The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-06-04
SINGERS HERE.
al Small Audience Attends the
Musical Festival.
SOloists All Made a Pleasing
Impression.
BIG ORCHESTRA HEARD
Chicago Symphony Musicians
Again Appear in Topeka.
Kansas City, HOlton and Law
renee ChOruses Participate.

The Kansas Musical Festival was
opened at the Auditorium last night
The big building was as spacious as
ever. The stage had been enlarged.
Musicians we're in abundance. The
stage, with its addition, was packed
with them To be sure the fesriVa4 can
hardly be compared with the Boston
Peace Jubilee but Brick Pomeroys
description of that affair at once comes
to mind The famous writer ana lee
turer attended the big musical event at
The Hub which has been arranged by
Patrick Gilmore. POneroy wrote home
to his paper that on the stage We're 20
900 people playing to an audience OF
1000.
The same figures would not do in the
case of the Kansas Festival but the
fact is that there were as many, or
more, people on the stage VINO took
part in the programme as there were
people in the audience on the first floor.
The same COMPASSION could be mace OF
the audience in the balcony. Nearly
live hundred people took part in the
concert The audience numbered less
than a thousand persons, probably oVv'
"a large portion came from out OF town.
The concert was good, from a musical
standpoint The programme opened
with the Kansas City Oraror1O society
under the direction OF Carl Busch, sing
ing ROssini's Stabat Mater accom-
panied by the 40 musicians of the chi
cagO Symphony orchestra and with
Nine Ragna Lime soprano; Nine. sue
Harrington Furbeck, contraltos Holmes
Cowper, tenor, and Charles W. Clafks
baritone The chorus numbered about
125 voices.
carl Busch is a conductor of no mean
ability. He is a fayOrite with musicians
here He was greeted with his snare OF
applause when he stepped on the stage
He led his chorus with the orchestra,
through the measured passages OF the
mass, bringing from his singers a really
creditable rendition In his first solo,
DIr Holmes COWper made the most OF
the opportunity to display his range IT
seemed that perhaps his higher tones
we're not as full and smOth as might
be wished, but he pleased the audience
Nlr. COWDer has a voice that is eSp9cl-
ally pleasing in the softer passages
After hearing him in the heavy chant
like music you wonder if he could not
sing Marvellous Braes are BOnny
In a delightful manner he seems 10
have a voice that is built for those
softer bits of songs rather than the
heavier compositions.
The duet for the soprano and con-
traltO was the second number for the
E.solOlsts, and Nine. Ragna Lime and
Nine. Sue Harrington E'urbeck sang II
IN a charming manner Nine. Lime S
voice sounded to better advantage with
NINE EuEDecE than IN any other part
OF the programme unless it was in the
finale of the mass where she displayed
the power and cIearness of her voice.
4t IS MINE. EuTDeCk VINO was the Ia
Wor1te with the audience. She has q
naiveness which won her attention even
before she was heard. She is rather tall,
with back hair done up with bows and
twists that gives no hint of hours Of
Drlmping before the concert. She held
her music as a school girl would hold
her reader and she sang with the earn
estness and unconcern of a pupil read
ing from McGufy's fourth. The fact Is,
1t seems as il the French should in no
way be mixed up with her name. She
must have been just plain Sue Harring-
ton once and lived in some small town.