The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-01-19
THE FIERCE" BASSO.
The Useless Terror He Brought
Upon a Lady Critic.

When / undertook to write musical
criticisms for a daily paper, it was
with the firm determination to do en-
tire justice TO everybody. would be-
stow praise VIXEN L considered it due.
and not spare the lash where it could
be rightly applied.
We want criticisms, Miss Medland;
not indiscriminate fattery or abuse, -
said TIE editor to nae. LET your
words be well weighed. Do not allow
personal preference or dislike to in
fluenee your Judgment. Write fear
}essiy. bat honestly, and consider a
performance from every point of view
tefoFe committing your opinions TO APP
per. When compelled to be severe,
abstain from spitefulness, and remem-
Der that votaries of the divine art have
tender feelings, which they carry very
pe&r the surface That is all have to
say
So / attended concerts, musicales,
piano and organ recitals and all the
various styles of entertainment in
which music is introduced. and which.
because of some slight difference i'm ar
ranging the programme, are called by
distinct names. Thus, ballad. q vo-
cal duet. two piano selections. violin
solo and refreshments in private
house is musicale. The same pro-
Crane i'm hall, with d quartette and
A a II
and the piano solos omitted. is q CON
cert, while an entertainment essentially
the same as the first mentioned. but
with the name of the pianist i'm capital
letters on the programme. becomes 3
piano recital.
soon learned these nice distinctions.
and religiously sat through all the en-
tertainments for which received tick.
cts, giving my impressions of the per
formances in the paper afterward a.
fairly rs could
Miss Medland," said the editor,
one Saturday afternoon: 81 should
like YOU to 90 TO church tomorrow"
al always do"
"Yes. but I wish you to attend the
services at the Fourteenth p. +. They
should like to have detailed criticism
of their work in Mondays paper"
VERY we'll. will go.
The basso looks very bass"
thought, as ] sat in the church next
morning and glanced up at the choir.
which was standing up preparatory to
singing the first anthem. What a
terrible creature, with his great black
beard and eyebrows, hope he will
not compel me 10 speak slightingly of
his singing. am afraid of him
Bat the next minute the anthem com
lnenced. and oh, what bass. Ii was
netting but q discordant grOwi. II
Was useless for the other three voices
60 strain at the harmony The bass
persistently sang in the wrong KEY.
With disregard for time and tune
that was absolutely maddening.
1 never looked up after that first
glance. / felt that must show my
disgust in my countenance, and per-
haps meet the eye of the basso as il
rolled wildly in its socket in sympathy
with his frantic efforts to control his
voice. perhaps he will not be so bad
IN the other numbers. / thought.
But he was-and worse As the ser
vice progressed and the choir were al
intervals called on to render their rs.
sstanee, the basso's voice seemed to
get huskier and more disagreeable.
When sat down i'm my room that aft
ernoon to write my criticism, had no
compunction in giving him as severe
tecture as he ever probably received
on paper. Of the other three members
of the quartette had nothing but good
10 say. and / censured the directors of
che church for allowing the efforts of
three good singers to be rendered use
less by an utterly incapable fourth.
i folded my manuscript and sent il
TO the Office of my paper, with note
to the editor, in which / told him that
my animadversions on the basso were
strictly justified by his wretched per-
Torrance.
When read the paper the next day
and saw how my hot words looked in
cold type, / began to feel uncomfort- |
able L thought of the fierce man with |
the black beard and eyebrows. and
wondered what should do if he found
me ont and demanded satisfaction.
wished that il had been the tenor, in /
stead. He was handsome young man
with blonde mustache, from beneath |
which / felt sure no unkind words
could come-to lady, even if the lady
had given him an unmerciful scoldinc
in the columns of newsDa1"r