Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-17


choral music goes. No
Only is the big Massed Choru
Festival constantly hammering o
cur memories with warnings tina
It is to burst forth into song Ii
Music week, in May, but even thu
orchestral programs are blossom
ing out with vocal moments
The latest news is that the Bos.
ton Symphony Orchestra, Serge
KousSevitzky conducting, will give
the initial presentation in Wash.
ington of Ernest Blech'S prize
symphony, America" which ha.
the newest attempt at a nationa
anthem in choral form for tht
finale This choral portion will be
sung by the National Capita
Oratorio Association, DR.. Albert
Harmed, director. The fact thai
the invitation to participate ir
this program, March 6, was ex-
tended to the recently completely
organized National Capital Ora
torio Association would indicate
7 the admirable general impression
made by that chorus of $50 sing
erS, both in the Redemption
last Spring and in 1.-THE Messiah
in December. Like the crocuseS
and tulips, hope blossoms ever sc
often that, ia time, a group
worthy of the standards of the
old, original Washington Choral
Society, that in its balmiest
days numbered Walter Damrosct
among its conductors, will become
firmly established again in Wash
ington.
DIR. Harmed further announces
that the National Capital Ora
torio Association will present the
first performance in Washington
OF Haydn's Easter work, "The
Passion" at a date near the cele-
bration of that great religious fes-
tival. It is understood that this
work. based upon the Seven Last
Words of Christ" has only been
given three times previously any
! where in the United States.
TT is sometimes almost amusing
the fascination that the idea of
q new national anthem for the
United States of America seems
to have continuously for many
people.
Prominent American writer's
recently were awarded prizes,
amounting to $1,000, for words
alone in this contest. The first of
this month the contest closed for
the musical ideas for such an an
them. Edwin Markham, the poet,
whose most famous work doubt
less is the one about Abraham
Lincoln, won the first prize.
Others winning prizes were Ar
thur Guiterman, Grantland Rice,
Berton Braley, Minna Irving, An
gela Morgan and others.
After reading Mr.. Markham s
poem, the writer of this column
cannot help but agree with the
Literary Digest that the New York
Worlds editorial comments, both
on this poem and on the subject
!. of the would-be-Shelved "Star
Spangled Banner" are exceedingly
apropoS. The article reads, speak
ing of Mr.. Markham'S work:
1T says some nice things about
freedom, and friends, and Florida,
and alludes to the Brother Plan,
but whether this is some new way
to buy Florida real estate. we can
not SAY, not knowing. Neverthe-
less, we must ask one important
question in connection with it,
end it is this: What is wrong with
the anthem we have got? Having
asked the question, we answer 1t
at once: Nothing. The Star
Epangled Banner no matter
which way you regard it, is the
bne perfect anthem that has ever
been written. Words and music
blend perfectly. even though each
had a different origin: they are
martial. bold and defiant. and
cause you to feel proud of your
country Furthermore, such is the
nature of the music, at any rate,
that it cannot be degraded to the
uses that other national anthems
have to submit to. It is in three
four time so that you cannot
march to 1t; hence it will never be
played for a parade. 1t cannot be
sung, even by opera singers; hence
1t always has to be played by a
band, and we are sure that it will
always be competently rendered,
and not dragged out by ladies'
choruses and such organizations.
And since 1t cannot be sung. there
Is no sense in playing it twice, as
the second verse would sound just
like the first. Hence we get 1t over
quickly, and do not have to stand
no with our hats OF unduly long.
This is probably one reason why
the American nation. as a nation,
Is less afflicted with colds than
anv nation on the earth.
I'm short, this anthem, as we
have said. is perfect, having not a
single flaw What is the sense,
then, of paving $1,000 for another
anthem If Mr.. Markham has a
sense of the proprieties, it seems
to us that he will turn his share
of the prize to the American
Legion to he used to provide knit
ted socks for soldiers in the next
war"
X \ X y
WHILE on the subject of con-
w tests. it might be mentioned
here that a letter recently re-
ceived from j. H. van Roijen
Minister of the Netherlands, states
that the international prize COM
petition of $1,000, offered by the
Society for the Promotion CT
Music in the Netherlands, has ex-
tended it's date of closing frolr
March l to April l, 1929. Thi'
means that April l, any compost.
ton submitted for a prize should
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