The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-06-12
MUSIC is AN
IMPORTANT PART
Of the Teaching of Mt. Carmel
Academy.
FINE PROGRAM GIVEN
At Commencement Exercises
Yesterday Afternoon.

The most prosperous year in the his
tory Of Mt. Carmel academy was ended
by. the commencement exercises held yes
terday afternoon. This was the fifteenth
annual commencement. and in point of
entertainment was the best Of all. Never
before in Wichita have four pianos been
used at one time aad eight or twelve
young ladies handled them.
There was only one graduate from the
academy, Miss Grace Hargett of sedgwick
City. The enrolment Of the school has
reached nearly 100 students, and this will
be vastly increased the coming year. ow-
ing to the increased accommodations.
For many years the accommodations of
the school have been limited to but few
students but the big addition just com
pleted viii bring many young ladies to
Mt CarmeE~in coming years.
The exercises yesterday were held in
the new auditorium This is probably the
finest school auditorium in the state in
private schools. a stage with first class
scenery is one of the features of this
room. The students dedicated the audi
tcrium few weeks ago by giving a can
tata, and this was the second time IL has
been used for public purposes. Music is
one Of the important studies in the cur
riculum Of the school, and the finest Of
music teachers are at hand as instructors
and their work during the past year was
evident by the manner in which the stu
dents played the most difficult numbers,
bringing out all the beauty of a compost
ton with a full understanding of the
mathematics, technique and harmony. It
was really a remarkable exhibition Of
piano playing. The Sisters and their pu-
pills undertook something yesterday that
has never been heard of in this city or
even thought OF by the various schools of
music, and the plan was carried out in a
style that bespeaks much for the thor
oughness Of the instruction given the stu
dents.
The most wonderful part of the pro-
gram was the playing of the Music Box
Caprice" by Muller, by twelve girls, none
OF them more than II years of age. There
were three at each piano, and every one
carried out their part with dis
patch. and the music they pro-
duced was of the kind that makes
through the veins. The selection was a
Jolly, jingling composition. full of life, and
the young ladies brought out all there
was in it. Not a halt or discord was evi-
dent throughout the whole selection. The
young ladies have been trained to seek
out the most correct Interpretation Of the
music. They were taught to place them
selves in as near as possible position as
the composer was when he conceived the
1Fra IF qorr,r,ocf4fon nd > har 4
with the utmost precision. These young
ladies have a delicacy Of touch and pre-
cision in ensemble work that is simply
wonderful.
This city has never seen four pianos
used at one time and two people at each,
but those who were at Mt Carmel yester-
day saw and heard and they were pleased.
i was surely a magnificent performance
for eight young ladies 10 render such diff
hcult compositions, and to bring out ali
the delicate shades of harmony from four
Instruments. They brought forth great
volumes of sound when needed, or the
soft strains and velvety notes and the
most perfect harmony. Yesterday was an
event in the musical world Of Wichita
which viii not soon be forgotten, as it
stands unequalIed as a performance by
students or even professionals in this city.
The students Of Mt. Carmel academy
need not take a back seat as vocalists or
elocutionists either, and their teaching is
not limited to piano playing. for eleven
o. the young ladies rendered a selection
on mandolins and guitars and five of the
numbers OF the program were vocal Sc
iections
In the first and last vocal numbers there
we're eighty-two people singing In some
o. the numbers there were solo. Duet and
trio parts. which were handled in a most
masterful style by the young ladies' Per
feet pureness and quality of tone and the
singing was characterized by the wonder
ful clearness in which the words were
spoken. The students have put in great
deal of hard work on their music and they
were rewarded yesterday, for nothing but
words of praise could be said of them.
Whether in solo. duett or trio. or in cho-
rus the students showed that adaptable
fly TO many shades of expression and
every number was rendered in perfect
time and harmony.
The FIRST number Of the program was
the entrance march. by the Sisters of
Charity b. Y. NJ played on four pianos.
by Misses Luella DeNaughn. Essie Cas-
sidy. Agnes Dice. Theresa Schmidt. Bes-
sic Powers Katharine Dautschmann. Lulu
Soldani and Margaret O'Loughin.
As the selection was about completed
the members OF the school marched in
by twos and formed on the stage. All
were dressed I'm white. and as soon as
formed they sang the chorus from The
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