The Victox^ Boys and Girls

Sing While You Fight and Work and Win ELENE FOSTER By oblivious, seemingly, of their musical and leader. Mr. Camilieri is Greek by benefit« of fostering a community Spins The result not al- birth. Ten years or more ago, when h° and at last won the THERE was a time, not so very long shortcomings. may «consent of one o*' be harmonious from a niusicul was the director of the Philharmonic So-* these men to make ago, when the fact that one had ways the experiment. The but it makes for of Athens, he formed his first peo¬ of that not a particularly melodious j standpoint, certainly j cicty employes «hop were notified tha- of a far more char- "Hr STriliune which was of men if chorus, composed were voice or was unable to sing on the key harmony important ple's they interested in singing thev acter. arid women óf all classes, and grew until could come to or was not possessed of a proper sense the store a half-hour ear¬ of rhythm, debarred him from the pleas- ? ? it numbered between five and six thou¬ lier the next morning and Mr. A Singing Epidemic war Camilisri Institute sand. When the European broke would give them free instruction. There for Health and Makes Courage out he came to America filled with the were only a handful that availed theai- to establish selve»? There is scarcely a minute of the day ambition people's choruses of the privilege that first morninr the after but the that ene does not hear the strains of .lu tlic World of Women throughout country, patterned number increased every day uPI the one had left in Athens. til now some war-time melody. The woman who he the great majority of the work¬ scrubs the floor keeps time with her Mr. Camilieri believes implicitly in ers in that store assemble every morning to the and the influence of in the great at the of brush the strains of "Keep the Home tell the tale of the battle sing ns all modesty), is in the lead, with its own Liberty Chorus takes the bit in its teeth. power uplifting hajl top the build¬ they for a half Fires Burning"; the shop girl, as she bring in the German great People's Liberty Chorus, which The rocket burns steadily, "the bombs community singing for the working peo¬ ing hour of song before be. sorts her hums "La prisoners. and the results of his work thus far ginning the day's work. stock, Marseillaise"; At a Liberty Loan meeting the other during the recent loan campaign has bursting in the air" and the volume of ple, oven that he is a idealist. jirandniother, industriously knitting evening I beard one of Pershing's men been singing at the Liberty Altar in Mad¬ sound is just as great at the finish as prove practical Join the on socks for Robert in His in America came Song Training Camp France, clicks her tell of the day that he was shot in the ison Square. it was on the first "O, say, can you see." first opportunity needles to the of "The Battle the Y. W. C. for whom he And "Sing to Win" rhythm lung, and how the surgeon had to strap It is worth going a very long way to When I asked Mr. Camilieri, the leader through A., of the a chorus voices. Later Hymn Republic." him to the operating table and remove hear that great choir of men and women of the People's Liberty Chorus, bow he trained of female On two evenings a week, on Young and old. it is the same I the Y. M. C¡ A. called him to train and Monday, story. the injured lung', as it was impossible to sing "Keep on Hopin'" and "For Your accomplished this musical miracle he upon Thursdays, Mr. Camilieri holds heard the little kiddies in one a of the city give him an an.sthetic. Boy and Mine," but the most amazing smiled knowingly, shrugged his .-»boulders chorus of their members, and he finally meetings of what he is pleased to call hi-' the other some of the two units hospitals day, whom "But the boys helped a lot," said the feat to me was the manner in which and replied in his quaint broken English: brought together, forming "Song Training Camp" in the audito¬ hadn't the strength to raise their heads soldier. ''Those who weren't wounded that chorus of untrained "There are two reasons. The first is a people's chorus of mixed voice-. rium of the High School of from the "I practically Commerce at pillow, singing Hate to Get so badly sang all the latest songs to keep voices took the musical hurdles of "The lliis: 1 do not make of that song a. 155 West Sixty-fifth Street. This is in the and Depgtftment Store Choruses f'ree Up Morning," the nurses tell up my courage, and it wasn't so bad." Star-Spangled Banner." We have all what you call it?.a 'bogie.' 1 do not to all ; the salespeople from the me that in the Add Good Cheer to the Stock different military hospitals whole been brought up with the idea that this say, 'Be careful, this is very difficult.' shops form the nucleus, and any one who wards of wounded men will burst "The Star-Spangled Banner" spon¬ is the most difficult of all the national That is enouerh to frighten them at the The success which this chorus met cares to drop in is welcome. There is into song. Is no taneously Really Sung airs because of its wide range, and so beginning. 1 say: 'This is easy to sing gave Mr. Camilieri courage to go on to ! admission fee, no rollcall. It is We are all familiar with the the Is it wonder with all this jua. part any that, it has become a sort of bugbear to us. as I play it.' And so it is, for.and a more difficult task, which was to inter¬ an informal, free-for-all song festiva? war songs play in the life of the men music in the the oldtime air, »singing We canter along quite merrily for the this is my second reason.I play it in a est the managers of our big department presided over by a very talented mo- overseas. The officers of the school is revived albeit un¬ President being again, first few lines, but when it comes to "the different key from what I have ever stores in community singing for their sieion, who, without using any Lincoln and the Tuscania have told me der the modern of "the technical , guise Community rocket's red glare" we shy and cough and heard it played, so it is easy, like a, b, c." employes. He offered his services free terms, without any suggestions abou' how the boys sang as they sprang into Chorus" or "the Song Training Camp"? hesitate, and finally drop out of the race to train these men and women, and ex¬ proper "placing of the voice" or contxol the sea; how those who survived were Several of our larger cities have Camilieri Founded Our Liberty already altogether, with the result that the "red plained to the heads of the concerns the of the breath, is teaching these workinv /.. still singing when they were pulled into established these and it Chorus on a Greek Model CAMILIURl singing societies, glare" grows dimmer and dimmer until effect which he felt sure that such a move¬ people to sing naturally, as the the lifeboats. We know that our solanas is a of time before all the biro.* Conductor oi the People's Liberty only question the stick falls to the ground in dead The People's Liberty Chorus owes ¡rs ment would have on the morale of their sing, who discourages any but t!<e si. on the Western front sing as they go little towns and villages will follow suit. Chorus silence. existence to the perseverance and the op- people. He urged community plest form of vocalization and who is over the top, and those who remain to New York, as usual (we say this with singing It. is not like this when the People's timism of Mr. L. Camilieri, its fournie!' as an economic measure, pointed out the getting results of which any impresari.« .ii'.- of joining iiie gathering around the might well be proud. nano where those more fortunate were The P«2ople's Liberty Chorus is mac¬ wont to lift their voices in song. uñ of recruits from the "Song Training Those days, however, are over. A Camp"; not picked voices, mind you, but \ eritable wave of music has descended The and Girls ere the whole rank and file. Any one wb«.> upon the country, deluging it from coast Victox^ Boys wishes may join that great choir who«- to coast and overwhelming rich and poor, New York, explained that while the or¬ slogan is "Sing to Win." young and old. soldier and civilian alike. These Juniors Are to ganization was being launched as a part A II Street Back of Mr. Camilieri's work there ;-- The war is responsible for this, of of the campaign through which the Canvassing a an idea which Amillion boys big idea, has been ex¬ ourse. It began four years ago, when Work, Not Beg hoysbehind! and girls of New York can assist the Is Barred pressed, in a letter recently received the echoes of the British Tommies' fa¬ drive, that phase of it is only temporary from Dr.

Load more