Evening star., 1946-02-10
To Youth An Invitation and Challenge!
BY James G.. Deane

BY James G.. Deane
Whe's does symphony orchestra
come of age? For Washington's Ma
tional Symphony is it 1916?
Symphony hackers, pledged last week
= to seek $15O0OO for a new season, hoped
the answer would be yes-1946. For the
orchestra had just celebrated an i'm
portant anniversary. Fifteen years old,
it had come successfully through a
depression and q war. Now, as Con-
ductor- Hans Kinder declared,
1t must look ahead. And Washington
knew that bound up with the orches-
tra's future was the future, in large
part, of the Capitals musical life.
Not least concerned with this future
was an earnest group of younger peo-
pie, many not yet come Of age" them
selves, who for three years have car
ried on special project of the orches-
ira. Calling itself the 1880" COM
mittee, this group has sponsored each
season since 1942-43, a series of con-
certs dedicated to youth.
Aim of the Project
Mrs. Patricia Young, one of the orig
inal committee members, described the
aims of the project. 1--WE hoped to at
tract to symphony concerts many
younger people who don't ordinarily
come. Through consultation with our
yIyid
sentative of many schools and groups
in the city, the orchestra could pro-
gram the kind of music that would
appeal to them. The committee could
then carry word back about the pro-
grams. For its members 1t offered an
opportunity to acquire first-hand un-
derstanding of the problems Of run
ming a symphony orchestra"
Because at the outset the concerts
were intended strictly for the Is to
80 age group the committee hasn't yet
managed to dispel the notion among
some Washingtonians that nobody with
gray hairs can go. This, even though
a goodly number of people a genera
ton beyond 80 have been in evidence
at every concert since the second sea-
son.
Actually" according to Maj. Bruce
Howe, committee chairman, 1880
would be much more accurate now
than 1880, as far as any restriction is
concerned" The committee, incidental
ly, is looking seriously for a new name.
So far there have been an even
dozen "15/ 80" concerts. Popular-priced,
with programs and soloists selected with
the advice of the committee, they have
attracted good-sized and markedly en-
thusiastic audiences.
Value of Youth Concerts
But even if they all were sellouts,
three concerts a season do no reach
many people and do not reach them
very often. Moreover, the committee
itself, which at the start was numerous,
representative and actively enthusiastic,
has recently been suffering from man
power shortage.
The important bearing this has on
the future of the orchestra is explained
emphatically by DR.. Kinder. His con-
firmed belief in the value of youth con-
certs figured In the founding of the
1890 series.
"I consider the orchestra's future 100
per cent bound up with the youth of
Washington" DR.. Kinder declared.
First of all, believe concerts for youth
more desirable than any other kind,
because they come at a period of
cropping, an intermediate, impressionistic
stage when cultural influence can have
its best effect"
A Measure of Service
With good music DR.. Kinder would
challenge contemporary bobbysox hyste-
ria. "Is it not desirable that we endeavor
to provide a more constructive outlet
for the youthful enthusiasm now
bestowed on Frank Sinatra, for ex-
ample?" he asks. ANY one, am con-
fident, can come to appreciate good
music, with only the proper exposure"
Older persons who are unaccustomed to
hearing fine music should also be given
an opportunity to acquire such apprecia-
ton. But the first concern must be for
youth.
A chief measure of the orchestra's
service to the community is its ability
to reach this youthful audience effec-
lively. Conversely, according to DR..
Kinder, the support and interest of the
younger element may well be the decid-
ing factor in the orchestra's success as
an artistic, as well as civic, enterprise.
For" he asks, when we have extended
our appeal to the other groups to the
utmost, where else can we turn for
added support? We must turn to youth"
More Concerts Needed
To show the immediate need for this
added support, DR.. Kinder pointed to
the orchestra's present condition. Since
its founding in 1881 its existence, never
certain beyond year ahead, has
depended on annual sustaining fund
drives, virtually none of which would
have achieved its goal but for the last
minute generosity of few constant sup
porters. Again. in is years the orchestra
has grown from 70 to 80 players. But
each fall at his first rehearsal DR.. Kind
Ter faces number of new players, be-
cause contracts never run longer than
the succeeding spring and because
hard-pressed budget keeps the pay scale
below that of other. wealthier orchestras
With limited funds. too. not Is many
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