Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-05-30
THE APOLLO GLEE GLIB
Success Attained by Popular Ma
Voice Singing Association.

| SUCCESS Attained by a Popular Male
Voice Singing Association.
How 1T ORIGINATED AND THE MUSICAL WORK 1T
| HAS ACCOMPLISHMENTS HAVE ASSISTED AT
| IT'S VARIOUS CoNCERTS-AN oPERATIC VEN
| TURE.
Perhaps the lie climate successor of the origi-
! nal CHORAL Society, rs an American male voice
| singing association may be said to be the Apollo
| Glee Club, which originated in August, 1879.
! For Il year previous Dr. K. $. kimball had been
/ in charge of the music of st. Johns Episcopal
! church, and had directed male voice choir
| composed as follows: III. C. Pearson, ]. s. Smith
/ and n. +. Chiids first tenors: Franck L. Mcguire
| and I'll. o. Sfmons second tenors; III. A. ForeS-
man and J. Henry Kaiser, first BASES and Frank
/ NJ. Pearson, Frank Clifford and J. A. Pagan,
! second BASES. The association of these gen.
I Mhnn ;, had become SO pleasant that
committee ot the church to have q mixed
! voice choir and their services there were dis
pensed with. they decided to continue musical
| practice together, and for some time met once q
week at the house of DIR. kimball and san. for
/ acouple of hours. Each of the gentlemen b ad
/ friends " no were rausically inclined and who
expressed a desire to participate in the benefit
/ they were receiving from this practice and the
instruction of DR.. ki1nball and it was finally
determined to add To their number and form q
/ regular male Voice singing association. This
/ was done and the new organization was christ
| encd
| THE APOLLO GLKE CLUB.
| Mr.. A. G.. Wood was elected the first presi-
! dent, and constitution and bylaws were
| adopted. Care was taken In the admission of
inelnbers, it being resolved that only those pos
sessed of good voices, who could read music
with average facility and who were personally
agreeable 20 all the original membership, should
be admitted. The regular practice meetings
were well attended, good Improvement was
made in their individual and collective sing
ing. ana the CLUB made its appearance on
various occasions at entertainments given for
worthy objects. always receiving warm praise
Tor the effective execution of its numbers upon
the program. 1t formed contributing and an
honorary m embership and borne upon its
rolls the names OF some OF the best citizens of
tho District. y special impetus was given to its
prosperity, however, when in January, 1881.
Colonel Robert q. Ingersoll was elected presi-
dent.
Col. Ingersoll took great deal of interest in
the club, and frequently entertained it at his
ing the hospitality of their generous and whole
( souled president are among the most pleasant
memories of the members. The object of the
club WGs for mutual Improvement and social
enjoyment. and SD they did not care to appear
. III public in their own behalf. Their honorary
and contributing members were always well
coined at their rebeaTSals, and many awaited
t themselves OF that privilege. listening with
marked pleasure to the excellent singing, and
then passing an hour or mere in social
ioyment. A. these two classes of member,
ship had far outgrown the active list il
was decided To give concert complimentary
10 the honorary members in return Tor the
interest they had manifested. This concert
took place III Lincoln hall ON December Is,
/ 1881, and was
THE FIRST FORMAL APPEARANCE
of the club in 81 regular program OF its own. It's
officers al shat time We're Col. Robert G.. Inger-
soil, president; II. O. Smons, vice president:
/ Frank Clifford secretary; \. F. Childs, treas
urer, and DR.. E. $. Kimball, musical director.
1t only sung twenty voices, follows: Messrs.
+. VI; Pearson, Frank Clifford, J. H. Hickox. F.
:. Hyde. {. K. Dufour, ]. II. Kaiser. w. $.
Young. NJ. DDnncIy, c. E. Rice. E H. May, y.
f. Ghild5, H. {. Pearson, j. . Smith. \: >. Fen
nell ID. g. Miller, j. r. Connolly. T. Ciallatii, III.
! o. Simons, I. Il. Mcguire and ". B. Atkinson.
= J. kubel and John 2. Lawrence were the ac-
comPanistS.
At this concert the club sang seven numbers
"a an organization. and the program in
GUIDED a piano duett by Messrs Rnbel and
, Lawrence. solos by MessrS. Hcilox, J. =. Smith.
Kaiser, Warren Young. F. NJ. Pearson, Duets
and quartettS all by members of the club, no
outside assistance beias rendered. The efforts
of the club were loudly praised and its general
recognitior as valuable musical organization
was instantaneous.
In january. 1882. the late Major Vim. j.
| Twinins.a at that time Engineer Commissioner of
The District. was elected president. but on his
death, in May. Mr. \. F. Childs was chosen to
ill out the balance Of the year. During this year
! the club gave no concerts, but attended
strictly to its practice. In 1888. however, still
under the presidency OF Mr. Chiids, it decided
to- give series Of concerts in its own behalf, the
first OF which took place in the Congregational
church on February 18Th. On this occasion he
club had the assistance OF Nine. Annie Rnmer-
kaspar. Mr. y. ID. Woodruff, OF New York, and
full orchestra The selections OF the club were
decidedly more ambitious than heretofore, and
included Dudly Bucks king OiaTs Christ
mas chorus of Spirits and Hours, from
ShelIys .'proinetheus Unbouud,' by the same
composer. and kochat's Wedding in Corinth.'
In each of these the careful and inteIlig ent
phrasing proved how persistent and effective
had been the practice of the club, and its efforts
received the warmest Communications from the
highly critical audience that was present. The
club sang thirty-siX voices, showing COM
mendable increase in it's active membership.
Two more concerts were given during that
year. one on April goth. at which Mrs. Nellie
Mctoftee assisted, and the other on Decembe r
| 18th. when Miss Eva Mills was the principal
SDloist, and tine society also had the assistance
of McsSrs. Josef kaspar and r. Rowe, yiOlinists
and Il full orchestra.
IT MOVES TO PERRY BUILDING.
In January, 1881, Mr.. Stilson Hutchins was
elected president: Mr.. John II. Hickox, jr., vice
president; j. f. Rule, recording secretary; E. B.
Olds, financial secretary; \. +. Childs treas
urer, ana f. VI. Pearson, librarian. DIR. Kimball
still remained the musical director, and the
pianists were Messrs. J. =. Lawrence and j. b.
Upton In the meantime, however the club
had largely increased its contributing member
ship. and had branched out. so to speak. 1t had
been holding its rehearsalS at st. Georges hall
ON It'll street, but this was found too small for
its accommodations and so the large hall i'm the
Perry building, at the corner OF 9th street and
Pennsylvania avenue. had been rented Oh ApriI
1>t, lSS:S, and had been fitted up and furnished
for the use OF the club. knabe grand piano
had also been purchased and the affairs of the
organization were in every respect most salts
factory Inc cluO n;t1 also been formally In
corporated so as - monOpoliZe its name and
prevent amy other society from adopting SINH
lar designation After becoming located i'm its
new hail tine club gave several very entertain
lBg sources Histc0ie, all complimentary To their
inactive members and their friends.
During 1854 three concerts were given at
one of which Miss Emily Winant was the lead
ing attraction, and its last appearance was on
May 21st, 1851. Besides the soloists already
mentioned. the Apo!ios have had the assistance
of the following at their various conn limentary
or public entertainments: Mrs. r. x kimbali
Mrs. y. y. ftngar. Mrs. j. :. Powell, Mrs ID. c.
Morrison. Mrs. Jno j. Knox. Mrs. .. \. Pear
son, Miss Minnie Evan. Miss Mamie Simons
Miss Gilbert, Miss Miller, MeSsrs VIM Wal
decker, Rudolph Green, the xiolincellist from
baltimore. Jno. .. Pugh, r.. H. Mcguire Ham
Adams, III. ~ ForesInan j. F. Rule F. r. Bay-
ter, F. NJ. " goldman, ;. y. Kennedy Ralph JEFF
terson, =. Donch, y. Schroeder, DIR. j. w Bis
cho1i, the Marine band and the Arion quartette.
ITS oPERATiC VENTURE.
The club has frequently appeared In behalf of
charitable and patriotic Objects has given sew
eral pleasant and profitable excursions and has
y notable occasion was its reception To- the Bus-
ton Ideal opera company, which was held at
the Rigs house. where "a banquet was served
Perhaps the most prominent venture of the club
WAS the presentation. under its auspices of the
tionaI Theater, ON June 81, 1881. This was
during It's early history, and the success
which attended the performance laid the foun-
datioa of lis subsequent prosperity. The cast
Oh that occasion was as follows: Mabel, Miss
Eva Mills; Ruth, Mrs. f. =. kimbalI; Edith,
Miss Annie Haas; Kate. Miss Amy Leavett;
Isabel, Miss Annie Sterling; Richard. the Pirate
litf Mir y Et4it. &