The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1904-02-19
CONCERT IN PRAGUE.
Mss Ferry's Interesting Experience s


Berlin, Germany, jan "a, 1894.
thlns toid GU Ia the letter
l wrote from Prague that we feared
we could not gain admission. to the
grand concert after all but that some
friends were going TO help us get In TO
the rehearsal. Well, we went on Mon-
day morning, and nobody questioned
our going Ia and we sat very; near the
front and were simply bubbling over
with excitement aud interest. The
"conceru meister's" place was filed by
a Miss Wlenlawsky, daughter OF the
famous violinist and Composer.
Next to her sat Mr.. Egoert, Ia fine
looking, gray haired man, the founder
OF the Ithaca, N. Y, conservatory.
Then there was a man named Loring,
an American millionaire wko is soon
to marry Miss Wieniawsky, and a man
from Australia Miss Greenup knew.
We were amazed to find so many. Am.
orleans and English among them.
The pupils came In and took their
places but were visiting and laughing
anh having such a nice time together.
The moment Sevclk entered and STEP
ped upon the platform they Instantly
quieted down without so much as a
rap of his baton. He was about to be-
gin the rehearsal when young Ger.
man rose, made cordially enthusiast
tic speech in praise aud alteration of
their teacher and ended with the
phrase, "Lebe Hoch Sevcik." AS he
sat down deafening noise broke loose
they were all yelling and hitting the
backs of their fiddles with their bow
sticks Ia new custom to mel. Sevcik
bowed his acknowledgment of the pref
ty compliment, and almost Ia second
they grew quiet aud the rehearsal
began.
They were to play "moto-perpetus"
and he began by having them play 1t
slowly, they played 1t through three
times each time faster, and 1t was
marvellous how perfectly together they
played. There were sixty or more
vioins, and though he conducts awk-
wardly, his fiddlers fiddle just the
same. 1t was very interesting re-
hearsal and in the middle they all had
their pictures taken. When this was
over and they were visiting away as
hard as ever, Sevcik again took the
stand aud they quieted as quickly as
before. 1t made such pleasant i'm
preston on US, we all wished we had
been in 1T too. His pupils simply adore
him.
After dinner we took car for long
way and then climbed mapy long
fights of stone steps till we reached
the highest point in Prague. There is
an old church OF ST. Vitus which the
guide told US was begun in 1900. Any
how it looked that Old and was full of
NEST interesting things. Many b.
henlan kings are buried there. We
saw several crucifixes made of cedar
from Lebanon, old paintings on wood,
and an old door which takes seven keys
to unlock. Some Of the keys are IN
Dresden, the rest In Prague. This door
leads to the "Hunger Tower" what
ever that is. 1t just makes me feel
like fool to go to these places, and
know 50 little of history. We went
through part OF the palace and saw
besides many pictures, a fire screen
said to have been embroidered by
Marie Antoinette. Our guide was a
devout Catholic and kept pretty busy
kneeling and crossing himself at every
shrine and altar.
When evening came we gained adj
mittance to the concert free-thanks
to Miss Greenup's friends-by coming
to the artists entrance. Every seat
and "step platz" had been sold long
before our arrival; and where did
they put US but on the stage, at
one side. There was actually no 9th.
er place In the hall large enough to
put down our six feet. As soon as
we entered hundreds OF opera glasses
were leveled at us, but we we're soon
so much interested In studying the
types before us we did not think Of 1t
long. There were visitors from all
over Europa to hear this concert and
the paper, the next morning, said:
Several students from Berlin occupied
seats on the platform.
Well, the concert was fine. The
first number was five voiced fugue
and it was wonderful. Ssvcik came
out In response to thunderous applause
and instead Of taking the honors to
himself, he made the pupils rise In
ack nowledgment. Such a beating of
tiddles and noise you could never hear
&utside Bohemia. He was presented
with an immense wreath with a
British and an American flag on the
top from the Anglo-American Club.
In ali he received seven wreaths. One
was solaiyge 1t took three men to carry
It &, it would not drag and one small
er.one was made Of silver leaves with
the name OF a pupil engraved on each
leaf, When these were broughtin the
people went wild. Some Jumped up and
down letting out regular war VIII oops
from sheer excitement. We could not
help sharing In it and stood up and
-,-a' .--sx1. ~, = kL.~J, uova oora