Evening star., 1922-12-21
DECLINES T0:STOP
SUNDAY CONCERTS
Board Of Education Hears
ff '-s-1.
) Strong Protests: by Clergy
: men Against "sings."
Or. SIMON. URHEs STAND
Ministers Declare Concerts De-.
plete Their Choirs and Corr
srsgatioAs. y. ->''

The board of education yesterday
afternoon turned deaf ears 10 the pro-
tests against the Sunday night Com.
mufity, concerts conducted by Rob
ert Lawrence in the Central High
School auditorium, and they will be
continued Even the personal pleas
of three clergymen. representing iso
of tie 2o7 Protestant churches IN
Washington. to change the hours Of
the Sabbath sings to prevent inter
ference with the religious services
in the churches. failed to stir the
board into taking official action.
The ministers who appeared before
the board seeking to have thu. con-
cert hours changed were Rev. II. F.
Randolph. president OF the PASTORS
Federation. REV. George NJ: Dtffen-
derfer. presidsnt of the Washin Eton
Federation OF Churches and, Rev
Earle Wiley. pastor Of the Vermont
Avenue Christian Church. They lodged
strong. protest against holding com
inunity sings on SUNDAY evening on
the ground that they are not
only detracting from church attend
anoe., but are making serious inroaos
on two occasions lost my orSanist and
in the churches. ~:
simon Crges staad. :. :.
After the clergymen had made their
protest. Or. Abram Simon. president
Of the board. asked the body ~hat
action it desired to take, pointing out
that personally he did not feel that e
stand should be taken in the matter.
A brief silence followed. and then DR..
with it's business. The ministers
quietly left the board chamber.
DIR. Randolph told the board that
the Sunday night concerts are, IN Gi-
rect competition with the church
services. and are damaging our cor
gregations." Our choirs are inter
fered with" he declared. and many
of our young people have been drawn
away from the church chorus. l have
on two occasions lost my rxanist and
leading soloist on account of the con-
concerts"
withdraw Indoraenent. =.
Although the Washington Fedora
singing. Df. 'Diffendeffer pointed out.
it would never have done so had .he
organization known that the commute
nifty music association had planned to
hold the sings at s:15 o'clock on Sum
and Christian minister" he sad. Il
protest against anything which will
interfere with the worship of Al
mighty God On Sunday evening,
whether 1t be in church or school"
In response to questions BY Edwin
c. Graham. DR.. Diffenderfer said he
had no objection to make IL the con-
certs were held at an hour that would
not conflict with church services, and
had no complaint to make relative to
the character of the programs.
Says People "BambeosleA.-
DR.. wilaey declared that the com.
munity sings are making infoads
and soioists In many Of the churches.
He said that the people had been
'bamboo1led" into indorsing the con-
certs on Sunday night pointing out
that Sunday night is peculiarly I re-
serve 1t or not. Americans" he con-
cluded. ARE trying to fight the con-
tineHtaa Sunday. whefe the morning ID
given over to devout services and ths
rest Af the day to anything and every
thing that pleases."
ArSsasents for Concerts. =
ASststement containing six basic
arguments upholding the Sunday
night concerts was submitted to the
board by the Community Music As
ISOLATION In reply to the school gov
the protests filed with IL against the
Sabbath community sings.
Tue .report was framed by a spe-
cial committee of the music associa-
@ Esssf snxdse Snss sto,ss o,ssrs Man
this eotAmittee are City Postmaster
M. o. Chance. Thomas J. Donovan.
president Of the Central Citizens AS
ISOLATION: Mark Lansbureh. Charles
dent Of the Merchants and Manu-
facturers' Association: Henry e.
Stringer. president Of the City Club.
and. Mrs. Lyman B. .Swormstedt.
PROTESTS against the Sunday night
they detract from church attendance
were answered in the report as
follows:
Il. Three hundred thousand Of our
white population do not attend church
services on Sunday night.
z. Holding the concerts on week
day night would be impossible and
impractical because the high school
auditorium Is not available on any
regular and consecutive week day
are primarily for the family group,
a week day night would be imprac-
tical. since entire families are rarely
united and At leisure during week
IS. The setting of Sunday night as
cision Of the thousands who attend
them. During the early part Of the
present year the Sunday concerts
were held ut o'clock in the after
noon. In response to a general de-
mand. the hour was changed late in
that the audience doubled immediate
1y. A very considerable majority OF
Washington residents spend six days
of the week indoors. and. sas q. couse-
Quence. utilize Sunday aYternoon for
outdoor recreation. Sunday night is
n W SAvh n
entire family is united and IT ietsure E.
=. The Sunday night concerts do
not draw from the Sunday nikht re-
ligtous services. but might be con-
sidefed ~ drawing heavily ffpsn the
theaters and other secular Sunday
night smusements
"6. Tho report that admission ID being
charged, or has been charge&.to tide
Sunday night concerts. Is a6sofutsly
false, although collection ID taken
and 416 seats OF the $500 available
are reserved for members of the As.
pay 36 centS for reserved section
Is. Biit,acrs Hks- -5sStsdecided to
certs from an aftsth66hy to : night
& hour H., E Eresponss s e, General ae- ::
supportsd: ~ Mr 5Wsltef Damrosch,
who Sstablfshed the sunday night
concert pidsG In, Ne& YoE9.s -.
'Mr. DaHtrosch ID; ;fspftfhS to dtiti-
nism q" the Clergy ~ Baltimore. com
s:ns:e s.ns: sas III ss9ss nfns
attend reifgious serxtces In the morn
ing, eH3exig sOutAovr recreational
exercissS In the afternoon, and per4
init ths pEtyilsgs; on ,isn1lfting and
atsay At1s'svt ttresrts.