Evening star., 1924-05-02
CHILDREN'S PAGEANT
CHARMINGLY GIVEN
Thousand Youngsters Form Human
Bouquet on Central High.
School Stage.

One thousand Washington children
made a human bouquet on the stage
of Central High Schools auditorium
last night when Edwin c. n. Barnes
director Of music in the public schools
of the District of Columbia. led them
in his pageant cantata, King Sol in
Flow erland." 1t was the first of a
series of three evenings of music.
When the curtains parted for the
pageant q chorus of more than 500
sang the May day welcome. Then
small groups of children costumed q
gayly, suggesting different flowers,
sun rays, water nymphS and the four
winds, the attendants on King Sol
and Princess Raindrop. trooped on
the stage and sang or danced.
Mr.. Barnes directed the singing and
Miss Edith Athey was accompanies
at the piano. Grace Harmon as the
Herald and Lois Hedrick as Rainbow
introduced the various groups. Harry
Angelica. baritone, and Anna Patter-
son, soprano who had the two
'grown-up" roles of King Sol and
Princess Raindrop. sang their solos
| in finished style. Particularly attrac-
tive was the children's choral re-
sponse in welcoming King Sol. when
200 youngsters in front of the orches-
ira Joined the 500 on the stage in
singing the greeting.
The audience gave the young per-
formers keen attention, even in the
second part of the pageant, which did
not begin until nearly II O'Clock
and in which the little child-fiowers
on the stage began to wilt sleepily, one
or two being carried out exhausted
The poise and enunciation of some
or the little soloists were amazing
claire Sessford, about eight years old,
was plump, Self-assured little snow
drop, and Anna Dawson, a "buttercup'
in her early teens, showed particularly
nne stage presence as we'll as vocal
ability. Robert Fuchs, boy soprano.
sang his North Wind" solo we'll. and
Leroy Smith gave Prince Sunfower's
song of greeting in a mellow voice.
Others who gave solo songs or dances
messy. Lois Hedrick, Eola Benzier,
Esther Clelander, Chaloner NJ. Barnes
Bertha Letvin, Hazel Faustman'
Margaret de Groot. Mildred Burnham'
Gladys Kramer, Ruth Vanderbilt and
Caroline Reese.
Preceding the pageant-cantata.
numbers showing the instrumental
| work of the schools were given. A
baby orchestra of several hundred
OF the kindergarten age fascinated
from the Brow; Burroughs, Eaton,
| Grant, Jefferson, Monroe, Park View.
| Polk and Webb schools.
| There were interesting exhibitions
OF concerted boWfng and good tone
| given by the first year violin class
] which. according to it's director, Mrs.
Laura F. Ward, had only had twenty
| five lessons of forty-five minutes
each in class work; also by the sec
ond year violin class. which had had
but forty such lessons. Sergt. Hess
| led his group of eight cornetists, in
| three selections. An interesting ex-
ample of chamber music and it's pos
| sibilities for public school students
| was afforded in selections by a quar-
| tet composed of Eugenia Botkin,
| Mary Clements, Ruth Critics. violin
| lists, and Laura Ward, viola player.
Tonight a different program of
| high school pupils instrumental Sc
lections will be given and tomorrow
night last nights program will be
! repeated.