Evening star., 1942-04-23
Refreshment und Music
Fore Proved PopuIor
From the Stort

Tofe TFoFeo Topul0f
From the Stort
This is the fourth OF q series
of articles on the activities OF
the National Symphony Orches-
trd. now conducting q campaign
to raise sfffy000 for it's fs<2-3
season.
The National Symphony orches-
tra's experiment last year with
pop concerts at Riverside Stadium
was q sharp swing away from the
formality OF its Constitution Hall
programs and the romance Of its
Water Gate saries, affording an op-
portunity for the musicians to let
down the bars and to indulge in q
few hot ncks.
II was not a new idea, this plan
to mix symphonic music with pop
and sandwiches. Similar ventures
had been tried In Boston and Cleve-
lend with such success that directors
Of the local orchestra considered
them worth copying.
Or. Hans Kinder, conductor Of
the symphony, was an ardent sup
porter Of the variation.
"Sociability and Strauss"
"Sociability and Strauss will be
the slogan" he said.
He added that 1t would be fun to
play nothing but schmalZ, which to
musicians is the type of music that
gets q hand. The conductor also
promised that the program would
have "beer-barrel music OF every
possible kind"
I'VE hope some people win come
expecting boxing bout and will be
pleasantly disappointed" DR.. Kind
Ter said at q press conference pre-
ceding the first concert on Sep
tember 2.
Plans went ahead with DR.. Kind
Ter taking the lead and the musical
audience Of the National Capital
waiting impatiently.
For the opening pops DR.. Kind
Ter has scheduled a program as
gemutiich as a fine old brew" the
orchestra announced in publicity re-
lease on the eve of the event.
Yellow-clo tables enough to
seat 1900 persons were lined up
along the floor of the stadium that
more normally served as a scene
for wrestling matches, ice follies and
valuations. Supplies of beer, light
wines, soft drinks and sandwiches
were made available, and 80 pretty
mattresses, clothed in red and gray
and wearing rubber -soled shoes,
were on hand to serve them.
Thirty-six hundred persons turned
out that first night to see If they
liked the combination Of refresh
ments and symphony. II worked
well. The audience, unlimbered to
beer and pop, became extremely re-
ceptive and at times the hall was so
quiet only the tinkle of Ice on
hoisted glasses broke In on the
music.
There were some non-conformists
In attendance who leered at the
suds and frowned at Gershwin and
Bach under such surroundings. But,
all In all, the evening was consid-
cred q success, a conclusion sub
stantiated by later programs.
Attendance for the entire series
was estimated at 20, 400, an average
of almost 5000 per concert. Some
of the stars who took part included
Oscar Levant of radios 'Informa-
ton Please" who appeared as so
loist; Margaret Speaks, radio So
prano; Elsie Houston, Brazilian
soprano, and Sylvan Levin, artistic
director OF the Philadelphia Opera
Co.
More Pops" Planned.
There was never any question but
that the Washington public had
taken the concerts TO its collective
heart and wanted more, said on
cials of the orchestra. So great was
the applause and demand that an
extra program was added before the
series ended.
The National Symphony's plans
for this season cali for more of the
pop concerts and along much the
same line as those Of last year. j.
P. Hayes, manager, pointed out that
while symphony concerts never pay
for themselves, the deficit incurred
by the initial experiment was small
enough to warrant q continuation
this fall.