Program for Victory

So far as music is concerned, the U.S. State Department is all set for the peace. To Radio Conductor Don Voorhees, who had asked for pointers on a day-of-victory broadcast, the State Department last week made its position perfectly clear. In fact, it went to town.

The program, it decided, should lead off with the "V for Victory" theme from Beethoven's Fifth Symphony blown on a trumpet, then fade in with the D Major theme from the Choral Finale of Beethoven's Ninth (played by low strings). After a break for announcement of the occasion, the orchestra should swing into the complete choral finale. The rest of the program should consist of music from various United Nations: China; Britain (represented preferably by German-born Handel's Hallelujah Chorus); France (represented in part by Belgian-born Cesar Franck's Piece Heroique); Russia (Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky); the U.S. (America the Beautiful, the old European psalm-tune Old Hundred, Home Sweet Home and Ballad for Americans).

The State Department further elaborated: "The music should not only represent the outstanding nations, but it should also agree with the spoken words, and make an artistic whole by contrast in mood and tempo."

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