A Plea For Fair Play

Ed. Courier : The posltion taken by some of the lovers of classical music in this community, that any music of a popular nature, that is possessing me'ody, is vulgar, and should not be permitted, is not a kind oiw or a gen teel one, to say the least. Three-fourths of the peop!e of Ann Arbor have not the proper musical education to enjoy wh,at is termed classieal music. and the idea of beratinv: any artist or artista avIio seek to give them something they do enjoy. is not commenda,ble it is not even gen teel. In fact is it not vulgar ? The right sort of a spirit is that -whicfc. does not seek to absorb eveiytliing for itelf, but one willing to let others be entertaLned as -n-ell. Il is related of Nero tliat he made classical music whiel Rome burned, and also that he made alJ ai'a subjects bow down a-nd worship lum, but conditions have changed siuce the days of Nero. People have siianged aJ.so and are more independent. To be sure this is a free country, ana no one is compelled to attend these coiicerts and entertainment::, but when lovers of popular music i o altend, and an artist is kind enouli to favor them with a melody that is pleasing to their senses, they do not enjoy having such artists roasted ior so doing any more than they cnjoy Deing roasted themse'.ves. Thei-e te evidently a -vide gulf fcetween the lovers of so-cal'.ed classical music and the lovers oí melody. r bastes differ. Neither shou'cl bo called n.'imes by the other, or shut out from having their desires gratifted. A great many peop!e purchase tickets for the Choral Union Series for instance, not beeause they really enjoy the entertainnients, but beeause they are anxious the enterpriüe should be a suceess, and they desire to give their mi te to he!p it along. The people "vho eo enthusiastical'y eheered Mrs. Bishop and Miss Powell, at University hall at the recent concert there, weve not all Freshmen by any means, any more than those who attempted to mliow their culture by hissimg were all geese. Neither party should go to extremes, for there is room enough (or both, and both should be treatetl in a fair and honorable manner. ; Yours ïor