The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-22
Her Magnificent Rendition of Her
Numbers Aroused the Audience to
an Enthusiastic Pitch.
HOME, SWEET HOME" ENCORE
MISS WALKER AND MIR. FFRANGCON-
DAVIES ALSO SHOWN HONORS.
Chorus Up to Its High Standard
Great Children's Chorus To-day
The CaIve Concert Tonight.

Miss Ella Russell, the American prima
donna, had the triumph of the ninth In
dianapols May music festival and she took
the big audience at Tomlinson Hall last
night by storm. Her work was even more
than a repetition of the triumphs she has
enjoyed since her return to this country
only a short time ago, for last night there
a little touch to the concert that put
her in even closer sympathy with her audi
ence than she has been in her recent APP
pearances elsewhere 1t was a little Incl
dent of the evening that drew from her an
encore number, Home, Sweet Home 3"
sung as it has never been sung by another
in Tomlinson Hall, the audience not be-
ing unmindful of the fact that Patti had
given the same number there several years
ago. There is quite a little story in the way
Miss Russell came to give Home, Sweet
Home" for the selection was made ON the
spur of the moment, and there were tears
in her voice as she sang.
The applause which greeted Miss Russell
was thunderous and long. drawn out, and
grew as the night advanced, her rendition
of the first Wagnerian numbers that fell to
her whetting the musical appetites of her
hearers to the point where they almost re-
fused to be satiated. The beautiful melody
of the prayer in THE Flying Dutchman'
gave her an opportunity to play at once
for the hearts of her auditors, which she
did in such an exquisitely artistic fashion
that full success was hers. In the duet with
Mr. FfrangconsDa which followed her
voice was magnifcently dramatic, and as
great a baritone as Mr.. Ffrangcon-Davies
has proven himself to be- he had to strug-
gle to maintain his end of the work, so
fill Of fivh 10 of
this wonderful soprano.
Just before the intermission, while Miss
Russell was in her dressing room, wom-
an who had known Miss Russell in her
childhood days, and who had been a warm
friend of Miss Russelrs mother, was shown
into the dressing room. In congratulating
the prima donna on her great success dur
ing the evening she referred very touch
ingly to Miss Russell's mother, who has
not been dead very long and in the chat
very much affected and when her husband
and her secretary came IN, at the DeBln-
ming of the intermission, they found the
singer with her eyes almost red and the
tears coursing down her cheeks. IL was
thought for a few minutes that some time
would be necessary to compose her for the
remaining numbers on the programme. tef
husband spoke sympathetically to her ana
the arrival of a number or people VINO De-
gan showering compliments on her singing
turned her thoughts into other channels.
The aria from Tannhauser which she
next sang, was given with mucn IeeInS
and the remarkable mechanism OF her voice
was apparently bettered by the little incl
dent The aria was followed by wave after
wave of applause, the heartiest of the fes--
tival, and fully as great as any ever heard
at a concert in. the hall.
The members of the chorus shouted and
waved handkerchief and the audience was
not slow in turning to this method of ex-
pressing appreciation. 1t seemed five min
utes that the handclapping continued, the
smiling prima donna appearing ana DoWlng
several times during this While. FINALLY,
seeing that the audience would not be con-
tent without an encore, she came back
to the stage with her secretary, Mr.. Van
Vleet as her accompanist She turned to
him and asked for an accompaniment 70 a
Rubinstein song. He had struck the first
had grown very enthusiastic over her sing
ing shouted out, Please sing Home
Sweet Home Miss Russell smiled and
nodded to her accompanist and the DID,
familiar air. always dear to an audience
even if some critics will be carping about
it, was sounded. 1t was a bold stroke to
interpolate this fireside ballad in a festival
programme, but like all bold strokes it
was criticism or praise, according to the
praise in Miss Russell's case. Recalling
the fact that almost the present month
marks the return of the great singer to
her native land after long absence and
a career built up wholly in foreign coun-
tries. Home, Sweet Home" was APPLY
Her version Of the song was not the Patti
version. 1t was the American version, the
John Howard Payne version, intended to
reach the human heart, and set the most
sacred of emotions surgtng there, recall
ing haunting memories of a time that was,
or binding the home tie all the closer ac-
cording to the mood and environment of
the listener It is no easy matter to sud
denly turn a gay festive audience to this
deeply sacred side of life, and more the
praise to Miss Russell for doing So There
were few men in the audience, who at
tended Just to take the folks, without
any prediction for Wagner, that went
home satisfied that they had heard one
song, worth the price, to their notion. The
very first chords of the accompaniment to
the song were greeted enthusiastically and
the applause at the close was proportion
ately greater.
The work of the chorus last night was
up to the high standard set at the opening
concert and won fresh encomumS. Miss
Walker and Mr.. Ffrangcon-DaVies were
given a warm reception.
With the concerts this afternoon and
evening the ninth festival will close, and
while the artistic success of it is assured,
the sale of seats for the concert this after
noon where childrenS chorus of LOCO
voices will be heard, and the great Calve
concert tonight, will determine the fnan-
ciaI success. A heavy sale to these con-
certs to-day will bring the receipts close to
the expenditures. There are yet good seats
to the CalVe concert, but the indications
are that the hall will be sold out by night
time
MISS RUSSELL'S OVATION.