The Washington times., 1927-02-22
ENGLISH RADIO.
LANGUAGE

With the clarity Of local broad
casts aud only q BIT Of static
crashing here and there, pro-
grams from every section OF the
continent came into receivers last
night with the slightest prOvOca-
ton on the part Of dial tWisters.
Some Of 'em seemed TO leap out
Of the air into loud speakers--
some Of the stations one seldom
hears like Milford, Kan, and
Lincoln, Neb. So loud and In.
sistent were Atlanta, Fort Worth
and Miami that volume control
was needed on them for the first
time In weeks. A wonderful
night for loggers-even with the
Chicago stations, Schenectady and
q number OF other big 'uns silent.
On this gladstone anniversary of
the natal day OF the Father Of His
Country let us all make a resolution
to say and write to broadcasters
what we have in our minds regard
ing announcers who persist in giving
song titles in foreign languages.
English is the language Of this
country and the tens of thousands
of listeners to radio programs, and
English should be the language Of
radio broadcastings. We had the
very curious situation last evening
OF an announcer at WEAF giving a
most meticulously accented song
title in a foreign language without
troubling himself to translate it.-
and then hearing the song sung in
English.
There isn't any excuse whatever
for announcing musical numbers in
any but the language of the people
to whom the announcement Is made.
Frequently the song is sung in its
native verbiage and when that Is
done-the meaning Of It Is usually
incomprehensible to the average
auditor.
This isn't assuming the auditors
are ignortant Of foreign languages.
Many Of them are not-even II the
vast majority are! But music titles
are very often idiomatic combina-
tons Of words and just as often
mean nothing even to the casual
student Of the language in which
they are announced.
Further than that, announce
ments do not follow the native
language of the composer of the
composition. The favorite language
is French or italian and we hear
Russian and Polish and German
and Spanish composition announced
in those two languages rather than
their native tongues. Why not
English!
ECONOMICS INSTEAD
OF DINER music.
An interpolated program from
WEAF consisting of one part
comedy by Evan Davies and one
part economies and war debts by a
distinguished speaker whose name
I missed, came to WRC listeners
in place Of dinner music as the
opening feature Of the evening
program. Then the Emersonians
had their hour at the micrOphone
with the orchestra under Nation
Boyce acquitting itself nobly. The
Harvesters penetrated the Far
West and sang and played quite a
bit Of cold cowboy music and the
grocery subsidy provided excellent
music, as usual with John Barnes
Wen singing his accustomed mum.
Der Of songs.
The production of "LohenSrin. !"
by Cesare Sodero and his Rroun
OF earnest workers was even better
than we had anticipated-and we
had expected much. Wagner used
the human voice as an added in.
strument to his orchestra--one that
could articulate tone as well as
make 1t. Sodero followed the idea
OF the great master in his presen.
tation Of the sketchy summary of
the opera with the result that he
came very much closer to giving a
clear impression Of the musical
drama than most productions,
where star songseters permit the
orchestra to accompany them in
exhibiting voices rather than sing.
ing the vocal parts Of the Wag.
merriam drama.
The most conspicuous feature Of
the outside wave lengths was the
hour Of Frimle music presented by
the WIZ light opera contingent
headed by Gladys Rice and Frank
Mum. Miss Rice has always been
a fayorite and justifies all the
confidence we have had in her
during these concerts. Frank Mum
is rapidly becoming popular with
his clear tenor voice which he
makes most intelligent use.