April 5, 1923
MUSICAL COURIER
14
LORENZ PUBLISHING COMPANY OFFERS PRIZES
FOR FIFTH ANTHEM CONTEST FOR MUSIC COMPOSERS
Sylva makes out of something that might be dry and technical, a sparkling, colorful and thoroughly enjoyable entertainment.
Mme. Sylva ends her article by saying that Key West is the one place of the United States where she would like to live. There seems to be a little island, called Stock Island, on which Mme: Sylva has her eye, and as she says: “One good financial season, and Stock Island might be inhabited!” In the meanwhile Mme. Sylva is being kept so busy with concert engagements that the prospect of settling down on Stock Islarid seems very far off.
Grace Whistler’s Musicale Enjoyed
Grace Whistler held the last of this season’s musicales on Sunday afternoon, March 25, Senator and Mrs. Edwards being the guests of honor, Mme. Whistler had arranged a delightful program, which opened with a duet from Stabat Mater (Rossini), admirably rendered by Elizabeth Brasius and Mme. Whistler, Then came Miss Brasius in two songs by Spross, Will o’ the Wisp and The Day Is Done, which were vehicles for the display of a soprano voice of exceptional sweetness and clarity, which was well controlled. In the Caro Nome from Rigoletto, Verdi, Miss Brasius strengthened the favorable impression previously made in her songs. One of the younger pupils, Florence Clarke, a charming little miss, did credit to the teaching of Mme. Whistler by rendering three songs—The Birth of Dawn (Leoni), Florian Song (Godard), and Bon Jour Ma Belle (Behrends), with poise and naturalness. She sang with ease arid did riot force once, showing that she has been carefully trained and should progress and develop into quite a singer. A younger sister, Lois, who has also been instructed by Mme. Whistler (a versatile woman) , was heard in the ballet music by Delibes. She also revealed talent.
Much interested centered in the appearance of Elizabeth Edwards, daughter of Senator and Mrs. Edwards, who has studied only with Mme. Whistler. Since the writer heard her, more than a year ago, she has made great strides in her singing. She has her voice under perfect control and uses taste and intelligence in the matter of interpretation. Her voice is a light and very agreeable soprano, which she uses skilfully. In the Vissi d’Arte, from Puccini’s Tosca, she gave evidence of dramatic feeling, while in the lighter songs she evidenced charm and grace. All for You, given by request, found favor, as did a Mexican Love Song by La Forge. Miss Edwards should go far in her singing.
Margaret Marotta, a talented young coloratura soprano, charmed with her fine singing of Donna Vorrei Moriré (Tosti), the Waltz Song from La Boheme (Puccini), and Santuzza’s aria from Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni), which is being used by Mme. Whistler to develop her lower register.
Mme. Whistler was prevailed upon to sing two selections —O Mon Fils from The Prophet (Meyerbeer), and the Gavotte from Mign'on (Thomas), which were splendidly received. Mme. Whistler’s voice is a rich and colorful contralto and she uses it artistically. It is not surprising that her friends are persuading her to devote less time to teaching next season and a little more to her own professional singing.
Conrad Forsberg, the well known pianist, was heard in several piano solos; which added to the pleasure of the afternoon.
Musicale Intime at Tomars Vocal Studios
A large and enthusiastic gathering filled the spacious studios of Rose Tomars, voice specialist, at Carnegie Hall, March 17, for an interesting musical afternoon. The program was divided into two_ parts; some of those singing (graduates of the Voice Clinic) showed excellent results and were enthusiastically applauded, giving great credit to the beneficial training of Mme. Tomars.
The program opened with the Evening Star (Tannhäuser), sung by Isidor Fishman, who was followed bv Dorothy Shea, a girl still in her ’teens, who revealed an unusually powerful and brilliant soprano in Arditi’s II Bacio. Elizabeth Fisher, mezzo-soprano, sang the aria of La Cieca (La Gioconda) and O Promise Me. (De Koven) with good tone and musical understanding. She was followed by Celia Krengel, coloratura soprano, who did some brilliant staccato work in arias from I Puritan¡ and Un Ballo in Mas-chera. Joseph Dreyer, possessor of a fine lyric tenor voice, sang Pourquoi (Tschaikowsky), with much taste, and Olga Porter, lyric soprano, rendered Robert toi que j’aime (Robert Ie Diable) and Breil’s Song of the Soul with expression and purity of tone. Gertrude Rubenstein, dramatic soprano, gave Gounod’s Ave Maria and Vissi d’Arte (La Tosca), with rare beauty of tone and feeling, which brought an outburst of enthusiasm. This was followed by a charming rendition of an aria from Linda di Chamounix, and the page song from The Huguenots, by Reine Rose, a gifted coloratura soprano. The variegated program was interspersed with two duets, Schubert’s Serenade and Meyer-Helmund’s Musical Dialogue and closed with the sextet from Lucia. All the accompaniments were played by Mme. Tomars, who besides being a capable voice trainer and singer, is also an excellent pianist. After the musicale coffee was served.
Mme. Tomars hopes to demonstrate a number of pupils now being prepared in both the voice clinic department and the regular voice training department. She also contemplates giving a recital at the end of the season, when friends and relatives of her pupils will have the opportunity of hearing the results of the season’s training.
9.	The prize-winning anthems will become the full copyright property of Lorenz Publishing Co., on payment of the prize.
10. Lorenz Publishing Co. shall have the right to retain and purchase any competing anthem not winning a prize, paying at least
. $25.00 for the complete copyright ownership of the same.
11.	All other anthems are to be promptly returned to the composer, postpaid.
12.	The judges are to be the editor and the associate editors of Lorenz Publishing Co. The date of announcement of the decision is to be left to the judges, as it cannot be foreseen, depending as it does Upon the number of manuscripts to be examined.
The Lorenz Publishing Company issue about two-hundred anthems a year and it is estimated that between twenty and thirty-five thousand singers have these anthems within two months of publication. It is one of the largest publishing houses which specialize in this work. The reason for the contest is that the Lorenz Publishing Company is particularly anxious to obtain as great a variety of good anthems as is possible and to stimulate new interest in this type of composition.
Publication of the Prize Anthems.
The prize-winning anthems will be published as soon as possible after the close of the contest and the decision of the judges. A definite date,of publication cannot be given, however; that is dependent upon a number of conditions which cannot be foreseen. They will be published, however, not later than a year after the decision of the judges, more probably within six months.
is quite unusual, it having been necessary to construct extra seating in order to accommodate those who wish to sing.
Emporia, Kan., May 1
The annual music festival of the College of Emporia will have as its special feature this year the appearance of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, which is ‘booked for a pair of concerts May 1. Rudolph Ganz, the conductor, has
“For several years Miss Peterson has won the highest praise not only for her delightful voice but for her interpretative style.”
The Seattle Star said the above about May Peterson, soprano of the Metropolitan Opera Co.
Concert Direction : MUSIC LEAGUE OF AMERICA
712-718 Fisk Bldg., New York
After June 1, 1923, under the management of Haensel & Jones Mason & Hamlin Piano Used	Aeolian-Vocalion Records
not yet appeared in Emporia, so that his visit will be a distinct novelty and one to which music lovers of that vicinity are looking forward with interest. The soloists will be Carolina Lazzari, contralto, and Michel Gusikoff, violinist. In addition, the College Opera Society will perform Victor Herbert’s Sweethearts. This will be given by a cast and chorus of sixty and an orchestra, all under the direction of Dean Daniel A. Hirschler. The chorus of the College of Emporia will sing Bruch’s East.er cantata and Cyril Jenkin’s Lux Benigna.
Mme. Sylva Wants an Island
Mme. Sylva is meeting with tremendous success on her tour in the South and in Cuba. In Havana she was given an enthusiastic welcome and after her concert a big ovation was tendered her. The concert was on the order of her New York “At Home” recital and proved more than successful. Key West showed so much interest in all Mme. Sylva’s doings since her last appearance in that city in April, 1922, that the most important newspaper in the town asked her to write a letter, giving an “account” of herself since that time. The result is an engaging and witty article by Mme. Sylva, telling about her New York recital, her appearance in “The World's Greatest Production of Carmen” in the famous Hollywood Bowl, her concert tour through Canada and her engagement at the Maine Festival.
Mme. Sylva, in talking about what her aim is, impresses on her readers the fact that she does not want to tire her audiences. She wants to entertain them with music they can understand and like. And in order to attain this, Mme. Sylva gives a short explanation before each of her songs. Those explanations in themselves are little artistic gems, for with her wit and natural gifts as an actress, Mme.
The Fifth Anthem Contest for music composers, conducted by the Lorenz Publishing Company, of 216 West Fifth Street, Dayton, O., has just begun. There will be three prizes: the first, $150, for the anthem considered the most attractive and practical; $100 prize for the second best anthem, and $75 for the third prize. All anthems will be considered for prizes irrespective of their grade of difficulty.
Conditions of the Anthem Contest.
1.	Only unpublished anthems will be eligible for this competition.
2.	No anthem should be longer than may be printed on seven pages of ordinary octavo size, and not shorter than two such pages.
3.	Manuscripts must be clearly legible, for the judges will not have time to figure out “messy” and undecipherable writing.
4.	Manuscripts must be practically ready for publication, with needed marks of expression and tempo. The more elaborate anthems must have a suitable organ accompaniment, while the very easy grade will not need it, excepting where solos or duets make it necessary.
5.	The composer’s name must not appear on the manuscript. He should use a worn de plume instead. The same nom de plume should be written on the outside of a sealed envelope containing the real name and address and also the list of anthems submitted.
6.	A composer may submit as many anthems in competition as he chooses, under the same or different nom de plume.
7. The anthems should be sent to the Dayton office of the firm, not to either the New York or Chicago offices, and they should be in the publisher’s hands not later than July 1, 1923. The package should be marked “Anthem Contest.” If a receipt is desired, the address of a friend should be added to the nom de plume on the envelope.
8.	The editor and associate editors of the Lorenz Publishing Co. cannot compete for obvious reasons.
SPRING FESTIVAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Spartanburg, S. C., May 2, 3, 4
The twenty-seventh annual music festival of the Spartanburg Music Festival Association will be held May 2, 3 and 4. The Philadelphia Orchestra has been secured and among the artists engaged are Beniamino Gigli, tenor; Florence Macbeth, coloratura soprano; Claire Dux, soprano; Lenora Sparks, soprano; Della Baker, soprano; Barbara Maurel, alto; Richard Crooks, tenor; Byron Hudson, tenor; Robert Ringling, baritone; Arthur Middleton, bass, and Olga Samaroff, pianist.
The opening concert on the evening of May 2 will be given by the Spartanburg Festival Chorus of 400, the Philadelphia Orchestra, Lenora Sparks, Mabel Beddoe, Byron Hudson and Arthur Middleton. The program includes two solos and a trio with chorus from the Stabat Mater, a solo for tenor with chorus from Messe Solenelle, three choruses and three airs from Elijah and eight selections from the Messiah, three of them by the festival chorus.
The second concert, Thursday afternoon, May 3, includes an overture by Tschaikowsky; the Grieg concerto, played by Mme. Samaroff; four movements from Brahms’ symphony No. 4; three selections by Mme. Samaroff, and the Roumanian rhapsody, _ by Enesco.
On Thursday evening the festival chorus of 400 will give, jointly with five artists, the opera Faust (Gounod), the artists being Claire Dux, Barbara _ Maurel, Richard Crooks, Robert Ringling and Arthur Middleton.
The fourth concert, on Friday afternoon, will combine two chorus numbers by the children’s chorus of 500 voices from the Spartanburg city schools, four numbers by the Philadelphia Orchestra and five songs by־ Della Baker, soprano.
The fifth and final concert, Friday evening, May 4, is always termed “Artist Night.” The program has been arranged by Director Frederick Wodell for Beniamino Gigli, tenor, and Florence Macbeth, coloratura soprano. These two artists will sing fifteen compositions, among them being the Mad Scene from Lucia and the duet from Rigoletto.
Springfield, Mass., May 4 and 5
The annual spring music festival will take place at Spring-field, Mass., this year on May 4 and 5. The entire program is not yet ready to be announced ,but Samson and Delilah will be given May 4. Saturday afternoon, Guy Maier and Lee Pattison will give a recital and in the evening there will be two other artists, one of whom is Alice Gentle, soprano. Fifty players from the New York Symphony Orchestra, with Rene Pollain ■conducting, will be a feature of the festival.
Oberlin, Ohio, May 4 and 5
The Oberlin May Festival, held under the auspices of the Oberlin Musical Union, will be given Friday and Saturday, May 4 and 5. Friday night, there will be a program by the Cleveland Orchestra, and Saturday night, the Beatitudes of César Franck will be sung by the Oberlin Musical Union, supported by the Cleveland Orchestra, and under the direction of Dr. George W. Andrews. This will be the sixty-third season and the 194th concert of the Oberlin Musical Union. In the rendition of the Franck work, the soloists will be Grace Kerns, soprano; Nevada Van der Veer, contralto; Judson House, tenor; Frederick Baer, baritone, and Fred Patton, basso. All indications point to one of the most successful festivals ever given by this organization. The enthusiasm on the part of the chorus
FONTAINEBLEAU SCHOOL OF MUSIC
PALACE OF FONTAINEBLEAU, FRANCE
DIRECTORS: CH.—M. WIDOR AND MAX D’OLLONE. SUPERVISED BY THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT FOR AMERICAN ARTISTS, TEACHERS AND ADVANCED STUDENTS ONLY. JUNE 24 TO SEPTEMBER 24, 1923
The greatest French Teachers, including Widor (organ), Philipp (piano), Bloch, Vidal and Nadia Boulanger (composition), Remy (violin), Andre Hekking (cello), Demougeot (voice), Grandjany (harp). Opera Classes.
Tuition, board and lodging, 1,200 francs monthly. Special rates on French steamers
American Office:	NATIONAL ARTS CLUB STUDIOS	119 East Nineteenth Street, New York City
FRANCIS ROGERS, Chairman