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Scan 23
The violinist, 1900
18 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1The Violin in the Schools of London
3It is said that there are two thousand professional violinists in greater London; that there are as many more amateurs of exceptional ability. I have not seen a reliable estimate of the number of pupils. But the fact that our great solo violinists can give from five to ten concerts in London in one season to well-filled houses, shows the popularity of our instrument in that city. And its fame as a mart for violins is world-wide.
5In explanation of this, we publish two accounts of the use of violin in public schools. Our readers will recall our frequent notice of similar work in American schools, not yet so well organized.
7THE VIOLIN IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS OF GREAT BRITAIN
8The Beginning of the Movement
9BY DR. ALBERT G. MITCHELL
11SEVERAL years ago, in the country town of Maidstone, in the county of Kent, England (a county, by the way, which has the honor of having first heard from the lips of St. Augustine the doctrines of the Christian faith), an assistant clergyman of the Parish Church tried the experiment of teaching violin playing to a few boys in the National (public) School. Regardless of discouragement he succeeded in demonstrating the fact that it was possible to give instruction upon the violin in class form such as would enable boys to acquire sufficient proficiency to play in public with credit. Still there were skeptics; but as the work proceeded, as more concerts were given, it became necessary for those interested in musical education to take notice of the movement.
13The Development of the Movement
14Quite naturally, the assistant clergyman, the curate, to use an English designation, became acquainted with musical instrument dealers, and from one of these, Murdock & Co. (let their names be honored!), much help was received in the way of making up violin outfits at a nominal cost—less than $6.00. This outfit consisted of a medium grade violin, bow, box, strings of a fair quality, and a box of resin. So great became the demand for outfits that Murdock & Co. finally engaged all the families of a village in the Tyrol to furnish a special grade of instrument. Every Sunday of the year any visitor may hear the pastor of the little church in that village pray for the welfare of the English firm which so liberally patronizes his parishioners. Other London and provincial firms have entered into the movement, as may be seen by a perusal of the trade journals. The time came, a few years ago, when the movement assumed such proportions as to warrant the formation of the National Union of School Orchestras, an organization which has an office, a bi-monthly paper, a royal patroness, and a list of well-known musicians as patrons. Its purpose is to foster the study of orchestral music, and to this end, among other things, it holds an annual festival in London. According to a recent report the number of schools in Great Britain and Ireland is in the neighborhood of 5,000. A conservative estimate places the number of children who have taken lessons in these schools, during the year 1910-1911 at half a million. Truly a remarkable growth from a single class of a dozen scholars or so.
16The Annual Violin Class Festival
17The first massed performance was given by the Union in the Crystal Palace in
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