Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-03
M u SIG
BY HELEN FETTER.

, THERE are many February dates
l. for music events, beginning
with three tomorrow-the last OF
the current series Of the Misses
Sutro'S morning programs, a Colo
NAL program reconstructed with
the aid of the music division rec
ordS and manuscripts from the
Library of Congress-; the perform
ance of die Walkuere =" and also
a concert in the evening by the
Sacred Heart Choir, when Hazel
Arth, the Washington contralto,
who won the first Atwater Kent
prize this season, will be one of
the soloiStS. Later, in addition to
the aforementioned opera dates,
the week includes a recital by
Sigrid Onegin, the last Of the cur
rent years programs sponsored by
Mrs. Townsend, when Rosa Pom
selle and Eddy Brown will share
the program, and a joint concert
by the Columbia and George
Washington University Glee Clubs.
Later in the month come the
Revelers, famous first via radio;
the Philadelphia Symphony Or
cheStra, under Artur RodZinSki;
the Flora McGill Keefer-Frank La
Forge program; lecture recitel
on modern music by Aaron Cop
land, the third and last Of the
Franco-Belgian Festival programs,
a Saint-SaenS evening, Rosa Pom
Selle in solo afternoon recital and
the final Philadelphia Symphony
concert of the season, with Eugene
GoosSenS, the young English con-
ductor, who is so sympathetic an
interpreter of the moderns, as
leader. Doubtless other events will
spring to light from week to week,
as they seem to have way of
doing. Even so, the above Is not
a light calendar of a months
music to be heard, thought about
and digested.
An interesting piece of news is
found in the recent election OF
President Calvin Coolidge to hon
orary membership in the Philhar-
monte Symphony Society Of New
York. This is announced to be the
first election of this sort in almost
a quarter of century.
President Coolidge, who has
manifested great interest in the
Washington concerts of the Or
cheStra, is the first Chief Execu-
tive to become affiliated with the
society as honorary associate.
Honorary membership is infre-
quently bestowed, and was re-
served originally only for distin-
guiShed musicians who had volun-
teered to appear as soloiSts with
the orchestra in its early days, and
for composers who in some way
had assisted the orchestra.
A college glee club, or it's equiva-
lent, a singing society,"" which has
existed for more than half a CEN
fury, will appear here in joint re-
cital with the George Washington
University Glee Club Tuesday.
Records show that the earliest
such organizations was founded in
Columbia College in 1873, when
the Varsity Quartet was estab-
lished. This male quartet enter
tanned various campus gatherings
with familiar college songs. The
next year found the quartet had
become an octet, and two years
later it blossomed forth as a dou-
BILE octet. AS the size increased
the group attracted more and
more attention. It became the
nucleus about which other musical
activities of the college centered.
instruments were added to voices,
and in time the Musical Club OF
Columbia College appeared.
This group endured until five
years ago. Then, with the thought
that the interests Of each OF the
separate groups would be served
better by making each independ-
ent of the others, the Musical Club
became the orchestra, the Glee
Club and the Instrumental Club,
each under a different director
and managed by a different board.
This change gave the Glee Club
the freedom it long had lacked.
The quality of the music sung went
Immediately to a standard COM
parable to that maintained by the
foremost choruses Of the East.
The club is directed by Mr.. VIII
liam Frederick Mcdonald. He Is
a graduate of Columbia, class OF
'27, and was student leader Of the
Glee Club during his senior year.
He is q man of rare musical abil-
;f1y ord verv rlea sing nersonaIitv.