Sixty Years of California Song Part 9

After congratulations a programme was given followed by a banquet.

Many happy speeches of compliment were made and I gave them in return a short sketch of my musical life. At the close of the recital we reluctantly separated after greatly enjoying the unusual opportunity of celebrating two golden jubilees of one life on the same day.

Words are inadequate to express my grat.i.tude to all who were factors in making this one of the greatest days I ever experienced. It seemed that everybody was a friend. The newspapers vied with each other in their write-ups of the occasion. The _Call_, _Tribune_, _Chronicle_, _Enquirer_, _Sat.u.r.day Night_, _Berkeley Gazette_, _Santa Cruz Surf_, _Examiner_, _Benicia Era_, the Stockton and Sacramento papers all ran full articles and pictures in my honor. At this late day I tender my sincere thanks for favors and kindly criticisms, from time immemorial.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Pen sketch of Mrs. Blake-Alverson by Richard Partington, made on the occasion of the semi-centenary of her career as a public singer, June 12, 1896. Mrs. Alverson at this time was sixty years of age.]

CHAPTER TWELVE

CAMILLA URSO'S FESTIVAL, 1873. MADAME ANNA BISHOP. THE LORING CLUB.

ALFRED WILKIE, FRANK GILDER, D.P. HUGHES

One of the most difficult tasks in writing my memoirs is the choice of the most important happenings in a busy life. There are so many things to speak of it is hard to know where to begin. I cannot begin with a more appropriate event than the Fourth of July celebration which took place in 1869, with William Seward, Secretary of State, in one of the boxes of the California theater.

Alex Austin, Esq., was president of the day and called the a.s.semblage to order.

The programme was as follows:

Prayer by Rev. H.D. Lathrop.

Music by the orchestra.

Reading of the Declaration of Independence by Lawrence Barrett, Esq.

G.o.d Bless our Glorious Land (written for the Fourth of July, 1869, by our friend Sam Booth). Full chorus, George T.

Evans, leader.

Poem by R.C. Hopkins, Esq., read by John McCulloch, Esq.

Music, orchestra.

Vocal music, Gloria in Excelsis, Mozart.

Oration by Henry E. Highton, Esq.

Song, Star Spangled Banner.

Full chorus from the Handel and Haydn Society and quartette composed of Mrs. S.D. Mayer, soprano; Mrs. M.R. Blake, contralto; Mr. S.D. Mayer, tenor; Walter C. Campbell, ba.s.s.

Music, orchestra.

In 1868 we were visited by the Lyster Opera company from Australia, which gave a season of ten operas at the old Metropolitan Theater on Montgomery street. They brought with them a goodly company of artists.

Henry Squires, _tenor_ W.F. Baker, _tenor_ Armes Beaumont, _tenor_ Lucy Escott, _soprano_ Geraldine Warden, _mezzo-soprano_ Mrs. Ada King, _contralto_ Mr. Sutcliff, _baritone_

LOCAL SINGERS

Sig. Roncovieri, _tenor_ Mr. Nathanson, _ba.s.s_ Mrs. M.R. Blake, _contralto_ Mrs. Cameron, _soprano_

They gave, December 21 and 22, Les Huguenots; December 23 and 24, Bohemian Girl; December 25, Maritana.

[Ill.u.s.tration: MRS. MARGARET BLAKE-ALVERSON

On Her Fiftieth Anniversary as a Public Singer, June 12, 1896

Sixty Years of Age and Still in Good Voice]

After the close of the season Mr. Squires and Miss Escott gave a farewell concert in Pacific Hall in which I partic.i.p.ated and sang with them the celebrated trio, Protect Us Through the Coming Night.

On May 16, 1870, the Handel and Haydn Society gave Rossini's Stabat Mater in Sacramento, Prof. Hugo Mansfeldt, leader, a.s.sisted by the societies of Sacramento. The chorus was 500 strong, the soloists were the best to be secured, a.s.sisted by Henry Heyman, violin soloist.

Herr Wenderlich, _ba.s.s_ W.C. Campbell, _ba.s.s_ Samuel C. Mayer, _tenor_ Matthew Anderson, _tenor_ Mrs. Marriner, _soprano_ Mrs. S. Little, _soprano_ Mrs. J.M. Pierce, _soprano_ Mrs. McNeil (of Sacramento), _soprano_ Mrs. M.R. Blake, _contralto_ Miss Hewlett, _contralto_ Miss K. Stone, _contralto_

Cornet solo, Mr. d.i.c.k Kohler and full orchestra.

Anvil chorus, with artillery accompaniment.

The undertaking was a financial as well as a musical success and added one more wreath of laurels to our musical advancement in 1873.

Also in this year the celebrated violin virtuoso, Camilla Urso, came to San Francisco on a tour. The Mechanics Pavilion then stood on the square of Stockton and Powell, Geary and Post streets, and numerous entertainments were given there. The musical festival had been successfully opened with Camilla Urso as soloist, and on the second day she tendered the society a benefit concert. The programme, a noted one which should be preserved, is as follows:

MUSICAL FESTIVAL

TENDERED BY CAMILLA URSO in aid of The Mercantile Library of San Francisco at the MECHANICS PAVILION

FIRST PART

1. Overture, Ali Baba Cherubini Grand orchestra of 150 men.

2. Glory to G.o.d on High (from 12th Ma.s.s) Mozart Oratorio chorus, 1,200 voices.

3. Symphony in C (Andante and Allegro) Gade Grand orchestra of 150 pieces.

4. (a) Sleepers, Awake, Choral from St. Paul Mendelssohn (b) Prayer of Moses in Egypt Rossini

5. Grand Concerto for the Violin (orchestral accompaniment) Beethoven CAMILLA URSO

PART II

1. Chorus, The Heavens are Telling (from the Creation) Haydn Oratorio chorus of 1,200 voices

2. Overture of Freischutz Weber Grand Military Band, 150 men.

3. Hallelujah Chorus from "Messiah" Handel Oratorio chorus of 1,200 voices.

4. Anvil Chorus, from Il Trovatore Verdi