Is Jazz Dying?

Author(s): H. V. Spanner
Source: The Musical Times, Vol. 78, No. 1127 (Jan., 1937), pp. 59-60
Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd.
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/920286
Accessed: 20/11/2009 13:14

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless
you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you
may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use.

Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at
http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=mtpl.

Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed
page of such transmission.

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of
content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms
of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

Musical Times Publications Ltd. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The
Musical Times.

http://www.jstor.org
January, 1937 THE MUSICAL TIMES
Lah or Doh Minor
SIR,-It is to be regretted that what Dr. Borland
calls my 'well reasoned commentary' should have
provoked Miss Lawton's anger-even to the point
of discourtesy! Much of her reply is concerned
with verbal trivialities which have little or nothing
to do with either doh or lah minor, and I do not
propose to answer them.
It is a little unfortunate that in one or two cases
Dr. Borland's article and Miss Lawton's letter run
counter to one another: For example, she quotes
my statement 'the staff is not a good guide' and
adds ' Who said it was ? ' Not I, nor Miss Lawton
-nor did I say she said so! But Dr. Borland
devotes a good part of his article to saying that
sol-fa should follow the staff; again, Dr. Borland,
in speaking of sight-reading in D major or B minor,
uses the phrase ' if no A sharp is visible the sol-faing
proceeds just as easily.' Apparently he does not
mind very much whether the sol-faist realises the
key, even if Miss Lawton does. The doh minorist
is concerned that the child shall feel the difference
in tonality, and thinks this is more clearly brought
out by using different names.
In several places Miss Lawton has made a travesty
of my statements. I shall refer to one case: I
did not speak of the chord of the mediant but of
the modulation to the mediant, and I also referred,
at the same time, to the modulation to the dominant
from a major tonic, which is even more common
that a change to the relative minor. Soh or me
heard as a new tonic is called doh. My contention
is that lah heard as a new tonic should also be called
doh.
I have met many lah minorists who had a con-
fused sense of tonality, and many who have found
difficulty with harmony, and judging from other
music teachers' remarks to me, my experience is
not unique. It is also significant that I have met
a number of lah minorists who have been converted
to doh minor, but not one the other way round !
Dr. Borland admits that we have some 'able
musicians' among the doh minor protagonists. I
can assure him, however, that we are not such 'a
small group' and that we are growing in numbers
every day.
Perhaps I should enlarge a little on my statement
'speaking generally, modal music is not harmonic
music.' 'Polyphonic' does not necessarily mean
'harmonic,' and authorities such as Prof. Kitson
tell us that the 16th-century composers thought of
intervals rather than chords. As the feeling for
modern tonality grew and the harmonic conception
developed, the old modes died out. Dr. Borland
uses the phrase 'But in these days of the revival
of modes other than Ionian or AEolian ' Does
he imply by this that Ionian and LEolian are the
same as our modern major and minor ? Surely the
conception and treatment of them are fundamentally
different.
The doh minorist does not pretend that his method
works for music prior to the 17th century, any more
than it does for very modern music. But it does
work for major and minor music, better than the
lah minor method, which is really an anachronism,
and as this means it works for ninety-five per cent.
of the music the average child hears, sings or plays
(not just ' sings '), the doh minorist is satisfied.
I am sorry that Dr. Borland has brought in the
fixed dohists, particularly as he realises himself that
the issue is quite different, and that do re mi, &c.,
are simply the French fixed pitch names.
It seems to me that the greater part of Dr. Borland's
arguments from the great composers, and from the
relative frequency of modulation to the tonic and
relative minor, is simply the old argument from
59
notation. The fundamental question in music and
in teaching music is always how it is heard, not
how it is written. It is true that A minor and
C major have, 'as near as maybe, the same set of
notes.' So have G major and C major. But in
each case the aural effect is quite different.
Space does not permit me to reply to the other
points brought out by Dr. Borland and Miss Lawton,
nor do I think it is necessary, as I have already
stated the doh minor case as I see it. After care-
fully reading all that they and I have written on
the subject I still think that the doh minorist has
the better case and that his method produces the
more musical result. ANNIE 0. WARBURTON.
Manchester High School.
SIR,-In his interesting article on this subject,
Dr. Borland notes the difference of the musical
effects of the interval D to A in the keys of C and D.
This difference is due to something more than mere
context, and has an objective reason. In the basic
scale of just intonation, which is unique in giving
four perfect major triads, the interval D to A is
less than a perfect fifth, whilst the inversion of this
interval, A to D, is correspondingly wider than a
perfect fourth. Thus a scale passage carrying the
tonic sol-fa notation 1 t d r is not melodically the
same as one noted d r ma f. When the arithmetic
of the tonic sol-fa system was worked out by theorists
this anomaly was recognised, and a special name,
rah, was given to the note which with 1 forms an
interval of a perfect fourth.
The question at issue is therefore deeper than
one of mere nomenclature, and seems to be this:
is the minor scale essentially diatonic in the lower
part of its range, and comprised of the notes
A B C D, &c., of the basic scale of just intonation ?
or is this lower part of the range a chromatic
modification of the basic scale and equivalent to
C D E flat, &c. ? Most musicians feel that the
subjective effect of the minor mode is conveyed
by the notation I t d r, &c. On the other hand, it
must be noted that in Helmholtz's 'Sensations of
Tone' and in Deschanel's 'Natural Philosophy'
the theoretical notation of the minor scale is given
as C D E flat F, &c., which in tonic sol-fa would
be noted d r ma f.-Yours, &c.,
Winchester. G. W. STUBBINGS.
Is JazzDying?
SIR,-I fear not; but I am led to ask the question
by the nature of the attitude towards jazz which
is continually taken up by the B.B.C. I expect
most of your readers have listened at some time
or other to the broadcasting of jazz records, and they
have perhaps been struck by the unction with which
the announcers praise the stuff. There is, indeed,
something hectic about the jazz propaganda; and
as the hectic is suggestive of fever, and fever of death
-you see my point, Mr. Editor, don't you ?
Why, I should like to know, is it necessary to
praise jazz at all ? There can be only two reasons
for praising anything: (1) that you are so moved
by it that praise is a necessary outlet for your feelings;
(2) that, for some reason (or no reason), you think
other people ought to like what you praise.
(1). I am sorry, but I cannot believe that, purely
of itself, jazz has ever inspired anyone to the con-
tinuous outflow of praise that one hears. I am not
thinking of the nonsense that has turned up in the
discussion of ' swing music' initiated by Dr. Scholes
in the Radio Times. No one, I feel sure, has ever,
from a close study of the subject, been compelled
to write about it in the glowing terms that (for
instance) you, Mr. Editor, have used in your book
on Bach's organ works.
 60 ITHE MUSICAL TIMES
(2). I always thought it was a tenet of the jazz
faith that 'the public wants jazz, and more jazz.'
Then why waste time praising it ? If the public
wants jazz, jazz is quite able to speak for itself,
Heaven knows-its voice is loud like that of a
true electioneer, and it insistently drives its two
or three ideas continually into people's ears. And
yet the praise still goes on, and we get quotations
from a book by a famous jazz trumpeter who has
never learnt grammar, to assist the poor announcer
who can't find words to express his feelings. Are
the legs of jazz slightly tottering, and is it beginning
to be realised that the monster has always been
terribly short-winded ? Are we, in fact, in the
presence of a sick man ?
It sounds too good to be true; but it is never-
theless long past the time that jazz should have died,
and I suspect that it has been kept alive by financial
champagne. Dr. Scholes maintains that 'swing
music' is merely a commercial proposition, and no
one in his musical senses can doubt this verdict.
The Negro music from which this so-called 'hot'
stuff has been distilled has, doubtless, a right to
serious consideration; but the synthetic product
known as jazz, or 'rhythm,' or 'swing music,' or
whatever else the perplexed advertiser can think of,
is fit only for the musical dissecting-room. The
only good it has done so far is to prevent any sane
person from ever calling music ' the divine art'
again.-Yours, &c., H. V. SPANNER.
17, Lanercost Road, S.W.2.
Recitalin Paris
Dr. Thalben-Ball's
SIR,-Several references having recently been made
in musical journals to Dr. Thalben-Ball's forthcoming
Paris recital in March for the ' Societe des Amis
de L'Orgue,' I desire, if I may, to correct a statement
made by your contributor A. F. in his Organ Recital
Notes of your December issue.
In the last paragraph of those notes the writer
states that 'partly through the work of the Organ
Music Society he (Thalben-Ball) was invited to play
in Paris for the ' Societe des Amis de L'Orgue.'
This statement is utterly incorrect. The invitation
to Dr. Thalben-Ball was made on my initiative, and
on mine alone, and I personally sent the letter of
invitation to him and I have his reply in acceptance.
That invitation was extended to him after I had
sought and obtained the collaboration of two other
persons, namel}, Monsieur le Comte Miramon
Fitzjames, President of the ' Soci6te des Amis de
L'Orgue,' and Monsieur Norbert Dufourcq, Secretary
and Treasurer. No one else whatever was concerned
in that invitation and the Organ Music Society had
no share in its initiation.
That I took the initiative I did to strengthen
relations between the 'Organ Music Society' and
the' Soci6et des Amis de L'Orgue' I admit, but to
claim, as is done by A. F., that the 'Organ Music
Society' is even partly responsible for the invitation
is contrary to the facts, of which no one has a better
knowledge than myself.-Yours, &c.,
Bedford. A. C. DELACOUR DE BRISAY.
A Disclaimer
SIR,-May I beg the courtesy of your space in
the following matter ? It has come to my knowledge
that a report is being circulated to the effect that
I myself 'paid' for a certain London performance
of a work of mine early last year.
I do not wish to be put to the unpleasant necessity
of making public the correspondence between myself
and the parties concerned regarding the performance
in question, but if this impudent and monstrous
allegation is repeated, I shall have to do so as well
as take legal steps to stop it.
January, 1937
I consented to the performance in question with
the utmost reluctance, regarding the auspices under
which it took place with intense aversion and dis-
taste; it was arranged over my head and without
my knowledge, I being informed only when all the
arrangements were completed. I was only restrained
from imposing my veto by a desire not to cause
loss or inconvenience to those concerned, and I
refused to be associated with the occasion or to
endorse it by being present.--Yours, &c.,
KAIKHOSRU SHAPURJI SORABJI.
Regent's Park, N.W.1.
TheArmistice
Service
SIR,-As this is listened to by (probably) more
people than any service on earth, and has a deep
meaning for us all, obviously the perfection of every
detail counts.
The Musical Times is read by thousands of church
musicians. Can some of them say whether it is
necessary to make that 5-bar ending to lines one
and three of St. Anne ? Presumably, the idea is
that the crowd will anyhow pause there if the band
doesn't, so the band may as well do so ! But is
this so ? Is a British crowd so unrhythmic as to
demand this painful concession ?
The tune is played like that every year (an exact
five beats in these two bars, i.e., an extra beat at
the end of the first and third lines).
To my mind it kills all the dignified march swing
of the fine old tune.
What do you say, Mr. Editor ? And what do
your organist readers say ? Would the able con-
ductor be willing to make a note to try steady
uninterrupted rhythm in 1937 and see what happens ?
-Yours, &c., 'NOT A CHURCHMUSICIAN.'
Switzerland.
[The ' gathering-note' version-i.e., with a semi-
breve at the beginning and end of each line-can
be sung in good time and rhythm, and gives ample
chances for breathing. We did not hear the broadcast
and do not know what form was used.-EDITOR.]
AlfredHollinsandthe Malvern
Chimes
SIR,-I was glad to read the full and appreciative
review of Dr. Hollins's Autobiography in last month's
Musical Times; a happy coincidence, too, to find
included as an extra supplement a new carol from
his pen. You may be interested to know that this
carol, with its refrain founded upon the ' Malvern '
chimes, had its first performance in Malvern Priory
on Christmas Day.
Those of your readers with a bent for campanology
will find in 'A Blind Musician Looks Back' the music
of these chimes quoted in full, with the story of how
the composer first heard them and, struck by their
originality and beauty, noted them down. That
must have been nearly ten years ago, but they
evidently 'stuck' in his mind, and perhaps it was
the writing of the book which served to re-kindle
his memory and inspire this delightful Christmas
piece. It is a pleasure to add that it proved an
easy ' winner' among our selection of carols for 1936.
-Yours, &c., Louis A. HAMAND.
Great Malvern.
GustavHoist
SIR,-I am collecting the material for a biography
of my father, the late Gustav Hoist, and I should
be very grateful if you would allow me to ask if
any of your readers could lend me letters which
might be suitable for publication.-Yours, &c.,
54, Ormonde Terrace, N.W.8. IMOGENHOLST.