Evening star., 1927-05-29
MUSICAL LEADERS
BANQUET GUESTS
Composers and Critics Are
at Dinner in Honor of
Carl EngeI.

An unusual event in local music
history was presented at the Congress
sional Country Club last night when
the members of the Washington Com
: posers' Club gave a banquet in honor
Of their chief, Carl Engel, who has
been to Vienna as one of the three
official United States delegates attend
ing the Beethoven Festival, and also in
honor of the music critics of the local
papers and correspondents of national
music magazines This was the first
time that the entire group of critics
was honored by local music organiza-
ton. Every detail of the evening"
worked out under the chairmanshiD
Of Mrs. Edward Hood Watson, who
is the correspondent for Washington
of Musical America and also is
chairman Of the composers" group,
was based upon musical ideas and, as
a result, a musical version built along
Gridiron lines was presented.
The program was opened with
toasts and greetings given musically.
That familiar old melody, Hail, Hail.
the Gangs All Here" was used for the
greeting to Mr.. Engel and, again, to
the composers. sung by the critics in
who were absent: DIR. Anton GloetZ-
ner, who is recuperating satisfactorily
in Georgetown Hospital from an
operation, and DIR. Alexander Henne-
mann, who is out of town and sent
a telegram Of greetings--composers
and Miss Jessie MacBride, music
critic Of the Washington Times, who
was absent due to illness. r. Deane
Shure, composer, gave the short
"Salutation," in which he related
several amusing anecdotes on music,
and he was followed by a song by the
critics to the tune of Smiles" ad-
dressed to the composers.
Musical Features Given.
. The long table in the private dining
room was set with a huge centerpiece
Of roses and gladioli and the menu
place cards which were hand-painted,
original designs done by Mrs. Wat
son. Also at each place there were
copies of the original musical cross
word puzzle especially gotten up for
this event and list of questions en-
titled ASK Me Another" also on
musical subjects.
: The menu, also with musical motif,
included: Menu(etto). an original suite
arranged for full astronomical con-
sumption, by the "Crickets" of Wash.
ington: Prelude, allie breve,' Saluta-
tions, r. Deane Shure; Bourree d'As-
perge, attagner. Embarrassment,
mais pianissimo, Poeme, Karl Holer:
Theme en- forme de Boeuf, avec varia.
tions, motto con gusto, Jerome Will
liams; Fantasie printanniere a la Fran
cais, Iceland Scherzando, non troppo
motto, Henri Smidt Gregor; Parfait.
dolce ed appassionata (CarD Angel
cake, pensee fugitive, Mary Howe;
Finale, en- demi tons, cafe noir, ad
1ibitum, Carl Engel.
Between courses when not working
on the crossword puzzle or answering
the questions around the table, there
were short contributions by COM
posers. Mary Howe Mrs. Walter
Bruce Howe) gave an appropriate ver-
sion of the poem Refuge" on which
musical settings at cne Of their earlier
meetings, and which she burlesqued
as Refuse *
Guests Hit i'm Opus.
Henri SmidtGregor gave a short
talk, and Karl Holer followed with
poetical opus, mentioning every COM
poser and critic. Edwin G.. Potter,
another composer, gave an entertain.
ing statement on the requirements for
real music.
At the conclusion of the dinner, be.
fore the "Crickets" put on their bur-
lesaue musical. Mr.. Engel, who is
chief of the music division, Library of
Congress, gave a short talk, touching
upon amusing phases of the idea, Of
this. composers club having a moth.
err. in Mrs. Watson, and could recall
no similar instance in the lives. short
but eventful, Of the three other com.
posers' clubs to which he had belonged
in New York and Boston. In the.
course of his talk he mentioned the
subject Of music in America versus
music in Europe. He said, among
other things:
81 come back to America from this
trip abroad, like most of us, a better
American. America is entirely free
from the binding traditions that exist
in Europe and there is no reason why
there should not be great music come
out of America in time and I am con-
f1dent that such will be the case. In
Europe we find that they are eager
to accept and even initiate American
efforts. They take jazz much more
seriously than we do and realize that
it is in every respect original to this
country and it's first expression music
any tnat Is entlrely tree from the
ideas brought here from older coun-
tries. We need to go to Europe to
get the traditions. but we should be
grateful for our freedom to work
along new musical paths"
Entertained by "Crickets."
In the music room on the second
floor Of the club the Washington
"Crickets" gave their first formal
program" burlesquing well known
themes and people and using a coilec.
tion of instruments that included saxo.
phones, flutes, horns, motor and other.
wise: a police whsle, violin and cello,
tympani, chicken squawker and piano.
Following the program, the COM
posers read criticisms of the perform.
ance.
Those present included Mrs. Walter
Bruce Howe, Miss Maud Sewall of
the Musical Digest, Miss Helen
Fetter of The Star, Miss Ruth Howell
Of the News, Mrs. Edward Hood Wat.
sion of Musical America, Mr.. Wat
son, Carl Engel. Kari HoIer, Theodore
Cannon of the Musical Courier,
Edwin c. Potter, r. Deane Shure,
IRVINE Stenson, Jerome Williams, La
Sale Spier and Henri midt-Gregor.