The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1927-05-30
THRILLS F I'LL
AIR LANES

Much too much for good tuning
was the static revel over the
week end. Noises Of all sorts
from shy, faint whistles to grind.
ing crashes and cracking bangs
disturbed the dial twister at
every point throughout both Sat
urday and Sunday evenings. The
Western stations responded
the atmospheric Accomplishments
were too severe on the ears to
make sticking with them worth
while.
Thrills and genuine entertain.
ment with real music came over the
wave lengths during the weekend,
for all sorts and conditions Of man
kind though perhaps nothing dur
ing the two evenings had quite so
much Of kick in it as the address
Of Secretary Herbert Hoover on
flood conditions that was the chief
program feature of Saturday. The
important revelations of the Hoover
talk gave considerable satisfaction
to those who had contributed to
the relief funds-but the big thrill
1t seems to me lay in the fact that
the program was provided by three
different and distant cities and yet
all seemed to be one continuous
flow of information Of entertain.
ment.
Milton Cross in New York intro
duced Merlin H. Aylesworth who
was in Chicago and Mr.. Aylesworth
in turn introduced Mr.. Hoover, who
was in New Orleans! Then at the
climax of the address of Mr..
Hoover a chorus in New York burst
forth with America" And all of
us listeners in Washington, as we'll
as the listeners Of twenty or thirty
radio stations in as many other
cities echoed the song! When one
stops to think Of it-this particular
radio achievement simply paralyzes
the imagination.
There were one or two thrills, too,
In the program of the Cantigny Day
dinner of the survivors of the ia
nous First Division, A. E. F., at the
National Press Club, Washington
especially when there came that
memorable full minute Of silence, fol-
lowed by the playing of the national
anthem.
OLD HYMN
PROVIDES THRILL
Again Sunday there was a tighten
Ing Of the throat muscles and a
quickening of the pulse as Roxy
read Nate Cochran's editorial on
Lindbergh from the New York Tele-
gram-and the studio organ played
Praise God, From Whom Ais Bless
1ngs Flow as soft accompaniment
that later swelled out into the grand
old song of praise, with the studio
quartet singing the words. Just why
this gorgeous music isn't more often
used in the way Roxy used it has
always been mystery to me. Few
compositions have the stirring power
of the great hymn Of praise and few
carry their meaning so wildly in the
music.
The singing Of William Simmons,
baritone, during the Atwater Kent
Hour and the organ recital that con-
cluded the WRC and WEAF broad
casts were the high program spots
of Sunday evening. Simmons has
everything a vocalist should have,
a fine voice and an intelligence in
using 1t that is rare. His program
was well selected and built up to a
fine climax.
The organ recital by Hugh Porter
was the Inauguration Of a series Of
Sunday evening concerts that will be
heard during the summer. It Is a
most welcome addition to the Sunday
program and will provide a fine
tapering off Of the days radio events.
The organist last evening provided
listeners with an excellent program
of real organ music.