Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-26
NJ II S &c
w WASHINGTON, in addition
\A/ to being the National Cap
Wv ital of these United States
BY HELEN FETTER.

. M to being the National Cap
Wv ital of these United State:
W of America, is fast becom
ing quite the most popular of al
convention cities. This city will b.
hostess in that latter capacity to tht
members of the American Guild Of
Organists, when they hold their sixth
annual convention here. beginning
tomorrow and concluding Thursday
According to Adolf Torovsky. dear
| of the District of Columbia chapter
and generally in charge of the details
of this convention, it is expected that
about 200 delegates will attend the
convention. They will come here
from all over the country. Frank
Sealy; warden Of the guild. will come
from New York City and preside
! at the meetings. Elsewhere on this
page are listed the lectures. recitals
special program at the Library OF
| Congress- the final reception and
banquet, which will be features of
the convention. 1t is interesting to
find two Washingtonians among the
list of those presenting recitals-
| Charlotte Klein, who also claims the
distinction of being the first woman
ever appearing in a recital at guild
convention-two years ago-and re-
turning to Washington after a year
in Florida, and Charles A. H. Pear
son, now of Pittsburgh, but born in
this city.
Also, in Rollo Maitland's program
Louis Potter, member of the local
Orpheus Club, who has been in
Charleston, w. Va, for a couple of
years, will play the piano part in his
composition for piano and organ.
X y Y
THE organ has universally been
L designated as king of instru-
ments." There is certainly no other
instrument which can be played by
one individual and produce such
varied and voluminous effects as are
obtainable. with the largest modern
organs. The real origin of the organ
is generally conceded to lie with a
Greek mechanician, Ctesibius by
name. He was famous for many in
ventions along mechanical lines and
lived during the period of Ptolenly,
Philadelphus and Euergetes, at Alex
andria, according to apparently au-
thentic report, about 200 BIC. The
pump, the bent siphon and the dis
covery of the elastic force of air and
its application as motive power are
all attributed to him. For this
most venerable keyboard instrument,
the predecessors of the organ are
given as the bagpipe and the pam
flute. The first organs were very
small, having only from s to IS reeds.
Records show that an organ was
presented to Pepin King of France,
about 755, by Emperor Copronymus.
Aix-fa: Chapelle records water
organ established in 826. One au-
thority says that organs did not come
into general use until the ninth GEN.
fury. Another authority suggests
they were not generally used until
the fourteenth century. The four
teenth and fifteenth centuries are
variously credited with the insertion
of semi-tones in the scale used, the
development of the pedal and the
reed work. Then other improve
,ments steadily followed, and many
nationalities have contributed to the
development of this king OF instru-
ments. Since the beginning of the
present century the United States
has taken the lead in producing the
tlnest organs in the world. There
are about 100 companies in this coun-
try building organs of various kinds,
and, in addition to the many instru-
'merlts used in churches, most audi
forums and motion picture theaters
have one or more organs in their
musical equipment. The week that
ikoxy opened his magnificent "cathe-
dral of the motion pictures" in New
York City, audiences at that first
program were astounded to see three
huge organ consoles rise on a moy-
able platform and. to hear three or
ganists play selections in unison.
THERE have been MANY truisms
= based upon the fact that it is
human to most desire and appreciate
that which is difficult to obtain.
Also, that a monetary value is some
times too much stressed in estimating
the real worth of efforts. especially
IN the field of entertainment and
even more especially in musical
performances.
There is a particularly valuable
branch of work in the endeavors
sponsored by the District of Column
6ia Federation of Music Clubs that
IS known as providing entertain
Inents for shut-ins." This group
Under the Craftsmanship of Miss
Pearl Waugh, we'll known local
musician, provides programs in Is
varied institutions in Washington for
folks who are unable physically to
get to theaters or concert halls for
music and, aside from such efforts
on the part of this group, have only
canned music" via the radio or