Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-04

printing little sketches on composer
composition and orchestra in the pro.
gram. The audience reads them in ,ho
lntermission instead OF the usual time
~orn JOKES and fashion hints. ana
seems To take kindly TO tn. Jdc,
Judging by tho way it's members con.
| centratc. N'"-
Inc development OF the orchestra 4,
IN itself an interesting story. Bal,i-
, more has municipal band, which
So, sohcetts In the parks, and for :,
tine moved around with a porlah,o
band-stand. playing for crowds ~
danced on tho pavement Since ,ber
'he city has worried out pIan for ,
.,uh'cipai dance hail. But certain mn
sic"i enthusiasts. including Mavor
p $3.50, ana Mr.. +. H. Huber. OF the
feab"dy Institute. decided tha, 4,
would be q good thing TO uso a h,rd j.,
ie""!hG sort Of public sinyinp.hco
,ni"e OF Public Singing.
i'upcf IN particular has som.
'hoeiics as to the psycholori
ora,' ana value Of public singing In
.norus. lie nciicves that il is one -,
'Hc most potent Influences for conc,,
ing patriotism and loyalty He no;m,.
10 the political ana sentiments, sn,ii
.H OF me German nation as IN ,x
ample. Chcru. singing is one -. ~.
leading indoor sports in ,iermapy Ia
gathering of any sort there ia Ii.,,jy
10 De marked by bursts Of melody.
Germany Is lucky in having a rich
STOCK OF simple, melodious songs In
IRA" on. which. everybody knows Wn
nave something OF the same sor, in
ms country. in our darby melodic.
hhd ballads OF the old school Ealti
, nlores musical leaders believed that
~ would be good thing for the town
II the pcopic turned out and made s,rt
music IN concert Any ono who b,,
JOINED la the chorus OF patriotic or
sentimental. ballad and remembers III.
emotions ;hat prone TO arise. viii
agree mat Mr. Huber's theory has
good deal in il.
! with the cooperation Of the Mayor,
II was put into practice. and II worked
wei. The FIRST concert drew crowd
Iof l5oc enthusiasts out to Mt Vernon
| Piace, in spite OF the discouraEinc
fact that il was raining Moro favor
able weather conditions saw some a.,
the crowds rise to 10000. a rather
unexpected obstacle arising in the fact
! that many. people did not know the
words even OF such songs as "Suwanee
River" and old Kentucky Home" was
overcome by throwing the text upop
the Washington Monument by means
| of magic lantern.
Public Finds Enjoyment.
| Thus the general public got n chance
) to practice community singing, and en-
Joyed Itself in the process. but GER
tain limitations in the case soon be-
came apparent. The highest class OF
| musical compositions were, OF course.
out OF me question under the circum.
| stances. The enthusiasts decided that
| Baltimore needed symphony orches.
| ira.
| There are several ways to go about
getting symphony music before the pub
| nc. Inc symphony orchestra as a
business proposition In private hands
has TO pitch Its prices in the higher
! octaves Sixty or seventy instrumen-
| artists n ha
| the direction Of leader who must be
something Of musical genius. make
an expensive luxury. Another alter
| natiFe is 10 nave an orchestra backed
| by private individuals. who are will
ing 10 contribute something toward
putting good music within reach Of the
people or the orchestra may draw
Its funds partly from private sources
and partly from the city treasury,
mere are several such orchestras in
the country to-day. Baltimore. how
ever decided to 20 the whole road and
pu, heF orchestra entirely on n munich
PAL basis. This is the first case OF the
Kind in America Of which there is any
record. 80 "''
! II proved not so exceedingly expen.
siVe at that. The big attendance
nclpcd out. even at 25-cent prices. Mr..
iiu"ei uohaIed MS services AS manager.
put slNty-hVc MISUNDERSTANDING il
| would be better to call them artists s.
are salaried III the usual way. Air..
Gustav Strube, well known as an au.
tnority on harmony as well AS on or
chestral conductor acts as director.
An initial appropriation of $4,000 was
| voted by the city for six concerts lust
to see how the plan would work After
t nnS,ea concerts, which conclusively dem.
chestra has $4,000 In other words. il
did so per cent better financially imam
| was expected.