THE NEW YORK TRIBUNE

New York City, New York, U.S.A.

16 August 1917

(page 8)

SINGING "THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER."

To the Editor of The Tribune.

Sir: After reading in last Sunday’s Tribune the quotations from an article by Aleister Crowley about “The Star-Spangled Banner,” [The Star-Spangled Banner] giving his reasons why the American national hymn is difficult to sing, I must say here that the members of the New Singing Society sing very well, and without any effort at all, “The Star-Spangled Banner” in the choral form herewith inclosed, which has been published by our society. Its members, in learning to read the text before applying it to the music, have overcome easily all the difficulties enumerated by Mr. Crowley in his article.

I avail myself of this opportunity to say that the members of the New Singing Society are men and women of all walks of life, and that they are true New Yorkers, native and foreign born, and from every nationality.

Of course in order to have the pleasure of singing well the American national hymn the members of the New Singing Society have had patience, first, to learn to read properly the words, and after to apply them to the music.

The trouble with many people who talk and write about singing in general, and all the advantages which can be derived from singing with others, is that when they come to the fact they refuse to submit to the natural law, that nothing good can be obtained without the proportionate amount of true work.

M. CAMILIERI, Conductor.

New York, Aug. 13, 1917