Evening star., 1924-06-19
- VS.. .rt. .--,...--s.-
0LD-TlME MELODIES
TO BE kDkA FEATURE
First Concert Program Of Favorites
of Other Days to Be Broad
cast Tonight.
ARTISTS TO BE IN COSTUME
Director Says Garb Adds to Per-
fection of Interpretation.

In order that artists may feel the
soul of songs and music popular in
byEone days and thus present to the
radio audience the most perfect rem
dition of old-time melodies, station
KDkA will present tonight the first
of series of period concerts. in which
all the artists will be costumed in the
styles peculiar TO these periods.
For the first concert melodies pop
ular during the civil war period of
American history have been chosen,
and, of course, with these melodies
the artists will be costumed accord
ing to the styles of that period. The
ladies will wear the tight -bodiced.
flowing gowns, hoop skirts as they
were called, with pantalettes peep
ing from beneath the huge circum-
ference of their skirt hems. The men
will be costumed in the tight trou-
Sers with the straps underneath their
boots. the long fruck coats. high hats
and other paraphernaha that went
with that day and age.
Artists Announced.
Those taking part in the concert
include the kDkA Little symphony
Orchestra, under the direction OF Vie
tor Saudek, and assisting artists from
the Anne Gritfiths studio. as follows:
Miss Irma Carpenter, soprano, Miss
Mabel King, contralto; Miss Ethel
Whittlesly, harpist, Roy Strayer,
tenor soloist; Raymond Griffith, bass
and Earl Mitchell, pianist.
The artists are among. the best of
those to be found in the Pittsburgh
district and all have willingly CO.
operated with the Westinghouse radio
officials in the wearing of the cos
tunes.
The entire Little symphony Or
chestra of KDkA, one OF the most
famous radio orchestraS in the United
States, will all be cOStumed accord
ing to what was popular among the
well dressed men" of the years just
preceding the civil war Great care
has been taken to see that all the
costumes are correct and that they
will fully represent that period IN
history which the melodies played
will depict.
Victor Saudek. director of the KDkA
orchestra is responsible for the state
ment that the proper costuming OF
the artists adds materially TO the
perfection of their broadCaSting. He
states that this will be noticeable in
the musicians work this evening, and
that if one listens closely he will find
snap and an understanding of their
work not usually found in orchestras
playing old-time melodies. The rea :
son for this. states Mr.. Saudek.
knows that certain clothes or rather
apparel have effects upon the person
wearing them. This fact will be used
to advantage in the costume concert.
Audience Limited.
The costume concert will be held in
Carnegie Lecture Hall, Pittsburgh,
Pa, where the actual broadca sting
will take place. A limited number of
the public will be admitted to the
hall. principally to procure an audi
ence for the players and thus permit
them to throw themselves even more
thoroughly into their work.
Broadcast managers in all parts of
the United States are watching the
effect of this pioneering move on the
part of the Westinghouse station. 1t
is a step in the right direction. many
of the leading production mana gers
state, to provide the radio players
with the correct costumes and the
audience, for " is only in this way
that the artist will give her test
work and thus be reflected through
to the radio audience.
Other costume period concerts will
be given at certain specified inter
walls through Westinghouse station
kDKA until all periods of American
history will have been covered This
is one of the most unusual musical
programs ever to have been worked
out by broadcasting station and in
diCateS the trend of the radio pro-
gram officials to present more ana
more entertaining and worth while
concerts to their radio audiences.