The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-06-09
THE MALE 0uARTETTE


with it's renditions of vocal master
pieces, is an organization as totally diff
ferent from its apparent self as can
we'll be imagined. Stage rehearsals are
commonplace affairs in the theatrical
world, but stage rehearsalS, of dramatic
| companies are always under the super
| vision of some one who has authority to
issue orders and demand obedience.
Acting is a business with the members
| of the company.
| With the male quartette it Is differ
ent. The first tenor is perhaps the
| partner in an engraving plant of large
proportions and singing for the sport of
it. The second tenor is a gentleman en-
| joying a lucrative law practice and has
| inherited talent for vocal music,
| which he INDUCES as a pastime. The
| baritone may be dependent for his daily
| bread upon a comfortable salary with a
| commercial organization of large re-
pute, and possibly the second bass is
| the proprietor of plant for the manu-
facture and sale of heating apparatus.
Each Of the gentlemen is the sole owner
and proprietor of the quartette, and
would like to have it so understood
upon every occasion. They are all the
best of friends, and history might tell
interesting tales of sport which has been
enjoyed in pursuance of the work of the
quartette during the many years of it's
existence. They are supposed to have
secured an engagement to sing next
Saturday night at the old settlers re-
union and banquet. They have ar
ranged by telephone to meet at one
o'clock in the little recital hall over the
music store where they buy most Of
their music. The hour is now lilo and
Coulter the baritone, is still missing.
Yardley, the second tenor, is chewing a
large black cigar and reading the morn
ing paper, while Fleeger, the bass. and
Hummel, the first tenor, are pitching
pennies at a crack in the floor. Apro-
pos Of the missing baritone the second
tenor remarks THAT man hasn't been
on time at rehearsal in three months"
That's what he hasn't" says Fleeger.
And I'm getting mighty tired Of giving
up good time to sit around here and /
wait for blooming idiot like him to get
ready to come around. I'll bet hat
he's over at the club playing billiards
now. I want to tell you fellows right |
now that if we are going to run this |
quartette at all we got to do it on Il
business basis or you can count me
out"
Me. too,psays Hummel. They're |
Kicking over at the ce an the time |
now on this music deal of mine, and if |
we can't all come together when we
agree to we might just as well quit one
time as another And if we can't re-
l,on ,;y
getting sick of the whole business, and /
If he don't show up inside Of FIVE mir
utes I jump the ldeal-thats the size of /,
it,"
We'll, you needn't roast me. I'm
here. amt II" chimes in Yardley. II
haven't missed but one rehearsal in
three years. and you know it, too, and /
was sick them
Yes, you have You missed two re-
hearsals when we We're getting ready to
sing for the Merchants association"
said the bass
Boodshed was avoided at this juno
ture by the appearance of Coulter
breathless, perspiring and inclined to be
apologize.
Couldn't help it, boys, sorry but was
stuck with a customer from Cedar Rap
ids, and had to go out on south side with
him. Trolley broke coming back and |
laid us up twenty minutes, Les get to
biz now. Whatre we gon' to sing, any
way? Les give EN- Aud Lang Syne'
for luck for starter, and let EN- think
they're on earth anyway"
Hummel sits on one chair with his
feet on the back of another Yardley
a {pS ntG f1o1a OF he 1r{o |
throws up a window and sits on the sill
where the breeze from the street can
cool his heated brow, and Fleeger gets
over behind the piano, where he can ex-
anime some new music while singing
the old songs Yardley strikes chord
on the piano and all break into the
strain of Aud Lang Cyne." After
about three lines are sung Yardley says:
Rats, we can sing that chestnut all
right Les get down on this Good
Night Get around here, John, where
you can see the notes, and look out for
that hold on the end of the second line
here You sing like a sausage"
They start off with Good Might
and all goes we'll for few lines, when
al stop with jerk. and Fleeger says.
For all that's good, won't you buffers
ever learn how to sing that? You want
o cut off short where i hold on to that
MOON and let me carry that out a full
note; then you come in, Willie, with
'our heart and hand over again.
What you don't know about this
piece would fill a graveyard says
iummel. Shut up now minute, and
II show you how to do it" "
He does it and chorus of groans fol-
oWs. The trouble with you jays is you
ant read music says the first tenor :
Now look at that note, AL; what is it?
Can you tell?"
"Iaas, | can tell what that note Isl;
What do you think I am, anyway"
Il don't like to tell, but what is it?' I
That's IT,
"A, is it? Well, then, what the dick
ms do you sing it G for? Can you
ell?"
20, don't you s'pose I know what I'm
fngin'? l did sing 1t A..
May be you thought you did, but
ouve been out late at night and you
ant tell the difference between a bass
lief and minor chord. Now, If we
ont want to make monkeys OF our
elves there Saturday night we've got to
ct down to business and learn how to
Is yafr 4