Evening star., 1949-03-20
Three Musical
|LeadersLeave
Impress Here
By Alice Eversmon

FOR LQe IlTSC tlIUe III many ucC"
AIDES Washington, musically, Is at
a turning point. With the end Of
this season great changes will be
under way and ,ew people will
be at the helm of the musical life.
It is situation of serious import
and great responsibility, for new
path lies open and whether it will
be one of further progress re-
mains to he seen. What is Of most
significance is the severing Of old
ties. the farewell to what has
been accomplished and q girding
of strength to make the future as
worth while as the past.
Last week. amidst the good
wishes of a large section of the
city's population, DR.. Hans Kind
ler laid down the baton with which
he has directed the principal To-
cal musical organization. That
organization is a symphony Or
chestra, for many years before he
came TO found it considered an
absolute necessity in the Nations
Capital. While several attempts
had been made to organize such
group and much talk went on
about it and how our cultural
standing was nil without it, he Is
the only person in the history Of
Washington who could keep an
orchestra going here for Is years.
Now, he leaves us the fruits OF
his efforts, his vision and his mu-
steamship. He has left us a re-
putation in the world Of music
never previously associated with
Washington. The knowledge Of
what good music should be is
planted firmly in our conscious
ness. We speak. now, with IA
miliarity of immortal composers
and their works. We have even
become selective of what we like
and do not like. We are, at last.
an awakened community having
proof of the value of music for
ourselves and for our city. No an
nails of musical development in
the country will find the name
of the Nations Capital missing.
This, DR.. Kinder has done for us.
Dorsey Bureau Closing.
Another landmark that passes
this season is the Dorothy Hodg-
kin Dorsey Concert Bureau. For
at aleast IS years. the most IA
nous artists of the world have
been brought here by Mrs. Dorsey.
No matter what their fee. and 1t
has risen exorbitantly with the
years, she saw to it that only the
greatest would have entry to her
series. Through her policy. she
has placed Washington among the
metropolitan centers who would
have only the finest and the most
renowned.
She had no financial backing.
but had many difficulties to over
come when her bureau was found-
ed in 1888. Her aunt, Katie Viii.
son Greene, was known the coun-
try over as an impresario. It re-
quired courage and foresight to
continue her work on the same
high plane. This Mrs. Dorsey has
done, giving to the local music
public the opportunity to hear. in
recital. artists about whom Eu-
rope and the rest Of the United
States were talking. BY her con-
sideration and kindliness, she not
only won friends among her pa
irons but kept untarnished her
own and her city's reputation in
the difficult business relations
with managers and artists.
Louis A. Potter's Farewell.
Next week, With the presenta-
ton OF Haydn's THE Creation"
the Washington Choral Society
will bid farewell to its founder and
conductor. Louis A. Potter. He has
headed this organization for 10
years and has presented large
number of oratorios. some of them
ordinarily overlooked by choral
groups.
The progress Of the society has
been remarkable under his d.
rectorship. Close to 200 local
singers have come together to
learn these works, and the value
in musical education this has
given them cannot be estimated.
Here. also. is an important section
of a community's cultural life in
which Mr.. Potter's endeavors have
broadened musical knowledge. He
leaves to become organist and di-
rector of the Centenary Method
ist Church in Winston Salem, N.
c., after having made the Nations
Capital familiar with so much Of
the great religious music of all
time.
These three people may not
again be active in Washington.
We have much to thank them for.
Dr.. Kinder has given us an or
cnestra. Mrs. Dorsey gave us the
opportunity to hear the celebrated
artists of the world and Mr.. Pot
ter has enabled us to learn. in
reverence, the master oratories.
BY their hard work, courage and
insistence, the music life here has
lacked nothing. How deeply 1t af-
fects us cannot be evaluated. It
is up to us to carry on.
2 'Mikado' Billings
"The Mikado" will be given two
performances Friday and Satur-'
day in the Lisner Auditorium at
$50 pm. The George Washington
Women's Glee Club, a 30-piece
orchestra from the Air Force