Evening star., 1925-08-16

The conservatory, on the other
hand, seeking to train students in opera
work, would find opportunity to give
actual experience rather than theory.
Minor parts in the operas could be
filled by the most promising pupils.
The cost of productions could be cur
tailed somewhat thereby and perhaps
performances would be more frequent
than during the far too short sea-
son now presented.
y
The symphony orchestra always
ranks high in the realm of music A
city having one really fine organiza-
ton is fortunate. Washington has
three, one at least of which is known
from one corner of the land to the
other. The Marine Band and its or.
chestra, now led by Capt. w. H. San.
telmann. through the years of it's his
tory has attained a fame that has
made it familiar to all. The two
newer service bands, with their or
chestras. the Navy Band. under the
direction of Lieut.. Bepter, and the
Army Band, the latter hardly out of
its SWaddling clothes, yet striving
Justify and successfully, under the
leadership Of Capt. w. J. Stannard,
for recognition on a par with the
others, have also become recognized as
musical organizations of the first
water.
A fourth service group, one that
is a conservatory in itself. Is the
Army Music School, where musicians
and bandmasters for the Army are
trained.
A third branch of music in which
Washington is progressing is the bal
let. A successful ballet Is essential
to the production of opera. The Capt.
tai has three ballet schools of prom
ise-the Washington Opera Company's s
own school, the National Ballet at
Aurora, Va, and the Pemberton Bal
let. Should the conservatory find in
it's infancy that the undertaking of
a course in ballet would be too much
OF a task, it could find aid at hand
in caring for that problem.
< x X X
Even as late as a year ago hackers
of music in the Capital were distressed
by the lack of facilities for concerts
and opera. But in the short space
intervening the needs have been sup
piled as though by magic.
Season after season of chamber
Nlusic was tried in Central High
Echool auditorium, and always the
great size of the room took the fine
edge off the programs. A special au-
dItorium is needed for this delicate
type of music, a room of limited size,
in which the most whispering of the
pianissimos could be heard.
This need of hall has been sup
piled by the gift of Mrs. Frances S.
Coolidge of $4,000 for construction
of such a room at the Library of
Congress. Mrs. Coolidge has also
provided for a S22, 900 organ.
A concert series was planned in
this city by Marcel Dupre, the famous
was given. but due to lack of facilities
1t was concluded abruptly with some
of the programs Cancelled. A certain
amount of financial support was neces-
sary, and those arranging the series
found that where a suitable organ
was available either insufficient seat
ing was to be obtained or else the
church in which the organ was sit.
uated was one that could not, under
it's rules, permit an enforced admis-
sion charge.
The Washington Auditorium meets
this need now. Seating 5000, 1t con-
tains one of the three or four finest
organs in America. A master or
ganist would find in it a master in
strument upon which to play. Variety
almost unlimited is to be found in its
thousands of pipes. Tremendous
power Is coupled with beauty of tone.
a new field has been opened for
music lovers in the Capital.
This same auditorium will supply
seats for the performance of opera,
symphony or recital that will supply
the revenue vital to obtaining of the
best and at the same time permit
the sale of student tickets which
will permit serious students to obtain
admission at price their purses will
a9egd.
The conservatory would provide a
osntsr at which a comprehensive pro-
gram of teaching music in the schools
of the country could be worked out.
Work from the primary on through
btch-- schoof could be outlined and