MUSICAL COURIER
36
May 11, 1922
Geil White McMonies, of Omaha, secretary-treasurer. The next place of meeting will be Omaha.
Paul Reuter, the outgoing secretary, reported a membership of five hundred, and said that $886.74 was in the treasury after all debts were paid. There was much praise given Secretary Reuter and President Molzer for their untiring and successful efforts.
The afternoon session consisted of some interesting part songs, first by the Ladies Glee Club of Grete, George Aller directing. These eighteen young ladies were well received at Temple Theater and their numbers were attractive. The second group of singers was the Nebraska Wesleyan Glee Club, Parvin Witle director. These college students have just returned from a three weeks’ tour of Colorado, South Dakota and Nebraska, and were in splendid form. Their program was dignified and they were enthusiastically received. They honored a Lincoln composer by singing Edward Walt’s “Lassie o’ Mine” and “Thy Troubadour.”
The final session was at St. Paul’s M. E. Church, Wednesday evening, when hundreds of music lovers gathered to hear a choice program and the decision of the judges. The first half of the program consisted of a presentation of Easthope Martin’s song cycle, “The Mountebanks,” its first appearance west of New York. It was ideally given by Mme. Gilderoy Scott, Lillian Helms Polley, Homer Compton and H. O. Ferguson, with Marguerite Klinker at the piano. The free and easy going, rollicking element portrayed in the composition was admirably interpreted by these artists, all of whom are on the faculty of the University Schoo¡ of Music. Part III consisted of selections from “Faust,” presented by the mixed chorus of the University of Nebraska, under the direction of Carrie B. Raymond. The soloists were Margaret Perry, Lucile Cline, Francis Diers, J. D. Sourber and Oscar Bennett. In the orchestra were Mrs. August Molzer, N. G. McVay, W. T. Quick, Lillian Eiche and C. A. Ross, with Donna Gustin at the piano and Edith B. Ross at the organ. Mrs. Raymond’s command over her forces has long been a subject of favorable comment. The work of this chorus of three hundred voices is a part of its accredited course and really means more to the members than they can realize at present. Rounds of applause greeted every number.
Contest Awards.
President August Molzer prefaced his announcements with the thought of the great benefits of the contests. The awards were as follows : gold medals (class A) violin, Koby Sirinsky, Lincoln; piano, Leroy North, Chadron; voice, Oscar Bennett, Lincoln; silver medals (class B)—violin, Elizabeth Stafford Luce, University Place; piano, Beth Miller, Lincoln; voice, Laura E. Robinson, Lincoln; bronze medals (class C)—violin, Carolina Schmidt, Marysville, Kansas; piano, Genevieve Wilson, Lincoln; voice, Ethel Woodbridge, Omaha. Ribbons were awarded the following: piano section—Margaret Mullowney, Chester; Helen Hall, David City; Norman Goodbrod, Lincoln; Bertha Reese, Sioux City, Iowa; Robert Reuter, Seward; violin section—Stanley Capps, Lincoln; Geralyn Walrath, Lincoln; Ruth Reuter, Seard; Vallerina Callen, University Place; Anthony L. Donata, Wahoo; voice section—Mrs. Agnes Birk, Grand Island; Mark E. Johnson, Weeping Water; Alliebelle Brown, Albion; Frances Rosenstock, David City; Gladys Waterman, Lincoln. Two additions were made to this list. In class B, piano, Ida M. Lustgarten, of Omaha was deemed worthy of special mention by the judges on account of her merit and standing, hence a bronz medal has been arranged for her. In the violin section thirteen-year-old Samuel Carmell came out second in class B, but on account of his marked talent and genius he was accorded a special medal; the lad is attractive in many ways, is an athlete, a good student and surely will some day command the attention of the musical world. He comes from Omaha, but leaves soon for Chicago to continue study.
It should be noted that several awards credited to Lincoln are merely students here and have permanent homes elsewhere. More than one-half the contestants were from outside of Lincoln. Mention also should be made of the many excellent accompanists throughout the convention and the contests, such as Mrs. Samuel J. Bell, Verna Trine Leland Mood, Harold Lewis and Norman Goodbrod.
At the close of Wednesday’s session Sidney Silber, who leaves for Chicago soon, was called to the front by President Molzer and presented with remembrances from the as-sociation.
The Social Element During Convention.
There was just enough of the social side brought into convention hours to rest the weary and give a pleasant relaxation. The reception to the ladies after Henri Scott’s concert was given by two musical sororities, chapters in Sigma Alpha Iota and Phi Mu Epsilon, at the Lincolnshire. This was a delightful affair.
At the same hour in another part of the Lincolnshire a smoker to visiting gentlemen delegates was tendered by Phi Mu Alpha, Sinfonia Society of America.
On Tuesday a luncheon was given by the Chamber of Commerce to delegates. This was followed by toasts, roasts
LINCOLN IS HOST TO NEBRASKA MUSIC TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION
Sixth Annual Convention Proves Real Success—Lieurance’s Little Symphony—E. Robert Schmitz and Others Give Recitals
—Contest Awards
10. It was effectively given by three artists from Chadron Normal School—Vivian Bard, pianist; Roy Peterson, violinist, and Richard Yarndley, cellist. The Bel Canto Men’s Chorus, Edith Lucille Robbins director, gave two groups of songs in an artistic manner. Particularly of note were Huhn’s “Invictus,” Fay Foster’s “The Americans Come” and Thayer’s “Song of Prince Rupert’s Men.” Unusually good were the accompaniments by Norman Goodbrod of the University School of Music.
Various Contests Held.
At 11 o’clock the various contests started and were held as follows: piano section, Temple Theater; vocal section, Ballroom Lincoln Hotel; violin section, Gardenroom, Lincoln Hotel. These contests were continued Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday, and were of great interest. There were seventy-eight entered in the contests and there was
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keen rivalry. Each aspirant was given about ten minutes and a portion of this time was in sightreading. The public was invited, all were well attended and enthusiasm ran high. A great amount of talent was displayed and Nebraska’s future artists and music teachers were doubtless among the number. Every section had special judges, as follows: Piano, Lura Schuler-Smith, Hortense Singer, Carl Beutel, Herbert Schmidt, Jean P. Duffield; voice, Howard I. Kirkpatrick, Madame Gilderoy Scott, Edith Lucille Robbins, Louise Ormsby Thompson, Florence Bas-ler Palmer; violin, Carl Frederic Steckelberg, August Hage-now, Louise Shadduck Zabriskie, J. W. Swihart, Jane L. Pinder, Jean Schaefer.
Tuesday Afternoon.
On Tuesday afternoon the various demonstrations were held: piano, Hacel Kinscella, H. O. Ferguson presiding; voice, Florence Basler Palmer; violin, Carl Frederic Steckelberg, Charles B. Righter presiding. These classes illustrated the work being done in music classes in the public schools. They were of vital interest and were well attended.
Wednesday.
The third day, Wednesday, had an interesting singer, the distinguished blind bass-baritone, Charles H. Amadon, of York College, York, Neb. He sang the “Vision Fugitive” from Massenet’s “Herodiade,” and for an encore gave an ideal rendition of “Montone,” by Cornelius. His voice is rich and full and he scored a big success. He had as his accompanist Eda Rankin, a splendid musician and member of Sigma Alpha Iota sorority.
The Harmonique Trio—consisting of Edith Burlingim Ross, piano; Mrs. August Molzer, violin, and Lillian Eiche, cello—performed a Smetana trio, op. 15. It played with skill and artistic understanding and is in much demand over the State.
The business of the convention is always of importance. President Molzer appointed five members to act as a board to decide the accrediting of applied music. The board consists of Dr. Jacob Singer, of the University of Music; Richard Yarndley, of Chadron Normal and Mrs. H. J. Hull, of Kearney. Karl Emil Tunberg, of Omaha, was elected president; Jane Pinder, of Grand Island, vice-president, and
Lincoln, Neb., April 24,--Artists, critics, teachers, delegates, contestants, editors, composers, managers and visitors held the center of the stage this week when Nebraska’s capitol city played host to the Nebraska Music Teachers’ Association.
The sixth annual convention was formally opened Monday morning in the ball room of the Lincoln Hotel (which is the official headquarters), when Mayor Frank Lehrung tendered the keys of the city to the visitors and paid tribute to the high ideals of the music fraternity.
President Molzer's Address.
President August Molzer’s address was short and he advocated: (1) Elevation of teaching standards; (2) the striving to improve musical taste; (3) promotion of art by every legitimate means, particularly through concerts; (4) desire for fraternal feeling among music teachers. This was well received by the members.
Following this was a paper on “The Place of Music In Our Educational System,” by Prof. Paul H. Grummann, director of the School of Fine Arts of the University of Nebraska. He claimed that musical instruction during a child’s early development should emphasize the recreational side and that a child should get a joy out of his music as well as through his play. He stressed the importance of high schools recognizing music as a subject entitled to credits. Professor Grummann made a valuable contribution to the program through his message.
Lieurance’s Little Symphony.
The .musical part of the morning’s program was given by a company made up almost entirely of Lincoln students and coached by Thurlow Lieurance “Lieurance’s Little Symphony.” They gave a beautiful program and were an inspiration in ensemble work, offering Rubinstein’s “Toreador et Andalouse,” Dvorak’s “Songs My Mother Taught Me,” and three of Mr. Lieurance’s songs arranged for violins, cellos and piano—“Bird and the Babe,” “Sad Moon of Falling Leaf” and “By the Waters of Minnetonka.” So insistent was the applause that they added one of Mr. Lieurance’s latest compositions, “Whistling Mallards Fly,” which they played in a highly artistic manner. The personnel of the company is as follows: (Violinists) Koby Sirinsky, Sarah Sheffield, Grace Morley, Fay Stephens; (cellists) Lora LeSchner, Helen Mueller; (pianist) Harold Lewis. This constitutes one of the many Chautauqua aggregations sent out from Lincoln.
This was followed by a talk by Hester Bronson Copper, of the Omaha World-Herald, on the achievements of the Omaha City Club. The afternoon session opened soon after luncheon and consisted of three institutes: piano, led by Karl E. Tunberg; voice, led by Edith Lucille Robbins; violin, with Luella Anderson as leader. These round tables were of great importance and were a means of bringing out various plans, methods and original phases of pedagogy. The meetings were held in the new Social Science Building of the University of Nebraska, and were continued in a 5 o’clock session.
E. Robert Schmitz in Lecture-Recital.
Convention delegates and guests appreciated the courtesy of the Matinee Musicale in being permitted to enjoy E. Robert Schmitz in a lecture-recital in Temple Theater in the afternoon. His subject, “Relations Between the Fine Arts,” was illustrated by a program of five Debussy numbers. The Bach-Tausig toccata and fugue in D minor was given an interpretation par excellence. Mr. Schmitz gave a second recital Tuesday evening, the first half of the program being from the classics and the second half of the modern school. The artist gave of his best throughout. This appearance was under the auspices of the Teachers’ Association and Pi Kappa Lamda.
Henri Scott on Axis Club.
The concert by Henri Scott, baritone, which was the last number in the Axis Club concert course, was given before a large audience in the Auditorium, Monday night. This is Mr. Scott’s third appearance in Lincoln, which partially accounts for the enthusiastic welcome. The programmed numbers contained many novelties which delighted his hearers. He gave arias from five operas in dramatic style. Among modern songs he offered a satisfactory rendition of Hageman’s “Happiness.” Many encores were given, among them Lieurance’s “By the Waters of Minnetonka,” with the composer at the piano, and this was where a Lincoln audience showed its visitors what the home folks think of Mr. Lieurance. It was an ovation. Mr. Scott has a pleasing voice, and his artistic-finish and splendid interpretation make him a universal favorite.
Second Day Begins with Varied Prorgam.
The second day of the convention began with a presentation of Heniot Levy’s trio for violin, cello and piano, op.
Chicago Musical College—Summer Master School
[n reference to the CHICAGO MUSICAL COLLEGE advertising me as a guest teacher SUMMER MASTER SCHOOL ! hereby caution all prospective students
not to
it its
pay any deposit for reservation of time nor any fee for free scholarship, as I POSITIVELY
WILL NOT TEACH AT THE ABOVE INSTITUTION NEXT
SUMMER. Students who desire-to study with me shall exclusively and directly apply to my New York
Signed: DELIA VALERI
kudio, 381 West End Avenue.