Evening star., 1937-01-10

and sonorous Saxophones, the Chan
dler Orchestra featured its string Sec
ton of 18, which alone equals the
average big-time dance orchestra in
size. The presence of two harps also
gave the orchestra an air of indi-
viduality.
At times Chandler turned on the
heat bit to produce rhythms likely to
tickle sensitive toes, but rhythm was
not emphasized almost to the exclu-
sion Of pleasant listening, a knack
many orchestra leaders have not cul-
tivated.
DOPULAR music runs in cycles, and
the swing songs of the present
day seem to have passed the crest of
popularity. Musicians offer a number
of reasons for this apparent trend.
First of ALL the desire for music that
is pretty to listen to has been incul-
Gated in the hearts of millions because
of the dozens of daily programs that
feature the So-called better types of
music.
tor of the National BroadcaSting Co.,
recently pointed out that the networks
programs last year carried 45.7 per
cent more classical music than had
been the case in 1885. when the up
ewing in the classics got under way.
Dance music decreased 3.3 per cent
last year. DR.. Black sees definite i'm
provement in Americas S musical tastes
and foreseeS the end of the ''jazZ age"
AL Goodman, whose SHOW Boat"
performances on the N. B. c. red net
work Thursday evenings are likely to
satisfy the hungriest swing fan, is an
other who sees the declineof this form
of music, giving it about another year
OF popularity. This goes for some of
the cousins of swing music, such as
the sweep and slide.
FIRED WARING, who ranged from
the classic to the severest of
swings in his 3-year appearance for an
automobile sponsor, says the male
singing ensemble he popularized a few
years ago was the best-liked feature
Of his program. Waring is a great be-
lever in variety, and the same program
that carried the shoutings of his scat
singers would offer the ensemble in an
Ave Maria" or other sacred song or
ballad.
Raymond Paige. conductor for Co
1umbia Broadcasting System in Holly
wood, is another who likes his strings
and this section is seldom silent when
the orchestra is on the air. Rubinoff
and Paul Whiteman have always found
plenty of passages for their string sec
tions. Whiteman is recognized as the
originator of symphonic jazz.
Victor Young, another West Coast
favorite, makes liberal use of strings
and sometimes has them muted to ac-
centuate the contrast with trumpet and
trombone A recent Young interpreta-
ton of the torrid Sweet Sue" might
have brought tears to the eyes of a
hardened criminal.
Felix Mills uses rhythm as mood,
rather than becoming slave to its
demands, and Mills number may
carry solo parts by a kettle drum or
a passage of whistling.
EVEN yet musicians are unable to
give clear definition Of swing"
but they all agree that they know its
feel Careful listening to swing Or
chestras shows that the rhythm is re-
1entleSs and the general atmosphere
one Of reckless blasting. 1t might be
rofinaHnor1t hn
chorus" idea of a decade ago when a
conductor would point out a member
of the orchestra and tell him to get
hot" which he usually did, regardless
OF the melodic consequences.
Nowadays the hot portions are writ
ten into most scores by the arrang-
erS. and the harmonic rhapsodies of
the barrel -chested trumpeter have
been plotted carefully by skilled ar
ranger. The effect, of course, is reck-'
less and abandoned. a situation that
has annoyed some who take their dane
ing as an art rather than form of
calisthenics. The occasional revolt
by dancers is another factor that may
mark the doom of the swing style.
Any radio listener who recalls the
performances of many of the big name
orchestras of few years ago will real
1ze that symphonic effects are be-
coming more frequent in programs
that feature popular music. Even dur
ing the height of swings popularity,
shrewd orchestra leaders hesitated to
allow swing to dominate their pro-
grams.
Along with swing has come more in
tricate arrangements of popular music,
with conductors and their arrangers
striving for novel musical effects. The
trend has brought notable increase
in the versatility of orchestral rendi-
tions. Sometimes the passion for nov
city runs wild and listeners may find
themselves wondering where the trills
leave off and the melody begins.
INTERFERING of electrical ap-
pliances and power systems with
the reception of broadcast programs
and communications has become so
serious that the Federal Conmunica-
tions Commission has embarked on
a campaign to reduce this noise. AS
q last resort the commission may even
find it necessary to ask Congress to
pass a law giving it power to require
manufacturers and users to equip
their products with shielding devices.
Latest action taken by the commits
sion was the recent licensing of Cen
eral Electric Co. to send out dot-and-
dash signals over radio therapeutic
('fever") machine Of the type widely
used by physicians and hospitals.
These signals are checked on pre-
arranged schedule by Government
monitoring stations all over the coun-
try and their reports aid the manu-
facturer in checking the efficiency of
various kinds of shielding.
The commission has found that
emanations from a diathermy ma
chine in Washington can be heard
on the West Coast. The signals in