Sixty Years of California Song Part 12

The general committee of this grand festival was composed of musicians and singers and directors of various musical organizations. They were as follows:

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

A.M. Benham, Samuel D. Mayer, Wendell Eastern, Sumner W.

Bugbee, manager.

GENERAL COMMITTEE

Business Men--Geo. E. Barnes, Geo. Brown, Wm. G. Badger, Quincy A. Chase, John T. Coe, James Denman, W.P. Edwards, Jr., Samuel C. Gray, Jas. E. Gordon, M. Gray, Robt. T.

Harrison, F.A. Harnden, L.K. Hammer, August Hunme, Col. J.P.

Jackson, G.S. Johnson, M.A. Kennedy, Andrew Kohler, Warren Leland, S.H. Long.

Musicians--H.M. Bosworth, C.L. Crabtree, John P. Morgan, Wm.

Fletcher, Geo. J. Gee, Ernest Hartmann, H. Heyman, R.

Herold, H.O. Hunt, W.H. Kinross, D.W. Loring, Fred Lyster, W.J. McDougal, Charles McCurrie, H.L. Mansfeldt, E. Pique, Geo. H. Powers, Martin Schultz, Prof. Sleanter, Charles Schultz, G.A. Scott.

Singers--W.C. Campbell, Chas. Dugan, Wash. Elliott, D.P.

Hughes, F.A. Hyde, Alf. Kelleher, S.W. Leach, Carl Formes, G. Mancusi, D.W.C. Nesfield, I. Stadtfeldt, M.S. Stimson, J.E. Tippett, Jos. Trenkle, Wm. Toepke, H.T. Todd, John Trehane, David Wilder, D.L. Wetherbee, Jas. L. Wilson, Asa R. Wells, R.L. Thurston, D. Van Vleck, E.C. Mastin, Gen.

John McComb, D.W. Murphy, Jos. O'Connor, Frank M. Pixley, H.H. Pierson, W.E. Price, J.B. Russell, John A. Rice, L.S.

Sherman, Henry T. Scott and H.S. Smith.

BOUQUET OF ARTISTS

Soprano--Mrs. Marriner-Campbell, Mrs. W.C. Little, Mrs.

Lizzie P. Howell, Mrs. J.M. Pierce, Mrs. Douglas Saunders, Miss Mary E. Wadsworth, Mrs. R.A. Van Brunt, Mrs. Ella Segar Lamphere, Miss Lita Farrar, Mrs. Urig, Mrs. M.P. Waldron, Miss Annie Ribbons, Mrs. Martin Schultz, Miss Flora McKinney (Napa), Mrs. John P. Morgan, Mrs. Clara McCheney, Mrs. H.E.

w.i.l.l.y, Mrs. May Banta.

Altos--Mrs. Blake-Alverson, Mrs. T.M. Clement, Mrs. J.F.

Cooper (Sacramento), Mrs. Carter (Sacramento), Mrs. Geo. W.

Drew (Sacramento), Mrs. Snow (Sacramento), Miss Ida Beutler, Miss Emma Beutler, Mrs. Wm. Fletcher, Miss Belle Thomas, Mrs. Chas. King, Mrs. S. Rightmire, Mrs. Withrow, Mrs.

Chisholm, Miss Kate Stone, Miss Millar, Mrs. Ella Steele-Brown and Mrs. Adelaide Reuter.

Tenors--Ben Clark, John Trehune, D.P. Hughes, Harry Gates, Samuel D. Mayer, Geo. W. Jackson, W.N. Otey, E.C. Masten, Dr. Geo. H. Powers, J.E. Tippett, Dr. A.M. Wilder, C.L.

Crabtree, Wash. Elliott, J.L. Skinner (Sacramento), Robt.

Burns (Arcata) and W.E. Price.

Ba.s.s--J.W. Yarndley, J.E. Blake, Wm. P. Edwards, Jr., R.

Jansen, Chas. Dugan, D.W.C. Nesfield, G. Nathanson, G.

Mancusi, Phillip Jones, Charles E. Holbrook, E. Pique, Walter C. Campbell, Carl Formes, W.H. Kinross and Jacob Stadfeldt.

In addition to our many fine singers, the committee secured from the East as director the well-known and popular leader, Carl Zerrahn.

Negotiations were made with the most celebrated singers of the East, and among those to come were: Myron W. Whitney, ba.s.s; Miss Anna Drasdil, contralto; Mrs. Helen Ames Billings, soprano; Mrs. Clark, soprano, and Mr. Fessenden, tenor. With the a.s.sistance of these strangers and local artists that could be depended upon for solo work, everything looked auspicious for the festival. Rehearsals began immediately. Our parts were a.s.signed to us. For the first concert the bouquet of artists sang Spirit Immortal (Verdi), and s.e.xtette, Chi Mi Frena (Donizetti); second concert, Sleepers, Awake (Mendelssohn), male chorus; The Soldier's Farewell; Anvil Chorus, full orchestra, anvils, artillery, etc.; third concert, Inflammatus, Mrs. Marriner, soloist, bouquet of artists and grand chorus; Spirit Immortal repeated; Chi Mi Frena repeated; America, Hallelujah Chorus; Star Spangled Banner.

The solos of chorus numbers were sung by our local soloists. While the Eastern singers were excellent, they found out that in California there were also artists to be respected, as did the distinguished leader, Carl Zerrahn, when he began the rehearsals. He had nothing but the highest praise for the fine musicians he found in this section.

Before this great gathering of singers and people came to an end, there was still another concert as a farewell tribute to the strangers. It took place in the Grand Opera house and proved to be a grand finale to this successful musical undertaking. Every seat in the opera house was taken. The soloists were at their best; the choruses grand and inspiring and full of animation. The orchestral numbers were all new. The bouquet of artists sang their concerted pa.s.sage from Lucia even better than on the former occasions.

Besides these concerts there was also a promenade concert at the Pavilion for the numerous visitors from the interior cities and 2,000 availed themselves of the opportunity. There was also an afternoon concert by 3,000 children under the baton of Prof. Mansfeldt, and on Monday night the sacred concert with portions of Elijah and the choice numbers of the previous concerts was successfully given, and the musical festival of 1878 pa.s.sed into history.

Since the chorus played so prominent a part in this festival season, it would be well to add also a tribute of thanks to these singers of the city and interior delegations who came at the call of the director, Sumner Bugbee, in splendid numbers, showing that all the cities of the state made music a prominent factor. The number of singers who took part in the first day's performance was 1,800. The following were the places from which the choruses were drawn, with the number from each, together with the names of directors:

Bouquet of artists (50), Carl Zerrahn, director; Handel and Haydn society (453), J.P. Morgan, director; George Gee's cla.s.s (100); Jackson's Glee club (165), G.W. Jackson, director; Apollo Glee club (95), Martin Schultz, director; Sacramento (60), J. McNiell and Chas. Winters, directors; San Rafael (24), R.M. Bosworth, director; Oakland Harmonic (165), J.P. Morgan, director; Oakland Orpheus (80), J.W.

McDougall, director; Oakland High School (81), H.J. Todd, director; Healdsburg and Santa Rosa (41); San Jose (60), Z.M. Parvin, director; Gilroy (12), Prof. Johnson, director; Merced (2), San Juan (2), Eureka (24), J. Hetherington, director; Rocklin (4), Salinas (24), W.J. McCoy, director; Diamond Springs (26), M.R. Griffiths, director; Woodland (24), C.E. Pinkham, director; Suisun (18), D.R. Stockman, director; Stockton (26), E.W. Elliott, director; Portland (17), Prof. Morse, director; Soquel (14), T.S. Tartton, director; Modesto (21), W.H. Franzini, director; Sonoma (3), Santa Barbara (7), G.H. Young, director; San Diego (17), E.D. Blackner, director; San Buena Ventura (9), Max Eiderline, director; Vacaville (15), Theo. Ritzner, director; Nevada City (10), Visalia (8), Prof. Hirsch, director; Oregon (22), and many individual singers of no society.

[Ill.u.s.tration:

John P. Morgan Oakland

Carl Zerrahn Boston

Rudolf Herold San Francisco

MUSICAL DIRECTORS OF THE MAY FESTIVAL

San Francisco, 1878]

It was a pity that after all this success there should come an aftermath of unhappy, unpaid singers and players who were unable to realize a farthing from their splendid work. Mr. Bugbee slipped quietly out of the city, Mr. Kinross sailed on the Portland steamer, Mr. Benham disappeared, as did also Mr. Easton. The concerts certainly paid a splendid profit, but expenses and high salaries of these men ate up the expected profits. Everything was carried out with a lavish hand and Mr. Bugbee, with all his promises, did not fulfill them as by contract. I do not know what the other soloists' losses were, but my portion was to be $150 for three days, carriages, etc.

After the concert in the opera house I never saw Mr. Bugbee, although I made every effort to do so. He was lost to San Francisco forever. A number of years after all this trouble I saw a notice of his death in a southern city. Carl Zerrahn was the only one who benefited by his coming and he returned home with $2,500 in his pockets, a gold medal, laurel wreath and embossed letters of appreciation from the musicians of California. I never knew how settlement was made with the managers and the Eastern artists. It is my opinion they received nothing and were obliged to return on their own expenses. The papers were full of sarcasm and by-play upon the names of the prominent men who had the matter in hand. "Charles Stoddard, our poet, had his genius completely crushed under the $20 that he did not receive for his work." The San Francisco Chronicle said further: "In the meantime, the present creditors are singing with much vim the Oweratoweriwoe of the Gotterdammerung."

Laying all jokes aside, it was a great event. It would give the reader only a faint idea of the ma.s.s of humanity to express its size merely by so many thousands. The spectator looking down upon it from some upper seat of the boundless gallery of the choral amphitheater saw an awe-inspiring scene. People in numbers almost as great as the standing army of the United States were packed so closely together that all individuality was lost, and the pulsating aggregate looked like the exposed and mottled back of some submerged sea monster. Between the parts of the programme the combined hum of ten thousand voices floated upon the air like the deep boom of the surf on the seash.o.r.e. When the raised seats were well filled in the vast gallery the graduation was lost to the eye, and the whole presented a plane surface as rich in coloring as if it had been a hanging of rarely worked tapestry. The main floor was one solid ma.s.s of female loveliness and manly worth.

There were national dignitaries on a visit to the coast, state dignitaries from Sacramento, city dignitaries and nature's n.o.blemen from all over the country at large. The amiable and heavily bearded countenance of Governor Irwin was conspicuous in one of the boxes. The buxom and benign countenance of Mayor Bryant, his person clad in a rigorously accurate full dress costume, was not less noticeable. But the ladies! Oh, there began the tempest of the soul of any man who tried to pick out any one who was more pre-eminently attractive than the other. The eye could travel on forever through the boxes from east to west, from Mission street to Market, from the main floor to the roof, and every prospect was pleasing and man was utterly outvied. At half past two the tall and graceful conductor, Carl Zerrahn, arrayed in a black frock coat and a pair of lavender colored trousers, stepped lightly down the gorgeous hill of choristers to the front of the orchestra, made a profound bow to the audience, then turned and raised his baton to the chorus. Instantly the 1,800 rose to their feet with a motion so well timed that it seemed as if the whole south end of the pavilion was rising. As 1,800 scarlet-covered chorus books were hoisted into view, the whole amphitheater seemed aflame as if for an exaggerated incantation scene of Fra Diavolo. Then there was another motion of the baton, with the precision of a machine fifty bows sc.r.a.ped upwards over fifty violins and 150 other instruments, and 1,800 voices burst forth in melody.

[Ill.u.s.tration:

BOUQUET OF ARTISTS

May Festival, San Francisco, 1878]

From 1870 to 1882 it was my custom to go to Gilroy Mineral Springs for my vacation. Many and varied were the programmes we gave there each year, and not an evening of our stay lagged for entertainment. In 1879 I happened to be there at the time of my birthday. There were 150 guests and all entered with zest into a plan to honor me. I was not aware that any one knew of my forty-third birthday, so unconsciously I was doing my utmost to serve the many prominent guests and my friends, George Roop and wife, who were the proprietors of the Springs. Among the guests were: Mr. John F. Merrill and wife, the Misses Dolly and Susie Sroufe, Phil McGovern and party, prominent merchants and families from the neighboring towns of Santa Cruz, San Jose, Gilroy and Monterey, Mr. and Mrs. George A. Smiley and others from San Francisco, Isadore Lazinski of business college fame, the Remillards and Folkers and Cottles and others.

After an early dinner the dining hall was cleared for our entertainment. The room was decorated with ferns and wild flowers, and flags and ribbons streamed in graceful folds. The programme consisted of songs, music of piano, guitar, violin, cla.s.sic and negro melodies, etc. It was after I had given "Sarah Walker's Opinion" that Miss Grace Roop stepped forward and placed a laurel wreath with streaming ribbons floating gracefully from it upon my head, wis.h.i.+ng me a happy birthday.

To my utter surprise, scarcely had she stepped aside when Mrs. Geo.

Smiley of San Francisco came forward and began reading a letter of thanks and congratulations from the guests who had enjoyed the many evenings of entertainment to which I had contributed. She then placed an envelope in my hand containing three $20 bills and one of $5, as a token of regard and appreciation from the guests. After a short speech of thanks and the closing song and chorus of Home, Sweet Home, the eventful day came to its close.

This was one of the many seasons that, away from the cares of life, I gave others who were afflicted with many ills a little brightness of song life. My coming was always heralded a week before, and expectant faces awaited me, knowing I would give entertainment. There was one poor sufferer who never expected to see his home again. On my arrival he was not able to leave his room. Being informed that the singing lady had arrived, he sadly sighed on his pillow, "Then I'll not hear her, as I had hoped." After the second evening Mrs. Roop related the story of the young man who was dying slowly and was so disappointed that he could not hear me sing before he pa.s.sed away. I was touched by this appeal. I soon found four good voices among the guests and we arranged the quartette and practiced together until we could sing with soft effect. After we had entertained the guests for an hour we all marched quietly to the cottage of the young man. The moon was at its height and the time and scene befitting our tribute to the dying soul.

The nurse opened the door quietly. The invalid had fallen asleep in the back room, the moon s.h.i.+ning in at his window in soft light upon his pale face. With voices subdued we began the song of Home, Sweet Home. He talked in his sleep, "Yes, I am coming home." He heard, yet was not enough awake to know the song was sung by earthly voices. At last, with a deep sigh, he awoke and said, "Nurse, I have been called home. Shall I hear her sing before I go?" "Yes, I think so." While he spoke the sign was given and I sang Nearer, My G.o.d, to Thee, with the other voices softly following each verse. "Oh, the angel has come at last." "Listen, she is singing to you," said the nurse. "Hark, is it not the angel voices? Is it real? Then I have heard the heavenly song before I go. Oh, how beautiful it all is and how kind of all these friends to come to me and make me so happy with their song in my last hours on earth. Listen," he whispered. "Still another song for me," he gasped out. Safe in the Arms of Jesus we sang and he was listening intently as his life was ebbing away. As we closed the hymn, Sweetly His Soul Shall Rest, he had crossed the River of Life and nothing remained but the casket, emaciated and cold in death, with the face of a saint and a smile on his silent lips--gone to his eternal rest to hear the music of angelic voices around the Throne of G.o.d. This is the cup of cold water our Savior bade us to give. If the gift of the human voice is sanctified in such work of love, then it is worth while for every one who can sing and has this glorious gift of song to strive for the most beautiful use of it known to the art of tone production so as to bring happiness to the singer and his enwrapt listeners, be they young or old, rich or poor, sick or dying, in the sanctuary or for the bridal rejoicings. Vitiate not this gift with the lower thought of the art of singing. Strive for the highest ideals and your happiness will be tenfold greater.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

AUTHORS' CARNIVAL, 1880, PRESIDENT HAYES AND GENERAL SHERMAN PRESENT

The grand Authors' Carnival given for the a.s.sociated Charities of San Francisco, October 18 to October 28, 1880, can well be cla.s.sed as the crowning effort of anything attempted upon so large a scale. If there are still living in San Francisco auditors of the wonderful performance given by the 2000 partic.i.p.ants who were enlisted in the great work they will corroborate my statement. The wealthy women who managed these homes financially, were also the officers of them and had called for aid. It was so beautiful to see the spirit of these people in completing the arrangements for this carnival. Meetings were held weekly until their plans had matured and it was agreed unanimously that the Booths of All Nations should be featured with the princ.i.p.al works of the world's greatest writers. Charles Crocker was chosen as treasurer. The books were selected and the booths received their names from the author of the books. The book that fell to our lot of actors was Martin Chuzzlewit, by Charles d.i.c.kens. At first our committee was inclined to refuse to act these queer characters, but we had given our word to help and we could not go back on that. I asked Mrs. Grove to let me take the book to see what could be done at this late hour. All the other booths had begun their rehearsals. It was fortunate for me that I had traveled much and seen so many odd characters. As I read carefully I was convinced we could excel in this very book. I went to the library and got a d.i.c.kens book ill.u.s.trated by Cruikshank. We called a meeting and found we needed thirty-two persons. At this meeting I showed the possibilities of these seemingly ugly characters. Parts were a.s.signed and arrangements made for rehearsals.

The women of the general committee on booths were more than exultant to think we were willing to take this rejected book. We were determined to succeed. Our costumes were the art of perfection and we were a motley crowd of characters from Sairy Gamp to Quilp, from the Pecksniffs to Mark Tapley. Besides studying the proper characters we were obliged to have a series of tableaux to represent the different episodes in the lives of these people. Our book called for thirteen tableaux:

1. The Chuzzlewit Family 2. Martin Jr. arrives at the Pecksniffs 3. Visiting Miss Pinch 4. Todgers Boarding House 5. Truth prevails and Virtue triumphs 6. Jonas entertains his cousins 7. Sairy Gamp (the nurse) 8. Sairy Gamp's corpse 9. There is nothing he don't know 10. Miss Pinch's pudding 11. Sairy Gamp proposes a toast 12. Pecksniff rebuked by Martin, Senior 13. The wedding scene