Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-24

ernors. That Washington man should
have been accorded this honor is a matter
of civic pride to the citizens of the national
capital and no wiser selection could have
been made than in securing the services Of
Mr.. WrightSon.
The phenomenal career and rise of this
man in the city has been remarkable. There
are few musicians that have the marked
abilities in so many different directions as
Mr.. Wrightson has as a singer. teacher and
director. Over and above all of these quail
tiles he has the reputation of being an ex-
tremely keen and brilliant business man, a
wonderful organizer, possessed of great
deal of magnetic power, which is felt by all
that are brought into close business rela-
tons with him.
Mr.. Wrightson's CareeA.
Mr. Sydney Lloyd Wrightson was born in
London, England, in 1869, and was one of
q musical family. His maternal grand
father, James Harris, was conductor of the
Royal Opera at Drury Lane, London. His
great uncle was Sir Joseph Harris, the En-
glish composer and organist of Worcester
Cathedral. Mr.. Wrightson's Introduction to
music was as a choir boy, in which capacity
he served eight years. At eighteen he Wis
tied every country in Europe and spent
nearly year in Australia. He came to
America in 1889 and began the training of
boy choirs. For two years he was choir
master of the northern Episcopal diocese
of the state of Wisconsin, and in 1897 or
ganized in the First Congregational Church
of Appleton, Wis, a boys choir of over
one hundred members, which was the first
of its kind In any sectarian church in
America.
In 1898 he returned to London where he
studied for year with the famous vocal
| teacher Mr.. William Shakespeare, and re-
turned to Chicago in 1899, where he was
elected conductor of the Chicago Choral
Union, musical director of the Fullerton
Avenue Presbyterian Church and master of
music of the University School of Chicago.
He was one of the most successful teachers
and leaders of music in the city of Chicago.
In 1902 he accepted the position of dean Of
the School of Music of the University of
West Virginia, where he organized a choral
society of over three hundred voices. Dur
ing that time he accomplished the pnenome-
nal feat of taking DR.. Richard Strauss the
great German composer, who toured Amer
lea for thirty concerts, and the Pittsburg
Orchestra of seventy-five men. to Morgan
town, the home of the university, a town of
less than ten thousand people, at cost of
over four thousand dollars. making an ar
tistic and financial success that has gone
down in the annals of the state of West
Virginia as one of the most remarkab BILE
feats that was ever accomplished in the
history of the state.
Came to Washington.
In 1904 he came to Washington and
opened the Washington College of Music, of
which he is president and director and
which has rapidly risen during the past two
years as one of the leading musical insti-
buttons of America. In this college he has
a corps of twenty-seven teachers and an en-
rollment of over three hundred pupils. In
1905 he was elected director of the Musical
Art Society of Washington, resigning that
position in 1906 and organizing private So
ciety of his own, which Is called the Wash
ington Concert Choir He was during this
time the prime mover in the reorganization
of the Washington Choral Society, for
which he was duly rewarded this year by
being elected as conductor of the society,
which is now upon a surer and frmer foun-
dalton than at any time during it's history.
He has recently been appointed head of the
Mcdowell fund interest of the city Of
Washington.
Mr.. Wrightson stands pre-eminently as
one of the leading musicians of America
He has had under his direction some of the
greatest artists of the world, and during
this season is bringing Nordica, Schumann-
Heink, Gertrude Pepprecorn and Moriz
SclaIa Orchestra from Milan, Italy, for q
series of concerts to the city Of Washington.
He occupies an extremely peculiar posi-
ton, as in musical circles he Is recognized
as one of the leading baritones of the coun-
try, as a musical director Of marked ability
ton known throughout the continent
Mixed with these accomplishments he has
the peculiar ability Of being able to COM
bine art and business. He Is q great and
tireless worker and has shown his business
ability in going into an uncultivated field,
as Washington was, and building Up one
of the biggest musical institutions in the
country. He is a member of the Washing
ton Board of Trade and takes an active in
terest In the development of the city and in
all patriotic and philanthropic movements
In all educational lines.