Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-01
M u SIC
ROLAND HAYES, RECITAL.


Roland Hayes drew a capacity audi
ence last night to the Belasco Theater
and rewarded 1t with song recital that
was from first to last a real delight.
With dignity of presentation such as
few artists can boast, he sang a well
balanced program. That his studious
as well as friendly method OF attack
was appreciated by the audience was
evident from its manifest unwillingness
to go home. The concert seemed, in
fact, entirely too short, Mr.. Hayes,
however. knows his audiences, and so
one suspects that he can fairly shrewdly
Judge when enough Is enough.
To many who look upon his yearly
visits to this city as chance to enjoy
lieder singing rendered superlatively,
the concert ended far too suddenly, the
epilogue that he chose to close with
being that infinitely tender Were You
There When They Crucified MY Lord?"
After that perhaps anything additional
would have been detrimental. AS 1t was.
brevity and conciseness in subject as
well as length were dominant charac-
teristicS.
The days when Mr.. Hayes chung to
the native folk songs of the Negro are
over, He has become the cosmopolitan
artist in every sense of the word. His
programs reveal selections by Handel,
and he sings in any language with equal
ease. His diction flows, however. most
freely in German. Even the arduous
tongue-twisting that is necessary for
Schuberts die Forelle" comes with
indisputable clarity, whereas there are
moments Of 'haZineSs apparent In the
French songs.
All of which is not to say that Mr..
Hayes doesn't do the latter justice: it
seemed even as If Franck's "Nocturne"
was the most perfect bit of singing
that he did In it he had the oppor-
tunity of blending that soft and resili-
ent quality of tone that comes very
nearly at the top of his range with
the more robust strains that are some
where in the middle. Blended, too,
were subdued modulations of emotional
expression and transparency Of feeling
that stamps him so evidently as o true
imaginator His ability to pass from
one tonal elevation to another seems
one of his most particular artistic
miracles.
Beginning with when I Am Laid in
Earth" by Purcell, which. he sang with
soothing If not strictly on key pre-
cision, he passed calamity through Han-
dels Pack Clouds, Away" and 20
Sleep, Why Dost Thou Leave Me?" the
first of the two being certainly one of
the high marks of the recital. From
then he turned to France for inspira-
'Nocturne" and Saint-Saens' "Turnoie-
ment," following this by the much-wel-
coined selections of Schubert. The last
quarter of the program was devoted to
Negro Spirituals, which he sang as only
ne and Paul Robson can sing them.
There might have been more Of them.
but then there might have been more
OF everything. In any case, ably assist
ed at the piano by Percival ParhaIn,
the recital was one of those events not
easily forgotten. e. de S. M.
N. C. UNIVERSITY GLEE CLUB.
One of the best programs offered in
washington this season was that pre-
Sented by the Mems Glee Club of the
University of North Carolina at the
Mayfower Hotel. The program itself
was distinctive, being of the highest
type of choral music with no descen-'
sion to musical comedy levels. yet not
being dry and dull, and having variety
In color and mood. Another decidedly
admirable quality was that the program
was not too long
This glee club, Harold S. Dyer, direc-,
tor, has won three contests and has q
successful European tour to its credit.
The latest contest won was In the
Southern intercollegiate contest In
Greenville, s. c., this year. The club
shows excellent training. with thorough
knowledge and comprehension of the
works presented, fine harmonic effects
and clean-cut diction In both the more
dignified and the lighter numbers.
Also, Nelson o. Kennedy, pianist, proved
not only a most satisfactory accom-
PIANIST, but also was soloist whose in
terpretations of a Scriabine "Etllde ~
Soaring" by Schumann. and a taran-
telle and nnazurka by Chopin won
marked enthusiasm from his audience.
The club opened the program with
the alma mater, "Hark the Sound Of
Tarheel Voices" and closed with an adj
dftional verse to the same written by
one OF the members. In short group
OF sacred songs, Bach's Now Let Every
Tongue Adore Thee was well given
and Arcadelt's ave Maria" was egpe-
cially lovely. English songs followed
and an arrangement of Morley's Now
Is the Month of Maying." both a
capella, very popular with the audience.
Two Of the most interesting numbers OF
all were the Land Sighting" by Grieg,
OF which the accompaniment was
especially beautiful. and Cesar Franck's
Chorus of Camel Drivers"
Following the intermission came the
Russian songs, Sun and Moony by
Gretchaninoff; with Heart Uplifted,S
by Schvedov, and the folk song, Song
Of the Volga Boatmen,"' in which the
rich, deep BASES shone TO special adj