 00 of ot years |