Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-30
Nj u S &c
GEoFFREY o,HARA,s RECITAL.

A charming talker and a practical
musician who possesses the rare knack
of putting his ideas across" as the
slang phrase graphically has 1t, Geof-
frey O'Hara, American song writer. won
enthusiastic tribute from the Friday
Morning Music Club and guests in his
lecture recital at Barker Hall yester-
day morning. Mr.. O'Hara was intro
duced by Mrs. Eugene ByrneS, president
of the club. His subject was announced
as Philosophy and Humor of Music"
Mr. O'Hara's own command of the
latter quality Is easily recalled IN what
was doubtless his most popular song
written for wartime use by the A. e. F.
-"K-K-K-Katy." OF his $50 songs prob
ably none are more popular with con-
cert stars and audiences than There
Is No Death" ''Leetle Batiste" and
THE Wreck of the Julie Plante." Both
last mentioned songs were most ac-
ceptably sung by the Washington basso,
Charles Trowbridge Tittmann, with the
composer at the piano, as the closing
feature of the program. Mr.. Tittmann's
voice never sounded richer nor had
more warmth and color than on this
occasion, and he gave the rather dim
cult patois of the French-Canadian that
is characteristic of both these songs
very well indeed.
Mr.. O'Hara's remarks like a guiding
line, was concerned with the necessity
of training small children early to feel
the innate need for music in their lives.
Just as you give them only pure food,
pure water, pure fresh air from their
infancy, give them pure music, too
said Mr.. O'Hara. "If you give them
such music, either in the home by your
own performance or with mechanical
s~.r kefS tab
to hear church and orchestra music
and encouraging them to enter chill
dren's choirs, even when very small,
| you are giving them what they need
and starting them In a musical educa-
ton. The routine training will come
later, just as when you speak English
to your children, they learn to speak
and understand 1t before they learn the
rules of grammar Let them love music
FIRST and learn the rules of it later"
Following up this thought, Mr.. O'Hara
| placed much emphasis upon the need
for citizens supporting Loyalty the rails
| ing of more funds for musical training
| in the public schools. He commented
upon the fact that the cost of one MUIR
der case investigation. such as the
Rothstein case, was far in excess of
funds necessary to carry on really con-
structive work in music training in the
schools.
Mr.. O'Hara touched early upon a
comment made by the distinguished
former critic of the New York Herald
Tribune, Mr. Kreihbiel, to the effect
that the worlds great music was serious
and sad rather than humorous. Mr..
| O'Hara evidently took great pleasure IN
| laying low the opinion of this critic, his
own being quite the antithesls Of 1t.
Later Mr.. O'Hara rambled In a most
entertaining fashion from one point To
another. including many anecdotes
about famous foreign singers and what
their names would be If Anslicized, and
showing, in various ways, the extreme
simplicity of some of the greatest melo-
dies in the world. He also spoke Of
folk songs and the considerable part
they played in building melodic material
that sprang from the people themselves
to be alchemized into great compositions
by those who have the gift Of compc5-
ing.
This third program for the current
season presented under the auspices q
the Friday Morning Music Club wa!
one of the most enjoyable ever given
. and had many valuable bits of music
appreciation tucked in between its hui
; norous moments. H.