The Portland daily press., 1897-06-26

Ortund was electrifying; 1t was the nrsG
time we had ever heard her, ana we were
delighted she sang with the most ara,
matte intensity, and was ably seconded
by Bispham as Telramund. The orches-
tra under Anton Seidl's baton. played as
if inspired; it was an evening OF rare
enjoyment. The same week the pianist
D'Albert made his last appearance IN
London for the season, playing with tne
Philharmonic orchestra his own concerto.
This although extremely in ere cn,l5
suffered somewhat from unavoidable COM
parison with Weber's charming concert
Stuck which he played later. We sat
within six seats of the performer, ana IL
struck us as simply marvellous how
person with SO small a hand could grasp
such chords; we are positive that not
note was missed in any of his numbers.
extreme velocity it was perfectly en-
chanting. We tried not to lift our eyes
from the key board, for, to us, D'Albert's
personality is far from pleasing, but as he
left the piano. we noticed that his face
was crimson. After his own concerto the
applause was deafening; he bowed repeat
eddy to audience and orchestra, shaking
hands three different times with the con-
ductor, Sir Alexander Mckenzie, show
ing evident qualification at the manner
in which the orchestra accompanied.
After bowling until tired, he good
naturally played, alone, the daintiest
allegretto from one of Beethovens SYM
phonies. The concert in it's entirety was
unusually fne-a new suite conducted by
the composer, Hanish Mccain, Nine.
Albani, who sang twice; while the clos
ing number was Beethoven's Sth SYM
phony given with rare taste and express
ion. 1t was a concert that made one feel
perfectly happy and glad to be alive to
listen to such wondrous music.
of One London OF the greatest st e ehdTms
variety; you start on a commonplace
GRAND, and 10 you are suddenly in the
midst of streets and buildings having the
most interesting associations. We
planned for a shopping expedition in
Cheapside; before we realized it we had
forgotten basket-trunks, gloves, all per-
and motionless in ST. Paul's Cathedral.
Its size, its proportions, its Ornamental
ton are SO harmonious that we could not
at first grasp its grandeur. We walked
through the broad aisles, which unlike
Westminster are open, free, not over
crowded with memorials to the dead. We
paused before one, whose simplicity salts
fed us beyond the others. The open gates,
the guardian angels on either side with
folded wings, silent sentinels of peace and
rest were eloquent with meaning We
climbed to the whispering gallery; from
the stone walk high above it, we looked
over the roofs and spires of London, and
gazing down on men that seemed as pig
mics exclaimed, "can it be possible that
the brain of SO insignificant creature
could have conceived and carried to COM
pletion such a creation as thisp' We
could have spent hours in ST. Paul's but
the afternoon was waning, and some
where in the vicinity of the Cathedral
was the Oldest priory church in the city
est. Bartholomew the Great" and that
we must see. For once our omnipresenJ
oracle the policeman utterly failed US,
but the friend that never deserts us in
England-our Baedeker-knew all about
it. We spread our maps and sails accord
ing to his exact and accurate directions
and without striking rock, or making
single tack sailed under the archway
and into the most dingy and musty
church we have yet seen, and that in
| spite Of recent renovations. On that very
day, the Chapel of our Lady had been re-
| opened with appropriate services For
| years it has been separated from the par
| ent church by a brick wall, and used as
a fringe mandatory, and its restoration
is a matter of congratulation to all lovers
of ancient churches. On our return from
| sight seeing a discussion arose in the
house 1--WE refer to St. AIMS Terrace)
concerning the map of the United States
| to strengthen our position, we borrowed
an atlas (date 1917 belonging to, and
used by a young girl fresh from her
studies. Our bewilderment may be i'm
agined when we found Louisiana extend
| ing from Lake Erie along the entire
length of the Mississippi river. But what
was that compared to seeing Maine shorn
of her e? Then we realized why we were
in darkest England" Three times a
week our mission band collects the heath
en- from ten years old and upward and
lectures are given on Geographical Ethics
Forget your rising infection - was ou1
opening address, neglect to say thank
you for nothing, drop your HIS if you will
but never, never drop that final vowel, the
inalienable property, of Maine, the lead
ing state of America. Rightly does her
motto read" Dirigo p Does she not
lead in statesmen? Are not the greatest
singers in verse and music hers? and
more than all within her borders is the
| fairest city in the world-whose streets
are beautiful, whose people are the truest,
kindest friends on earth; and the name
| Of that city is Portland dear old Port
| land a million times God bless her
MRS. HERMANN KOTZSCHMAR.