The Washington times., 1927-05-14
OLD NAVY SAILS
WAVE LENGTHS

Fair to middlin' tuning results
rewarded dial twisters last even.
| ing. accompanied by more or less
roar and few smashing crashes
every little while. But the pow
erful stations came through the
racket with good volume and
some Of the noise could be tuned
out. The Middle West appeared
to be the most productive, al
though the South could be found
working its micrOphOnes with
more or less tunefuI effect.
"Old Ironsides" sailed the wave
lengths last evening to the accom-
paniment OF a new foot lifting
march, "Our Navy" by Lieut..
Charles Benter, of the United States
Navy Band, and with reports of the
battle between the ancient man o.
war and the "Guerriere" broadcast
by the Secretary OF the Navy in
an effort to interest patriotic citi-
zens in the restoration OF the old
frigate. The report of Capt. Isaac
Hull on the famous battle more
than a century ago, brought quite
a thrill to listeners as Secretary VIII
bur read the original document to
them.
Difficult as It is for the modern
world to grasp the actualities OF the
sort of hand-to.hand fighting that
took place in the old sailing ship
days, the story OF the fight never
theless makes the heart beat just a
bit quicker and the blood flow
faster with the result that many
25.cent pieces will doubtless be on
their way today to "Old Ironsides,
Navy Yard, Boston" as contribu-
lions to the restoration fund and
IN payment for copies OF the Gordon
Grant picture.
II any musical fundamentalist
among the customers wants to
know the real reason for a saxo.
phone he has only to contemplate
the very remarkable performance
OF the Lord Calvert Orchestra as
Fred Stark directed it from WRC
last evening. This orchestra has
been showing steady Improvement
ever since it started sending the
aroma of coffee over the wave
! lengths, but never was the improve
ment so marked as it was last night
when two saxophones were added
to it's complement Of instruments.
WHY SYMPHONIES
WERE FIRST INVENTED
Adolph Sax invented this much
abused instrument to do exactly
what Stark did with it last evening
to supply small orchestras with
something approximating the basic
| harmonies the fully equipped SYM
phony can give. Properly used to
color and strengthen the back.
ground against which the melodies
are displayed, the saxophone makes
| 1t possible for the very small or
chestra to achieve full orchestral
| effects.
This is why the Lord Calvert
forces did so well last night with the
varied program they offered-the
| Tschaikowsky Waltz of the Flow
ers" being an especially well-pIayed
and noteworthy example of how the
new Instrumentation can help. Emil
Splitter, the oboist, made quite a. hit
with his Interpretation of a Rimsky.
karsakow number-the orchestral
accompaniment being as interesting
| as the solo. The best comment
heard on the concert was that of a
constant listener who wanted 10
know what Louis Kaufman and the
Anglo-Persians were doing on this
air so long! Kaufman and his Per.
slams have held the small orchestra
honors of the wave lengths for many
months, and that Stark and his men
gave them a run for the evenings
award of merit is no small achieve.
ment
Promise of excellent entertainment
when they shall have overcome their
mike shyness and become more con.
fident Of their powers was held out
by the concert of the w. B. and A,
Quartet inaugurating a new weekly
feature. The quartet needs Just q
bit more positive direction which
will bring about the spontaneity and
vigor organizations of this sort need
to register well with listeners. In
the outer wave lengths WJR, De,
troit, made itself prominent with
some sort Of celebration with mn.
steal accompaniment. and WSEA.
Norfolk: WOW, Omaha, and KYW,
Chicago, were also very much
among those present.