Evening star., 1940-08-04

Will AL accompanying explanation
that tells when the musician was
born and died, the name of the
country that issued the stamp and
the date OF issue, short sketch OF
his life and a reproduction of .
line OF music from one of his works.
This information was obtained bv
Clifton from various books on music
in the Mount Pleasant Public Liz
brary. Among these stamps are cnes
plcturlng Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven
and Strauss. Clifton also has a sep.
arate book of United States stamps.
a complete set of coronation stamps
and a bookful of covers, some of
them from the new trans Atlantic
clipper.
You may have been wondering
why Clifton should show such a
marked interest in musical stamps.
This is because he plays the violin
and piano and sings, and naturally
has an interest in all things per.
tanning to music Clifton not only
plays and sings for his own enter.
talnment, but with his decided tai.
ent he expects to make music his
life work.
Choir Singer.
When he was only a year and q
half old he would climb up on the
phonograph and play the records.
His mother thus realized that Cliff
ton had real interest in music. At
6 years, he had his first violin lesson
and later he played his first piece,
America at his seventh birthday
party. At 8 he was singing and
playing over the radio.
Meanwhile, he had continued his
studies of voice and piano at WASH
ington College of Music and was
taking violin lessons from Fritz Ma
lin. who plays the viola In the Ma.
tional Symphony Orchestra. In ad.
dition to singing at many entertain.
ments. he is in the choir of the Gun.
ton Temple Presbyterian Church.
Several years ago Clifton started a
course in dramatic training at the
Greet Academy and has since ap-
peared in several plays given at
Pierce Hall.
On graduating from Powell Junior
High School in June, Clifton left
behind him an illustrious record Of
service in the schools musical Or
CARNATIONS. He was a member OF
the chorus, the glee club and con-
cert master in the orchestra. He was
also soloist at the graduation exer-
cises.
Clifton was an able student and
good citizen as well. for he was on
the honor roll and received three
letters of merit.
On the Air.
Clifton first became interested in
stamps when he was 7. Mr.. Mentor
Of the American Philatelic Society
gave him start, and soon after
wards he joined the stamp club
at Cooke School. He is a member
OF the Washington Federation Of
Junior Stamp Collectors. 1t was
through this organization that he
secured part on the radio pro-
gram, Stamp Romances," which is
conducted over VOL.
In addition to stamps this ver-
satile collector goes in for coins Che
has about $50. including one from
ancient Greece, photography. Che
develops and prints his own pic
tures) and programs from places
where he has played, such as the
Arts Club, the Dmitrieff Gnoocheff
Studio, Pierce Hall, church and
school. Clifton also has a COM
plete set of The Star music ap.
probation records and the phono.
graph that he bought with them.
Although, for the most part, he
limits his musical abilities to playing
the piano or violin and singing in
his unusually clear soprano voice,
Clifton also composes music. At the
age of 10, he composed his first
piece, "The Flowers of Spring" Since
then, he also has written music to
the poem, THE Night Has Thou
sand Eyes" and to another poem
by John Masef1eld.
Work Room at Home.
Clifton's parents have had four
records made Of his playing, speak,
ing and singing. His teacher asked
him not to sing after he was IA be-
cause his voice would be changing"
said Mrs. Olmstead. Therefore We
decided to have some records made
while he was still a soprano"
Clifton is fortunate in having an
excellent work room in the cellar of
his home in which he keeps his col-
lections, his books-he has i've
shelves of them-his chemistry set.
his desk, stuffed birds and his pho
tographic supplies. He will enter
Central High School in September.