The Washington times., 1918-02-02
BIG CHORUS OF
NAVY YEOWOMEN
i LEDBY MRS. BLAIR
ny J. Mach.

ny Js hdCns
In response to the yeowomen Of the
Washington navy yard, Mrs A n
Blair, the choral director, led recently
what was, perhaps, the largest as
sembIy Of women singers that Wash
ington has ever brought together-the
occasion being the big patriotic meet
ing given by the 5000 employees OF the
United States navy yard in the MANI
moth Billy Sunday tabernacle nu
Monday evening, when the tabernacle
was not being used for the revival
services.
Believing music to be the most
unanimous expression in the cause of
, patriotism, nearly 200 women OF the
navy yard banded together as q choral
unit and asked Mrs. Blair IL she would
direct them in leading the music for
their day OF conservation to the ma
tion. This chorus was augmented by
many women from the Rubinstein
Club and from the choral club OF the
y. W. c. A, both OF which are undar
the direction OF Mrs. Blair, and the
Marine Band OF the United States. Un-
der its leader, William H. Santelmann.
played the patriotic songs that these
women sang with 30 much ferVor.
~ SAOAe4 AhoN BeNC hO oNfAA
Spangled Banner" following It with q
hearty rendition of "Over Thers."
Then Mrs. Blair invited the entire nu-
dience OF $4,000 people to join them
in the singing OF Onward, Christian
Soldiers" And now that the public
has learned to find Joy in q commu-
nifty expression OF song that includes
each and every one, the response was
splendidly inspiring.
Charles Albert Bright, a young barl-
tone, who is also on the staff of the
navy yard. sang several solos beau
tifully.
singing Of America" which also was
given by the whole vast assembly,
when Mrs. Blair read an impressive
verse that has been sent by the woman
Of Canada TO the women OF the
United States, and asked to have it
used as the second verse in the sing
ing of the national anthem The
words fit the music, and the sentiment
truly unItes in . bond of love and
Western Hemisphere. Its words, that
left few eyes dry, are as folIows;
God save our splendid men!
Bring them safe home again
God save our men.
Keep them victorious.
Patient and chivalrous.
They are 90 dear to US !
God save our men
This verse has now become q part
Of the patriotic song celebration with
which Mrs. Blair opens and closes
all programs directed by her. She
inaugurated this custom upon her re-
turn to this country from war-ridden
England, many months before the en-
trance OF the United States into the
world war.
Have you chanced to hear of Music
Missionaries2 Or do you wonder just
what Music Missionaries may be?
That thought was brought home to
The Times Representative in a talk
recently with Miss Kitty Cheatham.
whose place in the music world Of
late years has been chiefly through
her inImitable Interpretations OF chill
dren's songs.
It's a strange world, when we find
some OF the biggest impulses for
world betterment generating through
and all bound up in the diminutiva
form of a singer OF child's songs.
Yet, Miss Cheatham has become q
Music Missionary; and this Is the way
she has worked II out. In the first
place. she has the conviction that we
are sending out "our boys" on a big
humAn-brotherhood errand. She has
talked to hundreds of khaki-clad lads
and has asked them TO remember that
they must take into France a spirit
full Of the ideals that lie behind this
great desire OF America to help.
She is eloquent in her voicinE
OF these ideals.
Again. Miss Cheatham. In her role
of entertaining through the power of
her songs, finds, for instance. an cB-
portunity to talk OF the meaning Of
American citizenship to hundreds OF
School in New York, where. as she
puts IL, every nationality in the world
IS represented.
And what can q music missionary
do here? Paint in words that are
simple, yet full OF the ideals Of our
1orefatkers, the meaning of the citi.
zenship of these United States.
The musician today who is incul-
eating high thoughts and community
expression-any vast working togeth-
er of unrelated people in harmony,
law and order, and above all in hope
IS a music missionary giving OF his
best for an harmonious brotherhood
OF man.
And when this teaching comes from
a woman, as both of the instances
above have done, II somehow re-echoes
the tender. melodious cadence that
sings through our hearts in Dvorak's
immmortal Songs Ny Mother Taught
Ne"