Evening star., 1936-08-15
Civic Asset
Is Sought in
Orchestra
Support Held Likely,
as Nucleus Already
Is Serving City.

IRON time to time there has been
brought to the fore, by music
loving citizens in Washington, the
question of civic orchestra for the
community. Several attempts M to-n
and maintain such an orchestra have
been made, notably the Little Sym
phony and the Community Center
Civic Symphony Orchestra. Efforts
along this line have been productive
of success in varying degrees, but in
the early Spring of this year a group
of civic-minded musicians, long iden-
titled with the musical activities OF
Washington, set about to form the
nucleus of an orchestra that might,
under proper conditions, succeed to
the goal of a Washington civic Or
chestra.
This group started out with the
idea that the city of Washington
should have civic orchestra equal
to any existing in the country. From
the ranks of various organized Or
chestras musicians were drawn to-
gether and an organization was
formed in the name of the Wash
ington Civic Orchestra.
There is every reason to believe
that strong movement toward the
building and maintaining of a civic
orchestra will meet with public ap-
proval. Civic organizations and their
individual members can be very help
full to such an end by lending their
moral and active support in making
1t possible for a worthwhile civic
orchestra to be realized. Already the
community center department of
the public school system is whole
heartedly behind this movement.
The question arises as to who will
benefit from the existence of such
an orchestra. Much can be said on
this score. Surely the public gen.
orally would benefit by having avail
able for regular series of concerts
an orchestra of outstanding musical
ability. Likewise. civic organizations,
in their efforts to bring the people
of the United States to Washington,
would benefit to the extent Of hav-
ing another attraction to offer.
Teachers of musical instrument play
ing and students of music who had
progressed to the point of perfection
in orchestral performance would
likewise benefit, as would professional
men and women of the community
whose hobby is instrumental music.
At present the Washington Civil
Orchestra is composed of some 40
instrumentalists, many of them for
mer professionals. 1t is planned to
build this organization to an orchestra
of 70 or more pieces. Under the able
directing of Samuel Page Ford, the
orchestra has gone forward since its
inception in April. The organization
is oficered by the following: President,
DR.. C. E. Leese; vice president, L. S.
Reynolds; secretary, w. M Lynch;
treasurer, Maj Julia c. Stimson; con-
ductor, Samuel P. Ford; librarian,
Frank B. Perry, jr.; business chair
man, Louis G. Zanof.
Already the orchestra has made
three appearances in the Sylvan Thea
ter in connection with the Summer
festivals of the Community Center
Department and Office of National
Capital Parks and has elected much
favorable comment from press and
public. These appearances were on
June Is, July 2l and July %. Also a
program was rendered at Clarendon,
Va, on August 4 in connection with
the carnival OF Arlington Post, Amer
lean Legion. At present rehearsals
are in progress for two additional
appearances in the Sylvan Theater-
Tuesday, when the incidental music
to Midsummer Nights Dream" will
be presented in conjunction with q
group Of singers and dancers, and
Tuesday, August IS, in a prelim-
mary concert to the presentation of
"Cavalleria Rusticana" by the Went
worth Opera Group.
Such an suspicious beginning well
merits the approval and support Of
Washington's citizenry, to the end
that there shall come into being for
all time to come the dream Of many
Washington Civic Or
chestra Of an ability second to none
in the United States.