Evening star., 1927-11-13
M i SIC
BY HELEN FETTER.

| individual a thinker who knew ex-
actly what he was talking about and
why.
The most stimulating feature OF
the talks, however, was the diScov-
cry that the basic object was to
show Americans who. III spite OF our
slang and our naturalized members
do come under the head OF IAN Eng
| lish-spcaking race" that England
had beautiful art songs long before
the Germans ever thought OF "heder"
or even the Italians had Scarlatti
In the time Of Henry VIII, who had
even more wives than most divorced
or widowed men OF the present time.
there were beautiful songs set to
beautiful poems that were sung in
homes of merrie England: moreover,
| there were about 600 such i'll addition
TO the difficult polyphonc madrigals
and Tudor church music. In those
days hOuSl musician was as COM
mon an accessory and considered as
necessary for the household comfort
as telephone is today. Also the
households had as many musical in
strumcnts in their paraphernalia as
| the present housewife has OF vacuum
cleaners, washing machines, refrigcr-
ating plants. etc.
Most important was DR.. Feilowes'
delicate and tactful hint that II the
singers OF today want to sing Eng
Esh songs they will find authentic,
we'll compiled editions of these
worthwhile compositions in any
voice available. This is most heart
ening when one recalls the stupid
little ditties that are so likely to be
showed into the last group of songs
on a concert program and listed
boldly as American and English
gives Scarlatti and Pergolesi for
Italy: Cesar Franck. DebusSy and
Massenet for France; Bach, Schubert
and Schumann and Richard Strauss
or Hugo Wolf for Germany.
And, by the way. what is becoming
of the concert program? 1t is GER
tainly becoming noticeable by its alb
sence. Styles are changing. In
Elizabethan days concerts such as
VIC know them today did not exist.
Mr.. Tibbett and Mr.. Johnson have
ventured forth in Washingtons Fall
list. but costume recitaIs, lecture
musicals, operas are what arc claim
ing most of the space
Incidentally, the absence of the
presumably ambitious younger gem
Grafton OF Washington singers was
marked in the audiences that did at
tend DR.. Fellowes' lectures. Just the
people who should have been there
seemed to ignore this very real op-
portunity to get invaluable informa-
tion in their own field. There were
plenty OF young people present, folks
who seemed to be high school or col
lege students. and who will doubtless
make up audiences to hear the alb
sent singers in some of their pro-
grams at later day. These future
audiences will know more than the
people singing about what they are
trying to do If the latter don't keep
more awake to their own opportu-
mites.
A T last, after much distribution of
"A printers ink and airing OF varied
personal opinions on the subject of
the advisability OF letting present
day COMPOSERS try their hands at
finishing" Franz Schubert's ex-
quisite Symphony in B Minor" the
whole thing has boiled down to Mr..
Frederick Sard. director of the Schu-
bert Centennial. issuing statement
that the contest ideas will he revised
and the prize will be offered for
other objectives than the finishing"
of this work Mr.. Sard docs not
choose" to rely apparently upon the
suggestions of musical authorities.
but rather bases his change Of plans
upon an interview with Jacob Ep-
stein. famous sculptor.
The statement Mr.. Sard issues on
the matter follows. in part:
"Since the interview with Mr.. Ep-
stein. however. the terms of the
Schubert contest have been revised.
at the suggestion OF Walter Dam
rosch, chairman of the jury, and
other members OF the advisory COM
mittees in Europe and America. In
stead OF the original plan. contestants
in the $4,000 prize contest of the
Columbia Phonograph Co. are now
asked to write: Original symphonic
works presented as an apotheosis of
the lyrical genius of Schubert and
dedicated to his memory on the oc-
casion of his centennial They may
use Schubert themes and the
sketches which he left for the third
movement OF the B Minor SYM
phony. 1t is hoped that this will
save the necessity of such protests.
verbal or direct, as occurred in the
case OF Demeter.'"