Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-05
Business Community
Urged 10 GET Behind
Symphony Drive

UstsssW
A call for Washington's BUSH
ness community to get behind
the National Symphony Orches-
ira sounded yesterday with in
auguration Of the Gath. annual
sustaining fund campaign,
Richard P. Dunn. chairman
of the drive for $260.000 to bal
.ance the orcheStra's budget,
told orchestra supporters and
campaign workers attending a
kickoff meeting in the Hotel
-Etatler:
II am hoping the business
community win wake up to the
fact that the National Sym
sphony Orchestra is something
that should be supported just
as much as the Red Cross and
the Community Chest"
Mr.. Dunn, president Of Julius
.Garfinckel & Co.. Inc. said it is
important that the story Of
what the orchestra IS, what it
is doing and what it is con-
tributing to the city get over to
business.
Cites Children's Concerts.
The orchesra's children's con-
certs, he said. ARE q tremendous
value to Washington as a city.
and few people realize it."
Much emphasis this year. he
reported, will be placed on the
necessity of obtaining new con-
tributors and new customers.
Hugh K. Dufield, president Of
the National Symphony Or
chestra Association, praised the
crchestra's conductor. Howard
Mitchell, particularly for bring
ing great music to so many
children.
The conductor named as one
Of the orcheStra's greatest &C
complishments that it will play
80 concerts for young people in
the Metropolitan Area this year,
half of them free. More than
$4,000 children will hear live
concert, he said, and others viii
hear broadcastS.
.'Is there any better way to.
insure the future life and growth
of the National Symphony Or
acheStra?", he asked.
For Visiting Children. 4
4 Mr.. Mitchell went on to say
that, between April Is and June
IS, some SOC, 900 children Of jul
nior or senior high school age are
!, brought to washington, many
from towns that have no or
cheStras.
There must be funds to pros
vide q National Symphony Or.
cheStra concert on the itinerary
of these youngsters" he said
Few of the children have had
an opportunity to hear q live
concert by q symphony orehestrAs
he ppinted out. and this should
be e. part Of their trip aS well
as the Lincoln Memorial and the
other places Of the national
capital. s.-s44s 81 - 5ssses
Composer Howard Hanson.
president of the National Music
Council and director sgof the
Eastman School, of Music, told
the meeting it is "stun and nom
sense" to say that music is the
universal language.
Music is a language which
practically no one understands, "
he declared. But he said it Is
the most permeating, most
powerful. most incandescent
language that the mind or soul
of man has ever created for
communication"
"You make it possible" he
said. "for great language to
speak for itself to those who
have ears with which to heal"
he told the campaigners. you
are. making the communication
Of its message possible"
DR.. Hanson declared that
music is the greatest antidote
for this super scientific age.
Great Strides in U. S.
{ He said music in the United
States had made extraordinary
progress in the last Is years. The
day passed about 80 years ago.
he went on. when it was almost
imperative for a person to go to
Europe to acquire a basic profess
-sional education in music.
But he reported that II would
almost say we are today in a
period of orchestra crisis in the
United States.
I'VE have not yet built a
sound. stable profession for the
orchestra musician" he said.
"The season is too short, oppor-
tunities are too few and too many
things are in the way of the
American orchestra and the per-
petuation Of orchestras."
DIR. Hanson advocated a Fed
eral subsidy in the case of the
orchestra here. He said he be-
heves the District owes it to the
community to support the SYM
phony.
The meeting heard a preview
playing of the National SYM
phony's Westminster Recording
Of Paul Creston's Symphony No.
kIai..L III