Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-12-22
Farewell STAGE Scene.

Londoners are usually supposed to be
phlegmatic people and difficult to stir
| to enthusiasm, says a writer in Tit
Bits" Yet the scenes which have often
taken place at last appearances Of ia
vOrite actors and musicians go far to
prove this accusation TO be a calumny.
IL was i'm the opera Of "Favorita"
| that TIE great singer Mario made his
last public appearance at Covent Gar
der. At the end of IL the audience re-
| fused to let him leave the stage until he
had sung the song he so excelled in,
"Good-bye, Sweetheart, Goodbye"
Dead silence reigned over the enor-
NOUS crowd as he sang the first verses.
| in the last the tension becUme simply
| terrible: the splendid old man broke
down completely, and stood there sob
| bling and shaking with emotion, while
at least half his audience was also in
tears. There was one sharp burst OF
applause, and then, evidently under
| standing and sympathizing with the
! singers emotion, the people rose and
| trooped quietly out.
There has been few such concerts in
recent times as that at which Mr. Ed
| ward Lloyd babe farewell last year to
the audiences he had charmed for
thirty years. The Albert Hall was
packed. Madame AIbani, Mr.. Santley,
Mr.. Zen Davies, Miss Clara Butt and
other famous singers. took part in a
] program lasting three hours and
half. Mr. Lloyd's last song was THE
, Holy City" and after it the applause
| that broke out seemed as if il would
never end. Over and over again the
l e y,nI al 4
bow. The scene ended with the presen-
| alton OF u great laurel wreath and
| musical honors.
Sims Reeves had many wonderful
receptions and farewells. but none
which reached the poignant pitch of his
| last appearance at Johannesburg. The
marvellous tenor received many offers
to sing in the Colonies, but always re-
| fused until 1896, when he went to South
| Africa. He gave six concerts at johann
| ncsburg. and at the last the vast audi
| cnce rose rs one man and shouted itself
hoarse. An immense laurel wreath was
| handed up and then last encore de-
| manGed.
The great tenor hurriedly selected
| The Bay of Biscay," a song which he
| had not sung for many years. He sang
| it with all the fire and pathos of forty
years ago. and few of the audience were
| a BILE 10 believe that the singer they were
listening to was nty-four years of
age.
Miss Ada Crossley will never forget a
farewell appearance at sydney some
years ago. At the great Centennial
Hall wires had been stretched from the
balconies to the platform, and every
time she appeared flowers came whirl
| ing along these to her feet. At the
close of the concert an address was i
presented to her by the Premier, the
Mayor and others. She attempted to
make n speech of thanks.
Ladies and gentlemen she began,
and then hesitated a moment. Hear,
hear" some one cried. The singer
could not, however. proceed, but burst
into tears--tears of happiness and gra-
titude. she has since said.
That other great Australian prima |
donna, Nine. Melba, has passed through
many wonderful scenes of enthusiasm, |
hut her pet recollection is of a farewell
appearance at Stockholm some seven or
eight years ago. After her last aria,
that fire old gentleman, the King of
Sweden, stood up in his box and bowed
three times to the singer with the ut
most impressiveness. The audience
reared approval so loudly that the very
house seemed to rock. Afterward his
Majesty presented the singer with a
medal. She had no pin to secure it
with. so the King found one in his coat.
but. saying that he must not break
friendship with a pointed present, he
requested to be permitted to add a kiss
with the gift.
\ most amazing scene took place at
Poltava, in Russia, last year. An Ital-
ian opera company had been playing