Evening Star Newspaper, August 3, 1930, Page 56

MU BY HELEN FETTER. &« OSTON never meant beans to me,” said Hans Kin- dler, the Dutch cellist, when in Washington last Bpring. Mr. Kindler was not trying to be facetious. not know the slang interpretation for the name of the famous vege- table. He did know that baked beans and Boston are synonymous in many minds. “I had never eaten baked beans,” he continued in his soft and attractive accent, - member, I had heard of the great symphony orchestra in Boston in the United States of America. was because of this orchestra that Boston became a mecca in my| eyes. All over Europe you will| find that, not only among musi- | cians, but with people generally| of any culture in all the conti-| nental countries and England, the | thought of Boston immediately ! calls forth mention of that city’s famous orchestra. It is a domi- nating asset in the eyes of the world.” | Mr. Kindler's comment has| found wide corroboration. There | is not one of the American cities that has a symphony orchestra | which does not frankly acknowl- | edge that such an organization is | a very tangible asset to that city. Of them all, however, none is| more distinguished than the or-| chestra of Boston. It is second oldest in the United States. Elsewhere on this page is given some information about the Bee- thoven festival of four programs to be played by this orchestra in | Washington in December. This| festival is part of an elaborate plan for a special celebration of the 50 years that the orchestra has been in existence. For half | a century it has grown into the very roots of life in Boston and the cultural considerations of the Nation itself. The festival in ‘Washington is to be the expres- sion in the Capital of the coun- try of honor to one of the finest artistic products developed in the United States of America. * ¥ k- IT was primarily because of the Boston Symphony Orchestra that Henry Lee Higginson became known as “Boston’s first citizen.” ‘The American banker had re- ceived his general education at| Harvard, his musical education abroad and served in the Fed- eral Army during the Civil War, when he was brevetted lieuten- ant colonel. His benefactions were numerous and he did much Ex‘lcucal social service work. It the Boston Symphony Orches- tra, however, that he pains- takingly founded and built, which is his vital, ever-green memorial. No slightest inquiry into the his- tory of this orchestra but brings out in capital importance the name—Henry Lee Higginson. It was in 1881 that Mr. Higgin- son brought together the initial personnel. Mr. Higginson was not merely a lover of music, and thus a generous patron as far as finances were concerned. He was an intelligent musician himseif. In addition, he had executive ability of high quality. These two last-mentioned things are quite as essential to a successful launch- ing of a symphony orchestra as is the solid financial foundation such as he established and main- tained for many seasons at his own individual expense. There are many people who will give money toward fine musical endeavors, but very few who can and also will donate intelligent discrimination and ability to build such an organization. Too often socially prominent -people are asked to lend their names and give a comparatively small amount of money toward such a project, and then these people seem to feel a right to assume re- sponsibility toward the artistic development of the organization which they cannot possibly live up to, not being trained or na- tively gifted to handle such prob- lems. Mr. Higginson made no tempo- rary hobby of the Boston Sym- firony Orchestra. He went into e proposition with his eyes fully open to the long years of hard work and constructive thinking that he must personally contrib- ute, as well as the very large sum of money that must be spent with no thought of a penny of it ever being returned to him. It meant real sacrifice, a sacrifice of men- tal energy and time that was as momentous in the artistic prog- ress of the United States as was the sacrifice of pioneers who bore hardships and broke the more picturesque trails in learning the extent of the country and the pos- sibilities of its material resources. Mr. Higginson realized all this. He was no wealthy financier who simply had a laz§, amateur love of music. He stuck to his bargain | ear after year and brought the | oston Symphony Orchestra to a point where it became self-sup- rortnlg: He it was who outlined he plans and cleared away the obstacles toward this end. He en- couraged the bringing of great est conductors and the produc- g of scores, both American and foreign, for first performances in this country. He supervised the actual personnel in the orchestra and fostered many practical ideas. The Boston Symphony Orchestra was the first in the country to g:ve a pension fund for its mem- TS, And now, 50 years later, the Boston Symphony Orchestra is not only the most eutstanding single product of Boston and the dominant factor in the life of that cultural town’s citizens, but it also is an American tradition that is given world-wide recognition. * k% * A SYMPHONY orchestra would be a definite asset to the Na- slonal Capital. Musical authori- ties generally agree that such an :gmlntlon is the backbone of [t development in any city. It is a civic asset when it gives Jobs to nearly 100 citizens who otherwise would be out of work. M :h business uullz whel;. it e money spent on enter- tainment by citizens circulating in the city where it is t. Vzg:n a great ion such as Metropolitan » €0, comes from Yors O He did | Jhxgh as $4,200 a concert here. “but from | my childhood, ever since I can re- | ton must have a certain amount | of such outside expenditure. Any It| B 14 and gives three opera perform- | ances in Washington, it leaves| the city taking $60,000 of Wash- | | ington citizens’ money with it to| |another city to be circulated. | More than one concert artist| brought to Washington exacts 1$2,500 to $3,500 as the artist's fee | to' be paid and taken away for| | spending in New York or else- | where, but certainly not in Wash- |ington. Chaliapin has asked as This is all very well. Washing- national capital certainly should have occasional performances of | the greatest orchestras and artists in the country presented within its halls at cne time or another. On the other hand, there might well be developed a sense of proper proportion in such spend- ing and also a thought for the city’s own civic and musical de- velopment. If Washingtonians want to spend $60,000 for three operas by a visiting company given with a limited and con- stantly repeated group of that company's stars and necessarily limited repertoire and scenery because Washington has no opera | house that makes it practicable | to present greater variety of operas more advantageously and, because several of the finest stars hasten abroad and never go on the tours—that is entirely up to ‘Washingtonians. They have to pay the bills. Looking at another side of the picture for a moment, we quote Mr. Kindler again when he said before a large musical group here: “You people give $60,000 for three evenings of opera. If you would raise that same amount for a symphony orchestra in your own city you could have more than 40 concerts during a season at popular prices that you could well afford. Moreover, with the! personnel of such an orchestra made up of your own citizens, you would be helping Washington musicians to make their living and support their families.” * X X % WASHINGTON has no opera house. Washington does have | TH an excellent concert hall. Also, because of the orchestral work in the sound films being incorpo- rated in the pictures themselves, ‘Washington is very shortly going to have a considerable group of her musicians—professional and in many cases artistic performers —without regular positions. There are persons who predict that the motion picture theaters will have to reorganize and resume “live orchestras” within a year or so, as the public may grow bored with canned orchestra music. Such reaction has been shown in large part toward many of the rograms offered over the radio. Constantly the radio concerns are having to elevate their standards and employ only the finest talent and the most famous speakers to get people to “listen in.” In this “land of freedom” there s no ges- ture quite so significant and satis- fying as being able to twist the knob and shut off some radio per- former who bores or irritates the hearer. In the meantime, however, Washington has the material available, including a conductor who is definitely headed for world fame in that capacity—if not in Washington, elsewhere—for he showed here in two concerts the possession of all the qualifications, as well as genius degree of ar- tistry, for building at very rea- sonable cost a symphony orches- tra. The combination offers splendid opportunity for the co- operation of business and civic organizations to raise the neces- sary funds. Moreover, last sea- son, by practical personal sacri- fice, 80 Washington musicians demonstrated that they had the ability to make a good orchestra. It has been practically worked out that a sum of $100,000 a year for five years would place this or- chestra in a position to offer edu- cational concerts for children, such as Damrosch and Stokowski made famous; concerts of purely classical music for adults and programs with noted guest solo- ists, available in series of several each, covering the music season months of the year, at popular prices, as a permanent institu- tion. The question now is, are the people of Washington sufficiently interested to subscribe, as individ- uals or organizations, to a Na- tional Symphony Orchestra fund? Also there is this point to con- sider: The day of the concert soloist is definitely passing. Each [P year finds fewer artists who can command a capactly audience for an entire program. Kreisler, Rachmaninoff, Ponselle, Pederew- ski and a few others still do it, but the past season found many con- certs with seats vacant. The visiting orchestras are restricting their tour dates more and more, too. As a last point, if a reasonable fund is raised to give the men in the National Symphony Orchestra a living wage the year around, to cover rehearsal periods as well as the season of actual concerts, it will be possible to institute these series of programs as evening performances, with the exception, of course, of the children’s events. This should mean much to Wash- ington, where the “legitimate” theaters have been narrowed down to two, and where the mo- tion picture houses, excellent as they are, cannot give the higher musical entertainment. o Young American Secures Position at Vassar College JOHN CROUCH, a leading exponent of the methods of Edwin Hughes, former Washingtonian, has been ap- pointed instructor of piano at Vassar Col . Mr. Crouch was acclaimed at his New York debut in 1929 as one of the most brilliant of the younger gener- ation of pianists. He made & tour of Europe last Fall, playing with great success in Germany, Austria, France, Holland, and d. He will be heard -rlnmNnYorkunmmnn- cital at Town Hall. —_— sololst st the Church of the to take effect Beptember k THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, THE MASTER AT BAYREUTH IS ILL SIEGFRIED WAGNER. IS is the first year that, not only practically, but in theory and tra- ditions, the position of chief importance as master of Bayreuth has been awarded to Siegfried Wagner, son of the | great composer. The entire weight of responsibility has descended upon this representative of the second generation of Wagners to become world famous in the fleld of music. did Prau Richard Wagner, the famous Cosima, pass on. Moreover, these multiple responsibil- ities seem to have been almost too much for Herr Siegfried Wagner, for the very day before the much-advertised festival was to open—Sunday, July 21—Herr ‘Wagner was lying in bed in the town hospital gravely ill of heart disease. However, the report was made that on that day, for the first time since his seizute a week previous, could the fam- ily hope for his recovery. His physician is reported to have given out as the official statement -the fact that he was physically and nervously exhausted and would require weeks of rest. The fact of his breakdown, however, was not al- lowed to affect the opening of the fes- tival the hext day, July 22. Festival Is Sold Out. ‘The same papers which carried the above news of Herr Wagner's illness also told how the music lovers from all over the world were pouring into the little Bavirian town on the eve of what has been for 30 years the most important day in the annals of Bayreuth. Ac- commodations were at a premium, and every performance of the entire festival had been sold out, yet the demand for tickets continued, and an even larger number of guests were anticipated to arrive from nearby towns, where they had had to secure the overflow accom- modations for the opening performance. It was said, too, that Arturo Tosca- nini, the Italian maestro, who estab- lishes a new tradition in his coming to Bayreuth to conduct some of the operas, has been as stern a taskmaster in the red and yellow brick building on the sacred 1 of Wagnerism as he is in the opera houses and concert halls elsewhere in the world. He was not any too gentle in reprimands during a re- hearsal of “Tristan und Isolde” and ave the sailor chorus a goodly piece of is eritical mind backstage. Also he Only this Spring | shattered an old tradition of Bayreuth by insisting on a repetition of an or- chestral passage when the first act was ended, something never previously done there at dress rehearsals. Signor Tos- canini is the first Latin conductor to present in this shrine of Wagnerism in Germany his interpretation of the Wag- nerian music _drama. He holds the baton over all performances of both “Tannhauser” and Wagner's master- plece, “Tristan und Isolde,” this season. Reports convey the information that Americans are well represented in the numbers who early made reservations both for tickets and rooms. There also are not a few Washington musicians traveling abroad this Summer who have indicated that the Bayreuth festival was among their definite objectives while across the ocean. Toscanini Has Own Chef. It is said that practical innovations this year for the further comfort. and accommodation of the many guests in- | g clude a post office substation, recently erected . immediately adjacent to the Festsplelhaus, and a readjustment made within the auditorium proper so that 96 additional seats could be placed for auditors. Also the Town Council of Bay- reuth donated an additional plot of ground immediately back of the festival theater on which a substantial roomy storage house has been erected. Also the authorities have improved the already charming park and grounds about the Festspielhaus considerably. It s Interesting to read what Frau Winifred Wagner, wife of Siegfried, has to say of Signor Toscanini. She is said to have commented that “Toscanini knows Bayreuth better than we perhaps realize. He was here several times dur- ing the seasons prior to 1914. He came here probably for the first time in 1904. That was the last season in which ‘Tannhauser’ was given, and it is an interesting coincidence that he is re- turning to conduct the first revival of this opera since that time. In those earlier days he gemerally came unan- nounced, just like any other Bayreuth pilgrim.” This year it is reported that he brought his customary entourage to Bayreuth, including his family. To avold experimenting with foreign cook- ing, he also takes his own chef wherever he goes. THE U. 8. ARMY BAND. Tlfl activities of the United States Army Band, Capt. W. J. Stannard, leader, will include the following con- cert engagements for the current week: ‘Tomorrow—Reservation 312d, Arkan- sas avenue, Thirteenth and Emerson | streets northwest, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday—Walter Reed Hospital, 6:30 .m. pwednexd-y—Gylvnn ‘Theater, Monu- ment Grounds, 7:30 p.m. Thursday—Mount ~ Alto Hospital, 7 m. P Friday—East steps of Capitol, 7:30 .m. The usual policy of including popular and classical numbers on all programs will obtain during the week. THE U. 8. MARINE BAND. The United States Marine Band will give the following concerts during the coming week: Monday at 8 p.m.—United States Marine Barracks. Tuesday at 7 p.m.—United States Veterans' Hospital, Mount Alto. Wednesday ot 7:30 p.m.—United States Capitol. Thursday at 7:30 pm.—Sylvan pm.—United Btates ‘Theater. mdlgl at 3 Naval Hospital ‘The lrrwrlml Monday and Wednes- day will include works by Tschaikowsky, , Rimsky Korsakow, Wagner, Handel and Coleridge Taylor, also a cornet solo and a for saxo- phones. THE SOLDIERS’ HOME BAND. ‘The band of the United States Sol- diers’ Home, John 8. M. Zimmermann, leader, and Anton Pointner, assistant, will give three concerts, as usual—Tues- day, Thursday and Saturday afternoons at 5:30 o'clock in the bandstand. The full programs, which combine light and classical selections, will be published in daily issues of The Star. THE UNITED STATES NAVY BAND. ‘The United States Navy Band will lay at the Capitol tomorrow night. f.. the absence of Lieut. Benter, the cert will directed cont be Charles Wise, second leader. the will be by program the "ehnes g0t e lo “Seren of Olden Times,” Silvestri, played by G. De Gilorgio. This sere- nade, composed over a century ago for mandolin and guitar, has been tran. scribed for the band by Bandmaster De night, at Grant Circle, the np‘ll hich in- el band wil udes Me) el tatre,” “Romeo “The Chosolate RICHARD T. GORE. A YOUNG Washingtonian who has gone to New York, Richard T. Gore, seems to be hitting the mark quite sat- istactorily in the music circles of the metropolis. At the present time he is organist at the Congregational Church of Scarsdale, N. Y., and accompanist for the Choral Symphony Soclety, which is to sing programs this month and next at the Lewisohn Stadium in the series of prominent musical events offered there during the Summer. These events draw music lovers from all over the ceuntry. Mr. Gore studied plano in Washing- ton with Caroline Bender. He studied the organ under Lewis Atwater. When he was only 15 years old Beatrice Sey- mour_Goodwin, in charge of music at St. Alban’s engaged him as organist at that church. He held the position until his family moved to New York, As soon 25 he had gotten settled in the new environment he secured a position as organist at Mount Vernon, N. Y. He ve up this position to accept the one Scarsdale. He is continuing his mu- cal studies, especially along the lines of composition, and is attending Colum- bia University. Bandmaster Jean Manganaro, baritone soloist, will play his own composition, “Valse Brilliante.” Other concerts by the Navy Band this week are: Tuesday and Thursday at 3 p.m. at the navy yard and Friday eve- ning at 6:30 at Mount Alto Ve 3 and D. 0., AUGUST & | From ‘Gang’ to Grand Opera Stepped Beatrice Belkin A FEW seasons ago Washingtonians who attended the Sunday afternoon concert programs at the Fox Theater, then newly opened, heard a slim, grace- ful, dark-eyed girl sing the famous operas. She sang well then and with evident good training in the traditions. The girl was Beatrice Belkin, then newcomer to RoXy's remarkable “Gang. A native of New York, she was brought up in Marion Talley's State—evidently a fosterer of coloratura sopranos. She is a graduate from the State University of Kansas. Her stage debut with Roxy’s Gang was made in 1927. Since then she has sung with the Philadelphia | Grand Opera Company, the St. Louis Municipal Opera Company and other American organizations. Now this entirely American trained and American experienced singer is to have the crown of all honors a singer could ask—a debut at the great Metro- politan Grind Opera House of New York—next season. Maestro Gatti- Casazza has announced her name as for the first time for the coming season | at_the famous opera house. It isn’t everybody who can go from a gang to grand opera, but any one who has heard Miss Belkin can realize how this is easily possible in her case. It was the great Mme. Schumann- Heink herself who recently traveled the same road in reverse. The most dis- tinguished contralto of the last few generations closed her grand opera career a season or so 8go, yet she a| peared for the first time with gr success & few weeks ago in programs Roxy's Theater and over the radio. It's a poor rule that doesn’t work both ways. Musigraphs SYLVXA LENT, the young Washing- ton violinist who was the first American student to study with the late Leopold Auer in this country, is on her way to Europe. Miss Lent is traveling with her mother, an aunt and a sister who is very gifted in another artistic line—Margarete Lent, the painter. Sylvia writes that the family really has gone abroad primarily on Margarete's account, as she wants to do considerable painting of foreign scenes. “However,” adds the young virtucso of the violin, “before I come home I shall give a Berlin recital.” Warren F. Johnson will give an or- gan recital this evening at the Church of the Pilgrims at 7:30 o'clock. He will play the first movement (al- legro) from “The Sixth Symphony,” Widor, and “Andante,” Stamitz. Meyer Davis, Washington jazz organ- izer, recently has gone from Lake Placid, N. ¥., where he spent the early part of the Summer, to Newport, R. I He is to lead his own orchestra there at a num- ber of large balls given by such social leaders as Mrs. Robert W. Goelet, Au- gust 16; Mr. and Mrs. James N. Butes, August ' 23; Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Hamilton Rice, August 22, and a dance planned by Mrs, C. Oliver O'Donnel for the Clambake Club, on August 30. ‘The soloist at the German service at Concordia Lutheran Church this morn- ing will be Howard Bursley, tenor, who will sing “Sei Getreu his an den Tod,” from the oratorio “St. Paul,” of Men- delssohn, At the English service at 11:15 Hen- rietta Flynn, contralto, will sing an ar- rangement of the hymn “Abide With Me,” by Liddle. There will be a rehearsal of the can- tata choir Thursday evening at 7:30. Barrett Fuchs, young Washington baritone, gave an informal recital at the cottage of Mrs. Norwood, at Blue Ridge ummit, Pa., last Sunday afternoon and was most_enthusiastically received. Mr. and Mrs. Winterbottom (A. G. O. and A. A. G. O, respectively) of New York also contributed to the program Mr. Winterbottom is playing at_the Church of the Transfiguration, in Blue Ridge Summit, for the Summer and accompanied Mr. Fuchs. Mrs. Winter- bottom played some of her compositions, Mr. Puchs is an artist pupil of Beatrice Seymour Goodwin and been for several years soloist at Christ Church, Georgetown. John Russell Mason, organist of the Central Presbyterian Church, Sixteenth and Irving streets northwest, is sailing for England Thursday to attend the British Library Assoclation Summer School for Librarians at the University of Birmingham. Mr. Mason is the associate librarian of the George Washington University. In addition to attending the library school, he will spend several weeks in London and Paris, returning on the Leviathan the end of September, Mathilde W. Kolb, contralto soloist of Mount Vernon Place Methodist Episcopal Church South, left Thurs- day for New York to sail for Europe. Miss Kolb has planned to go direct to Munich, Germany, where she will con- tinue her voice studies. After visiting later in Prance and England, she will return to Washington late in October and resume her duties with the quartet and choir of the local church. Hawaii's H;me. Sweet Home," Written by Queen IT is not many countries that can boast of the fact that the composer of their principal song is the ruler of their country, In Hawall, land of moonlit beaches and hula hula dances, it was the last of the royal directors of the destiny of that land—Queen Liliuokalani—who wrote the song that is the “Home, Sweet Home” of Hawall —the famous “Aloha Oe.” Quite evidently this Queen was an unusually alert and clever person. An amusing story is told about her having & conversation with Queen Victoria during a visit to England. The teller of the story is & member of the group of Hawalian natives that has built its own village on Steel Pier, in Atlantic City, this year. These natives sing their own songs, play on native instru- ments, do spectacular dives into the Atlantic and dance the hula. As for the story—it seems that the British Empress remarked to the Hawailan Queen that she “felt so near {a Lilivokalani that they must be re- ated.” Hawalian visitor is said to have replied politely: “Yes, we are, for did not one of my . Cook?” & whose race reached the pinnacle of their de- velopment under King Kamehameha I, w‘gn was called the Napoleon of the Pa- cifie. ‘The Barber o} Seville' Sung In English at Atlantic City OSSINI'S masterpiece, “The Barber of Seville,” will be given its first ger!omu.uee in English in Atlantic City y the Steel Pler Grand a Co, in the ball room of the Steel this eve- ning at 8 o'clock. cast is a distinguished one, the principals being Melvena Passmore, coloratura soprano; Willlam Phillips, , and , baritone, all of the Chicago Opera Co.; Henri Scott, baritone, formerly of the Metropolitan Opera Co.; Rhys Morgan, the distin- guished Welsh tenor, and Francis Ty- ler, basso. ‘These artists will give an afternoon concert in the Steel Pler bell room this afternoon at 3:30 o'clock. Next ‘Von mm'- “Martha” coloratura arias from well-known grand | one of the three native artists engaged | | { | 1930—PART FOUR. ROM the Lido, Venice, comes the news of most of the numbers which are to be featured in Washington next December when Serge Koussevitzky leads the Boston Symphony Orchestra in four pretentious programs of the |{ music master of Bonn in a Beethoven | Festival. Mrs. Katle Wilson-Greene, Washing- ton manager, who is spending her “real vacation” resting at the Lido for six weeks, writes that she had an inter- esting visit with the Russian conductor in Paris and secured from him at that time the program which he has_ar- ranged for the festival here. Mrs. Greene adds that “on the second and third evenings we will have a well known pianist and violinist as soloists for the concertos, to be announced on my return.” Semi-Centennial Programs. ‘The programs are to include the fol- lowing Beethoven works: Tuesday evening, December 2—Sym- phony No. 1, Symphony No. 2, Sym- phony No. 3. ‘Wednesday evening, December 3— Overture to “Egmont,” Plano Concerto No. 4 Symphony No. 5. Friday evening, December 5—Over- ture to “Leonore,” Violin Concerto No. 3, Symphony No. 7. Saturday, December 6—Symphony No. 8, Symphony No. 9 (with soloists and chorus). This is, of course, a particularly gala year for the Boston Symphony Or- Chestra, It was just 50 years ago this season that that great musical philan- thropist, the late Henry L. Higginson, founded and for a considerable time was sole support financially of the Bos- ton Symphony Orchestra. That first , gathered together under his direction and excellent judgment SERGE KOUSSEVITZKY. —— 1881, little realized the great importance that their organization was later to assume in American history. Under Mr. Higginson's guidance the orchestra grew to be self-supporting and its con- certs became an integral part of the cultural life of the city itself. Many famous conductors have led the or- chestra, which is the second oldest in the United States. It has been the medium of introducing for the first time many now famous compositions of both native and foreign composers. Also it has introduced many practical ideas, such as the pension fund for its members. Sir George Henschel Conducts. In Boston the initial program of the semi-centennial celebration will be con- ducted by the same famous leader who conducted the very first program ever given by the Boston Symphony Or- chestra. Sir George Henschel, who is now more than 80 years of age, but an active musician still, will come from his home in Scotland e&gecllll)’ to con- duct the presént orchestra in the identical program that was given on the first performance of all. This will be given early in October. Mr. Kous- sevitzky, in commenting upon this fact to Mrs. Greene, added that he will give a second half of the special open- ing program, when he “will play mod- ern music.” However, the great Rus- sian, who is noted as a virtuoso on the double bass, as well as a conductor, is reported to have smiled as he made the remark, so perhaps the moderness of the music will not be too revolu- tionary and dissonant. It is further reported that the Bos- ton Symphony Orchestra canceled a Prince of Wales Sponsors Scottish Festival at Banff BANF‘P, Alta—Labor Day week end this year will see again the high- lands of Scotland transplanted to the Canadian Rockies in the namesake town of Banfl. This mountain resort just sounded the call for its fourth an- nual highland gathering and Scottish music festival, scheduled to last from August 29 to September 1, with head- quarters at the Banff Springs Hotel Arranged as before, by the Canadian Pacific Railway under the patronage of the Prince of Wales, the festival will offer in review the gems of Scattish minstrelsy, together with dances and pipers’ lays which have survived through the turmoil of clan warfare in Scotlanc as well as through 301 years of Scottish settlement in Canada & Seventeenth Highland regiments in Canada have entered their best pipers to compete for valuable trophies. Lads and lassies dressed in the flashing kilt will perform reels, sword dances ahd highland flings, competing for prizes in classes grouped accordiyg to age. - In addition, the leading Sottish athletes of the Dominion have been rounded up for the traditional Caledonian games. like putting the “stane” and tossing the caber, as well as the more usual track and fleld events. One of the races is entitled “The Fiery Torch” race, reocail- ing the custom of the clansmen to sum- | mon the clans to war by runners catry- ing a burning torch. The musical program this year will be concentrated on the songs of Robert Burns. Two ballad operas incorporating these songs will be presented—one en- titled “The Ayrshire Ploughman,” writ- ten by J. E. Middleton with arrange- ments by Healy Willan, a distinguished Canadian composer, and the other Burns' own cantata of “The Jolly Beg- gars,” a new version of which has just been compieted by Mabel Wood-Hill, a United States composer. ‘The singers | will include Brownie Pecbles and Allan | Burt of the American Opera Company, Allan Wilson, well known tenor of San Francisco; J. Campbell McInnes, inter- nationally celebrated baritone, and members of the Alfred Heather Light Opera Company, which is presenting light operas at the Banff Springs Hotel all Summer. Among other colorful features are cos- tume competitions—prizes being offered for the best costumes illustrating char- acters in Scottish history and heroes and herolnes of Scottish song. The highland gathering will close with a costume ball in which these will blend with the kilts and tartans in & pic- ture of romantic beauty. Author of Wt;.rds 71;0; Song Made Famous by Vallee A COUPLE of weeks ago The Star published on this page an item concerning Mr. Brockenshire, who stated that he wrote the music for the “Stein Semg,” which was much sung at the Uni- versity of Maine but which was brought into the most broad and popular lime- light after the first crooner of them all, Rudy Vallee, made it famous on the radio. A letter from Frederick W. Swanton, & Washingtonian, sends the music editor the information that the “Stein Song” is not primarily a product, ver- bally, of the University of Maine. He says the words were written by Fred- erick Field Bullard at the Massachu- setts Institute of Technology: that the song was published in the song books of that school and sung by stu- dents and alumni long before it was adopted by the University of Maine. Mr. Swanton does not specifically mention if the tune of the institute's “Stein Song” was Mr. Brokenshire’s or another musical setting. Even in the most_classic literature one finds fre- quently the same verse given settings entirely different by various composers. An outstanding example is “Du Bist Wie Eine Blume,” of which Rubin- stein’s is probably the outstanding fa- vorite yet, which was set by -several other famous composers. At any rate, as Mr. Brokenshire wrote the melody now associated with the “Stein Song” first as a march, it is quite evident that either Mr. Bullard later fitted his words to the music-or else it was one of those happy acei- dents where the verses, written sepa- rately, happened to fit in meter, per- fectly, the tune written by Mr. Brock- enshire. It takes both good words combined aptly with good music: to give a song lasting popularity. To the musician, of course, it is the melody and its construction that is the more important thing. ; midwestern tour in order to bring the Beethoven Festival to the National Capital during this semi-centennial year. BY ERIC T. CLARKE. Editor's Note—The following ¢hat was given before the Super- fisors Nattonal Conference in Chicago this Spring by Mr. Clarke, who {5 man- aging director of the National Music League. Inc., a_ mon-profit-makimg asso- ciation’ for the promotion of musical activities. Mr. Clarke's article is on a vital issue and fs very readable. It is rinted at this time because previously current mews did not allow enough space to give it complete. W! of the National Music League live in the atmosphere of concerts. ‘What's all this concert music for? ‘What's the whole of professional music for anyhow? A small part df it is to entertain the tired business man and his wife. But the real justification for most professional music is to stimulate the amateur. Peoj who think they are getting the by listening to it have only a very hazy idea of what music really means. The real joy comes from playing, from making music. Aside from their enter- tainment value, concerts set up for the music lover & fine standard, something to work for. is _an Other nations speak ,as though it were traditional, of the American habit of professionalizing everything. The popular idea of sport is to go to see a first-class base ball game. The popular idea of drama is to pay money to see a first-class professional company per- form a good play. Like all general- izations, this may be stretching the truth, but it is true certainly that our American idea in sport is to be out to win, to set up a new record, rather than just to play for the fun of the game, for the good sportsmanship of team work, win or lose. Now, I contend that in our idea of professionalizing our recreation, in our competitive idea of excelling the other fellow, we are losing sight of the main value of the recreation we are consider- ing. Career vs. Amateur Work. In our work at mmr’c:umn Music the time. More than 2,000 would-be concert performers have come to us in the hope of developing careers for themselves in the profession. It is our duty to advise more than 96 per cent of these aspirants not to attempt the game. You can imagine that deflating these ambitions is no easy task. The ‘bulk of these people just cannot hear our arguments. Later this optimism, in the face of cold facts, undergoes a reaction. The feeling is, “All my time has been wasted; all the hours spent in musical study and practice have gone for nothing.” It is at this point that one can begin to do something. ‘“Surely your music has given you joy? " “You sing or play because you love it, “Yes.” “Then why run all the enjoyment by relying on it for your bread and butter? Isn't this music worth while for its own sake, for the fun of it?” Now, this is an attitude which most parents do not understand. Whenever you have vome across a musically tal- ented child, how often have you not “Well, what's she going to do with it If the answer is, “Oh, she is studying to be a profes- sional concert artist,” then everybody is if the answer is, “She is use it will mean a great Ambroise " Bunday, August. 17, desl to her in her life, and not with - Jjoy out of music | “Music for the Fun of It.” any idea of becoming a professional” we{l, people just don’t understand that answer. |~ Some months ago I was talking ‘with }Mabflle Glenn and felt myself to be one of these horrible examples. Ma- belle Glenn asked me to confess my past to you. The reason she asked me to talk is that my father happened to be a man who insisted on saving enough time out of the working day for his own enjoyment in playing music. We children—there were four of us— each had to learn’at least two in- struments and join in the family music. Perhaps I have a perverted mind, but I must confess that a concert by the most beautiful quartet organization is as nothing compared with the beauty of the ugly sounds we make when I'm playing the cello part in a quartet. | Graduating from the cello because my legs were long and I used to bow my knees with rosin, I took up the French | horn. There followed three glorious | years in London, playing in as many as six amateur or conservatory or- chestras & week. You all know the kind I mean—the Guild Hall School of Music Orchestrs, the Stock Ex- change Orchestra, the London Banks Orchestra and 30 on. The most in- aims to develop in young people a sense of appreciation of music, not to furnish entertainment during school hours for entertainment’s sake. The character of these performances has to be carefully chosen to tie in with the instruction being given by the music supervisor. To do ade- quately we must cover vocal ensembles, string ensembles, operatic music and recital music. - The four concerts which comprise this season’s school course are typical of these forms of musical programs, the first, a quartet of women’s voices; the second, a recital group, including a violinist, baritone and pianist-accompanist; the third, a string trio, and the fourth an operatic quartet The programs are carefully selected and these, with annotated notes and an attractive cover, are given to all who attend the concerts. Both we and you supervisors are at work trying to develop a Nation of amateur musicians and so to make America a really musical Nation. Germany has been at this for 200 years. To &l‘lxy in the home is traditional. Amateur music forms the soil in which the composers grow. Great work has always come as the result of amateur enthusiasm. The science of the past century is the result of amateurs. Darwin was an amateur. Alfred Rus- sell Wallace was an amateur. Fran- cis Galton was an amateur. Did you know that the tune “Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes”. was composed by an amateur? Col. John Mellish of the British Army wrote it for the Catch and Glee Clyb. music teresting of these was called the Bays- water Orchestra. It never gave a con- cert. Sir Henry Wood, by the way, got his first experience as a conductor there. Some 50 enthusiasts would gather Saturday evenings in the base- ment of a building which stood on one of those London streets noted for its fish and chops and hot potato stalls. They had a large library. Gathering there before the performance, you would hear some one say “Let’s do, the second Dvorak tonight” or “the | Mendelssohn Reformation Symphony.” Some old-timer then would say, “No, we haven't had old Gade out for some months. Let's do one of his.” Or else —“one of the Raff symphonies.” You bet we learned symphonic music in & way we never could have from going to listen to concerts. Concerts to Stimulate. Yet people must have concerts to| stimulate them, otherwise they will never know how well a thing should sound. They will get from a good per- formance some glimpse of the com- poser’s’ intention better than they ever | could from playing themselves. The amateur player, in going through his | development, passes through what I might call the various collegiate stages, the freshman stage with a growing | critical faculty that must analyze every performance rather than just to sit back and drink it in. Next comes the sophomoric or “know-it-all” _stage, when apparently nothln! is pleasing because nothing is perfect. | is hard for &hwu in the neig! boring seats. itical analysis mlui the concert for them. This, however, is only a phase and your amateur soon becomes a senior who begins to under- stand better the joy in the doing. Now, why do you teach music in the schools? Why does the National Music League give concerts in the schools? Do you want to make professionals? No. Are we, either of us, out to turn n! ese ip uca- {1‘011. 0 .Lhr_,m ear & sup- pl t to ‘theoretical ‘The league Compare the ability to pla; with the ability to read. In the mid- dle ages people could not read. His- tory, poetry, even news, had to come to them through bards and troubadours, professional literary performers. Nowa- days, when almost every one can read for himself, we look back on that period of history as henighted. Yet. musicali: speaking, we are still in the middle ages. Our music is brought to us by professionals. Great work is being done in the schools today through the development of singing, and when the student grad- uates there lies ahead a splendid op- portunity in amateur singing. Great ‘work is being done in the development of college glee clubs. In the instru- mental field, great work is being done {in the development of school orches- | tras. But the question at the moment is “What awaits these players after they leave school?” With that ques- tion to think over, I will leave you. Musical Studios - of Washington BESSIEN. WILD b W b - R School of Mandolin, Guitar and, Banjo, Hawaiian Guitar ‘and Ukulele ‘wiis’ e ‘Nordies Crub. / Rd. N.W., Col. 0946 PIANO PLAYING 1 Positively Taught Any Persor JAZI IN 20 SAXOPHONE, BANJO, GUITAR i T Ukul 9 ristsaren Sohoe of Popaler) Christensen s U st E: Ensemble practi vl