The age-herald., 1900-06-14
WorlAeN6;,c: e6crRrv
Some Experiences of Birming-
 ham Girl In New York City

difFicult told in words as it would be to describe a subtle harmony, for even the young woman who has successfully passed this critical moment confesses that when she finds herself the conspicuous figure in the presence of a maestro who is regarding her critically and waiting impatiently for the sound of her voice the moment is one of such varying emotions that it becomes tragical But it is always interesting to hear young woman recall the tremulous hours when she took her position near the cabinet grande and waited to hear the crash of chords from the master hands that would mean she must begin to sing. To a girl professionally ambitious and who has been led into the belief that her voice is suited for oratorios and grand opera, the decision of a maestro either encouraging or the reverse usually results in a weeks headache for the young woman who has just been told that her voice need not be taken as seriously as she or her friends hoped, and the young woman who Is com pletely overwhelmed by the favorable criti- cisms upon her voice. In either case the verdict is said to temporarily incapacitate the girl for her duties, but the fortunate one in time controls her nerves and takes up her work with that degree of enthusiasm that her old master would call intelligent comprehension and the realization of the
 necessity of hard study before she appears in opera or oratorio.
 The disappointments and particularly the happiness that awaits young woman who goes to a celebrated maestro for his criti- cism of her voice was discussed yesterday by a group of women among whom was Miss Norma Scholar, the gifted young Birmingham girl who met with marked success the past winter in New York, where she has been studying vocal art at the Conservatory of Music. Miss Scholar was asked to recall the occasion of her first ap- pearanee at the conservatory when she sung for Sapio, under whom she is study ing.
 "O," she said laughingly, 'if should live two thousand years I would not forget that ordeal. It was on the second day of my | arrival in New York. I went alone to the 1 conservatory where I was at first ushered | into small reception room awaiting my | time to speak with MT. Sapio. Finally I was directed to one of the music rooms and there I met the great Italian master
 who was to decide my fate. There were lOui otHSI ldlllOuS pISSenl dIu lHS piano was so arranged that I was required to stand in full view of the little assembly who were regarding me severely but the consciousness that Sapio's eyes and ears | too were wide open was most trying and
 was dreadfully frightened and really did
 not get over it for days. Although he was
 so encouraging and made me hope for great | results, I was almost i'll when the ordeal i was over.''
 l Sapio, you know, is one of the strictest | teachers in the world, and after the first l interview wi,h him a pupil rarely hears any complimentary expressions direct from his ! own lips, but he is given to praising the work of his pupils to others, and does not know when his criticisms reach the ears of those most interested; and indeed it is 1 only by accident that pupil hears of the
 favorable criticism of Sapio."
 | II recall that on one occasion l sang a | favorite selection that 1 thought particu-
 larly suited my voice, but Sapo told me
 that had not properly studied the mean
 ing of the words, my interpretation being entirely wrong. Go home,' he said, and
 learn the meaning of the words until you feel what you sing and he made me feel
 perfectly disgusted with the song Imagine
 my surprise some days later when young 1 woman said to me- MT. Sapio tells me
 that you sing tavorite song of mine, and
 that you interpret it with so much express
 sion, and when she mentioned the name it
 was the song of which he had declared 1 d d | not know the proper interpretation.
 our lessons at the conservatory usually lasted three or four hours,' continued Miss 1 Schoolar, and there are seven lessons each l week. which with the time required for
 practicng, gives one little opportunity for | recreation. To the young woman however,
 who is studying in New York, the advan-
 tages are probably good as those of
 fered in Europe, but even with the best
 that can be enjoyed in this country, an
 American girl always feels that she must
 go abroad, and the majority of students in
 New York, who are ambitious for d career
 are advised to embrace the magnificent op- | portunities offered in Europe"
 Miss Scholar spoke of the success of car
 Tie Bridewell of Birmingham whose first ap-
 pearance in grand opera last spring created
 such furor in New York. Miss Schoolar
 and Miss Bridewell saw each other as fre- | quently during the winter as the duties of
 each would allow, and on the evening that | tie ldtler appeared In grand opera Miss
 SchoolarWas in the audience, and on other
 occasions when Miss Bridewell sang at the
 Waldorf Astoria, Miss Scholar found time
 to be present, and these two young women
 would chat together in Miss Bridewell's S | dressing room, and later on in the brilliant
 assembly in the Austoria gallery Miss
 Schoolar would be among the greatest ad-
 mirers of Miss Bridewell, Of whom she de- | ca es will II ore than fulhl the exp ctItions | of Sembrich and Mr Grau. She saw Miss l Bridewell the day she sailed for Europe, | and in recalling the occasion, she spoke of | how beautiful she looked and how radiantly | happy she was that MT Grau had such 1 faith in her voice to warrant his contract l calling for three successive summers of study in Europe at the expense of the | Metropolitan Opera Company.
 Miss Schooar will return to New York