The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-07-04
OBSERVATIONS BY A
MUSICIAN ABROAD
Impressions Of London by the Accom-.
plished Scranton Baritone.
LETTER FROM JOHN T. WATKINS
Pen Picture Of the Crystal Palace.
Musical Entertainments Of Great
Magnitude, and Enterprises That
Form Marked COntrast..NOtes
Concerning Welsh Musicians.

special Correspondence TO The Tribune.
London. June 2O-This place of popu-
lar amusement for the rich and poor,
the high and lowly has become an in
stitution of great interest to the sight
seeing stranger and sojourner in Lon
don as we'll as to the Londoners, is on
account of the numerous stations at
which passengers are taken on the
trains, about an hours ride from the
city, or on other roads twelve miles dis
tant, the weather permitting 1t can
easily be seen from the dome of st.
Paul's Cathedral or the brow OF Prim-
rose Hill. small park near the famous
and beautiful Regents Park and also
near my London home. The tanners
within the grounds surrounding the
palace at this distance us miles) appear
like two gigantic Chinese pagodas. The
acre or more of glass which covers the
palace in the rays of the golden sunlight
throws out q million rays almost suffi-
Cient power of brilliancy to pierce the
denssst London fog on q bleak Novem-
ber day. The numerous attractions and
daily performances are under the direct
management of the veteran August
Manns, whose snow white head and
pleasing parsonage is as an old familiar
landrlark to the average Briton. having
catered to the musical and amusement
loving yet tickle public for forty years.
Here is where you can see the horse
less carriages in use and for the placing
of the same carriers of people on the
streets of London and provincial towns.
the present parliament is drafting
charter for the company which has been
capitalized at many millions Of dollars,
something like $4,000, 900. The carriages
are easily controlled by the motorman,
and expect before returning to Ameri
ca to have the opportunity of riding In
them. They are built after the style
OF the present London omnibus and can
turn a right angle corner with the ease
OF bicycle. ard will carry twenty-six
passengers. Here are galleries Of statu-
AIRY and paintings, remnants of the eX-
position of 1856. A small Burmese viii
lase is at present one of the attractions
containing native Burmese busily en-
gagged at their daily vocations and is
indeed a sight to behold ! witnessed
here game of base ball. very tame,
extremely tame. The article was no
more like our American game than
cricket; score 2S-l7. Here is q list Of the
pyrotechnique display: Bicycle Race"
Fast Mail" Balloon Ascension"
German Combination MILL" all made
and managed by G. r. Brack & Son.
Here is where Caradoy won fame with
his Welsh chorister in vanquishing the
saxon singers. The space reserved for
musical festivals occupies the central
part OF the structure and contains an
immense pipe organ, an amphtheater-
ical platform that will seat five to six
thousand singers besides an orchestra
circle. Next Saturday. June q, will be
given jubilee performance of Elijah,
choir and orchestra of 5000 performers,
the soloists for the occasion are Madame
Albani and Madame Clara Samuel.
The chorus has been rehearsing for
just one month and an Unprecedented
production is promised. l shall report
it lii the Tribune in later letter.
MUSIC AT ALBERT HALL.
Albert hall Is without exception the
finest concert hall in the world. Yes.
there Is one exception and that is the
Mormon tabernacle at which Professor
Haydn Evans, +. J. Davis and myself
had the honor of being the adjudicators
last fall. Well you all know that Patti
like Simms Reeves has been giving
farewell concerts for nearly decade
but slightly different is the outcome
of these concerts Of the Dina from
Reeves in tina. she still continues to
draw vast audiences that applaud her
every appearance TO the echo and Is
emblematic of the dear. lovely creature
she Is TO the English people. The audi
ence at this her second concert on
Thursday last was much larger than on
the previous occasion. The programme
was somewhat varied from the usual
lines by the appearance Of Clara No
vello Davis Welsh Ladies' choir You
have heard this choir sing with pleas
ure at Scranton. At this concert as
they. did at Scranton they sang with
such admirable precision and careful
regard for expression, and this is more
remarkable when we consider the fact
that the personnel of the choir is con-
tinually undergoing changes,new men,
bers being added to fill the pleasures
Of those leaving for the different col
1eges of music to complete the portion
of education given them by their tai
ented leader. There are no less than
seven ladies formerly members Of this
now famous choir. students at the Roy
al Academy Of Music.
Madame Patti sang the Jewel song
from Faust and duet which Mr. Ed
ward Lloyd and of course as usual
"HOme, Sweet Home. Madame Amy
Sherwin sang beautifully q fine song
by F. H. COwen, THE Swallows" A
song for tenor which is gem and
sang by Mr.. Lloyd is entitled Now is
the Hour of Soft Enchantment," by
Goring Thomas: other artists who
were on the programme were Mr.. SAINT
ley, Madame Belle Cole and a young
gentleman from Cardiff, student at
the Royal college Of Music. who has
relatives at Hyde Park by the name Of
Wilkins. He is q promising baritone,
Mansell Lewis, by name. We shall no
doubt hear further from this young
man. over 5000 people paid admis-
sion to this concert. Now is the time
when the various musical colleges are
vieing with each other in the number
and quality of public concerts given
before the commencement exercises
which culminate in the graduation of
the advanced students, the Royal Acad-
emy Of Music. as usual. Is ut the top of
the list in this respect. At this insti-
tuition public rehearsals have been CIV
en- twice weekly for over month at
which the abilities Of the advanced
students are thoroughly tested. Vocal
a-Ar ii. fs-x.,
cate music with an orchestral accom-
paniment of so pieces. Pianists are re-
Quired to execute difficult concertos,
sonatas, ETC.. and this before q very
critical audience as I said above this
Occllrs twice n week besides a fort