Books › Musical Courier 1927-04-28: Vol 94 Iss 17, 1927 › scan 23
Scan 23
Musical Courier 1927-04-28: Vol 94 Iss 17, 1927
46 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026. Printed page 24. See the scan on archive.org.
1Northwestern University (Evanston), under P. C. Lutkin, assisted in the program.
3SATURDAY—LEGISLATION AND FINANCE
4There was a Church Music breakfast at eight o'clock Saturday, at which Dr. Boyd led a round-table discussion on Sunday School Music. Reports of the departments of finance and legislation preceded the musical program. Choral societies contributed a great part of the music at this biennial. The Choral Society of the Woman's Club of Columbus (O), under the direction of Charlotte Gaines, appeared Saturday morning in a program made up of numbers by composers essentially identified with Ohio music through past or present activity and featuring Samuel Richard Gaines. Other composers represented were Gladys Pettit Bunstead, Joseph Clokey, and Oley Speaks. The program was well sung and played by the accompanist, two violinists and a cellist.
6In her most artistic fashion, Monica Graham Stults sang numbers by Sachs, Grey, and Lily Strickland's charming Songs From the High Hills. Mrs. Stults' beautiful soprano rang out clear and true and her exquisite rendition of her songs delighted the listeners.
8Had not Rudolph Reuter begged indulgence for an indisposition due to the "flu," one would not have known he was not his usual self, for he played with verve and precision and ease. The Ten Bagatelles by Tcherepnine were especially well set forth, as were the Busoni Christmas Eve, Whitborne's Pell Street and the Rubinstein Etude in C. His listeners were most enthusiastic in their approval.
10Another chorus—the Philharmonic Choral of the Amateur Musical Club of Peoria (Ill.), under Kenneth M. Stead's direction, contributed to the Saturday afternoon program, during which the prize three-part women's chorus, Slumber Songs of the Madonna by May A. Strong, was rendered by the Lyric Ensemble of the Chicago Artists' Association.
12JEANNETTE COX
14DAYTON WESTMINSTER CHOIR
15As a fitting tribute to the Federation, on Sunday afternoon, April 24, the Dayton Westminster Choir, under the leadership of its regular conductor, John Finley Williamson, gave a complimentary concert to the delegates through the courtesy of Mrs. H. E. Talbot of Dayton, Ohio. The Studebaker Theater was packed from pit to dome, and Manager M. H. Hanson looked happy over the reception given the choir he manages so well. The forty singers had been well prepared for the concert and the program brought out several novelties. Palestrina, Lotti and Brahms were the composers represented in the first group. Of the first, Hodie Christus, natus est, a Christmas motet for double chorus, showed the choir in excellent form as to intonation and beauty of tone, and indeed throughout the program the choristers did not deviate from true pitch, nor did they resort to shouting to gain effects even in fortissimos. Taught to sing beautifully, they displayed that quality especially in Lotti's Crucifixus. In this number, as in all the others, the voices blended as one and the basses and baritones did not overshadow the tenors, nor did the sopranos try at any time to outshine their sisters of the lower range. Brahms' Fifty-first Psalm, which concluded the first group, was another example of perfection as to phrasing, ensemble, clear enunciation and homogeneity of thought between conductor and choristers. It was impossible to hear the balance of the program, which comprised two numbers by F. Melius Christiansen, the first performance of God is a Spirit, by David Hugh Jones, and Samuel Richard Gaines' The Lord's Prayer, and numbers by Harvey Gaul, Frederick Hall, Peter Lutkin and Clarence Dickinson. The concert given by the Dayton Westminster Choir reflected a great deal of credit upon its leader, Mr. Williamson, and in his superb cohorts of young singers. They won added fame not only for themselves and Dayton, but also for their sponsors and Mrs. Talbot. The Dayton Westminster Choir is justly regarded one of the leading choirs in America.
17RENE DEVRIES.
19THE CELLO PRIZE
20There was some mix-up in the awarding of the Federation prize for violoncello solo, and consequently the legitimate winning composition had to be performed on Saturday afternoon, a day later than that which received first honor under a wrong light. To begin with, the judges found it very difficult to decide to whom the prize should go. Louis Victor Saar or Franz Kuschan. The award was finally given Saar's Sonata for Violoncello and Piano, but it was later discovered that Saar had previously won a composition competition of the N. F. M. C. and thereby was disqualified to enter again. Claiming not to have read the rules, Saar was not willing to relinquish the prize to Kuschan, and thus the Chamade Club came forth with a like amount ($100) for Saar, but the Federation lived up to its rules and accorded the N. F. M. C. first prize to Kuschan for his Concerto for Violoncello. With the assistance of Mrs. Beatrice Kuschan, the composer played his number at the Saturday afternoon session.
22MRS. EDGAR STILLMAN KELLEY RE-ELECTED
23As was expected, Mrs. Edgar Stillman Kelley was unanimously re-elected president of the National Federation of Music Clubs. Mrs. William Arms Fisher, of Boston, remains the first vice-president; Mrs. E. J. Ottaway, of Port Huron, Mich., second vice-president, and Mrs. Abbie L. Snoddy of Mexico, Mo., treasurer. The new third vice-president is Mrs. J. A. Jardine, of Fargo; recording secretary, Mrs. T. C. Donovan, of Pittsburgh; and corresponding secretary, Margaret Haas, of Jacksonville, Fla.
25NEXT BIENNIAL AT BOSTON
26In all probability Boston will harbor the delegates of the 1929 biennial.
28BANQUET
29The biennial banquet in the Gold Room of the Congress Hotel brought several interesting speakers, and the most important announcement made by Mrs. Kelley was to the effect that through its penny crusade and other sources the Federation had raised almost $12,000, which will bring over $50,000 to the MacDowell Fund.
31Other programs will be reported next week.
33CONVENTION NOTES
34Although we were told at the beginning of the convention that no arrangements whatever had been made for the press at the various luncheons and dinners, we discovered to our surprise before the week was over that there were press tables at practically all of them!
36Mrs. Edmund J. Tyler, a little woman as to stature, had a giant's task on her shoulders as general chairman of the local committee. Mrs. Tyler is state president of the Illinois Federation of Music Clubs.
38Mrs. Rowland Leach was an able local chairman at the Past Presidents' Assembly frolic. She was most charming to disgruntled delegates who had not secured tickets early enough to attend, and made it possible for them to take part in the festivities.
40The display room was unfortunately situated in the Florentine Room, which was a few steps up from the elevators and entirely off the "line of march." Consequently very few of the many delegates and visitors found their way in there, where the various music publishers, piano houses and music papers had costly displays. The Musical Courier display was at 820-830 Orchestra Building, where we received many delegates, prominent artists and managers throughout the week.
42JEANNETTE COX.
44Reengagements for Walter Mills
45Walter Mills was guest soloist on April 12 for the Matinee Musical Club of Philadelphia. There were encores after the first two groups of numbers, and after the third Mr. Mills was obliged to add another group before the audience would permit him to conclude his part of the program. The baritone has been equally well received everywhere he has appeared this season, and as a result he has been booked for many reengagements. The success of the Philadelphia concert was so pronounced that it brought a request to sing the following Sunday evening at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Edward T. Stotesbury of Chestnut Hill.
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