DO MUSICAL COURIER IHctnuK Stirff c*00 C*־D C.JTO 0*0 “The Artist Stieff” is one of the few. musical instruments still made according to the fine old art of piano building. The “Stieff Tone” is famous with the artists of three generations. It is the voice of the Stieff alone. It is inimitable. \(Send for the new catalog.) Baltimore Maryland CHAS. M. STIEFF, Inc. Established 1842 Mr. and Mrs. John C. O’Connell gave a dinner party .to Signor Schipa at their home, the other guests being Dora Sternfeld (pianist-teacher), Father Campodonico (composer of liturgical music), Mr. Burke (secretary to Schipa), John Proctor Mills (poet-musician) and Mrs. O’Connell’s sister. By request Mary Frances O’Connell sang Hage-man’s At the Well and a song by La Forge (playing her own accompaniments) and Depuis le Jour (from Charpen-tier’s Louise) and Pale Moon, by Logan, with Mr. Mills at the piano. Signor Schipa predicts a brilliant future for Miss O’Connell, who is a pupil of Maria de Santy Riedel. Schipa requested Mr. Mills to play his setting of the old Italian poem, Caro Mio Ben. So pleased was he with this new setting that he complimented the composer very highly and requested a copy of the song for his repertory. He has asked permission to set Affinity, a poem by Mr. Mills, to music. . The Shrine Jollies was a great success this year, bringing forth much splendid talent. The Old Ship Chorus Choir under the direction of Oscar Earle Saffold, with Marguerite Mayberry at the organ, gave a fine program of church music from the fourteenth, sixteenth, eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The soloists were Mrs. W. M. Kelley, S. Clayton, Oscar Saffold, Douglas Mills, L. W. Adams and Kate Breeding. This is the leading Negro choir of this city. Galli-Curci appeared in a varied program at the Municipal Auditorium, April 27. Her popularity was again attested when she graciously responded to encore after encore. Homer Samuels was well received and his song Pierrot brought him great applause. M. Berenguer, flautist, gave several solo numbers (among them Autumn Leaves A'Whirl by Samuels) and played several obligatos. Bessie L. Eilenberg, Lily Byron Gill and Kate Boothe are to be heartily congratulated for their splendid concert course this season and assured of a continued support by their season ticket holders and other music patrons. This was the last of a series of eight concerts. Edna Walgrove Wilson, of the vocal department at Alabama Woman’s College, sang at Forest Avenue Methodist Church, recently. Galli-Curci and Homer Samuels told the writer of having received a copy of a new Negro dialect song, Ah’s See’d Er Callicker Mule, music by E. Edwin Crerie of Tulsa, Okla., and were delighted to learn that the poem was written right here in Montgomery by John Proctor Mills. The singer assured Mr. Mills that she was going to use the song pronounced it the best of the season. Election of officers took place at the annual meeting. Charles Cushman, who has been the director, claimed that lack of time compelled his resignation. The directorship was offered to Louis D. Gates, who declined also on account of pressing business affairs. The matter of selecting a director was then left in the hands of the Executive Committee. F. G. Railey is president; A. J. Myers, vice president; E. T. Clark, secretary; L. E. Stevens and A. F. Warriner, librarians; E. W. Bebinger and Phelps Hopkins, historians. Social Committee, D. E. Sheehan, W. L. Sevenson, F. G. Railey. Voice Committee, M. F. Manning, J. R. Shane, Lewis Morre and A. F. Warriner. Music Committee, W. L. Stone, L. A. Warner and W. L. Jennings. Mana Zucca entertained a section of Mrs. L. B. Salford's piano class at a music party. All pupils played Arabesque, by Mana Zucca, who gave prizes as follows: (older students) first prize, June Johnson; second prize, Clara Cohen; third prize, Ruth Williamson; (younger students) first prize, Sidney Christie; second prize, Doris Cromer; third prize, Berthold Shoenberg. Of special interest was the playing of Irwin Gindin, seven year old prodigy, who is studying with Mana Zucca. His selections were Etude (Czerny) and Gypsy Rondo (Haydn). A leading musical event was a production of The Holy City, by Gaul, under the direction of Charles Cushman. Soloists were Dorothy Stearns Mayer, soprano ; Beatrice MacCue, contralto ; Allan Carr, tenor; J. E. Rose, baritone. Assisting were Annie Ellis Fowler, Mrs. Charles Cushman and Mary Sutter. The White Temple Choir of fifty voices also showed splendid training. Amy Davis presided at the piano and Gertrude Baker played the organ. The members of the Cardinal Club assisted other organizations in celebrating the eightieth birthday of Carrie Sears. Ida Duncan presented birthday greetings in the form of a poem. The Cardinal Club was founded by Grace Porterfield Polk and embraces members of seventy-five years and older. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Briggs entertained the Miami Music Club with a garden musicale at their Brickell avenue residence, in honor of the president, Grace Porterfield Polk. L. B. S. Montgomery, Ala., May 2.—Tito Schipa spent several days in this city recently, when a share of his time was spent in composition. He is writing a musical comedy as yet unnamed which contains many catchy melodies as played for the Musical Courier's representative. May 2 4 , 1 9 2 3 Theater, April 19 and 20. A fine array of vocal talent has been selected by Robert Bullen, conductor, and under his careful direction has attained a high degree of excellence in performance. The interesting choral numbers were supplemented by solo numbers by A. Rollo, bass; Harry Cole, tenor; Hector Duggan and J. P. Marsh, basses; Robert Thompson, tenor; J. C. Collins, violinist; C. Bell, cornetist, and C. H. Harper, pianist. The pupils ■of Mrs. Fossum gave a recital at the Fossum Conservatory, April 15. Those appearing were Lawrance McCarger, Ellenor Tracy, Margaret Ritchie, Elsie Well-band, Helen Rose, Una Richardson, Jennie Bell, Winnifred Bishop, Orda Swan, May Caldwell, Margaret Prasow, Lucille Barber, Freddie Fisher, Marion Flynn, Beatrice Muir, Lottie Allan, Izette Foster, Hazel Colter, Kitty Heath, Barbara Claxton and Irene Simpson. On April 8, Mr. Fossum presented the following members of his piano classes: Ella McCombs, Alice Knight, Mar- garet Waugh, Mary Minor, Lucienne Dube, Anna Minor, Margaret Wyatt, Edna Minor, Joseph Spivack, Sadie Prasow, Doris Brooks, Florence McCombs, Bertha Carlson, Violet Silver, Margaret Bell, Mrs. George Esmond-White, Ota Knight, Isabel Stewart, Frances McCandie,. Rose Prasow, Greta McCombs, Jake Silver, Doris Appleton, Helen T. Morrison, Bella Grand, Merrill Woodruff, Mrs. J. S. Macleod and Mr. A. Hulbert. M. G. E. Memphis, Tenn., May 1.—The customary sold-out house greeted Galli-Curci in the final concert sponsored by the Cortese Brothers. Her glorious voice, together with her charming personality, scored a big hit. Sharing honors with the singer were Homer Samuels, whose excellent accompaniments and compositions are always So much enjoyed, and Manuel Berenguer, flutist, who gave two solos. The enthusiasm of the reception given Galli-Curci was a tribute to her art and herself. She generously gave encore after encore. The fourth and last of the series of recitals given by the Municipal Symphony Orchestra for the season 1922-23 was given at the Lyric Theater. Joseph Henkel, director, has proven that Memphis has a real orchestra and the demonstrations of approval and enthusiam with which he was greeted was indeed gratifying. The season closes with every assurance of no deficit, the generous and fine response from the music-loving public auguring well for a splendid organization next season. A. B. Williams, chairman of the Music Committee of the Chamber of Commerce, has untiringly given his time and service and the success of the work this year has been through, his indefatigable efforts. The assisting artist was Grace Griffith, whose lovely voice was heard in Musetta’s Waltz Song from La Boheme (Puccini), with orchestral accompaniment, and a group of four numbers after which three encores had to be given. The last one of these was Spring is a Lady, words and music by Mrs. Frank Sturm, who so capably assisted at the piano. The musical season of Memphis was brought to a triumphal close at the Lyric Theater when the Beethoven Club presented Beniamino Gigli, the celebrated tenor of the Metropolitan Opera Company. Not in many years, if ever, has any tenor made such a complete conquest of his audience in this city or scored as signally from the artistic standpoint. Mere words and hackneyed descriptive phrases seem meaningless in an attempt to do credit to such a delightful concert. Helen Hobson, soprano, and Wilfred Pelletier assisted on the program. Miss Hobson has a pleasing voice and gave Pace mio Dio from La Forza del Destino (Verdi), and a group of English songs. A delightful surprise was the duet from Cavalleria Rusticana, which was given as the closing number. Mr. Pelletier, who assisted Mr. Gigli at the piano—sharing honors with the two singers—will be remembered as the director of the San Carlo Opera Company, heard earlier in the season. It is interesting to note that the appearance of Gigli in concert in Memphis is the first recital given by this artist outside of New York City. Alexander Gunn, pianist, and Elinor Whittemore, violinist, gave an interesting and enjoyable recital at the Goodwyn Institute in conjunction with the Ampico. Charles Courboin made his second appearance before a Memphis audience recently when he gave an organ recital at St. John’s Methodist Church. An innovation which has met with hearty response is a series of Sunday afternoon recitals given at the Brooks Memorial Art Gallery in Overton Park. The first program was given by Theodor Bohlmann, pianist, and Mrs. James L. McCree, soprano; the second, by Fritz Facher-mann, cellist; Mrs. F. Faehermann, mezzo soprano, and Joseph Henkel, violinist. Last Sunday the Cortese Brothers, Angelo, harpist; Joseph, violinist, and John Ward, flutist, gave the third and last of the series before one of the largest audiences of the season. J. V. D. Miami, Fla., May 2.—The third and last concert of the season by the “Y” Singers was a great success and many Available for concert appearances in America Entire Season of 1923-1924 Booked Exclusively Through the Mischa Elman Concert Direction MAX ENDICOFF, Manager 728-729 Aeolian Hall New York STEINWAY PIANO VICTOR RECORDS MISCHA ELMAN Celebrateci Violinist Coloratura Soprano with Metropolitan Opera Company Exclusive Management: R. E. JOHNSTON L. G. Breid and Paul Longone, Associates 1451 Broadway New York City Suzanne Keener “PRINCE OF THE RECITALISTS” Management: EVANS & SALTER 506 Harriman National Bank Bldg. Fifth Avenue and 44th Street. New York Mason & Hamlin Piano Used Victor Records TITO SCHIPA Photo © Lumiere, N. Y.