The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-02-16
PIPE ORGAN RECITALs.
A PIONEER JOURNALIST DIS
CUSSES MR.. CLARENCE EDDY.
4 Glass of Performances That should
BE Given More Frequently,
Being of Refining
Tendency.

The tastes OF America and England, in
matters musical. differ as much as in
affairs OF gastronomy. The Englishman
loves the solemn and imposing, while
his Yankee congener inclines toward the
sparkling and vivacious. This is par
ticularly true of choral music and organ
recitsls. The former finds its strongest
advocates and most earnest devotees,
not in London, Liverpool and Manches-
ter, as one might readily suppose. but in
the far north, next to the Scottish bor-
der. 1t is in the manufacturing towns
OF Yorkshire that choral music holds its
sway beyond dispute. Small country
villages like Melton Mowbray, Yatten-
don and Barley Holt. boast their glee
clubs and choral societies, whose pro-
fciency in this class of music has be-
come so well known in London that, on
occasions of monster concerts" whole
train loads of the Yorkshire singers are
carried to the metropolis to participate
therein.
The organ recital is something essen
TALLY British in its nature. 1t ie one of
the first things that impress an Amerl-
can traveller in the Austrslasian colonies,
that every town of 10000 people or
upward has its town hall and its mon
ster organ. In these town halls on
Saturday afternoon. in the winter
months, organ recitais are given, en-
bracing six or seven pieces OF classical
music and one or two popular numbers,
for the low price of one shilling. No
man who goes to one can fail to be
impressed with the apparent devotional
spirit which pervades the entire audi
ence during the recital. They could not
be more solemn or dignified were the
performance given in church. During
my last visit to the colonies | heard
George Best, the famous English organ
let, ON several occasions. Last Monday,
in this city, was invited to make one
Of theater party, but declined, saying
that / had an engagement for that
evening at an organ recital to be given
by Mr.. Clarence Eddy.
"Who is Mr.. Clarence Eddy? Aud
what 10 an organ recital ?" asked my
hostess. / told her that Mr.. Eddy wss
reputed to be the greatest of ali Ameri-
can organists and, that while did not
believe any living man could rival Mr..
Best, l was, nevertheless, willing to
give my countryman the benefit of the
doubt. So l went, saw and, unlike
Caesar, was conquered. The concert WAS
sprinkled with come vocal numbers, in
which Sig. Rubo and Miss Tolhurst dis
coursed most excellent music. The
young lady has soprano voice OF ex-
ceptional purity, the timbre of which
has not been worn off by excessive
training. And Rubo's rich, round voice
was at its very best.
But Mr.. Eddy was the master spirit
OF the occasion. Even had the audience
been predisposed toward a nypercritical
coldness, his manly figure and fine pres
ence would have warmed them into a
kindly fervor OF welcome as he seated
himself at the organ. listened to him
intently for his first four numbers and
came to the conclusion that he wee the
superior Of Best as sympathetic player,
but inferior to him in technique. And
this impression continued all through
the programme till the two last num-
beers, the Royal Procession and the Ode
to Saint Cecilia, in which 1 was COM
pletsly electrified. In these he displayed
q degree of execution for which | was
quite unpreps2ed and the beauty of
which wss not marred by its rapidly.
l left the church, feeling very proud of
my countryman and ready to concede