May 17, 192 3
MUSICAL COURIER
2G
Nymphs and Fauns, Bemberg, was sung with lovely tone and excellent command of colorature.
Ruth Daneke, mezzo-contralto, gave Love of Thy Might, Saint-Saëns, with dramatic effect and ringing high tones. Lightness and precision were shown in The Sunshine Song, Grieg and Will o’ the Wisp by Spross.
These two singers gave the Quis e^t Homo, from Rossini’s Stabat Mater, with good blend of tone and understanding of oratorio style. Isabelle Theall, a young singer with a genuine dramatic soprano voice, showed great promise. The charming Pastorale, Veraccini, was done with lightness and sureness of intonation, while the pianissimo work in Harriet Ware’s Hindu Cradle Song was especially well rendered.
The singers were also heard in duets with Mrs. Morris. Alice McNeill furnished sympathetic accompaniments.
Annual Medal Week Contests at Ithaca Conservatory
The annual Medal Week contests of the Ithaca Conservatory and Affiliated Schools was held the week of April 23 to 28, and it proved to be one of the most interesting weeks of contests ever held at the school.
The purpose of the contests is to stimulate a greater interest in all schools and departments by awarding each year gold and silver medals as first and second prizes to the winning students of the Junior and Senior classes. This season was represented by unusually talented groups of students and the competition was very keen.
The opening contest on April 23 was by students of the department cf piano playing. Theodore Riccobona, of Kingston, N. Y., was awarded the gold medal, while Madeline Blackburn, of Southampton, L. 1״ won the silver medal. Mr. Riccobona played Valse de Concert, by Balakireff. Miss Blackburn played two numbers, The Lark, by Balakireff, and Papillons, by Moriz Rosenthal. Other contestants were Ruth Dana, of Kingston, N. Y., and Francis Jones, of Wales, Great Britain. The judges were Ann McCormick, Mrs. O. G. Guerlac and Prof. L. Pumpelly, of Cornell University.
On Tuesday evening, April 24, the Annual Medal Contest for seniors in the Ithaca School of Physical Education was held in the gymnasium. Celestine Bloxam, of Long Pond, Me., won the gold medal, and Christine Fisher, of Williamson, N. Y., was awarded the silver medal. Other contestants were Burnice Tauscher, of Port Allegany, Pa.; Lillian Berger, of Lebanon, Pa., and Anita Cain, of St. Louis, Mo. Dorothy Bateman, Mary Ryan and Alice Read acted as judges.
The students of the vocal department gave their contest on Wednesday evening. Helen Harris, of Gloversville, N. Y., won the gold medal, and Naomi Sobers, of Bethlehem, Pa., the silver medal. Miss Harris’ selection was the aria, O beaux reves evanouis, from Etienne Marcel, by Saint-Saëns. Miss Sobers sang the aria, He Is Good, He Is Kind, from Herodiade, by Massenet. Other contestants were Isabelle Nicholas, of Renovo, Pa.; Marie Flaherty, of Toledo, Ohio; Madoline Whitehead, of Duboise, Pa.; Doris Hildreth, of Watertown, N. Y.; Jean Davis, of Bellows Falls, Vt., and Philip Oberg, of St. Cloud, Minn. The judges were Laura Bryant, director of the music departments of the Ithaca Public Schools; Ellen Lemon, and E. D. Button, soloist of the Sage Chapel Choir, Cornell University.
The contest by students of the Williams School of Expression and Dramatic Art held on Thursday evening, April 26, was represented by eight contestants. The winner of the gold medal was Marion Schofield, of Jackson, Mich., who gave as her selection the monologue, Ashes of Old Wishes, by Mackay. The winner of the silver medal, Julia Vail, of Deposit, N. Y., gave the Young Scientist from Gentle Julia, by Booth Tarkington. Honorable mention was awarded Dorothy Schwenk, of Southampton, L. I., and Evalina Lockwood, of Ithaca, N-. Y. Other contestants were Elsie Harrison, of York, Pa.; Ethel Wellington, of Glens Falls, N. Y.; Laura Hinkley, of Erie, Pa., and Howard Foster, of Canisteo, N. Y. The judges for the contest were Mrs. F. D. Fuller, Rev. Martin D. Hardin, and Dr. F. D. Boynton, superintendent of the Ithaca Public Schools.
One of the most interesting contests of the week was that of the School of Violin Playing. Eight contestants entered the lists. Joseph La Faro, of Geneva, N. Y., won the gold medal, and Dorothy Waldron, of El Paso, Texas, the silver medal. Mr. La Faro played Ciaccona by Vital¡, and Miss Waldron Corelli’s La Folia. Honorable mention was given to Hazel Woodard, of Winfield, Kansas, who played Mendelssohn’s concerto-andante, allegro, vivace. Other students competing were Eugenia Adamus, of Ithaca, N. Y.; Lynn Bogart, of Binghamton, N. Y.; Lucien Garon, of Edmonton, Canada; Sara Marsh, of Westfield, Pa., and Miriam Murphy, of Thomaston, Conn. The judges were Mrs. Christian Midjo, F. S. Sommers and J. A. Fried.
The final contest of the week was given by the students of the Academy of Public School Music. Each student directed a chorus in two songs, and the audience in one familiar song. The gold and silver medals were awarded to Avah Weiermiller, of Roulette, Pa., and Margaret Spence, of Johnsonburg, Pa., respectively. Other students who competed were F. Eleanor Sweet, of Carthage, N. Y.; Anna Loucks, of York, Pa.; Elvira Kostome, of Houston, Pa.; Muriel Tripp, of Harrisburg, Pa., and Helen Martin, of Plain City, Ohio. The judges were Laura Bryant, E. D. Button and Prof. C. H. Myers, of Cornell University.
F. E. W.
was well selected and sure to include something new to Montrealers.
Notes.
Merlin Davies, tenor, has been engaged as adjudicator of the festivals to be held in South Wales this summer and is asked to give a series of recitals in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
Ethel Denault, contralto, was enthusiastically applauded at her concert held at the Ritz-Carlton. Mary Izard, violinist, assisted and Mr. Blair was the accompanist.
Three French artists who have been here for a few months, Mme. Amaldu-Jacquet, harpist; Jose Delaquerriere, tenor, and Maurice Jacquet, pianist, went to Quebec and to Ottawa where they gave concerts with great success.
A concert was held in the St. Sulpice Hall at which part of the score of a new opera, Soeru-Beatrix, by Alfred Lali-berte, a Montrealer, was given a first hearing. Henri Prieur, tenor, sang the romance. The other soloists were Mildred Silverman and Annette Decarie, pianists.
Two noted impresarios, J. A. Gauvin, accompanied by Mme. Gauvin and Bernard Laberge, the general manager on this side of the Atlantic for Marcel Dupre, have left for Paris on board the S.S. Paris, which sailed on April 25. Crossing on the same boat were Jacques Thibaud, Alfred
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Photo by F. E. Geister.
RUTH LLOYD KINNEY
CONTRALTO is singing
“KISS IN THE DARK״
and
“LOVE SENDS A LITTLE GIFT OF ROSES”
(Artist Copies on Request)
HARMS, INC.,
62 West 45th St., New York City
Cortot, Pablo Casals, Raymonde Delaunois and a few other music celebrities.
Premonition, a song by Mrs. Devlin, of Montreal, and the words by Beatrice Redpath, also a Montrealer, was sung by'Ethel Denault at a concert she gave lately at the Ritz-Carlton.
A few weeks ago Raoul Duquette, a well known cellist of this city, was the soloist at the Allen Picture Theater.
His Majesty's Canadian Grenadier Guards Band, under the leadership of J. J. Gagnier, is giving twenty-minute concerts every Saturday afternoon at the Imperial Picture Theater.
The Marier Ladies’ Quartet, which sang at the Capitol Theater, did remarkably well.	M. K.
Etta Hamilton Morris’ Artist Pupil in Recital
The third in a series of recitals by artist pupils of Etta Hamilton Morris was given in the Clintonian, Brooklyn, April 25. Mathilda Crisson, soprano soloist of the First Presbyterian Church, Jamaica, sang With Verdure Clad, by Haydn, with fine diction and good style. The trying
MONTREAL HOLDS ITS
FIRST MUSIC FESTIVAL
Calvé, Elman and Russian Opera Attract—Many Fine Concerts by Local Talent Are Heard—Notes
Montreal, Canada, May 2.—Montreal’s first Musical Festival opened at the St. Denis Theater, April 24, under the auspices of the Metropolitan Choral Society. There were more than 500 competitors and $1,000 in prizes, including sixteen gold medals and sixteen silver medals, were awarded. The attendance was unusually large and the audience was very interested. A. S. Vogt, of Toronto, one of the adjudicators, said:
"I am indeed glad to be here at the inauguration of this movement in Montreal. The work may not be all you are looking for in quality and it may be that many able musicians are holding aloof awaiting developments, but, if the same thing happens here that happened in other parts of Canada, you wilt have the finest possible impetus given to music in this city. A movement such as this requires the largest possible support from the public.”
Several of the soprano soloists were excellent and gave a really fine interpretation of Mallinson’s Snowflakes. The young people taking part in the piano solo competition produced some excellent playing. Several of the players displayed a good arm technic. As a whole, the affair has been a success inasmuch as it has brought to the front hitherto undiscovered talent. The trophies and various prizes were awarded Thursday night and the festival was concluded by a grand concert of the first prize winners.
Artist Concerts.
Calvé sang to a crowd of her old admirers wffiich filled the St. Denis Theater on April 12. By the resounding applause and the vehemence of the demand for encores it was evident that once more she was a conqueror. Louis Bourdon, impresario, deserves all the thanks he received and more for the privilege he procured for Montrealers.. The accompanist, Yvonne Dienne, offered some pleasing piano selections.
A recital by Mischa Elman held in the St. Denis Theater, was another popular and appreciated event. The hall was filled and seats on the platform had to be provided to accommodate the crowd. He gave several encores among which was Schubert-Wilhelmj’s Ave Maria, received with thunderous applause. Louis H. Bourdon was the manager.
Chamber Music Enjoyed.
A concert which received much favorable comment was given by the Chamberland String Quartet in the Ritz-Carlton. The members are Albert Chamberland, Norman Herschorn, Eugene Chartier and Raoul Duquette. Eva Plouffe-Stopes, pianist, assisted. Bernard Laberge is now the manager.
Russian Opera Returns Upon Request.
At the urgent request of the public the Russian Grand Opera Company gave Montreal a second engagement of two weeks at the St. Denis Theater which closed on April 22 with The Czar’s Bride. Ina Bourskaya as Lubasha was guest artist. She also sang the name part in two performances of Carmen. Emma Mirovitch as Pique Dame had a great success and Nina Gusieva as Rachel, in La Juive, was much admired. J. A. Gauvin was the local manager.
Repetition of Canadian Oratorio.
The New Canadian oratorio, Jean le Precurseus (St. John the Baptist), by the late Guillaume Couture, was given a second hearing in the St. Denis Theater for the benefit of the Incurables’ Hospital. There were several changes in the cast. Dr. Verschelden, of this city, replacing Leon Rothier, who created the title role, interpreted the part in a masterly fashion. The other soloists were Fabiola Poirier, Miss Cabana, Miss Asselin, Henri Priéur and H. Gautier who repeated their former success. Most of the soloists are pupils of Salvator Issaurel, formerly of l'Opera Comique of Paris and now professor of this city.
Windsor Hotel Entertains Guests Musically,
Large audiences attend the free concerts held every Sunday evening in the Rose Room of the Windsor Hotel and organized by the management of this hotel. To these are invited guests, friends and many musical people of the city. The best local talent has been secured such as Dr. Ver-schalden, Merlin Davies, Cedia Brault, Germain Lefebvre, Emile Clossey, Harry Salter and others.
Local Organizations in Commendable Concerts.
Because only a favored few knew of their work it was almost a surprise to many of the audience which filled the Channing Hall when George H. Brewer, pianist; Saul Brant, violinist, and Boris Hambourg, cellist, gave a concert of chamber music. The work was most satisfying and the ensemble so good that all the critics were unanimous in their approval.
The Apollo Glee Club Male Choir and the Elgar Women’s Choir for the first time gave a joint program including numbers sung separately and together. The conducting was divided between B. E. Chadwick, of the Apollos, and Dajvid Eustace Key, director of the Elgars. Incidental solios were given by Mrs. T. F. Kirkland and H. Fraser Gutherie. The accompanists were Mrs. Chadwick and Geprge Brewer.
The annual recital by Stanley Gardner, pianist, was held in ;the ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton on April 17 and attracted an appreciative audience. His program as always
LUCA
Baritone of tine Metropolitan Opera Co.
TOUR THROUGH TO PACIFIC COAST IN OCTOBER
Management: R. E. JOHNSTON L. C. Breid and Paul Longone—Associates 1451 Broadway, New York, N. Y.
KNABE PIANO
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