The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-04-14
NEW ENGLAND BIRTH
PLACE OF N0RDICA.
May Pass Into the Hands Of
Strangers.

/
turesque old farmhouse where Lillian
Nordica, the greatest Of the singers
who claim New England as their birth
place, was born, may now pass into
| the hands of strangers, be converted
] into a modern mansion, or even torn
down by some irrevelant hand.
For years visitors have made pill
| grimages to the old house. where its
little rivulet running through the broad
meadows. its tall shade trees and its
fine orchard. looking forward TO the
| big Blue mountains yelled I'm their pur-
| pie and blue gray mist. It was Mr..
| Forsyths greatest Joy to show with
pride the quaint low ceilinged rooms.
with their wide fireplaces and TO point
out the east room as the one in which
| the great prima donna was horn.
Spent Childhood There.
It is said that little Lillian Nordica,
as child, rOmped barefooted over the
broad acres, but this Mr.. Forsyth in
| dignantIy denied, saying that MT. and
| Mrs. Norton, for Nordica's real name
| is Norton, were I'm comfortable circum-
stances, her mothers father being the
| famous Methodist preacher, Camp
| meeting john Aiken. The exterior OF
| the farmhouse is white, and though the
| house was built by Nordica's father
| but a few years before her birth, many
/ OF I0e TOOIliSr IlOldDly lItS living
are finished in panelings Of pine which
| adds to their air Of quaint antiquity,
Beautiful Souvenirs.
On this wall hangs large picture OF
/ the great operate star taken in 1886,
and across the bottom in characteristic
| handwriting is her signature. A pic
/ ture of Jenny Lind, the sweet-voiced
| singer of Sweden, hangs across the
room, and bust of Homer adds to the
| air of artistic comfort. Today the
house stands on a brick foundation and
in it's rear is a fine well-kept barn,
| both added since the time, when q lit
tie tot of three summers, the parents
| of the future diva, moved away, that
they might give her eldest sister, Will
helmina, the proper musical education.
For il was upon Wilhelmina, a few
years older than baby Lillian, that
everyone looked as the most talented
and promising member Of the family.
The First Singing Lesson.
They were all musical and Of a win
ter's evening loved to gather round the
piano. Mrs. Norton, her sweet face
framed in soft hair, while her husband
and Harrison Norton, his brother
would join in with their viOlins and the
children standing round would look to
| WiIhelmina, with her clear, bird-like
tiny Lillian, lying in some ones lap,
would join her sweet baby treble.
Soon the family moved to Boston and
| the Nortons of Pennington, of whom
there are, as Nordica says. about 300
more or less" saw little Of them until
in 1869 Wilhelmina came back to Farm
ington on visit and to sing at con-
cert.
Home for Local Triumph.
|
| their hearts thrilled with pleasure to
hear the young girl sing so sweetly and
purely They went home agreeing that
| they had heard a voice which was de-
stined to be famous.
| But it vas not to be. For the very
next day at the home Of her grand
father, the girl was taken with typhoid
fever and in few days her young and
promising life was ended.
! 1t was a terrible blow TO the family
"a blow Iessened only by the sweet
ness and budding charm Of Lilly, the
/ youngest Of the flock. The ambition OF
| father and mother now centered on
! giving to this child every possible ad-
vantage in cultivating her talent.
Sang In Church Choir.
For three years she studied at the
| Boston Conservatory, singing mean
/ time in a church choir and incidental
/ ly saving her money for future study.
| Then she gladly accepted a position in
| a concert company to tour the country
/ at So a night. Soon she went abroad
and by accepting places at q. small sal
airy attained the desired experience
which, with persistent application, al
ways led a step higher. In Italy, where
/ she first appeared, she sang five months
/ in La Traviata" and other grand op-
eras for 500 for the season. Today
/ she gets many times that amount for
singing one evening. She has beau
tiful home in New York, and several
estates in Europe.
Loves This Farmhouse.
But in that little farmhouse, IN the
years of hard work and troubles that
lafterward came, Nordica's most rest
/ full hours have been spent. There In
| the room where she was born, she sat
and sung for Alexander Forsyth the
beautiful airs in which her voice has
won for her the praise Of kings and
queens, the homage and fiattery of the
world.