The Portland daily press., 1874-10-14
ARMY AND NAVY COURSE.


public this year with the lustre of several sue
cessful seasons upon it. The great excellence
and consequent popularity of its former
courses ensure lively demand for seats in the
coming series of entertainments, an inspection
| of which demonstrates that it will exceed any
| of its predecessors in attractions as it does in
| expense.
The course consists of four concerts, three
lectures and reading. The opening concert
| will be given on the night of Nov 9Th, by the
| New York Glee and Madrigal Club. Mr..
| Beckett of this club is a longtime fayorite in
| Portland, and Mr.. Bush, though not so well
| known, is liked by all that do know him. Miss
Beebe sung IN this city four o. five years ago
and since that time has gained much in culture,
| voice and reputation. The club is said to be
well made up in the other parts and has had
two years of practice in English songs. This
concert will delight those who have not taste
for Italian music and will be thoroughly agreea-
BILE to everybody, for nothing after all in music
is so pleasant as the ringing old English songs
Although the Di Murska concert is the most
famous and costly and purports to be the grand
event of the season, we predict that.this Eng
lish concert will be generally voted the gem OF
the course. The club has been singing in Bos-
ton and has attracted great attention and ap-
plause, SO that their seats are now sold three or
four weeks in advance of their concerts. From
highly laudatory report in the Boston Adver-
tiser we make the following brief extract
'Such sweetness and purity of tone, such clean
and refined enunciation, such precision in time,
such happy unity in varying degrees of force,
have almost never been vouchsafed to us by
any other corps; and GROWING all are the rare
intelligence and feeling which inspire as with
soul what otherwise would be nothing but life
less though lovely FORM"
The Mendelssohn Quintette Club, assisted
by Mrs Fl. M. Smith, will give the second con-
cert. Mrs. Smith, well.known to our concert
goers, and always pleasing, has been constantly
improving and is now certainly one of the most
charming singers on the concert stage. In her
recent appearance here with the Barnabee
troupe she added to her laurels and confirmed
her place in the good graces of her Portland
friends. The Quintette Club is staple article
whose reputation is known to everybody. 1t
has been prominent New England institution
for many years. This concert will be certainly
frst-class in all respects.
The piece de resistance of the course will be
the Di Murska concert, at which our citizens
will be enabled to hear some of the finest ar
lists in the world. Di Murska herself is the
great attraction, Of course, and comes to us
flushed with the plaudits of two hemispheres.
She had already attained a place among the
four or five great prime donne before she came
to this country last year in the Maretzek Opera
Company Since then, despite the breaking up
of the company, her career has been success
sion of triumphs. She has voice of amazing
compass and great sweetness, with a culture
which has stood the critical test of the chief
European capitals. These brilliant qualities of
voice are supplemented by stage bearing
and manner which are simply perfect The
best musical critics of this country are profuse
in praises of her, and she is quite sure to win
new triumph before the great audience which
will meet her in our City Hail. The rest of the
company is of a high grade, in the several de-
partments, corresponding to the eminence of
the primaa donna. Madame Carreno-Sauret-
nee Teresa Carreno-made her first and only
appearance in Portland in May of last year at
the Cary complimentary concert where she
captivated her public by her brilliancy of play
ing and beauty of person, She will be a strong
element in this grand entertainments. Mons.
Sauret, her husband, is violinist of high re
pute, although very young man. He made
notably favorable impression during his tour
with the Patti-Mario concert company two
years ago. Habelman, Ferranti, Braga and
Mario are all artists of talent. The combina-
ton is a very strong one and the concert will
be the event of the season.
In the fourth concert Madame Sophie Dow.
land, the English soprano, is announced for
first appearance in Portland, assisted by Mrs.
Barry, Mr.. w. H. Fessenden and Mr., John
Winch, said to be second only to Whitney
among New England bassos Our own Kotz-
SEMINAR will furnish the Accomplishments,
which will of course be good.
The Hon. Daniel Dougherty came to Port
land last winter stranger. and left the city
the most warmly praised man who appeared
on the lecture platform during the season. His
splendid diction, wonderful voice, extraordina-
ry command of facial expression and courtly
presence Won to him hosts of friends. The
lecture on the ''Stage," which he will deliver
this winter, affords more scope for his peculiar
powers of voice and delivery than the effort Of
last season.
The Rev. DR. E. Fl. Chaplin is an instructive
as well as eloquent lecturer, and his hearers
Away leave the hall wherein he has spoken,
richer by some thoughts they would not will
lingly have lost.
Mr.. George Dawson comes to us with an
English reputation. His few appearances in
the chief cities of this country have produced
marked sensation, and the pnblic press do not
hesitate to call him the lecturer of the season.
Of Mrs. Scott Siddons and her readings it is
scarcely necessary to speak. People there are
in Portland who would go to City Hall were
they deaf, and sit there for hours just to look
upon her. Her great personal beauty and
marked elocutionary ability render her one of
the most attractive features Of the course.
We congratulate the Army and Navy Union
upon the possession of SO wise and energetic
lecture committee. Our citizens are fortunate
to have presented to them course embracing
at moderate price so many admirable con-
certs and lectures. When it it is remembered
that the price of a seat at Di'Murska concert
elsewhere is two dollars, and at Glee and
Madrigual entertainment one dollar, it will be
Span that the Armv and NAVY coursa f;oIyofs