The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-05-20
CHARLES w. CLARK.

CHARLES w. CLARK.
Charles w. Clark, the eminent barry
ton, who is expected to sing in Mime
apolis on the occasion of the annual
meeting Of the State Music Teachers
association in June, is purely an Amer
lean product. He has lived in Paris for
several years, and is cosmopolitan IN
his art and accomplishment, but by
birth andtraining and instinct he is an
America. Mr.. Clark is not only a self
made man, but man who succeeded in
spite Of family and friends and almost
in spite Of himself. He did it by hard
and conscientious work, thru long and
diseouraging years.
Mr.. Clark was born in Van Vert,
Ohio, more than forty years ago. His
father was business man, as were his
uncles and cousins, substantial, God
fearing, church going business men,
such as can be found in any town in
the country. All the Clarks were sing
ers,. and SO was the family into which
Clark. pere, married. Indeed he mar
ried into two musical families. The
ever, Of which Charles W. Clark is one,
were particularly gifted. There were
three daughters, all with voices that
would have won them fame and fortune
If their owners had developed them to
that end; and two sons, both with barry
ton voices of unusual quality. The
world knows what one of those sons has
done with his voice, The other son
saw greater attraction in the study
Of medicine, and he writes "M. d.
after his name instead of "Mus. d. a
Charles W. Clark attended the town s
public school as boys Of his condition
In life ordinarily do. Education in gen
eral did not not appeal to. him over
poweringly, 50, after finishing the
eighth grade, he quit school and went
to work in his father fourmil., That
Vert, but it would have been pretty
much Of joke in Minneapolis. 1t was
rated as a 4O-barrel mill, or, it ground
as much in twenty-four hours as the
big Pillsbury A turns out in four min
utes. ,
In time young Clark became head
miller. It cost him an eye, however,
for one day in repairing a piece OF
machinery small silver of steel struck
him in one of his eyes, causing an in
jury which eventually destroyed, the
Sight. Sentiment was wholly one-sided
when the townspeople learned that
"Charley' Clark had thrown up his
Job in his fathers mill and was going
to Chicago to study vocal music under
Frederick Root. It was a mistake, they
all said. What could he do, anyhow, in
of his Job in the mill, and eventually
the mill would belong to him. It Ger.
tainly was a foolish move. But Clark
went to Chicago and began his studies
Van Vert heard little definite and
saw little of Clark for years there
after. It was known that he was max
ing Roadway, that he was singing il
at some of the summer Institutes, anc
that he had apparently i" made good
on the road. He was studying hard, en-
couraged by his teachers, who appre
ciated what was in him, and he was
working at anything he could find to dt
while he studied. Finally he became /
teacher himself, and prospered in some
degree.
London to appear there in a concert o.
note, and had been kindly received b,
the English critics, that Chicago CAV
| him much notice. When he sang tn
barytone solos for the annual concer
Of the Apollo club Of Chicago, tn
critics gave him scant praise. TIL
better, even in Chicago. But Clark wa
called to London again, and a thir
time. He sang before the queen an
british royalty praised him. He san
An New York and Boston, and tn
critics and public honored him, an
by that time he was about ready t
.seave Chicago for Paris.
/ It Is one Of those little ironies o
fate that while Clark was on the ocea
on his second trip to London hi
fathers mill burned down, and it wa
never rebuilt. And it is also a matte
of history that the last year he live
10 Chicago his fees as teacher. an
his earnings - as a concert SINCE
amounted to more than the mill wa
ever worth.
Singers, who have kept posted on m,
sical matters need not be told thu
Clark was successful as a teacher an
singer in Paris. Time and again
was invited to appear before Englis
royalty and the most critical and Gu
tured audiences Of the European cap
tails. He is conceded to be one of tt
three best barytones in the world, sin
ing. English, German and Italian wit
equal sweetness and art. But feted al
honored as he has been for years,
IS still. the plain "Charley" Clal
when he visits his old home, where b
homecoming is the hint that ''Clal
concert may be expected, and he al
his sisters get together and practice |
for the concert, which the whole TOW
enjoys. This prophet is, honored in b
OWN country.