The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-01-09
POMPING AROUND THE RADIO DIAL
-BvGA RDNER MACK--
VOICES
RULE AIR

~ ~ - - y y -
Another little weekend of cle8r
reception and good volume didn't
do listeners bit of harm. The
good weather out of doors re-
Elected itself i'm loud speakers rs
doesn't often happen Saturday
and Sunday eyeningswith Sum
day having bit Of an edge 80
far as clear brOadcasts and dis
tant tuning was concerned. Code
interference was worse than ever
--aII over the dials and louder
and more insistent than usual.
Al quintet of voices rather def
nitely gave loud speaker proof
that. in the weekend just passed,
the female Of the species is more
meIodious than the male-or any
of the musical instruments assem-
bled here. there and everywhere for
the entertainment of the listening
multitudes. We might make bit
OF an exception in the case of
Armand Tokatyan, the silver-voiced
tenor of the Atwater Kent exer-.
cises last night--but vel insist on
the general idea that women made
the wave lengths exceedingly and
satisfactorily tuneful for two
evenings.
The great singing began with an
unnamed soprano in what WEAF
calls its high jinks'' performance
"a soprano who not only had a.
voice, but a. chic. pert and alto
gether saucy way of using It that
simply bowled US over when we
heard it expressing a Frenchy idea
in tone with a breezy abandon and
vocal perfection that seldom go
together. We hope to hear her
again. All who heard her will re.
member the singer, however. and.
well bet. want more of her music.
Then came Jessica Dragonette In
the Philco production of Victor
Herbert's Rose OF Algeria with
the voice and the insinuafing, mag
netic manner o. singing that we've
heard only from the fair Jessica
since she started singing regularly
for us last summer and of which
we have never yet quite heard
enough. The more she sings the
more We want to hear her sing.
GLADYS RICE
IN OPERA PROGRAM
Yesterday afternoon Gladys Rice
who is lending her charm of man
ner and voice to many things on
the air these days gave the wire
screen industry a good send-off in
its first advertising program from
VIZ. Gladys Rice is, like all true
artists, distinctly and emphatically
herself. She does her singing III.
rectly and personally to each of her
hearers and each-fiom the Atlantic
to the Paeific-k keeps both ears
trained on the loud speaker when
she sings.
! The big thing Of the weekend
came in the Atwater Kent proceed.
dngs when Ann Mack was substi.
tuted for the national champion.
Agnes Davis. Miss Davis yerv
wisely retired from the program
when she developed severe cold.
AS recently declared champion.
Miss Davis knew she would have
the most critical of audiences in her
first concert and she showed her
very great common sense by not
risking her voice. But her retire.
ment meant opportunity to hear
Ann Mack's lovely soprano tones
She sang straight to the hearts of
her listeners and captured them both
by her vocal equipment and the
great skill with which she used il
Then In the late hours--near to
IL 'clock-there came from Chica On
one of those deep, rich contralto
voices one hers but occasionally In
life time, singing some Of the
lovely songs of Charles Schurnann
N an hour of Schumann music
WGN broadcast Again we heard
no name announced-the owner Ut
the voice oeing merely called "our
singer" by Bill Hay when he an.
nounced her. But what does
name mean when one has oppor.
tunity to hear such vOicel---a
voice that thrilled with every note.
lt was a voice fully worthy to in
ferpret, and that did fully interpret.
the great music OF Schumann.
Ihere We're many other Things to
near that We're worth while-the
lSeW York Symphony Orchestra Sat
uFday evening: the Don Vocal Quar-.
tet and Katherine Palmer yesterday
AFTERNOON. when a hastily gotten to-
petner program was sent from WIZ
70 iii In vacant hour for WRC.
the FOX Symphony concert from
WRC. which was better than usual
ana that means unusually well worth
listening to: Hugh Porter. the organ.
list who played ar organ as 1t should
De played for VIZ; the<taik of the
man we heard called Angelo Patri,
or something like that, in the Cal.
!ler hour. and the Biblical drama.
suit was a woman's weekend.
take 1t by and large. and the voice
mat croons the cradle songs ruled
the wave lengths.