The Portland daily press., 1901-02-22
ROW IN BROOKLYN CHOIR.
Miss Maeonda, soprano, Lays Her Dis
charge TO spite work.
IN. Y. suu.)

~ Z s0uu.
Mrs. Charlotte Walters, well known in
musical circles as Miss Charlotte Ma
couda, wife of Treasurer Walters of the
Garriek Theatre will terminate her en-
ga cement as soprano in the quartet choir
OF the First Reformed Church In Seventh
avenue and President street, Brooklyn,
on May 1. Miss MaDonda has long been
re zarded as one OF this leading church
soprano singers in Brooklyn ana has been
favorite with the Congregation of the
First Church. Much unfAvorable oom-
meut, it is said, has been made on the
action OF the musical committee of the
conslstory in ref lslng to renew her en-
gagement, and questionable pressure, 1t
is declared, was brought to bear on the
committee to iuiinence 1t against her.
Mics Maconda herself attributes her
dismissal to her action In rebuking some
young people who had systematically an
noyed her while singing in the church
last winter. she said yesterday:
1.-TWO young women, daughters OF one
of the in tluential mem bers Of the church,
were accustomed to sit directly under the
choir. Every Sunday night they were
accompanied by two young men, one OF
whom was about "a years old and a mem
Der of the church, think, and related to
one OF the best families in the church.
These four young persons seemed TO de-
rive much amusement from my singing
They would sit and giggle and nudge
each other every time l had any solo part
to sing. Finally the young men began
TO mimic me. Whenever took high
Dote, during which L had to open my
mouth, both the young men would
stretch their mouths wide open and the
two girls would giggle.
This went on every SUNDAY night for
month One night after the service
went TO the older OF the two young men
and told him in rs kindly way as l
could that II he knew how great an en-
barrassment his actions were to me was
sure he would not continue them, He
became indignant and denied that he had
even done the things l spoke of. Then l
lost my temper little and told him what
/ thought OF his actions, The matter
was then taken up by the oonsistory and
l was not annoyed any more, IL gave
rise, however, / bslleve, to division In
the conaistory and II am not mistaken
the Kew. Dr. j. M. farrar, the pastor, |
took sides with the friends OF the young
people l had rebuked. This is, / believe |
the rsal reason / have besn dismissed |
from this choir. When the new musical
committee took charge Mr.. Hall, the |
chairman, came TO me ana Dluntly an |
nounced that they had decided upon a I
change in the choir ana could not, of
course, ask me to give up my concert /
work. He did not offer me any contract /
to sign or make any proposition In regard |
to Encouragement l know of no possible /
reason for the action of the committee /
except the affair of last winter and the |
division OF feeling which 1t CAUSED
The Rev. DIR. Farrar said that the |
records OF the consistory show that Miss |
Maconda'a retirement was due to her re- /
fusal to give up her outside concert work |
'At the present time" he said, ''her |
contract permits her to do outside work /
as concert singer II she provides us q /
substitute. The Lew musical committee I
determined that Miss Anaconda should /
give her undivided services to the church |
and the consistory approved OF this ac-
ton. Miss MacOnda refused to sigu a /
contract with this provision. That is all
there is to the matter SO far as relations
of Miss Maoonda TO the oonsistory are con.
cerned, Naturally, there are a great /
many people in sae church kesnIy disap-
pointed at the loss of Miss Maoonda. She |
is undoubtedly wonderful singer, but /
we needed her entire services, and she |
WAS unwilling to give them to u.s.
Miss Maconda o few months ago re- |
fused a tiattering offer from the Washing
ton Avenue Baptist Church. She has |
nllsd several ENGAGEMENTS In grand |
opera. The services OF Mr.. Carrier, the |
bass, who was engaged to I'LL out the /
year when DIR. Marshall retired, viii also /
be dispensed with on May ].