Evening star., 1931-12-23
Sum Is Necessary by May I
to Insure Continuation
Next Season.
MUST OFFER MUSICIANS
SEASONAL EMPLOYMENT
Leaves Decision to Support Eighty
Man Organization Up to
Capital.

A minimum of s15O,0OO must be
pledged to maintain and carry on the
progress of the National Symphony
OrcheStra OF Washington, D. c. ac-
cordlng to a statement issued TODAY
IN the form Of a Christmas message
ny Hans Kinder, conductor of the
orchestra. Unless this sum is realized
by May l. Mr.. Kinder added, he en-
tertalnS grave doubts for the continua.
tlon OF the local orchestral project next
season.
The sum of s150,OOO must be realized
between now and next May states Mr.,
kinder, IF the magnificent demon
Stratlon OF the orchestra this current
season is not to come to naught. That
IS the lowest sum we can possibly fix
as the amount needed from contribu-
tors. 1t will not be sufficient in itself,
put We count on sufficient additional
amount from ticket sales to meet our
requirements"
Must Insure Employment
1T is absolutely necessary that we
offer our musicians seasonal employ
ment, at least from October to April.
Al the present time, our available funds
make 1t impossible for US to engage
musicians except from one rehearsal TO
another and from one concert to the
next. The footing on which we row
stand is too precarious At any mo-
ment, valued member of the orches-
ira may be lost In fact. only a few
Gays ago, 1 was informed that eight of
our hrst chair men will not be with
us at the next concert They have
accepted permanent employment in
new local theater orchestra and il is
impossible for us. engaging men onlv
from concert to concert, to hold them
IN the face of outside permanent offers.
We need not less than 80 men. The
TACT that we are using rs men at pres
ent IS only made possible through the
use OF one man for more than one in
Strument Unless one is a musician.
one cannot understand the enormous
dlfticulty of such an arrangement
Nevertheless, We are passing through
our trial season and l. as conductor.
nave been willing to make any possible
SdcFlfce to get the National Symphony
orchestra established and on a working
basis
Eighty men. however. is the mini
mum that any symphony orchestra of
the hrSt class should attempt to emplov
Inc Boston Symphony. for example.
uses ll3 men. The Philharmonic and
tne Philadelphia use in the neighbor-
nooo OF ITO. Even the Detroit and
Cleveland Orchestras have a roster of
around 100 men. Thus l say that un-
less We can give at least seasonal en-
pioyment to 80 men. the work that has
aIready been done will in all likelihood
go for naught.
II shouId not be, in view of the su-
perb performances given so far. the
SpIenold new music introduced to Wash
4i.ston audienCeS and the great soloists
that have been heard and will be heard
later on this season. unduly difficult to
realize Sl50,000 from contributors for
next season. With an orchestra that
mad not emerged from the idea stage,
we OBTAINED contributions last Spring
ana Summer of approximately sos 900,
WIN our trst season behind us by mid
March' l see no reason why Washing
ION orchestra enthusiasts should have
moments difficulty in raising This
sum. particularly as We have at least
tour months time in which to get the
necessary funds
Seasons Funds Sufficient.
Ourpresent funds are esufficienttocarr
theoIcheStra athroughlts first season which
endS on March II. At that time it
snould s be possible for me to engage. on
contract, the personnel of the Ma
tlonal Symphony Orchestra for 1928.
whether or not it can be done at that
time remains to be seen. but it is essen
tlal that the money be on hand or
pieged by May l, for after that time we
cannot longer hold our men on the
mere prospect of an engagement.
In fact, Washington has now arrived
at the place where it must decide after
two months of sponsoring resident
symphony orchestra here, whether the
Capital of the United States is a capital
in fact and one which will support its
own orchestra or whether it is merely
large town which finds such an or
ganlzation over its head
AT this time, with one-third Of
the current season already over. I leave
the matter to Washington and its music
lovers to determine"