Evening star., 1915-02-02
LOCAL MUSICAL APPRECIATION.
An Appeal for Warmer and More
Practical Encouragement.
the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
Anent the letter signed Ellie Fair
fax in a recent issue of The Star, be-
ginning with the question. "Why not
take up the cause of the Washington
Oratorio Society,"" 1 would like to ask
several more of the same kind.
Why not take up the cause of a
permanent orchestra for Washington
Right in our midst we had a man (an-
other hard worker) who was willing
and did give his work. his ability-and
he had ability-to the cause of estab-
fishing such an organization. But VINO
helped? A handful of music-lovlns, en-
thusiastic men and women kept 1t gong
from season to season. ever hoping that
the general public, or those imbued with
civic pride and desire for culture ana
everything that makes for the better
ment, the greatness of our own beautl-
full capital, would come to the rescue
and make the permanent establishing OF
an orchestra possible. How far away is
this dream!
Why not take up the cause of the
musical student: give him or her some
incentive to work, to achieve? Why not
encourage them by engaging them to
sing, at a fair compensation. many of
the parts badly sung and eXorbitantly
paid for, simply because being local
he or she is not appreciated, no matter
how much superior or worth listening to
than the imported article. who more
than often Is unsatisfying?
1t should not have been and. in my
opinion. was not necessary to send to
New York for a basso for the recent
performance by the Oratorio Society.
We have singers here who can do the
part admirably, but as the public has
no appreciation for it's local talent. at
least one outsider must be added to the
program to draw" an audience. Or per-
chance the local men. who could do the
work were told. as / was on one occa-
sion when invited to sing for a local
local singer more than s25. even were
she Blauvelt." And only forty miles
away this same humble local singer
could get four and six times that amount
for the same work,
How then? Are the singers to help ?
OF what use for solo singer to join
such an organization? Neither money
nor fame. for she would draw no audi
ence even were she Blauvelt! Not
even little praise from the newspapers,
which might help to secure engagements S
elsewhere!
Now the newspapers. and through
them the public. could stimulate things
musical, but local muSic-even though
this be the capital of the great United
States of Americas of very little i'm
portance to the papers or the public
Nobody seems to be really interested
whether Washington can boast of any
thing in the way of fine arts or higher
culture.
Those who can afford it go elsewhere
to get 1t. Those who love good music
and hive worked for 1t for years faith
fully get no incentive. no help; that is
why, perhaps. those who are working
and have worked to become soloists do
not care to work with local organiza-
ton. A soloist has no need to sing with
a chorus for practice or knowledge; lin
fact. such work is more or less harm
full to a solo voice.
Let everybody help" I heartily con-
cur: help everything local that tends to
civic uplift
Newspapers. organizations. individuals.
promote the talent within cur gates.
Encourage and stimulate 1T with appre-
citation and just remuneration! And who
knows? Washington may wake up some
day and find herself indeed the proud
capital of great nation.
MRS. II. CLAY BROWNING