Ladies in Chicago

In Europe, symphony orchestras and opera houses are affairs of state. In the U.S., they are supported by private endowments, contributions and subscripions. Most of the money that goes to support music in the U. S. is made by business and professional men, spent by their wives. The financing and management of most highbrow U.S. music is the hands of women.

Largest music-boosting organization in the world is the National Federation ot Music Clubs. Its 400,000 women members range from smalltown Thursday Afternoon Choral clubwomen to sponsors of Metropolitan symphony and opera seasons.

Last week the Federation's board of directors met in Chicago to lay plans for the next biennial convention, to be held in Baltimore next May. Inveterate resolvers, even when meeting in smaller groups, the Federationists, led by their doe-eyed national president, Mrs. Vincent Hilles Ober last week resolved: 1) to encourage the singing of opera in the English language (see above), 2) to support the development of small local opera companies throughout the U. S., 3) to pay more attention to music in the rural schools, 4) to help the growth of orchestral music 5) to encourage mass singing, 6) to further the observance of American Music Year (1938). "At a time when the whole world the seems to have gone mad," admonished the Federation's Chicago manifesto, "it particularly behooves such organizations as ours to try to keep sane."

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