Evening star., 1933-04-09
.HE generous and varied mu-
/ sical season which Wash

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ington has enjoyed in the
face of great financial
trials is drawing to close. The
visiting artists have brought a
musical enrichment that cannot
be too much emphasized and an
intellectual impetus to stimulate
local activities. The National
Symphony Orchestra has finished
its schedule of concerts fulfilling
every expectancy of its hackers
and proving not only that it is
imbued with a desire for progress,
but that it is capable of aSSimu-
lating and making use OF every
opportunity for advancement.
After a year of financial worry
that might justifiably bring about
a desire for the curtailing of mu-
sical undertakings, there is, on
the contrary, a renewal of effort
and a strengthening Of determi-
nation to retain as much music
as is possible under the existing
circumstances.
So much has been said and
written about the value of music
in the life of a community, but,
like well meant advice, it can
only be recognized when the in
dividuals have had actual expert
ence of the soundness of the the
ory. That this realization has
actually been achieved is the sig
nificant fact that stands out
above all else at this moment
when plans for the future are
following close on the heels OF
the finished season.
Naturally, the chief concern is
for the fate of the National Sym
phony Orchestra. Although the
interest in its continuance has
been doubled and the contribu-
tionS to the needed guarantee
generous from many quarters,
there remains still the question
of a few thousand dollars before
its next years season is assured.
1t is impossible to believe that
this sum, SO small in comparison
to what was originally necessary
to carry on, will be the means Of
sounding the death knell of what
has given promise of being the
greatest advertisement for the
city and one of its finest adorn-
mentS.
Washington will never again be
content without its own SYM
phony Orchestra. Having been
Intimately occupied with taking
care of it, having had its special
musical Hkings so well catered
to and, above all, having had the
finest gleanings of musical lit
erature presented in Superlative
form, it could never endure the
void left by the dissolution of the
orchestra. Undertakings like the
inclusion Of a symphony orches-
ira in the educational plans of
city cannot be started and then
abandoned at the first crisis. Its
conception was not a whim, but
the outcome of mature reflection
and the sincere belief in the
necessity of a musical institution
for, and sustained by, the citizens
for whom it was destined. The
musically educated gravitate in
Stinctively to a visiting orchestra
willingly paying any price to hear
the music they love. These Or
chestras are not the ones where
the ordinary individual can
afford to crafty curiosity about
orchestral music or pursue a
course in musical education. That
is the duty and the privilege Of a
local orchestra. It is also a duty
and privilege to keep alive an Or
cheStra once it has been estab-
IShed.
In spite of the clouds that still
obscure the end of the road, the
National Symphony Is proceeding
with plans for next season. Ten
tative engagements of soloists of
the same high order of this years
Offering Is being arranged and
out-of-town contracts are being
given consideration. The need of
the cities of the South for an Or
cheStra that can be brought to
them without too great difficulty
has led to an enthusiastic inter
est on their part in the National
Symphony. Concert dates in
Chapel Hill and Greensboro, N. c.;
Richmond and Sweet Briar, Va,
have already been offered, while
an entire series of concerts for
Baltimore is planned. The sue
cess Of the concert given by the
National Symphony for the Chem
ical Society has brought demands
from other societies for an eve
ning's entertainment of that type.
These are the results of the deep
ening power and popularity of the
National Symphony. Encouraged
by these marks of outside interest,
DR.. Kinder and the management
have high hopes that the small
sum that menaceS the future of
the orchestra can be found.
"A FREE symphony concert for
any one passing to come in and
hear is the novel Offering which
will be presented to the people
of Washington through the gen.
eroSity' of Elizabeth Sprague
Coolidge next Sunday afternoon.
In order to permit even the least
important of it's benefactors to
become better acquainted with
the National Symphony, this un-
usual concert has been arranged
to take place in the hall of the
Chamber of Commerce with the
best seats available for the first
comers and with the customary
entrance fee dispensed with. The