Books › Musical Courier 1927-04-28: Vol 94 Iss 17, 1927 › scan 22
Scan 22
Musical Courier 1927-04-28: Vol 94 Iss 17, 1927
49 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026. Printed page 23. See the scan on archive.org.
1rected by Francis Gaffney; and various numbers by sixth grade pupils, the Nicholas Senn High School Chorus, and the Lane Technical High School Orchestra.
3At the educational luncheon in the Balloon Room of the Congress, Mrs. Frank A. Seiberling presiding, addresses were made by Charles N. Boyd on Why the Course of Study; by Otto Miessner on The Advantages of Class Piano Instruction, and by Herbert Witherspoon on Music as a Vital Factor in General Education. In the afternoon there was the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's concert, which is reviewed elsewhere.
5YOUNG ARTISTS' CONTEST FINALS
6Chicago carried off the honors in the finals of the National Federation of Music Clubs young artists' contest at Eighth Street Theater, Wednesday evening, with two first and one second prize winners. Boston had two first winners. First prize in the female voice contest was awarded Kathryn Witwer of Chicago, with Hilda Burke of Baltimore (Md.) a close second. William Levitt of Chicago took first place in the violin contest, with Helen Berlin of Philadelphia second. The piano first prize was given Hazel Hallett of Boston, and the second to Ethel Flentye of Chicago. The male voice prize was awarded to James Houghton of Boston and second place to Robert Wiedefeld of Baltimore. The judges were unable to agree on first place for the National Opera Club prize for female voice and thus the result was a tie between Miss Witwer and Miss Burke.
8The prizes, which are contributed by the Past Presidents' Assembly of the National Federation of which Mrs. Wm. Arms Fisher is the able national chairman, were awarded at the Frolic and supper on Thursday night. First place winners received five hundred dollars each, and winners of second place, one-hundred and fifty dollars each, at the hands of Mrs. Kelley. The National Opera Club of America prize was presented by no other than its distinguished founder and president, Baroness Katharine Evans Von Klemmer, who informed the recipients that this prize was not only for one thousand dollars (or five-hundred dollars to each winner) but also carried additional emoluments. These include an audition at the Metropolitan Opera House, a debut with the Chicago Civic Opera Company, appearances with the San Carlo Opera Company and Rochester Opera Company. The National Broadcasting Company of New York offers to the winner in the four classes an individual recital in New York City next fall between October and January with all expenses included and an opportunity to broadcast with remuneration. The winner of the piano contest is invited to go to New York to make a Welte-Mignon record, all expenses paid.
10STUDENTS' CONTEST AND OTHER PRIZES
11The students' contest finals on Tuesday afternoon and evening resulted as follows: piano, Rita Breault of Pawtucket (R. I.); violin, tie between Harold Bernhardt of Kansas City (Mo.) and Emily Dow of Seattle (Wash.); male voice, Allen Stewart of Parsons (Kans.), and female voice, Ocie Higgins of Indianapolis (Ind.).
13The prize and banner for the state having the largest percentage of clubs sending singing delegates to the Biennial went to Wisconsin.
15Mrs. Emerson H. Brush presented a fifty dollar prize to Alabama as the state having gained the biggest percentage of clubs.
17No award was made for a musical setting of Katherine Lee Bates' poem, America the Beautiful. Out of over nine-hundred submitted manuscripts, the judges—Frank Damrosch, of New York; Frederick S. Converse, of Boston; Felix Borowski, of Chicago; and P. C. Lutkin, of Evanston—found none of high enough standard to replace The Star Spangled Banner. Felix Borowski, who read the decision at the Frolic-Supper on Thursday, suggested that the contest be continued for the next two years and an additional $500 be added to make the prize $1000. According to Mrs. William Arms Fisher, chairman of the Past Presidents' Assembly, this will be carried out.
19The greater part of the Friday afternoon program was devoted to the performance of prize winning compositions. Gertrude Ross, prominent American composer, acted as chairman of the afternoon and gave a short talk on what the association is doing in an effort to help American composers. Gustave Strube's trio for violin, cello and piano, which won the $200 prize tendered the Federation by the Kansas City Music Club, was given an interesting reading by Louis Victor Saar, piano; Milan Lusk, violinist, and Goldie Gross, cellist.
21The Federation prize song, Swans, by Edith Lobdell Reed of Evanston, received the $100 prize offered by Mrs. J. R. Custer, the Chicago philanthropist, and was also given a hearing on Friday.
23Louis Victor Saar's sonata won the Federation prize for violoncello solo—$100 given by the St. Cecilia Society of Grand Rapids (Mich.). Beulah Rosine, Chicago cellist, and the composer gave it a worthy rendition.
25Slumber Songs of the Madonna, by May A. Strong of Evanston (Ill.) was awarded the $500 prize for a three-part women's chorus, offered by the Theodore Presser Estate. It received its performance on Saturday at the hands of the Lyric Ensemble of the Chicago Artists' Association under the direction of William Lester.
27There was not time for sufficient rehearsals on any of the prize competitions and it does not seem fair to judge them under these conditions.
29THURSDAY, EXTENSION DAY
30The musical program for Thursday morning was rendered by the Eurydice Club of Toledo (O.), under the leadership of Zella B. Sand. In a well arranged program the choristers sang effectively and gave pleasure to the many delegates on hand.
32The extension luncheon at the new Hotel Stevens included talks by Mrs. John F. Lyons, past national president, on the Part Taken by Women in American Musical Progress; Henry Purmont Eames, on The Mission of Music, and Oscar J. Fox, of the University of Texas, who was assisted by Dean Harold L. Butler of Syracuse University in the presentation of a group of his American Cow-boy songs. Though suffering from a cold, Dean Butler set forth the songs with telling effect.
34In the afternoon a real treat was afforded by the Philadelphia Wizards, a harmonica band under the direction of Albert N. Hoxie. A marvelous band of boys who certainly know how to manipulate the harmonica!
36PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL OPERA CLUB AND THE TWO WINNERS OF THE N. O. C. PRIZE
37Left to right: Hilda Burke, of Baltimore, Md.; Baroness Von Klemmer, president of the National Opera Club, and Kathryn Witwer, of Chicago. Miss Witwer won first prize in the N. F. M. C. vocal (female) contest, and tied for the National Opera Club prize of $1000 which was divided between them. (P. & A. Photo.)
39Falstaff is reviewed in another part of this issue.
41FRIDAY, AMERICAN MUSIC DAY
42A most enjoyable feature of the Friday morning program was the Dai Buell Causerie concert. To begin with, Miss Buell has a charming personality and gains the favor of her listeners immediately. Her clever little talk before her numbers adds much to their enjoyment. She was heard in a group comprising Schumann's Papillons, Scriabin's Etude and the Bach Siciliano, in which her many pianistic qualifications were brought out in fine display. Each number received an exquisite rendition and earned the full approval of the audience. Following Miss Buell came Vernon Williams, tenor, whose singing of a group by O'Hara, Haydn, Gior-dano and Pierre was heartily applauded. The Sioux Falls Augustana College Choir, directed by Carl R. Youngdahl, offered a group. A demonstration of Class Piano Teaching by Helen Curtis closed the morning session.
44The Beethoven Centennial program, to have been given by Frederic Freemantle, tenor, and Lillian Ginrich, soprano, failed to materialize. Edith M. Rhetts, educational director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, spoke on The Need of the Hour and demonstrated her talk with slides on Beethoven. Helen Cahoon, scheduled for a group of soprano solos, was replaced by Esther Muensterman, a Chicago contralto.
46All the way from Portland (Ore.) came the MacDowell Club Chorus and gave one of the finest exhibitions of beautiful choral singing of the meeting. William H. Boyer, director, certainly has his forces well trained and well in hand. In Mrs. Louis W. Pennington the chorus has an admirable soloist, for she possesses a soprano voice of rare quality and uses it tastefully.
48Dr. Charles N. Boyd, who has led all the ensemble "sings" by the singing delegates, conducted the Biennial Massed Chorus in a splendid concert at the Eighth Street Theater Friday evening. Happy indeed is the National Federation of Music Clubs to have such an expert chorus leader as its official director. Under his leadership the chorus did itself proud on Friday evening. The A Capella Choir of
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