The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-02-16

Brooklyn. and director and organist OF
the Apollo Club. really great power IN
the American musical world. Since 1869,
when he became organist for ST. Johns
Church. Chicago. he has been the best
known church organist in this country.
He had not left St Johns when the
Chicago fire occurred. but was in Albany
N. Y, ready 20 give a concert when he
received word from his wife that their
home WIS threatened. lie nevertheless
went on with the concert and when il was
over he received another telegram telling
him that HIS home had been burned. to-
gether with many valuable musical man
uscripts, and that his wife had gone TO a
neighbours for shelter.
Shortly after this Buck moved to Bos-
ton. where he became organist in St.
Paurs Church. 1t was here that he met
Theodore Thomas. who persl. AIDED him to
go to New York as assistant conductor
of the Thomas concerts. This was I'm 1876
That year Buck became an orgauist in
Brooklyn and from then on until his re
tirement his work was solely in what is
now Greater New York.
Though Buck was not child prodigy
like Saint-Saens, Ike him he was a
devote of music from babyhoOd. As a
schOolmate, used to climb cherry tree
where he was sure he would not dis
tuTb the family, and there sway In the
branches and play the instrument to HE
hearts content. About the same time he
borrowed a book on has from one of his
fathers clerks and mastered its techni-
tiles in surprisingly short order. on d
meiodeon he learned to play classical
church music and from then on showed
a decided Partially for music Of this sort.
Became Church Organist.
At sixteen, at which age Saint saens,
born four years before Buck, was gath
ering a wide fame as a piano player.
Buck began TO take lessons on the same
instrument. A little later he entered
Trinity College and while there earned
his first money as a church organist.
When his father saw that not even coll
lege fun weakened the boys love of
music he sent him 10 Leipzig 10 study.
Buck was twenty-seven when ne returned
and settled down in Hartford. Conn. his
birth town, 20 be attended by success
from the very start Of his career.
After Buck, Reginald de Koven is. per-
tfNA''f h4sN tAt'ffA HA'FiN hLbMN american
composer what theateTgOer has not lis
tened time without end 10 de Koven's
comic opera and orchestral music? The
son Of an EpiscOpalian clergyman. il is
interesting note that de Koven turned
TO the stage iOr his career. AS a member
Of New York's 400 he is as successful
as he IS as q writer OF light opera music.
Forty-six years Of age, he is a Yankee by
birth, Connecticut giving both him and
Buck to the musical world. He got his
college and ConseryatOire education in
England and Germany respectively.
MacDowell. who died in January. ike
Buck took .a music as q boy. and I'M
less watched would neglect his piano
practice and compose instead. Unlike
Buck he made his musical reputation
abroad, where, IN company with his
mother, he went 10 study. When he re-
turned 70 this country, in ISS, after an
absence Of twelve years, he found that
his fame had preceded him home. From
then on I'll the day Of his death he was
called BY the critical Americas best COM
poser He was forty-six when he died.
and he passed away with his mind like
that Of a child's s, a sad occurrence due to
oyerwork.
CCopgrslN. 1905, b. Dexter Marshallj