Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-02-23
EDWIN EVANS OFFERS
"ALL.AMERICA" PROGRAM
Many Songs at Twelfth Annual Re-
cital, Given for First Time
in Philadelphia

Edwin Evans's courageousness In pro-
gram-making matches admirably his vocal
excellences and nterpretative superiorities
and that is perhaps the combination of
causes which has achieved the result of
considerable and loyal clientele for his
annual recitals. The twelfth of these was
given last evening in Witherspoon Hall
under the auspices of the University Ex-
tension Society. and program and artist
attracted one of the seasons largest recital
audiences.
Partly In honor Of the day. partly be-
cause Mr. Evans Is a Jealous missioner for
the cause of the native composer, the pro-
gram offered was "all American" at least
so far as the music was concerned. The
lyrics ranged in authorship from Tom
Moore to Rabindranath Tagore, and took in
Thomas Lowell Beddoes, w. f. Henley and
John Masefield for across the water, and
such Americans as Sidney Lanier, Frank
L. Stanton and Walt whitman.
Mr.. Evans's decade of recital-giving has
taught him a number of pointers" and he
has profited by the lesson. His programs
always have a unity in their structure:
there is some binding element, either of a
definite or, as last night, in the specializa-
tion of composers, of a general nature. He
Is generous in the number of his offerings,
but never so superabundant as to overtax
the attention of his hearers and turn enter
tainment into boredom. He does not try
to illustrate the entire history and art of
song in an hour and half, but conceives
a recital program as an art form, with be-
ginning, middle and end, with nicely of
selection Of parts and due proportion and
variety In their arrangement In these
regards Mr.. Evanss programs are models
Tor recital-givers. The things he doesn't
do would be, II observed and followed, a
positive asset to many of our young artists.
Structurally the "all-American program"
consisted Of eighteen numbers The physical
analysis is of interest. Two groups were of
nve numbers, and two OF four each. Each
group had such alterations of time re-
quired for individual numbers as to make
the temporal group periods about the same
auration or course, this was not done by
the stop-watch method, but in an irregular
manner, which prevented formality. Each
group had the leavening effect of one num-
Der in lighter vein
Out OF the eighteen numbers listed eleven
were asterisked as first time in public here
euch Introduction Of novel pieces is always
interesting, even though one does not sub
scribe to the creed of the propaganda. All
tnat is new is not good, by a long shot.
Jlngoism would have 1t otherwise, but 1t is
not genuinely patriotic to claim everything
IN sight for what is designed for home con-
sumption.
Mr.. Evans's experiments were made with
excellent discrimination, and though merits
varied there was not one unworthy number.
his voice was in the best of FORM which
means that the tones. were produced purely
ana accurately, and colored by the mood
Oh the song. and his faculty of interpreta-
uon touched many feelings and commun-
Gated many emotions
John Alden Carpenters THE Day is No
More was given with impressive power,
ana had beautiful accompaniment from
stanley Addicks, the soloists longtime ac-
companist. The Carpenter novelty, May
fha Q0a IN
In rollicking vernai mood ]. III. Rogerss
setting Of Masefields Sea Fever" proved
piece Of poignant composition. Other sheer
novelties were 20 Silent Night" Atherton;
spier. w r.. M.