Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-12
SCHOOL sONGFEST|VAL
Given in Convention Hall Last
Night.
SPLENDID WORK OF CHORUS
Composed Of Boys and Girls Of the
Seventh and Eighth Grades.
MISS ALYS BENTLEY DIRECTOR
She Held Her Force Under Remark
able Control-The United States
Marine Band Assisted.
MISS ALYs BENTLEY DIRECTOR

Festival Is the proper name to apply to
the exhilarating chiidren's concert at the
Convention Hall last evening, when eight
hundred or more boys and girls OF the sew
enth and eighth grades of the public schools
gave joyous exhibition of their delight in
songs
The children's song festival last evening
was the second Of it's kind, similar concert
having first been given In the same hall
last spring. and the excellence of both con-
certs and the undoubted joy Of the chill
dren in the music bid fair to establish the
May festival an annual event to which
the entire musical life of the school will
tend.
Every seat in Convention Hall was crowd
ed and there Is every indication that the
repetition Of the concert this evening will
bring out more of the parents and friends
of the fifty thousand children who are learn
ing the beauty Of song.
Miss Bentley Conducted.
Miss Alys Bentley, the director Of music,
conducted the concert. being escorted to the
leaders stand by Superintendent A. T.
Stuart. She was assisted by the United
States Marine Band. Lieut. Santemann him
self directing the band and also the song
marked on the program as selected for the
children's chorus. 1t proved to be Dixie"
The audience as usual In this city, went
wild when the volume of all those boys and
girls voices leaped out in a vigorous spirit
ed, free lauding Of Dixie land.
AT the pianos and organ for the principal
accomplishments were Miss s. T. Mason.
Mrs. Frank Bryan and Mr. H. p Hoover.
1t Is understood that the proceeds from
the concerts will be devoted to the Teach
ers' Aid and Annuity Association, which,
through an efficient committee, has con-
trolied and managed all the practical and
business features Of the performances.
Hardly had the congesting currents of
people from all sections of the city become
fairly seated than with military prompt
ness the band struck UP Weldon's "Our Lit
tie Soldiers" and from the dressing rooms
there began to file in long lines of little
girls in true springtime dresses of white
and almost equally long lines Of alert but
muslc-tra1ned boys. Marching the entire
length Of Convention Hail. they took their
places at the south end upon stage which
raised tier upon tier presented when all the
white-gowned girls were In their places in
front and the boys collected in the rear
lines a spectacle of Washington child-types
not to be seen without pride.
Every note had been memorfzed, and the
director came before the singers without a
score: At once 1t could be seen as well as
heard and felt. that there was ono domi-
mating will. and that every child was a note
Immediately responsive to a movement Of
the directors hand.
Sang With Precision and Unity.
The children sang with a precision, q
sense Of rhythm, complete unity Of tone
which tells volumes. for the training of the
class room teachers, Of the supervising mu-
sic teachers and of the perfection of de-
partment direction.
When the reed-like quality of a childs
undeyeloped voice Is remembered and truly
appreciated 1t Is matter of no small won
der that such quality of tone is attain
able as was produced last evening in the
Lost Chord" particularly there were at
times an organ quality quite remarkable.
and in the Santa Lucia" and MY Mann
my's Voice.. lift and buoyancy OF tone
that transcribed all ordinary training. It
broke out also with irrepressible gayety in
"Dixie."
Possibly the most noticeable character
istic in the exceptional character OF the
singing was the phenomenal purity Of die
ton. Not a song In a program most va
ried and most ambitious ranging from
Beethoven, Schumann. Wagner. Schubert
and some of the modern American COM
posers to some OF the less classic but good
though popular, failed in the incest char
acteristics of pure information and clear
articulation. It Is almost incredible that
feature of singing In which many Of the
best trained voices fail to produce satisfac-
tory effects was obtained by chorus Of
school children in a striking degree. They
not only sang with conscious delight in
the music and a perfectly adequate techni-
cal draining, but degree of culture which
made the English special charm.
The Marine Band.
The Marine Band played an interesting
arrangement Of 1.-THE Pilgrims Chorus"
and the Evening STAR and striking
waltz, THE Debutante," by Santelmann.
Lively and rhythmical, 1t was hailed with
delight by the children. and as an encore
an eccentric. amusing arrangement of
"Bedelia'.'
Possibly ono of the stroneest tnpressions
made by the concert Is the realization 1t
gives of musical education given to the STU
dents. 1t is not merely that the absolute
adherence to pitch, the control Of certain
effects of movement and emphasis as
shown in the Fairy Lullaby" and the
general musical conception shown In subtle
interpretations, ell of which shows Miss
Bentley to be an exceptional director, but
the character of the selections themselves
proves that the children are being led to an
appreciation Of the best In various phases
and kinds of music. and that taste for
the good which repudiates the poor and
fashy Is becoming a possession of every
school child. With such an acquaintance
ship with musical compositions 1t will be
Impossible In the future for the public to
applaud the foolish and trivial.
The Program.
The entire program given is as follows:
March, Our Little Patriots, Weldon. U. 8.
Marine Band: Larghetto, Beethoven. ar
ranged from Second Symphony by Edgar
StiIlman Kelley; school songs (by request)-
(a) Spirit Of Summer Time, old Irish: (b)
Hey Baioo. Schumann; (c). Spring Song.
Vogel: I'D Santa Lucia, italian Boat Song;
fe) Tenting on the Old Camp Ground, Kit 4
fridge. My Hearts In the Highlands, Jen-
sen: Pilgrims Chorus and Evening Star.
Wagner. u. 8. Marine Band: The Starry
Sky, Constance Tippett; Our Soldiers, Raff,
arranged by Henry Gilbert; Bridal Chorus
from Lohengrin, with semi-chorus. Wagner;
(a) Hark! Hark! the Lark! Schubert; OBJ.
Fairy Lullaby, Helen Beach; The Lost
Chord. Sullivan: The Debutante Waltz San
tlemann, u. s. Marine Band: My Mammy's
Voice. Harvey w. LOOMS: song. selected;
Holy Holy! Handel: America, u. 8. Marine
Band and chorus.
Yacht Sybilla on Cruise.