Taking its rise in the compelling necessity of this principle, the “community music” movement has swept the country in the last few years, plunging it anew into violent discussion, annihilating personal theories and products of the musical hot-house, demanding the wholesome and the true—and giving the people expression. In this movement the composer of the music for “The Evergreen Tree” has been immersed. In the communal dramatic work and ideas of Percy MacKaye, he has recognized a similar development in the art of the theatre. It was inevitable that these two movements should come together and unite their powers in seeking to make a helpful contribution to the quest for a drama—and should it not truly be a music drama?—that shall serve most appropriately the deep need of the American people for expression in such a form. Anything which may prove to be of worth in my compositions for “The Evergreen Tree,” I owe to the new influx of life which I have received from my contact with the soul of the people, as revealed in the movement which is making us a singing nation. Cornish, N. H., September, 1917. III.—DESIGNS FOR “THE EVERGREEN TREE” BY ROBERT EDMOND JONES The drawings in this book will prove most helpful if they are thought of merely as notes to be amplified or varied according to the special needs of each community production. Different communities will develop the main scheme in various ways. The production indicated here is on a large scale in the open air; but the arrangement of stages and aisles is equally impressive in the smallest church. Facilities for lighting will vary widely in different communities. Don’t be discouraged if you haven’t an elaborate electric equipment at your disposal. Think how beautiful the Masque might be, done by candle-light in an old country meetinghouse! The costumes are extremely simple, and depend largely for their effectiveness on the dignity with which they are worn. The two _Choruses_ wear surplice-like over-garments, red or white. _Elf_ suggests a butterfly: _Gnome_, a beetle: _Tree_, a Fra Angelico angel. _Wolf_, _Bear_ and _Lion_ wear masks, rudely made, like mummers of the Middle Ages. _Wolf’s_ tail is attached to a belt, which he pulls from side to side. [Illustration: GNOME TREE ELF TREE wears green hose bound with silver thongs, a green smock on which the tree symbol is embroidered in silver, and flat silver wings. Later, TREE appears in a white smock with the symbol in gold. GNOME wears loose green trousers, a long tunic striped black and white and two long coats, orange over green. The hood has eyes of red, white and black at the sides. ELF wears a white smock with silver bells (mute) and butterfly spots of red and black. ] [Illustration: BEAR WOLF LION