Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-16
SCHOOLS IN CHORUS
ENTERTAINMENT DRAWS LARGE
CROWD TO NATIONAL THEATER.

Hundreds of public school children and
their relatives took possession Of the New
National Theater this afternoon at 3
o'clock to attend the matinee performance
of the third annual song festival by the
big public school chorus, directed H. Miss
Alys B. Bentley, who was assisted by Lieut.
Santelmann and the United States Marine
Band. While this performance was in every
particular a counterpart of that to take
place tomorrow evening it is to ue known
as dress rehearsal and Is intended
chiefly to provide opportunity for the
school children to hear the singing and to
advance the study of music in the schools.
At the principal performance tomorrow
evening a fashionable audience, made up
largely Of the many prominent patrons of
the festival and those interested in musical
affairs and also in the playground move
ment, will be present. The President and
in the festival and at the special request of
Mrs. Roosevelt a box was reserved this
afternoon for the Presidents family.
Mr.. James e. West, who, as chairman of
the committee, Is managing the festival,
said this afternoon that the Importance Of
the festival, both as an indication of the
great advance in musical education in the
public schools and as public movement
in the interest Of Fairgrounds for the chill
dren who now run the streets Of the city,
should not be overlooked.
Referring especially to the playground
movement, Mr.. West said there are now
eleven school Fairgrounds maintained under
the direction of the board of education.
THE attendance at these Fairgrounds" he
ssaid, "-during the ten weeks of last sum-
mer, was 121,343, being an increase Of
nearly IS per cent over the attendance in
the same Fairgrounds for the preceding
summer. These grounds were in charge of
carefully selected teachers, assisted by the
regular jantor of the school. The average
cost per child was about one and one-half
cents per day.
Cost Of improvements.
Congress appropriated for this work
this year $500. The cost of replacing
the wooden apparatus at the Arthur and
Magruder schools and maintaining the
Fairgrounds for ten weeks this summer
will be about 81 800. To keep open the
Ludlow playground after school and on
Saturdays will cost $15O. The recreation
center In Georgetown will cost 81 200 more,
making $3.50 in all required of which we
have 81, 500, SO that $1,000 must be raised.
For each additional $50 we will equip an
other playground.
''The money raised at the song festival
will be devoted to these purposes. The
municipal Fairgrounds In general received
5000 this year, as compared with $4,000
last year. At least 5000 will have to be
raised altogether to carry on this work for
the coming year,
At the last private rehearsal OF the big
chorus yesterday afternoon in the Central
High School Supt. Chancellor was pres
ent and listened to the program. which, he
said gratified him highly. He informed
the committee that owing to the death Of
his wifes mother he will not be able to at
tend either performance.
In her training of the 900 children, who
are pupils of the sixth, seventh and eighth
grades. Miss Bentley has been assisted by
a large committee of public school teach
ers.