The Washington times., 1927-03-16
FOLK MUSIC ON.
WAVE LENGTHS

Good, but spotty, was the re-
cepti0n Of radio programs last
evening, some stations being
easily tuned and others, OF the
same territory, and average
power, not so easy to dig out
Of the atmOsph ere--if they could
be found at all. There was q
minimum Of noise but quite q
Bit OF fading and the usual in
reference that blanIxeted pro-
grams in the crowded sections Of
the wave lengths.
To those listeners who rate music
values above everything else they
tune. the nickel's worth of singing
done by the Russian Art Choir DUR
ing the WMAL Movie Club jam
boree at WMAL last night touched
the high artistic spot Of the entire
evening entertainment. While, for
those who seek to be entertained the
palm would go to Nat Schildkret's
interpretation OF how a village or
chestra behaves, as exhibited during
the Eveready endeavor Of WEAF
and WRC.
It Is an odd circumstance that
both Of these high lignts Of the
program of the wave lengths would
be classified as folk music by the
hard. boiled professional listener and
by him both would be given about
the same technical rating pos
sibly a shade Of the decision going
to Schildkret's men because Of the
technical difficulties involved in
skilled players deliberately bur-
lesquing themselves.
The Russian Art Choir's contri-
button to the evening was so abbre-
Waited that the average person
would have missed it in trying to
tune in, the time some receivers
would require to get 1t clearly being
longer than the time the choir was
on the air. Which might suggest
to the sponsors Of such forms Of
entertainment that bit more
hberality with their samples
wouldn't hurt their advertising
value the least bit.
RUSSIAN CHOIR
FINELY TRAINED
The most interesting feature Of
the Russians two short numbers
was the last, with its theme upon
which Tschaikowsky based one of
the most colorful sections Of his
fourth symphony. The choir is
well worth hearing as group of
finely trained ensemble singers
with some unusually fine solo
voices.
Another pleasing feature of the
evening program was the short
piano recital by Nation Boyce in
the early evening from WRC,
Boyce Is responsible for several Of
the regular WRC program features
that comes to listeners and has
proved himself a capable director,
being so busy at such chores that
he has had little opportunity to
figure az q soloist. He should be
starred on the program more fire.
quently as he is an intelligent
pianist Of great skill.
In the middle and far distances
the chances are listeners received
more entertainment from the doings
Of the "To-Be-Weds" from VIZ
and the Don Amaizo adventure of
the same station than from most
Of the other loud speaker products.
The first named is one Of the clev.
crest features that has been turned
out by the versatile and skillful
team Of Davis and LaPrade. It is
short, snappy, colorful and very
human. One of its most satisfying
elements is that we know there will
be no orchestral music dragged in
by the hair, so to speak, as is the
tendency with many Of the products
Of this skillful team. There is A
tradition voI know AVIAN fh{a Al rI,v
In the development of radio program
technique, that there must be music
in every feature of more than Is
minutes, and many times that seems
to be the only reason for the
music.
There was also a very good flutist
performing at WGN whose name
seemed to be Emile Hackett, as An.
nouncer Bill Hay gave it. The music
was just as exquisite and the flute
as artistically played-no matter
what the name, to paraphrase the
late Mr.. Shakesepare