The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-21
THE SHERWOOD CONCERT.
Miss Mabel Crawford, Formerly OF
Topeka, a Sweet Singer.

The Sherwood concert last evening
was attended by a large audience that
filled every seat in parQuette and bal
cony at the Grand Opera House. The
concert was under the auspices of the
High School Lecture association, and
the girls of the class of 80 in pretty
dresses sat in the right hand boxes
with the inscription June, gu in large
red letters on the upper curtains of the
box, While the box rails were draped
in crimson A large number of ladies
in the audience were without bOnnetS.
The 'ttheater hat reform seems TO be
gaining rapidly.
Those present were largely from the
Congregational churches in the city,
Miss Mabel Crawford, the contralto of
the company, having sung for two years
in the choir OF the First Congregational
church here The concert was one OF
the best given in Topeka for a long
time, every number being well selected
and well sung.
The regularity with which each num-
Der was encOred Once-juSt Once-WaS
amusing, not to say aggra waiting. 1t
tOwnspeOple ought to have shown their
appreciation of her charming voice by
distinguishing her from the other sing
erS with more encOreS. Miss Crawford
should have been recalled three or four
times But not So 1t appeared she
should have just the same number of
handclaps, carefully counted off if
the entertainment were a high school
commencement, where all the perform
ances are equally bad and the applause
is applied with the regularity and
impartiahty of machinery. Topeka has
not so many young men and women of
talent who can go upon the stage and
earn q reputation and a living that she
should be cold and Indifferent to them
When our young people who are maxi
ing names for themselves come here,
we ought to manifest our pleasure by
suitable expression of it, particularly
when it costs nothing except little
wear and tear on the cutIcle Oe the
hands. Besides, it is rural in the ex-
IRENE to encore every selection on a
concert programme exactly the same
number of times. 1t indicates that there
is neither intelligence or discrimination
in the applause
Mr.. Sherwood's part of the programme
on the piano forte was excellent, some
of it being quite within the range of
apprecia ton of people who are not mu-
Sicians, which is a graceful thing for
pianist to take into consideration. Mr..
Sherwood plays much classical music,
but he also remembers that a large
part of his audience enjoys something
more simple and kindly pleaSes their
ears with few selections of that sort.
Miss Jenny Osborn, the soprano, pos
sesses a beautiful and powerful voice,
which was put to the severeSt test. par
ticularly in the act from Faust" Frank
s. Hannah's tenor was excellent in his
selections, but is almost too light for
Gounod's opera Better bassos than
H. "A
heard here.
In the third act of Faust" which
closed the concert, Miss Mabel Craw-
ford as Seibel necessarily appears in
tights. Miss Crawford was very sensi-
tive about the matter, as in the audi
ence were hundreds of her acQuaint-
ances and friends. 1t was a trying
situation, but she carried the part
through capably without faltering.
Miss Crawford said to State Journal
reporter
breviated costume, and oh. 1 SO dislike to
appear on the stage in it tonight It's a
home audience. you know: and l M dread
Christian people of Topeka. You see if
they knew what to expect it would be
different but don't think any OF them
have any idea what the costume will be.
and when they see me in tights they will
think it horrible
Poor girl whispered one of the other
members of the company to the reporter,
Fit simply kills her to go on in tights be-
fore her home crowd
Il don't know how I will ever get
through" she said. before she went on.
Il will be imagining all kinds of criti-
cisms and running over in my mind what
my acquaintance are probably saying OF
my costume long as 1 remain on the
stage"
Miss Crawford has been a resident of
here in 1892 to take up the study of vocal
music under the direction of Mr.. Sher-
wood. Soon after going to Chicago she
secured an engagement in one of the Chi
cago churches. and since that time has
been a memDer OF a cnurcn cnOA Al
present she sings in the Jewish synagogue
on Saturdays. and in the choir of the St.
Paul Universalist church on Sundays.
Il like concert work. said Miss Craw-
ford last night. and rather like to travef
on concert tours. In fact the only part /
don't like about the tours is my costum =
in Faust 1 suppose 1 will become &C
cuStOmed to this after a while, and I
have already made up my mind that
person can be just as good in tights as in
skirts. and as bad in dresses in tights.
But it cost me a good many SleepleSs
nights to make up my mind to wear such
a Costume at all. If it wasn't for the fact
that in all operas contraltos are usually
obliged to take boy part. i wouldn't
have decided to sacrifice my feelings to
advance in this line, and bring myself to
the point of DOMINIC tights
After the concert last night, Miss CraW-
ford was rendered a reception by the
Dudley Buck quartette at the physician
culture rooms.
The progressive ladies of westfeld,
Ind. issued a 'tWoman's Edition of