Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-17
NJ u SIG
BY HELEN FETTER.

! female, those with deeper, richer
tone quality being given the mas
culine designation. whereas those
with lighter, sharper sound arc
said to be feminine.
THE other musical event this
week that is of major impor-
lance is the program which is to
be offered this afternoon at the
Congressional Country Club,
where Dorothy De Muth Watson
is music chairman. The new sea-
son of Sunday afternoon programs
will be opened at this time with a
program of compositions by -four
we'll known members of the Wash
ington Composers Club. Three OF
these four are original members
since the organization of that club
several seasons ago. They are
Siegfried, Scharbau, Edward c..
Potter and Henri Smidt Gregor.
Each has made a different branch
Of musical composition his domi-
nant field for works written to
date. Mr.. Scharbau is best known
AOL 1AAo OLS1ACSCkdL 0u0 OdAlO
compositions. Mr.. Potter has
written chiefly songs, although he
also is author Of so ambitious a
work as an opera, entitled
"Ishtar." Mr.. Smidt Gregor has
written some choral works.. but is
best known for his piano compo-
SitionS, such as he is TO play this
afternoon. However, the most re-
cent work of his musical pen,
"Coquetry," q choral work, with
words by Eugene Field, Is to be
given its premiere performance
later in the season this year by
the Chaminade Choral Club
Esther LinkinS, director. The work
is dedicated to this club. Particu-
larly interesting should be M.
Smidt Gregor'S two works based on
Omaha Indian themes, for they
incorporate two authentic melo-
dies, one q hunting song and the
other a medicine mans song, in
dorSed by DR.. FewkeS, an author
ity on this subject.
~ y
THE one woman composer to be
represented on this program Is
Dorothy Radde Emery, formerly
of Pittsburgh, who came to Wash
ington last season to make her
home here. Mrs. Emery will play
the piano part in her newest
composition, a cycle of flower
songs written for soprano voice,
violin, violoncello and piano. This
will be the first performance any
where of this work. In some pre-
liminary hearings during re-
hearSalS last week the writer
found much that seemed original
and musicianly, too, in this cycle.
Two of the four songs are Orienta!
in character, in keeping with the
subjects, Eastern Poppy" and
Late ChrySanthemum." More un-
usual seem the other two, Ma
donna Rose" and Spring Bloom"
the last forming q brilliant and
logical climax to the cycle. The
words of these songs were written
by Grace Thompson Seton, who Is
well known here as q recent preSi-
dent of the League Of American
4
~ &3Ef >it,
CLIPPINGS have been received
from time to time within the
past few weeks from many locali-
ties scattered all over the country
indicating that all three Of the
gallant service bands are making
successful progress on their tours
that carry programs to entertain
and also possessing educational
values to audiences in many places
where, except for the tours OF
these bands, only the radio would
give instrumental music as played
by large groups.
Each Of the three service bands
has its orchestral programs, too,
all the members being required to
play alternating instruments for
band or orchestra.
A LETTER received within the
past week from Ruth Peters,
Washington soprano, who Is
studying and gaining helpful ex-
perience in appearances in opera
houses Of Italy, tells OF her Civ
ing q performance as Mimi in La
Boheme" in Bologna, october as
and adds that after three per-
formances there in that role she
returns to Milan, where she will
prepare for a debut in another
opera.
1t is always interesting to hear
of the stepping stones which lead
Hometown talent" up through
persistence and plenty of hard
work, combined with native
artistic ability, toward the heights.
1t is to be hoped that this Wash
ington girl may see the day when
she sings in an appropriate opera
house in her native town, the Ma
tional Capital of the United States
of America,