Mr. William Ward Watkin

Ladies and Gentlemen: Among the privileges of the Rice Institute, which it can extend to the community, it appreciates greatly the generous gift which has made possible an annual lectureship upon the subject of music. It is essential in education that a general study of the Fine Arts be made a part of that education; that the inspiring qualities of painting and sculpture, architecture and music, have a part in the making of a man.

We are indeed fortunate on the occasion of this lectureship to have with us a distinguished young lady of rare culture, whose highest aims have been to create an understanding and an appreciation of the greater works of music, Mlle. Boulanger. Mlle. Boulanger comes and follows in the distinguished succession of her father and grandfather before her as a professor at the Conservatory of Paris. I have an exceeding pleasure in presenting to you this evening one so splendidly gifted, and with a genius which rises to high achievement. She has graciously consented tonight to lecture to us on the subject of French music, Modern and Ultra-Modern. I have the honor to present Mlle. Boulanger. (Applause.)

Mlle. Boulanger

The subject I have to treat with today contains so many names that I cannot consider the question in general and will immediately consider the particular.

The first man of whom I will speak is a man whom I believe to be one of the greatest artists of all time. I cannot speak of him without the deepest emotion. He died only a few weeks ago, and he was my old master—I mean Gabriel Fauré.

When Gabriel Fauré was with us, we knew we owed him much, and that we had for him a tremendous affection, but today, when we know we will see him no more, we understand that what he brought to our youth was an extraordinary gift.

The man has given an example of the most beautiful and pure life that an artist can have; he died, being nearly eighty years of age.