nd emotionally taxing
song like the _Erl-King_ by a sunny and optimistic lyric; a song or a
group of songs in major possibly relieved by one in minor; a
coloratura aria by a song in cantabile style; a group of songs in
French by a group in English; a composition in severe classic style by
one of romantic tendency, _et cetera_. These contrasting elements are
not, of course, to be introduced exactly as they are here listed, and
this series of possible contrasts is cited rather to give the amateur
maker of programs an idea of what is meant by contrast rather than to
lay down rules to be followed in the actual construction of programs.

[Sidenote: UNITY]

But while contrast is necessary to keep the audience from becoming
bored or weary, there must not be so much variety that a lack of unity
is felt in the program as a whole. It must be constructed like a
symphony--out of material that has variety and yet that all belongs
together. In other words, the program, like a musical composition,
must achieve _unity in variety_; and this is the second main problem
confronting the conductor or performer who is planning a concert. It
is impossible to give specific directions as to how unity is to be
secured, for this is a matter to be determined almost wholly upon the
basis of taste, and taste is not subjectable to codification. The most
that we can do for the amateur at this point, as at so many others, is
to set before him the main problem involved, and in constructing a
program, this is undoubtedly to provide variety of material and yet to
select numbers that go well together and seem to cohere as a unified
group.

[Sidenote: LENGTH]

Our third question in making a program of musical works is, how long
shall it be? The answer is, "It depends upon the quality of the
audience." An audience composed largely of trained concert-goers, many
of whom are themselves musicians, can listen to a program composed of
interesting works and presented by a first-rate artist even though it
extends through a period of two and a half hours, although on general
principles a two-hour program is probably long enough. But one made up
mostly of people who have had very little musical training, who read
little except the daily newspaper and the lightest sort of fiction,
and whose chief amusement is probably attendance upon the picture
show,--such an audience must not be expected to listen to a program
that is either too heavy or too long; and our judgme