the frivolous, all the trashy music heard elsewhere in such places, and it is enjoyed by the audiences not yet risen above that standard in their taste, but such is in no sense a characteristic of the songs and music of the Latter-day Saints. The songs of the Sabbath schools, while light, bright, and unpretentious, musically are earnest, clean and natural, in tone and expression, and effective for young voices. Perhaps we have here been a little too much impressed by the rythmic swing of socalled "gospel hymns," out of which error I trust we will gradually emerge, as we realize more and more that youth, while naturally in harmony with a rhythmic flow that is expressive of the exuberance and life of youth, still can be touched and reached by a more ennobling quality of devotional expression and earnestness, and of deeper things musically. A beginning has been made through the M. I. A. organizations in the use of choruses written for male voices, and for female voices, separately, and we are aiming at the best styles of writings in this class. While our psalmody is in its present form adapted specially for choirs, as. it is by the choir that our music at the services of the Saints is chiefly rendered, our congregational singing has made much progress, and a number of our hymns are now quite generally sung by the congregation led by choir and organ, and especially at our great conferences, this form of worship is soul-inspiring. We should labor to continue the advancement of this living up to the Psalmist's injunction, "Let all the people praise him," until the congregations sing in harmony like a choir. Part singing, practiced by the children, will result in this ability to sing parts in the congregational singing. We are on the right path. All we must do is to forge ahead, and see that the leaders among us shall guard our progress from swerving to the right or left after musical fads that might lead us astray. Friendship Ask of me something today, old friend, Let me be richer for something to send, Test of my bounty today, dear one, Let me be all that a friend can be, Not only solace of thine to be, But fuller to live and for strength for me-- MESA, ARIZONA BERTHA A. KLEINMAN Organization and Maintenance of Choirs Among the Latter-day Saints BY PROF. JOSEPH BALLANTYNE, DIRECTOR OF THE OGDEN TABERNACLE CHOIR ORGANIZATION No choir leader, no matter what his ability, can reach any degree of efficiency in chorus work, without a properly voiced choir. Whether large or small in number it should be made up from the best voices in the ward or stake. The selection should be made by invitation, or call, from the bishopric or (if a stake choir) by the presidency of the stake. This method gives it the stamp of authority and presupposes the support, moral and financial, of the presiding authorities, which is a most important factor. The membership of a choir should never be made up from volunteers, as is true of so many organizations. There are many, many persons who love music and would be the very first to proffer their services, as members of a choir, but lack entirely in voice qualifications. No condition is more serious than the one mentioned. First you begin with a membership wholly incapable of carrying out the suggestions of a leader, through lack of voice; and secondly, should you have a number of good voices in the choir, they become disheartened because of failure in results, and through the consciousness of too much individual responsibility. It is most discouraging for a member, with a good voice to sit next person from whom no assistance comes and the discouragement, of course, comes to the persons most valuable, with the good voice. It is not always possible, especially in wards, to procure the right balance of parts, but the more nearly this important matter is adhered to, the more beautiful will be the chorus work. For a membership, of say fifty in a choir, the following number on each part would give a good balance. Soprano 15, alto 13, bass 12, tenor 10. A most important essential in the organization of a choir is the service of a competent organist. It is a serious condition where the leader is burdened with an incapable accompanist. Choir members are so susceptible to the dynamic effects of an organ that it is an impossibility to attain any efficiency in interpretation without the uplift of a good organist, one who supports and not overpowers, and a person who is possessed of enough THE OGDEN TABERNACLE CHOIR Owing to the fire in the Eccles building, some two years ago, in which the Church records of the Weber stake were destroyed, it has not been possible to obtain for this sketch the early history of the Tabernacle Choir in Ogden. Suffice it to say, that good leaders were installed, and a proficient choir organized for those early times for the greater part of the period from 1856 up to the time, in 1900, when the Ogden Tabernacle Choir, under the present directorship of Joseph Ballantyne, was organized with a membership of 150 voices. In 1904, the choir-loft was enlarged, and the membership increased to 240, the present number. "The choir is a musical medium between the composer and the people. For this reason it has been the constant aim of the Ogden Tabernacle Choir," writes Professor Ballantyne, "to present music of the highest order so that its educational value might be felt among the masses. Since the present choir's organization many standard cantatas and oratorios have been given, among which are the following. 'Elijah,' Mendelssohn; 'Christ the Victor,' Buck; 'Stabat Mater,' Rossini; 'Lazarus,' Edwards; The First Christmas,' Coombs; 'The Holy City.' Gaul; 46th Psalm,' Buck; and a number of others. It has been the custom, each year, to give an interpretative afternoon in the Tabernacle when a cantata or oratorio has been sung with the necessary thematic explanations. By invitation of the National Irrigation Congress, and President Goode of the Lewis and Clark Exposition, the Ogden choir made a trip to Portland, in 1905. The Irrigation Ode,' by Professor John J. McClellan, was sung and a series of concerts were given in Festival Hall to packed houses and with pronounced success. Miss Emma Lucy Gates, Professor John J. McClellan and Willard Weihe were the soloists. In 1907, another trip was made to Sacramento, California, on the invitation of the National Irrigation Congress, when the Ode was again sung and a concert given in the Agricultural Building to an audience of nearly 11,000 paid admissions, the largest audience, according to the statement of officials, ever assembled in Sacramento. On this trip two concerts were given in the Auditorium in San Francisco. The Presidency of the Church have given their official sanction for the choir to go to the Panama-Pacific Exposition in California, in 1915. The choir contemplates a trip to the San Diego Exposition, with a series of concerts in the larger cities of California, and ending with a number of appearances in Festival Hall, San Francisco. Preparations for this important tour have been going on for some time, and will continue until the departure of the choir July, 1915. The choir has made a number of visits to Salt Lake City, and other Utah cities, and at the invitation of the President of the Church and the Deseret Sunday School Union Board, furnished the music for the afternoon session of the April, 1914, conference. in the Assembly Hall, and the Deseret Sunday School Union session, at the Tabernacle, in the evening." The present officers of the choir are: Director, Joseph Ballantyne; Organist, Samuel F. Whitaker; President, Willard Scowcroft; Manager, Charles J. Ross: Secretary, Annis B. Brown; Librarian, Alonzo West. THE OGDEN TABERNACLE ORGAN By information received from organist Samuel F. Whitaker, we learn that through the efforts of President L. W. Shurtliff, Professor Joseph Ballantyne and Charles J. Ross, the organ was purchased and installed January, 1907. It was built and placed by the W. W. Kimball Company, of Chicago. It comprises four complete organs, namely: Choir, Great, Swell and Pedal. It has a total of 25 speaking stops. Each stop runs entirely through both the manuals and pedals, giving a total of 1,401 pipes. It requires 45 couplers and ac cessories to manage the stops and manuals. The organ is of the latest Duplex Tubular Pneumatic action throughout. The Rey-desk and Console are detatched and extended 45 feet from the organ proper. Stop-action is controlled by a system of adjustable combination pistons, placed between the manuals within the easy reach of the performer. In short, all modern methods known to up-to-date organ builders were employed in its construction. There are no duplications in the stops, which gives a great variety of tone coloring; yet care was taken to preserve the solidity of the organ quality, so necessary to any instrument. The "string," "reed" and "flute" sections are very fine and characteristic. The diapason, or foundation organ tone, has great depth and body; and a possible total of 150 separate and distinct tonal varieties or combinations can be had by the organist. The instrument is blown by a 4 horse-power Kinetic Blower, capable of supplying 1,700 cubic feet of wind at a 5-inch pressure per minute. The width is 40 feet and it has a depth of 14 feet. The total cost in round numbers was $9,000, though the increase in price in all materials would at present total upwards of $12,000. The outside case is finished in solid walnut wood, varnished and rubbed in oil. The front decorative pipes are finished in gold leaf. Samuel F. Whitaker has held the position of organist since the organ was installed. emotional power to feel the content of the music, and has the ability to sympathize with the conductor in his interpretations. Blessed indeed is the choir leader who is fortunate to be associated with such an organist. It would seem a wise thing, if such an organist is not available, that-if necessary-a fund be raised to educate the proper person for this position. The choir should be well officered. The president, especially, should be a man with qualifications of leadership-not necessarily musical leadership—but a man with heart and head who can command the love and confidence of the entire choir membership, for upon him logically falls the responsibility of looking after the attendance, and many other details in the conduct of a choir. Of course we all know how important it is to have a qualified leader, not only a director of music; but fortunate indeed is the musical director who possesses also the gift of the leadership of men, for his task is made the easier and his chances of success the greater. The other officers can be easily filled from the ranks of the choir. MAINTENANCE OF A CHOIR Once rightly organized, the responsibility for the maintenance of a choir rests largely upon the choir leader. It is his authority that reigns supreme during rehearsal, and proportionately as he succeeds in maintaining an interest will he be successful. A conductor should not appeal to choir members to attend |