Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-06

in general what part music Is to play in the
national celebrations which after February ~
will take place round and about the country In
honor of the father of our country.
It Is therefore pleasant to be able to report
that this enticing branch of the arts Is being
plotted and planned over with as much care as
all the rest of the preparations, and that the
results of all this work should be great stimu-
liant to various branches of the field
Representative Sol Bloom, who is chiefly Ie-
sponsible for all this activity, has summoned
under his wing-and this wing extends pretty
much up and down the fifth floor of the Wash
ington Building, where are multitude OF small
and large Offices all humming with hardworking
humanty-this music division. At its head Is
John Tasker Howard, whose inspired writings
for the cause Of American music have planted
him securely among the dese!vedy successful,
and who has been coming on and of to wash
ington since the first of June to assist with the
George Washington cause.
before discussing what Mr.. Howard and his
u tireless helpers are doing for this 1882 cele-
bration it might be we'll to recall the fact that
although Representative Bloom has his desk far
and away from the music files he has music
very much at heart. While his political duties
at present ride paramount over his other &C
compliShments, the fact that he has been con-
tnually called "the music man would seem to
indicate that his colleagues remember well when
he surprised Chicago with a mammoth music
business which Sprouted eight different
branches and soon after like fire all over
the country Only recently an article appeared
about Mr.. Bloom which said that "he has done
more for popular music and the publication Of
music than any other man of his generation"
1t is thus not hard to understand why the
chief of the Bicentennial Committee should
want to promote the cause of music with such
thoroughness
\ Ar HOWARD, whose recent book on Our
nj American Music" brought forth host Of
favorable comments and whose researches into
the why's and wherefores of our country'S musi-
cal accomplishments have done much to make
us unsteady interpretive, is working literally
at q fever's pitch to accomplish all he has set
out to accomplish for the bicentennial In the
first place. he has written book called THE
Music of George Washingtons Time which IS
a scholarly compendium of such things as the
dances Of that time, the military bands OF the
Revolution and early concerts and then he
has summoned TO: tn from some buried archivc
a newly discovered Toast" by Frances Hopkin-
son. written in 1778 and not published till 1899.
which Is particularly appropriate, not only
through the vintage of its composer, but because
the melody is reminiscent of America" and
exceedingly-aS the boys say-Singable.
Another book which is being published by the
committee (these will of course, be issued free
upon request when the time comes, and even
the smallest Valhalla'S of our kingdom Will be
able to avail themselves of a fairly liberal early
American musical education) is an essay called
George Washington as a Friend and Patron OF
Music which has been taken from Mr.. o. G.
Sonneck's THE Musical Side of Our First
Presidents" contained in Essays in Music.
Then q book of actual music, TO be entitled
Music From the Days of George Washington,
will be presented, which has been compiled by
Carl Engel with introduction by him), and
the arrangements of the music made by w.
Oliver Strunk Further pamphlets to appear
mill ho Cata 0f Authentic Eighteenth
Century Music in Modern Editions "A Cata-
logue of Modern Music Commemorating George
Washington" and Musical Programs Sugges-
lions for the Bicentenrial Celebration" Further
more when realizes that this committee has
on file what seems to be lin1itless collection OF
data on music suitable for clubs colleges and
patriotic ORGANIZATIONS for o.cheStraS and bands,
any operetta or cantata that would be suitable
for this celebration or vocal solo or violin and
piano solo, anything, in fact, that might De
asked for musically during the coming year, II
Is entirely possible to understand why this COM
mittee is so immersed in work, and why too,
they seem to be enjoying it so much.
PART from the valuable work that Mr.
n Howard and his co-workers are doing, the
Government land this is vitality important to
the musical world has commissioned John
Alden Carpenter to write a choral ode for the
bicentennial which is an honor not only to Mr..
Carpenter, but to the entire group" OF our
native composers who have thus been recog-
nized Then, as will be recalled. Sousa has
written a march, and George Cohan song,
'.Father of the Land We Love-" and in that way
about every type Of work has its representative.
All Of which means that those who imagined
that music would have but small bearing on
this Nation wide celebration are certainly Jolly
well" mistaken.
Marine Band on Tour