The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-01-30

| I1N XQuIsITE artistry characterizes lHo everything that Alvin Belden
 does. from the arrangement or his beautiful Studio" to the grace and charm manifested in his plastic inter
 pretations.v
 His exquisite dancing, especially the very original and lovely Ave Maria" of Gounods. inspired by Memorial" to the soldiers which MT. Belden attend ed in France, to the exotically lovely in- depreciation of the 'G Flat Etude' of Chopin's, this clever Birmingham boy shows the rarest gifts. a charming ap- preciation of music and dancing being blended into his attractive interpreta- tions, in which he is ably assisted by his talented sister, Lotta Belden
 During the past few weeks MT. Bel den has invited a number of those com posing the artistic coterie of Birmng ham to attend his 'recitals" in his very quaint studio" and the eoncensus of opinion has been that no dancer or in terpreter of beautiful music have ever presented anything more charmingly artistic than his proEram mmes. sge
 The "setting,f as it were, of the stu dio makes his plastic interpretations" most unusual-a beautiful table here, an incense burner there. souvenirs from some great cathedral or chateau in France, gathered by him during his service lover there during the great war forming the ensemble.
 In talking with MT. Belden about the evolution of his work and how it came about few days ago, he said
 During the war 1 served as medi- cal officer in charge of the field litter haa nf a fa tru iments of the Ninetieth division. It so happened that one of my co-workers was very gifted a pianist and enter tainer (I.ieut. William J. Calvin of New York). We often in jest said, Let's put on Thanksgiving programme in Metz while the war was yet in progress. So on Armistice Day l went in an ambu- lance to Galvins station and in a large and partly demolished church in Hales near Sedan, We gave our first overseas programme. It was very impromptu. We gave out the news of our night orgie and sent boys out to collect prop critics for the occasion. One boy re- turned with gorgeous cerise shawl loaded with cooties We held it over maldehyde fumes and used it any way as autumn costume. It wou d be unjust to blame the subsequent de- velopments upon this shawl as our san itary convenience in the Argonne were not 'ideal'
 Some of my most cherished access sories are these (Which we used on this | occasion Among them are very love ly wine jug. which Calvin and I used in a burlesque on some quantrains of the Rubainyat. Another thing we used is the brass bowl. which I use for in cense in my Egyptian number. Then the ornate gilt casket. which I use in | 'Spirit'of Incense.' was originally field table service, of German officer, found l in their casino in Holes.
 I Being assigned to an ambulance company it was possible for me to send these souvenirs with our personal eff fleets until field postoffice was reached. It is very remarkable how
 much really did get safely home.
 After the 11th ofN November we moved to Stenay at Blanc Fontane Barracks. This was a great hospital center for the German army quite like l the Justice group in Soul was to the | Americans, Here our division was 1 filled with replacements and re- equipped and made ready for our march
 into Germany. After We settled al
 Stenay Calvin and l. augmented by Earl
 Jackson and Elmore Bill baritone and tenor. began to give programmes in the ] different barracks to help pass away the long evenings. There was but one
 piano and it was carried from barracks to barracks Some evenings we would play seven. and eight places.
 Our first really important show was given for the officers of our division in i the grand salon of Chateau Verdier, at Stenay. This lovely chateau was used 1 as the headduarters of the German
 crown prince during the war After I.this we were booked regularly and