The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-08
PLAN STREET Sings TO
BRIGHTEN new YORK


pedestrian is greeted this summer by
the swelling chorus of thousand
voices, shut off from his view perha ps
by Intervening masses Of buildings.
vet drowning the sitys din and re-
freshing his weary spirits, he Will, II
he IL a regular human being, HE
himself whittier The invisible music
10 hls soul and find himself IA care
free, lasty voiced unit In an Organized
Street sing Children 10 right of him,
eTownups ID left of him, the whole
district is present The workman is
there. bit shy az first but catching
soon the mood Of he throng The
uTartEurdruea mot hers have come,
dancing their babies tn the rhythm
ef the songs. So have the fifteen
year-ald big sisters lifting three year
old little brothers SO they can see.
even Il they cannot read, the words
thrown on the screen.
For there is a siereoptican screen,
II great white one on which arr
shown lsrles. but also in the inter-
veis between rife singing, pictures Of
pershing. Fech. ihn American nag
and etheF eues for cheering that the
crowd never misses, There is also q
song leader whose impromptu plat
form is a IA BILE, strong Of necessity
i'i Nv - - NV tfliHNSlHsN DtfHt9tf
and when IN action directing the con
glomerste mass needs unSielding
support And there Ii the trench pi-
uno, knee high to the parior variety
ard much easier to shift around the
streets. but with 2 good carrying
tone.
This siu3 ple equipment. embellish-
ed enle ilF the song leaders, mega
f'1tene ard an occasional Illumination
NJ mconbeams on Favorable nights.
nekes up lhe stage setting in the
natural iheatef formed. by the
New fnrk streets The surrounding
tenenJenta with their windows full of
people, are the balcpniea, while the
clusters ef little black figures on the
ronfs indicate the perch Of. the gal
lers, aesass .Eh@ ssaraaeI w. OF t'onrse.
the street. itself, closed 10 traffic and
choked with the crowd. But here the
analogy lin1ps a little, for the usual
paruuet listens in dignifcd silence
while this ore gives pretty nearly the
FTtFryfs TtTff1f F1a nI7sl -
The street sings represent one
phase of The Eeiellborhood soyirce of
fhe combined Y " aud y NJ C. A =
in New York They are under the
airef9 supervision OF the lasa named
organizations music bureau headed
ny hiFSHdH Al t8afln1lonleN. the
American composer, well known also
for his musical work In tho army.
.raNS and war Industries. The guild
ing spirit of the street sing plau +
Robert Lawrence, who IL ALSO free :
, tor Of the sehaol fer song leaders
recently eneneA by the association.
Mr.. Lawrence tried out his idea.
! last summer aud found they rnet with
efnphaffc approval from the multi
tnde that gathered together whenpyr
The channs was given This year,
therefore. HE street sings are To be
held in increased nuub crs and wit
additional features. These will in
eiule rnsfutae entertaining and fork
dancing. where conditions are suit
Z, BILE, as we'll AZ slides on travel sub
Jeets. eiEics and natural science,
which arr particularly valuable In tia.
coHgest ed largely foreign sections,
where most ~ the sings are held
The f,sen Aiao. includes four indoor
music ccnteFs each of which moth
crs' several outicof ehoruses and Of
ears o brood varied aad democrats
.9yp@tf,ra to ita netshbofhood
ThT re ognia@d Importance Of mur
sic ~ enhancing community life and
making FER belter citizenship through
stimulating thf feeling Of neiehborli-
ness has PROMPTED civic welfare bod
itss All over the GENTRY TO watch the
%@* YORK; undertaking with interes-.
" T. not Improbable thar sim liar
work W3i he started in other cities
Foon, San Francisco. In fact, r. AL
ready planning to in&titnte the street
eings on The N"w York model