The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-11-03

large number of concert companies
besides our own~who are touring Wales
Just now. | cannot recall all their dif-
ferent names and members, though !
am very much interested In them, and
whenever we have a nightsrest always
try 10 60 and hear the concert work OF
some one else AS an Illustration of
this continual concertizing to which
the people here are listening, let me
mention the fact that our concert In
here on the first of October
was the opening one ona list Of fourteen
or nfteen, the remainder of which were
10 follow III quick succession during the
next two or three weeks. Tile principal
one OF these miscellaneous companies
seems to me to be that managed by Mr..
Mendlessohn Parry, son of the famous
DR.. Joseph Parry, of Cardiff. Mr.. Parry
has with him only trio of vocal artists,
soprano, tenor and contraltO, and re-
lies for his drawing card entirely upon
his piano sololst, Mr.. Oliver King. who
Is now being heard for the first time In
Wales, and is undoubtedly the central
figure in Mr.. Mendelssohn Parry's COM
pany. He is man of remarkable talent
and certainly has already had Won
derful record. He began as a pupil of
Sir Joseph Barnby in London, subse-
quently acting as this great musicians s
deputy In connection with his Organst
duties. He afterward went to Leipzig,
where he worked for three years under
such masters as Herman. Oscar, Paul,
Richter and Reinecke. Mr. Kings first
important engagement was that of solo
! pianist TO concert party headed by
Nine. Peschka-Leutner, with whom he
travelled through Germany twice, each
tour extending over several months. In
1877 he returned to London and was APP
pointed court pianist TO Her Highness,
the Princess Louise, Marchioness Of
I Lorne. and in this capacity he went to
Canada, on the appointment of Lord
Lorne as Governor General of the Do
minion. He remained there until 1888,
visiting the United States in 1880, pro-
| ducing. at Boston in that year an or
chestl'al symphony called might,
which has since been produced at the
/ CheSterTriennal Musical Festival;an
/ in 1888, after having gained the Phil
! harmonic SOciety's prize for the best
overture. he returned to England. Soon
after this he accompanied Madame
Adelina Patti, Albani. Antoinette Stir
ling, and otherartiStS of the same Splen-
did calibre on Il concert tour in the Pro-
Vinces. II was in 1885. | believe, that he
won the first prize offered in London
for the best concerto for piano and or
chestra, which composition was pro-
/ duced at ST. James Hall. In 1889 he
| travelled through Holland as IL piano
| virtuoso and composer with great sue
cess. The Royal Academy of Music
| London, appointed him as one of theiI
| principal pianO-lorte professors, where
] ha Ct Ja to- Of
great many different works for orches-
/ ira, organ, piano, violin, chors, and
even voice solos of considerable merit
/ am told, many of these works having
! been performed ut the very SWEETEST
concerts in London, as the Novello Ora
torio concerts, Monday Pops Crystal
/ Palace Saturday concerts and the Lon.
don Symphony concerts. He is certain.
ly the star of the organization in which
he is travelling at present. How lovely
/ 1t must be to be 50 gifted! In appfar-
ance Mr.. King is rather slight, hR eX.
preston is somewhat frowning AID he
wears pompadour. However, in spite
of all his honors do not think he Is as
much u drawing card for his company
as our violinist Is for ours. as their au-
diences have been very much smaller
than ours in every place where the com
panies have been.
Exploring Cardiff.
Oct. 13.-This afternoon | spent In
Cardiff, and had glorious time. | cal
assure you. We saw Il great deal of The
outside of the city; the interior We
have not had time to visit as yet. TAX
ing a brake or drag-Im sure | don't
know which-we drove around and saw
.l. I, 10, l.. % DAT
which are certainly very handsome.
was told that for Il small sum we coulC
go through his palace. as he was not al
home, and the proceeds of this idea
were given to Il charity. We had tn,
sum but not the time, 50 we hope to dc
IL on some future date. 1t was glor
ious day-just like day in Indian Sum
mer, so mellow and midland we mex
took in Cardiff Castle, in a veiw OF
which invested to place by my picture
of Swansea Castle. There we saw the
docks which have brought SO mucl
traffic to Cardiff since the Prince o
Wales opened them some years ago
and after that had lunch in a daint!
little ladies' restaurant. Then, having
some time still to spare, we went tC
Howell 's-which is the same to Cardif
as Jonas Longs or the Boston Store |.
to Wilkes Barre-and enjoyed ourselve!
as only women can, looking at III,
pretty things (and so cheapO and wish
ing we We're rich enough to buy thing!
we would never need. However, l die
indulge in Il pair of new gloves, nice
good, kid ones too. for one and six
Uhirty-eight cents. Gloves are one o
the things which are so very mucl
cheaper over here than at home. o
course, being in dry goods store-the!
call them "draper's shops" over here
we narrowly missed losing our train
but here | am at any rate, back t
Pont-y-Pridd almost breathlesS ye
from the many different things whicl
happened today; but ] had such gooC
time
TO morrow / expect to take the earl!
train from Pont-y-Pridd with frienC
of mine and go up to Llandaff wher,
there Is fine cathedral tn see. OF cours
/ expect to enjoy the visit, as the cathe
dral is said to be one of the finest an,
oldest in Wales. and the choral service
excellent. The Bishop himself Is [,
preach. and we are going to be show
over his palace, after which we Shal
drive with some dear friends of our
who have invited us up, and then shal
go home again late in the afternoon.
| am aware that u weather bulletil
from Wales is not likely to be consider
ed very interesting to people in distan
Pennsylvania. but | really cannot for
bear speaking of the lovely weather w
are having over here again. To be sur
1t did rain for few days this week
but now the days are almost idyllic IL
loveliness Some of the foliage Is turn
ing, the blue and red heather Is II
bloom all over in the fields, and tn
gorse with its yellow flowers adds t
the splendor of the roads and meadows
while this mellow autumn air-well, tn
best / can do is TO say that 1t Is as goo
for body as beef tea.
| have been to so many interesting
places this week, and had such goo
times, that l cannot tell about ther
all this time, and by the way, l an
proud to say / have added some NOR
Welsh words to my growing vocabu
larry, so that | am beginning to feel con
fident ere long l shall be able to pu
together and send home for your won
der and mystillcation no less u thin
than full fledged Welsh sentence.
Sadie Il. Kaiser.