Evening star., 1928-05-10
PUPIL ORCHESTRAS
PRESENT PROGRAM
$50 Students Take Part in
Offerings of Three Groups
at Central High.

A public demonstration of the work
done In instrumental and orchestral
classes under the music department or
the local high schools was given last
night when three groups OF student
orchestras with an aggregate member
ship of $50 children presented a pro-
gram at Central High School,
The community center department
co-operated IN the presentation OF the
program, which was arranged by Miss
Edith r. Athcy specialist on music ap-
probation in the schools.
The InterGrade Orchestra, composed
of about 40 children from the fifth and
sixth grades of local schools, Mrs. Laura
Fairchild Ward conducting. opened the
evening with the tuneful overture.
Fortuna" by Zamecnik. This orches-
ira seemed 10 be serticularly well bal
anced in having brass and wood-wind
sections proportionate to the violins,
violoncellos and tympani.
Saxophone Soloist Is Hit
A hit of the evening was the saxo-
phone SOLO played by Billy Burns. Billy
is all of 10 wears old, and from the
background Of such vast experience he
chose as the subject for his solo an
Arrangement OF the old negro spiritual,
A
He played 1t with good phraSing, big,
colorful tone and nicely In expression,
Another outstanding event OF this
part of the program was the violoncello
solo. Largo" by Haendel, played by
James w. Beckert, who Is evidently in
his earliest teens James undoubtedly has
real talent. perhaps genius. for this In
str,lment. He played with sure technique
and surprisingly fine sense OF interpre-
tation. His mother accompanied him
at the piano.
The second group to give orchestral
numbers was made up Of about 30 chill
dren in the mter-Junior High Orches-
ira. Most OF these were boys The
brasses rather dominated. especially In
the overture. Light Cavalry" They
played with fine swinging rhythms and
the conductor. Robert Edwards. showed
marked ability The soloist was Meyer
Rather. who has a facile tone Drdla's
Souvenir" was the encore. The name
of the young girl who accompanied him
on the piano was not given on the pro-
gram but she deserves special mention
! for her work in this capacity.
Emerson Myers Is Soloist.
The last group. the Inter-Senior High
molly and was the largest group perform
ing as well as giving the most pre-
tentious program, The "Semiramide"
overture was decidedly ambitious for
such a group 10 attempt and presented
its difficulties. The soloist was Emer-
son Myers. pianist. who played Cho-
pins brilliant "Polonaise in A Flat"
In the first intermiSsion Or. Barnes
made a few remarks. sketching briefly
the outline and purpose Of this work
in the music department. He spoke OF
its being divided into nine parts, the
first OF which Is the instrumental class.
that Is held In many buildings after
school hours and for which the chill
dren pay only 81 for Is lessons. Then
follows the meetings of the grade school
ensembles, from which the grade or
chestra Is made up, yet including in 1t
students who are trained by private
music teachers. The best OF the stu
dents in all grade school orchestras are
selected and combined into the Inter-
Grade Orchestra. which opened last
nights program. Similarly, the junior
high students are trained and combined
into the Inter-Junior High Orchestra.
and. finally. the fnter-Senior High Or
chestra is built up. DR., Barnes men,