Fraternity-Testvériség, 1963 (40. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1963-11-01 / 11. szám
6 FRATERNITY Betti Balazs: CHIMES IN REMEMBRANCE One of the busiest and best know “circles” in Washington, D. C., is the Dupont Circle. Thousands upon thousands of automobiles and buses travel around this famous Circle daily carrying countless people through the many avenues leading into it. Thousands upon thousands of people make use of the park which lies within the Circle. Some use it as a short-cut to the business area on the other side; some go just to sit on the park benches and look; some take their children there to romp and play; while others go to the park to share their lunches with the pigeons. There are several prominent buildings around Dupont Circle. One is the Dupont Circle Building where our Federation occupies one wing of the twelfth floor. Across the street from us is the Guardian Federal Savings Bank, which broadcasts a daily concert from its chime tower periodically throughout the day, including a fifteen-minute concert at high noon. It was the morning of October 23 ... a nice, warm, sunny day in Washington. But there was a dark cloud in the hearts of some of us as we remembered that it was the Seventh Anniversary of the Hungarian Revolt of 1956. It was a day of special meaning for those of us who are second generation Hungarians, because we were taught to love and respect the country of our parents; but it had a still greater meaning for those who had been a physical part of the uprising and the tragedy that followed. But what about those other people in the park or driving around it? Were they aware of this important date in Hungarian history? Miss Anne Korocz, Rev. Kecskemethy’s secretary, thought of a way to make people aware! She began calling the radio stations asking the disc jockeys to commemorate the Freedom Fight by playing Hungarian music on their programs. The newscasters were also happy to have this brought to their attention. Soon we heard one disc jockey mention the Anniversary Date of the Hungarian Revolution and he played a jazzed-up version of the Second Hungarian Rhapsody. But that was good, too! It was Hungarian originally! People are familiar with the melody, and that was the best he could find on such short notice. Then Anne thought of the chimes in the bank across the street!! Why couldn’t they play Hungarian music on their chimes? Not only would people walking around Dupont Circle — or in the park, or those riding in their cars or buses — hear the music, but the winds would carry the glorious sounds of our Hungarian melodies to even more distant cars — and hearts. Anne’s request was received most graciously, but neither did the bank have Hungarian music, nor anyone to play it on their chimes on such short notice. Anne suggested that she might be of assistance and promised to be at the console a few minutes before noon ... to “warm up”. A few of us arranged to be in the park at the designated time,
