Dedication Of The School Of Music

Prof. F. W. Kelsey, Ph. D., president of the Universitiy School of Music, opened the dedication exercises last evening by saying that in the name of the society he bade everyone weieome. By his request Rev. Henry Tatlock delivered a short, earnest invocation, asking that the proper spirit should dweil in the and that the school should prosper and be blessed in cvc-ry way. Pres. Kelsey said that in the city of Arm Arbor there were a number of public spirited men who were always on the alert to be helpful to the prosperity of the city and they had formed the association which had built the building. He would cali upon one of these gentlemen, Mr. A. L. Noble, the president of the building assoeiation, who would teil how the building was secured. Mr. Noble said that had he known that with the office of president was connected any special speech making he would have hesitated in accepting the office. They were there to celébrate a sort of marriage feast, a feast of congratulation, of pleasant words. Some time ago there was a well developed organization that was not exactly happy, being homeless. Then another organization was formed to give a home for the former, and this was the result of its labors and at last the homeless wanderer had found a haven of rest. Mr. Noble thought there were many who could appreciate the feeling. He asked if any of them had ever moved from rented rooms into a home whlch they could cali their very'own. Every brick, every timber, every piece of bric-a-brac, every piece of furníuire took on an added valué because it belonged to the home. They need not feel surprised then that the members of the school of music feit happy and ! proud. They had a right to be. Figures were not always int :■ but he had prepared some that he thought would be interesting and they showed the expenditures made by the association. The lot on which the building stood had cOst $2,000, the building $7,578 stone walks $160, furnaces $425, gas and electric light fixtures $150, total $10,313 the organ $2,200, pianos $1,378, chairs $260, office furniture $160, incidc-ntals $100, total for everything $14,711. This wad in round numbers $15,000. H_ wculd leave it to thein iL the building committee had not used their monej wlae?y. It was their money, no; th_ rectors' mon:. Not all the u.i.s wort paid as yet but when the subscriprions v trt paid in full Lhcy wiulj !.■■ Thanks were due to the subscrifcers They were not a few walthy ones, but the subscriptlons were made by people WAO had to economize and n;ake s.itii flcea to pay their subscriptions. Both boards of directors wish to siyress their thanles. He thought public thanks ought to be given to two gentlemen in particular, Col. Henry ñ. Dean and Moses Seabolt, by whose special efforts the money was largely raised for the new organ. In face of the financia pressure they had gone out and gathered here a sheaf and there a straw and there a bundie. Pres. Kelsey said that in looking back it was natural to refer to the men who had co-ntributed towards the success of this enterprise. They had succeeded in getting the portraits of four which hung on the walls. Dr. Freize, Dr. Winchell, Israel Hall and Prof. Morris men whose earnest lives were so hopeful of the future. He said Fres. Angelí was present and would speak more on the subject of these men with all of whom he was so well acquainted. Pres. Angelí said he feit that he was there that evening at a sort of family gathering-, a thanksgiving festival. They feit happy that they had really caught up to and siezed the rainbow which some men had charged them with chasing. He thought that evening marked a new era in the city. It was a landmark from which to look back to the Dast and torward to the future with hope for cultivation of art in the city. It was far better that the building was the creation of many small gifts than the endowment of one rich man. It means more, it shows the love of music, and good music too, in Ann Arbor is so widely diffused. It is a matter of profound thanksgiving and congratulations. It was a happy thouglit to bring the portraits of those who had done so much for music in Ann Arbor and place them on tlie walls of the hall. The directors of the association had toiled far more than anyone knew. They had long evening sessions attended with great anxiety. They were all busy men who had to neglect their own business for that of the society. Three men in particular had helped to the success of tlïe School of Music. There was a man there without whom it could not have been done and 'that was Prof. Stanlej'. He had the power of raising the enthusiasm and had also business sense which is not always found in musicians. When Prof. Cady, the former director, resigned, the board of regents had come to him to find a successor. It was not an easy matter to decide between the many parties recommended. For the benefit of the young men present he would say that he took the advice of a woman. He had an old'friend in Rhode Iüland, she said to him "Take Prof. Stanley" and here he is. Prof. Cady, his predecessor, had also greatly helped to interest people in music. Prof. Cady's ideal had been almost too high for their limited circumstances, but his services had been very great in enthusiasm. He had done very much to help Prof. Stanley. But back of all this was a man always glad to help the cause of music and he was glad when the board of directors of the Unlversity School of Music decided to cali the hall Friese Memorial Hall. Prof. Frieze had come to Ann Arbor over 40 years ago. He was the center of all enthusiastic lovers of music. Pres. Angelí vecollected when a boy (he hoped Mr. Tatlock would excuse him) going to church to to hear Prof. Frieze play the organ, there more devotion in his playing than in a poor sermón. When Prof. Frieze came to Ann Arbor he brought his enthusiasm with him. When he put his foot in Ann Arbor he became busv in trying to awaken the asm of the people. AU will agree that his long life prepared the way for Profs. Cady and Stanley. Therefore it was a great delight to flnd his name assoeiated with the hall. There were many in the hall who at the close of the concerts which Prof. Stanley prepared for them said "If only Prof. Frieze could have heard this how he would have enjoyed it." It was a joy to all that the hall should be dedioated to him whose soul lived in music. Pres. Kelsey then introduced Prof. Walter S. Perry, superintendent of the Ann Arbor schools. Prof. Perry said that he thought it was Luther who said he had no use for a schoolmaster who could not sing. Perhaps he had been too severe but he would say that a teacher who did not feel the effects of music in his soul should take another calMng. The late Dr. Frieze had helped to organize the Ann Arbor high school and it had been originallj designed that a school of music and the fine arts should be a part of the high school. It might sound strange to some to hear that pianos and painter's easels had at one time been among the ments of the high school. Since the year 1872 the board of education had for the grades below the high school, for the grades below the high school. After making a careful canvass of the schools of the country it was found that there was a popular that music should be a part of general education. This' condition was brought about by the belief that music appeals to the moral feelings of man. It goes without that music of a high grade stimulates and developes the strength and power of the mind and it is in that much akin to mathematics. They were just learning what music had done for the ancient Greeks. The theory that music was only for the few with a special aptitude for it did not seem to be correct. In publio schools as many succeeded in music as in ether branches. Music was not for the few but for the many. Their building was not for the creation of musical prodigies. Music will take a conspicuous and lofty place in civilization. . Prof. F. H. Pease of the Normal Conservatory of Music of Ypsilanti, was the next speaker called upon. He said he offered his congratulations on their noble work. It was a beautiful building and had been long needed. The citizens were to be congratulated on its completion. If they had gone to the legislature and asked for an -appropriation they would not have received it, the credit was due to the citizens. He brought greetings from the neighboring Normal Conservatory. He thought they were more neighborly than the people of Ann Arbor. At the ast concert 67 people from Ypsilanti were in attendance. Their concerts had to be given in a smaller hall, but they would be glad to see some of the Ann Arbor people with them on such occasions. He was glad and proud that the University School of Music had such a director, who only gave the best music, nothing trashy. Thé influence of the school would extend over the state. They made a little claim of having helped to build the building by reflex action. Pres. Kelsey said the Choral Union stood co-ordinate with the University Musical Society. The president of the Choral Union, Prof. P. R. dePont was present and they wanted to hear trom Mm. Pres. dePont aróse and after a few ntroductory remarks g-ave a short ketch of the organization of the Choral Union. The original society was orjanized one Sunday afternoon in the jrgan loft of the Congregational ;hurch. Prof. Frieze was in the habit )f going there to practice. The wife of Jeneral Hunt with himself and four )thers were the first ones to organize .he society. They had spoken of lookng over some Catholic masses and one Sunday agreed to go to the church. Fhey found Prof. Frieze so engrossed .vith his music that he never noticed :hem and they sat down. Finding the Jiece he was playing they commenced :o sing. Mrs. Hunt suggested ;hey were ust enough to form a Messiah club and 3ffered to open her house every Tuesïay evening for the purposes of singmg. Prof. Frieze replied ihat if they would keep their word and be there he svould be with them. Later other friends joined the Messiah club. This movement brought Prof. Cady to Ann Arbor, the society then taking the name of the Choral Union. At the time when Prof. Stanley came to Ann Arbor it was doubtful if the society would live. He, Prof. dePont, argued that it should start again and he was right. Last year 300 members had been enrollad and this year 262. When he had seen the wonderful growth of the Choral Union he had hoped in' a quiet way that i int? öt_iiuui ul iimsK, Liití nuyr ui lji. Prieze, would be realized. He stood on the platform that evening happy in the hope that in three of four years the University School of Music would take lts place with the best in the land. Prof. Stanley was called on and almost overeóme with emotion said no one feit happier than he dicl at the realization of his ideal. In the last conversation he had with Dr. Frieze the latter said he hoped that some day there would be a school of music whlch would rank as high as the University of Michigan in its other branches. The exercises of the evening closed with a splendid musical progTam by members of the