The Washington times., 1922-05-14
By JESSIE MacBRIDE.

We don't like to suggest rivalry
with newspapers or with band
leaders Of Uncle Sans service.
but the swing and melody Of THE
Washington Times March" prom.
ises to gain the popularity that
has followed Sousa and his Wash
ington Post" march over the en-
tire country.
So, the launching Of this Navy"
march IL full Of interest, and The
Washington Times takes pride in
being the sponsor for a work that
II scheduled to rival the marines!
Two OF the most "singable"
songs. published in the Washing
ton Times during the past few
months, will be taught the
audience-and used as a Com
munity sing''-by Robert Law
renee. organizing director Of
washington's Second Music Week.
The Washington Times, in pre-
senting this concert, Is doing its
bit" for the promotion of that
spirit Of enjoying music together,
Of singing together, that Is to
make the whole city a festival city
during Music Week, that begins
two weeks from today.
CAREERS do often seem to lie
in the laps of the gods. At
least that is the way Nine.
Blanche Da Costa feels about
It. Nine. Da Costa sang here last
week at the Willard. She was
one OF the Americans who had
spent a number of years in opera
study in Germany at the time of
the outbreak Of the war.
In Dresden Blanche Da Costa
was well known in opera, though
she Is an American girl with
Spanish ancestors to give her the
foreign name. 1t CHANGED, so the
story goes, that our big hearted
Nine. Schumann.Heink heard
Mime. Da Costa sing when she
was still In her teens, and said in
her impulsive way: Come go
with me to Europe. I sail in
fortnight"
Well. she went! And heard her
first great festival performances
OF grand opera at Bayreuth.
From that rare opportunity there
developed a friendship with an
other American who spent part
Of her time in Pittsburgh and
part in Dresden. This lady was
the open sesame to seven years
OF study in Europe. with two
years in grand opera for this
American singer.
And here we find the thing
America must yet obtain. She
used to accompany this fairy
Eodmother to the opera several
times q week. sitting down in the
front row-"I think heard
'Meistersinger' a dozen times"
she said.
Returning home in -, OF course
there was no German opera for
this singer. But now she is
known on the concert stage. and
her charming personality and deli.
cately textured voice make her an
effective song interpreter. Nine.
Da Costa gives a recital in Ae0lian
Hall, In New York, this week.
THAT proves the value OF the
home" experience our own
singers are obtaining in opera.
To watch the gain in stage pres.
sr-se OF our "Washingtonians" Is
gratifying. Unfortunately. we do
not have enough productions to
keep them always in trim. The
future-oh, that dreamland OF the
future!-will. we hope, make the
producing Of our-home organiza.
tions a simpler matter. We need
a little playhouse that can be
Little Theater" and Opera
House" without entailing the ex-
pense and the few performances
the regular theaters can sandwich
in between their regular seasons.
In the matter OF stage direction
we must not overlook the work OF
Genevieve Bond, who is dramatic
director OF the "Washingtonians"
Mrs. Bond has created stage pic
lures thai, like the opening of the
final scene Of Mile. Modists" last