The Washington times., 1926-05-10
BYRD'S FLIGHT
RADIO THRILL

HIIDIU IIIlEI6L
One evening of fair reception
and another almost 3 total loss
after local stations deserted the
air, Is the Saturday and Sunday
report of the wave lengths. sat
urday brought loud speakers quite
bit of good stuff, clear ana
strong, where there was power
enough to tune out noise. All the
fine tuning in the world couldn't
blot out the continuous stone
crushing effects in the atmosphere
Sunday, h0wever-thOugh the pro-
grams were there ready for listen
ers who could get them.
Allen McQuhae, with real idea
as TO how to put together a pro-
gram as well as to announce 1t
and sing its songs for Mr.. At
water Kent, and the flight around
the North Pole by Lieut.. Comdr.
Richard E. Byrd were the radio
sensations of last evening.
With the aid of the New York
American station WIZ announced
the success OF the navy aviator
explorer at $50 and WEAF inter-
rupted- the Capitol Theater program
half an hour later to make the
same announcement.
The very big thing Of the eve
ming from a musical standpoint was
McOuhae- it is big enough
as a radio forward step to merit
a date by itself in the listeners
log book. The Irish tenor an
nounced his first song in man
ner totally uSAke any announce
ment OF music yet made by radio,
except only Walter Damroschs
description OF what he intended to
do with the New York Symphony
Orchestra several months ago.
TENOR GIVES
IDEA OF SONG
McOuhae told his listeners the
idea his song was intended to ex'
y,ress-and then sang It so that it
would express just that idea. he
devoted no time to telling when
the composer was born, how good
he was to his mother or whether
he rolled his own.
Concurrently. he ended his pro.
gram with the finest mother
song of the entire continental col.
lection that scintiIlated like a jewel
of purest ray serene among the
mass of mawlkish sentimentality
that followed into the loud speakers
during the day. It was Rachman1-
motifs ITO the Children"
WHOLESALE PROGRAM
GIVEN NEW TWIST
The business Of whoIesaling radio
entertainment took on = new aspect
Saturday night when VIZ for two
hours sent to the loud speakers a
performance Of the foremost New
York radio stars, selected as the
"All-American Radio Team" by
one of the New York newspaper
selectors.
yours truly but he stuck closer than
that included Doug Stansbury, Sam
Segal. mandolinist; Frank Kamplain.
of the Record Boys-and afterward
the whole of the Record Boys trio
Frank La Forge. pianist: Florence
Mulholland. contralto: Maud Nor
gan, harpist-John Barnes Wells.
tenor: Godfrey Ludlow, violinist;
the Vincent Lopez orchestra. and
Joscha Bunchuk, cellist with DR..
Billy Axt and Max Hirshberg as
accompanies.
1t was an aIl-star program that
hit radio listeners in the midriff and
bowled them over. II another is
contemplated it would please more
IL cut in half and given more
advance announcement 50 that
listeners could be ready for it.
MYSTERY PLAY
COMPLETELY FINISHED
"A Step on the Stair" came to a
weak finish Saturday night-through
no fault Of the WRC Players who
produced 1t, however. The conden-
sation of the nine episodes previ-
ously given was well done, SO well
done that the finale was very tame.
The serial idea seems to have taken
hold of the radio audience, however,
and a new edition of better play
will be welcomed.
The Mothers Day observance at
Arlington yesterday is well handled
in the news columns-though per-
haps there will be little there about.
the excellent presentation of the
adgiette m ov m mt of Bizets
"L,Arlesienne" suite by the Navy
Band, which is one of the best things
Lieutenant Benter's musicians have