certain recent
exhibitions, the dance and music overpowered the effects of lights
because they speak familiar languages.

[Illustration: A community Christmas tree

A community song-festival

ARTIFICIAL LIGHT IN COMMUNITY AFFAIRS]

[Illustration: PANAMA-PACIFIC EXPOSITION

Artificial light not only reveals the beauty of decoration and
architecture but enthralls mankind with its own unlimited powers]

A number of attempts have been made to utilize light as an accompaniment
of music and some of them on a small scale have been sincere and
creditable, but a much-heralded exhibition on a large scale a few
years ago was not the product of deep thought and sincere effort. For
example, colored lights thrown upon a screen having an area of perhaps
twenty square feet were expected to compete with a symphony orchestra in
Carnegie Hall. The music reached the most distant auditor in sufficient
volume, but the lighting effect dwindled to insignificance. Without
entering into certain details which condemned the exhibition in advance,
the method of rendition of the light-accompaniment revealed a lack of
appreciation of the problems involved on the part of those responsible.

Incidentally, it has been shown that the composer of this particular
musical selection with its light accompaniment was psychologically
abnormal; that is, he was affected with colored audition. It is not yet
established to what extent normal persons are similarly affected by
light and color. Certainly there is no similarity among the abnormal and
none between the abnormal and normal.

If light is to be used as an accompaniment to music, it must be given an
opportunity to supply "atmosphere." This it cannot do if confined to an
insignificant spot; it must be given extensity. Furthermore, by the use
of diaphanous hangings, form will be minimized and the evanescent
effects surely can be charming. But finally the lighting effects must
fill the field of vision just as the music "fills the field of audition"
in order to be effective. There are fundamental objections to the use of
mobile light as an accompaniment to music and therefore the future of
the art of mobile light must not be allowed to rest upon its success
with music. If it progresses through its relation with music, so much
is gained; if not, the relation may be broken for music is quite capable
of standing alone.

There is a tendency on the part of some revolutionary stage artists to
give to light