Evening star., 1939-02-26
1nter>High
Chorus Wins
High Praise
Singing Features
Final Concert in
Student Series

oll1lSIll OCl lCS
The most impressive feature in the
National Symptoms final concert
in the annual students series yes
terday morning at Constitution
Hall was the massed singing of
the Washington Inter-High School
Chorus, accompanied by the orches-
ira, under DR.. E. N. c. Barnes.
With the girls forming a solid
block in the center of the stage be-
hind the orchestra players and the
boys arranged along the wall on the
right, Chadwick's Land OF ON
Hearts was sung with penetrating
sweetness and purity of tone which
in its richness of volume reached
the remotest corners of the hall.
Chadwick's work, rather cantata
than song, is representative of the
patriotic spirit which inspired it and
by nature of its harmonic structure
and contents is worthy of being
made part of many a school pro-
gram and heard more often in pub
lie. 1t may be termed an outstand-
Ing composition of that nature, ire
spective of nationality. DR.. Barnes
stressed the patriotic elements of
this song by following it up with
the ceremony of saluting the flag
which was brought forward by a
convoy of five small Boy Scouts.
Facing the audience. after short
address to the effect that girls and
boys know how to sing their national
anthem impressively, Dr.. Barnes led
the assembly and orchestra in the
performance of The Star Spangled
Banner" which brought the concert
to a close.
Interesting Slides Shown.
AS a continuation of the subject,
begun earlier in the season, Ernest
Schelling, guest conductor of the
occasion, after reiterating verbally
and pictorially the main points of
his talk on the musical instruments
of the orchestra, elaborated unon
the brass and percussion groups.
His interesting collection of slides
included some unusual ones, in addi-
ton to those previously shown, the
original prints of which dated back
to the 14th and 18th centuries. In
the course of his talk Mr.. Schelling
called upon Lloyd Grisler, trumpet
list; Osbourne McConathy, French
horn player; Robert Clark. from
bonist, and Philip Silverman, tuba
player, to demonstrate the tone and
the possibilities of their chosen in
struments.
Besides Individual illustrations,
the compositions programmed with
that objective in view were the
effective Trumpet Prelude" by
Henry Purcell, in which the high
tones of the instrument were espe-
cially brilliant; Bach's "Chorale';
and "Fetes." by Debussy, with its
muffled trumpet call, as if coming
from distance.
Percussion Section Explored.
The demonstration Of the percus-
sion instruments introduced not
only the kettle and the snare drums,
but every conceivable device used
in modern orchestra, such as the
xylophone, different types of whis-
ties, bells, gongs, castanets, and
others, several toy instruments not
excluded. The musician who scored
a considerable success performing
upon the entire array, turning
swiftly from one to another, was
Walter Howe. heard in The Wor-
ried Drummer" by Schreiner.
The first movement from Tschai-
kowsky's "Nutcracker Suite" Dance
OF the Sugar Plum Fairies" brought
to the fore the celeste, with Sol Sax
presiding at the keyboard and ma
nipulating its delicate tonal effects.
Strauss waltz. "Weiner Blut," had
the greatest success of any selec-
ton, while the "Perpetuum Mobile, !"
by the same composer, proved de-
lightful fantasy, in which different
sections of the orchestra had promi-
nence in turn.
AS a parting word Mr.. Schelling
reminded his listeners of the Ma
tional Symphony's Embarrassing
campaign being still in progress and
by way of illustration spoke of his
"nephews and nieces," who raised
single-handed $4,000 among their
young friends to help the contin-
uance of a similar organization in
New York. z. de 6.