Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-04-06
MAINE MUSICIANS.
Items Of Interest Cleaned for the
Journals Musical Readers.

! A grand benefit concert is being ar
ranged in Auburn for Earle w. Mar
4 shall, the Well-knOWn baritone singer
of that city, who is now studying with
| William Whitney, the celebrated Bos-
! ton teacher. The date has been set
for April %, ard the affair will be un-
| der the patronage of many we'll
known Lewiston and Auburn people.
MI. Marshall has a remarkable voice
and at the coming recital will be the
principal artist, assisted by some OF
the best talents in the two cities
| Miss Geneva Clark of Portland, vino
has just been elected an active member
Of the RoSsini club of that city, is a
| most brilliant pianist and is to give a
| recital this week. She is to be assisted
by the pupils of Mrs. Helen Lamscn
Elwelrs piano school, Of which she is
member. Miss Clark also plays the
cornct, and is often heard in solo and
ensemble work. Her sister, Miss Mar
guerite is also a musician, playing
10th the violin and piano.
H. A. Dinsmore, Of Sllowhcgan, al!-
thor of the song entitled when the
| Roses Irvine the Trcllis Round the
Door," has just composed the music
! for another song entitled I'VE are
Growing Old Together" the words to
| which were written by Mrs. Annie l..
Merrill of Norlidgework. Mr.. Dns-
more is we'll known in musical circles
| and his friends sra,lruch pleased at his
success as a composer. He is a mem
| Der of the Somerset Lodge of MasOns
and presldes at the, new organ recently
installed. u a,...,.
| Mrs. Alice Huston Stevens of Boston,
daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. 4. A. Huston
of Auburn, recently gave recital in
the former city in Potter hall, ard won
high praise from Philip Hale. the lead
| ing Boston critic. He said in part,
"Mrs. Stevens, a Maine girl by birth,
has studied in Boston and in Flor
encc Italy Boston is her dwelling
place. Her voice is a pure and lyric
soprano of generous compass and Of
most agreeable quality. The tones. are
full and we'll rounded. admirably
placed, naturally expressive. The voice
| is flexible and ut The same time it lends
itself easily to the calls Of dramatic
emotion, as in the aria rom La Clio
conda'; but the voice is first of all and
lose in quality if it were used constant
ly in music that demands dramatic in
tensity Mrs. Stevens has mastered
thoroughly important principles of vo-
cal art; she has 81 fire control of the
mclodlc line; her management OF
breath insures flow and grace Of
phrasiHS; her bravura is clean cut,
leet, and brilliant. Her attack and re-
lease of Il phrase are artistic. There is
no slurring, no sliding, no cropping for
the tone. She is much more than
singer with 4 polished vocal mechan-
ism. The program, tested hcr Versatil-
ity in Interpretation and her apprc-
citation OF various vocal epocfS and
styles. Take. for instance, the first
group of songs, melodies of the lIth
century. The singer was at once sue
ccssful in differentiatinG the character
| of songs that too often are interpreted
with undertaking monotony Of eN-
preston. How fresh, how modern
| the exquisite air of ITairoE;rri seemed
as sung by MIS-. Stevens! Her per
| formance of 'Qui Ia vOce' was some
thing more than an exhibition of tech
meal proficiency; there was soul i'll
the delivery of the aria and the col
orature passages that followed We're
sung With delightful ease ana with a
modest confidence that took away any
suspicion Of a task"
John w. Tufts, who recently died in
Camden. had most interesting musi-
cal career. He was born in Dover. N.
H., and developing musical gift was
sent to Lcipsic. Germany, i'll his youth
| twin hal N H.
tering the Conservatory of Music. He
| studied the piano under MoscEeles and
| Schoct, and harmony under Haupt-
mann. Joachim, the violinist, was a
fellow student whom he knew, and Mr.
Tufts also had opportunities of seeing
and meeting such noted composers
as Schumann. Meyerbeer. and Gadc.
and was one of the body guard at the
bier Of Mendelssohn. He was. also,
more than a passive spectator among
the students during the German revo-
luton of that time. Returning to this
country Mr.. Tufts lived in Bangor, for
a number OF years and was organst at
| the Unitarian church. when Rev. F. H
Hedge, D. D., was the pastor. Suisse
quently he lived in Portland. and was
organist and conductor of a choral So
ciety. Professor Paine of Harvard
College was his pupil there. Mr.. Tufts
afterwards went to Boston as piano
teacher in the Boston Music school and
was organist at various churches, the
last being Kings Chapel, where he re-
NAMED fifteen years. He also was en-
gagged much of his time in coaching
singers for public performances. About
Is years ago Mr. Tufts gave up active
/ teaching and devoted himself to school
/ music works. writing the Normal Mu-
and college use, among them, songs
where, and also books for high school