Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-30

leading orchestras will give widely
divergent music programs. Tuesday
night early orchestral music will be
played by Georges Barrere, eminent
flutist, and his Little Symphony at
the Library of Congress. Next Sun
day even, the same type of music
prevails, when the Minneapolis Sym
phony Orchestra will give program
under the Belgian, Henri, Verbrug
CHEN, and the National String Quar-
tet will round out the eight days with
chamber music at the Jewish Com
munity Center.
During the season SO far there
have been unique compositions on
orchestral programs, but there have
+, been more repetitions of classics. Mr..
koussevitzky particularly promises
novelties that have been much dis
cussed elsewhere ard not heard pre-
viously in Washington for his first
program here this season.
In this connection letter recently
reached the music editors desk that
carried protest as voiced in a COM
munication sent directly to Mr.. Men
gelberg, conductor of the New York
Philharmonic, written by Emerson
Stringham of this city. He says, in
part:
You may be interested to know
that at least a minority in Washing
4 ton was greatly pleased with the
program that you gave on November
10, and that the announced program
for January 4 was looked forward to
with keen expectation. Mahler's
symphony" in particular, should GER
tainly have been retained on the pro-
gram. Perhaps it was in mixed vexa-
ton and humor that you substituted
series of the best-drilled of old
time compositions-com that
that we all hear eternally on records
and the radio"
This paragraph brings out two
points of special significance. One,
that it isn't always a question of en-
Joying completely the music brought,
but rather question of hearing
more variety in styles and finding
what the present day composer is
trying to say. The other, the great
value of the radio and monograph
in familiarizing the public with class
les of music.
Here is a piece of news for Mr..
Stringham and other music lovers
who have the news value of music
at heart, as we'll as the established,
recognized editorial--as the classics
might be termed. Rachmaninoff'
latest composition, concerto for
piano and orchestra, will have its
premier performance in Washington
at the Philadelphia Orchestra's final
program here this season. The COM
poser will play the solo instrument
on this occasion. The work is not
yet published and the orchestra will
play from manuscript.
In the publicity sent us about this
event this sentence is added THE
fact that the works first perform
ance is here is compliment to
Washington's appreciativeness and a
morsel for Washington's judgment"
= = & !:
IRON within the resources of
l. American college life comes yet
another organization that is said to
present a revelation in the art of
choral singing, coming to Washing
ton Monday, February IL. The
group is the ST. Olaf Lutheran Choir.
The organization is about Is years
old, and during the college year this
church choir sings every Sunday
morning at ST. Johns Lutheran
Church in Mortified. MINI. 1t
sings a capella and from memory.
Moreover, the members are average
American boys and girls taking the
liberal arts course at college and
electing music. especially vocal train
ing, as side .ssue. Persistently
through the past few years rumors
have reached our ears of the excel
ience of the work in this choir. Two
Summers ago at the Mcdowell Col
ony, in Petcrboro. ~ H., a Young
composer from the Middle West
sang the praise of this choir at
length and told of the BASES secur-
ing effects usually only known to
the Russian chcral groups. DIR. F.
Melius Christensen is the director.
WITH the average American citi-
w zen, especially the business man,
music has generally been conceded
stepchild position in the ratio of i'm
portant activities in American life
This was done and still is done large
~ because of ignorance of music and
its potentialities Fortunately. the
high schools OF Washington are car
rying on a pioneer work that is con-
stantly being protested and having
obstacles thrown in it's wav. vet that
deserve community cooperation.
This is the matter of offering credits
for major work in music. as we'll as
in algebra, French, history or any
other study that the student spends
sufficient time on to qualify for such
credits.
For II years outside music study
has been credited. Quarterly REPORTS
are had from the private music
teachers and an examining board
conducts two examinations a wear.
the mid-year exams having Just been
completed for February report Of
1927 in Eastern, Western and Central
High Schools.
At these examinations it is neces-
sary for the student to present a
technical work; purely classic
work, such As composition of Bach.
ETC.; a sonata Oi all instrumentalisO.
preferably by memory: a modern
composition OF equal standard as a
work and also from memory. The
grading at examinations is common
surate with other major subjects
IS to IS, fair; IS to 90, good; 90 to
100, excellent.
These examinations stress espe-
cially knowledge of technic, oral har-
mony. purely classical and modern
classic works and memory work. A
member OF the examining board. who
has been on that board ever since
10 existence stated fnlLn ni1,n liz