Evening star., 1935-01-13
CHILDREN CROWD
SPECIAL CONCERT
Symphony Performance for
Youngsters Proves Delight
to Large Throng.
BY ALICE EVERSMAN.


The auditorium of Central High
School was crowded to the doors with
the eager children and their escorts
who gathered yesterday for the OPEN
ing concert of the students series by
the National Symphony Orchestra.
More even than the two series for
adults, these students concerts, en-
livened by the interesting talks of DR..
Kinder, are one of the finest express
sions of what the National Symphony
means in civic education.
DR.. Kinder began by tracing the
history of music from biblical times
to the program for yesterdays con-
cert. He produced rams horn such
as was described in the Old Testa-
ment, and pipes of Pan to illustrate
the types of musical instruments used
by the early Greeks. Asking the
children to remember the name of
Pope Gregory, who was responsible for
the finest music in existence. he next
spoke of the TroubadourS and the
''little fddlers of the king" the name
Of the small orchestras at the courts
Of the French kings.
fTenCn MUSIC flayeu.
This led him logically to the sub
Ject of yesterdays program, French
music. On each side of the stage
and flanking the American Flag, hung
the colors of France. The concerts
this year are described as musical
journeys" through the music of vari-
Gus countries with Germany as the
next port of call"
Explaining first the influence of
the dance on musical form and the
characteristics of the different prov
inces of France. the first number,
Ballet Suite" by Rameau. with its
'Menuetto," "Musette" and "Tambour-
in" was played by the orchestra.
Speaking of BerlioZ as a New DEAL
composer in contrast to the COnSerVa-
tive Delibes. the orchestra next played
two numbers by those composers, De-
libes' "Passepied" and Berlioz's most
representative work. "Marche Hon
groise."
The second movement of Cesar
Franck's Symphony in D Minor" was
next given reverently beautiful read
ing. The musical instrument tour"
began with the violin. cello, harp and
contra bass. Jacques Posell playing as
bass solo, The Elephant" music of
Saint-Saenas' "Carneval Of the AMI
mails" An arrangement of Saint
Saens' THE Swan" for violin. cello
and harp, was then given by Frank
Gittelson, concertmaster; Howard
Mitchell, first cellist, and Sylvia Meyer
harpist.
Ravel Excerpts Played.
Reaching the modern composers of
France, the orchestra played Debus-
sey's arrangement of Satie's ''Gymno-
pedie No. q" and two excertps from
Ravels Mother Goose suite, the story
of which was amusingly related by DR..
Kinder
With the singing of La Marseil-
laise,' a repetition being needed to
gain the proper spirit and the play
ing of the "Farsndole," from Bizet'S
"L'ArleSienne Suite No. 2" the concert
lasted a half hour longer than those
of last year.
An informal lecture was given yes
terday afternoon in the auditorium of
the Library of Congress by Jean
Thomas. founder of the American
Folk Song Society. Miss Thomas
comes from Ashland, KY, and brought
with her records made by the noun
tain musicians and moving pictures
of the folk festival.
Interest Awakened.
Miss Thomas interest in the music
of the Kentucky mountaineers dates
from the times she was sent into the
mountains to report the trial of one
of the mountaineers for murder. She
found herself lodged in room ad-
joining that of the murderer. Her
distress at the situation vanished
when she heard a voice singing the
folk songs of the region which, on
investigation, proved to be the mur-
derer himself. Eventually acquitted,
he helped her to begin study of the
music native to the mountainous
section of Kentucky.
Through her efforts, the American
Folk Song Society was organized six
year ago. The pictures shown yes
terday were taken at the Folk Song
Festival, held last June, and showed
the native musicians and dancers and
the large crowd that came from all
over the world to hear their music.
The records were made by the musi-
clans and represented the songs and
various instrumental music performed
at the festival.