Evening star., 1909-08-22

In the passing away of Mrs. Cecilia
Young Smith last week Washington loses
one OF the pioneers in the musical life
Of the city. Her father was an ltaiian
belonging to the Corri family. which for
$50 years was long line OF professional
musicians. One os them Domenico Corr.
was a pupil OF Popora's in London In i'e'
and was a composer of more than ofai-
nary merit. and later was a partner OF
Dussek. the famous composer III pup
fishing firm Mrs. Smith was porn III
Baltimore. educated at the Nlsltatieh
Convent in Georgetown. receiving hsi
early musical training there ana iatet
studying with Prof. Egan. the ieaaihs
vocal teacher of Baltimore. IN tha'
day She commenced her iausti -
raer at the age of sixteen, wneh she
was made soprano soloist OF the ca
thedral in Baltimore, ana Wniie .1leI.
her phenomenal voice DrouSik hsi H''
opportunities for professlohai caieei
iii opera. Fifty years aso ias' S.,na7 p,,.7
street. then pastor of st. Aloysius Church
and president of GonZaga ColeSe. 10 or.
ganiZe a choir for st. Aloysius 1huloi,
which was then nearing comp!etlon' anu
her salary of $50 a month was pa,e e 10 ~.
six months before the dedication or the
church in order to secure her seiE@ises @
June 49, 1859. Haydn's oratorio o. lne
Creation was rendered IN Tue S.ui -, IL
which was not yet competed, Win ioo
of the best singers from bai'iiii9 en- a,a r
chestra. all under the direction Oh MIS-
Smith who was then thirty-Seven yeaIs
old and in the prime or her husieai s'i,s
For thirteen years she was soprano soio-
ist and choir director at q. MY ~. 80, go -,
Church, and people of mature years can
not fail to remember the strangers oi
all religious persuasions that thronged
the church to hear her sing. Her Noiee
was lyric soprano OF eXlraofdiha, a..
range power and fiexibility. ana sne
made her greatest successes in horid
numbers such as the aria from II bar
biere de Seville and Diabellfs Jupiiatl
Deo." For more than genefatloh past
she lived In the home on llth street
where she passed away. M.th iiei - the
daughters, who were with her 10 the
last One of her great-grandsons. HetZei
Balm of this city, n lad of fifteen years,
gives promise Of inheriting the famlly
talents.
4 musical program was given last night
in the Auditorium at Washington eIroVe
by the Lyceum Concert Company OF tnis
city before an audience winch nlieu tue
Auditorium to overflowing. Each or the
number was cordially received and the
encores almost doubled the regular num-
hers. The selections given included: Duet.
Venetian Boat Song" (Biumenthap'
Misses Johnson and Dodge: sonata. Up.
81. in c minor Beethoven), Miss Mary
Younger: "Ombra Leggiero" tMeyerbeerl,
Miss Ethel c. Johnson: whistllng SOLO.
..Sicilian Vespers' (VerdD. Miss Genevieve
Small: trio, "Whither" (Schubert), Misses
Johnson and Dodge and Mrs McDaine
.Fantasie'' &C. de BerioD. Miss Helen
Dodge: .Polonaise'' CThomas). Mrs. Brad.
lev McDuffie: Comm Thro' the Rye
Misses Johnson, Small, Dodge and Mrs.
McDufiie.
Mrs. A. NJ. Blair, mhsical director OF
the Rubinstein Club, was painfully though
not seriously injured recently by spralnins
her right arm in an automoDiie dcciuene
at East Gloucester. The Chorai oiuo
that Mrs. Blair has organized since siie ne
has been at this summer resort VIII pe
heard in a sacred concert tonlsht. ohe
has also organized choir for the summer
which has furnished the music on SUNDAY
mornings at the Episcopal Church serV-
ices. which are held in the casino.
Mr.. Joseph f. Matthew. tenor soloist of
the New York Avenue Prespy erian
Church. has returned from his summer
trip. While on his holiday Mr. Matthew
snent a week in camp with number OF
friends at Glen Eyrie, Lake George, MISS
Sutton of the Friends School IN TINS Guy
being also member of the party. Later
he visited Boston, Burlington, VI; As
4.
bury Park, through the kind ofnces OF
Mrs. William Keye Miller. soprano. for
merly of Washington. an interview was
arranged for Mr.. Matthew with Z. y.
HawIey. the song writer write Cor anu Mr HaWe e
lev. who was greatly pleased with ms
voice and its possibilities, and urgently
advised a professional career as CON
cert singer. AT parting ne presen.eo MI, Mi
his autograph Mr. Matthew has recently
established himself, with his mother. In
cozy apartment at 25lO nth street
northwest.
Mr. Charles r. Bartlett. director and
accompanist of the MadriSal Quartet.
has been engaged to direct the choir oI
St Stephens Church. beginning Septem-
her I Mr. Bartlett is enthusiastic about
the work upon which he is about to en-
bark, and his experience IN directine
chorus work makes his selection for the
place very good one.
Miss Blanche Yewell, secretary of the
Rubinstein Club. will leave during the
week for a visit TO East gloucester,
Mass. where she will be entertained by
Mrs. A. Nj. Blair. At the conclusion OF
her stay at Gloucester she will go to
Rridgeport Conn, where she will be the
guest of Col. and Mrs. Heft at Heftmore
Hall.
Miss Agnes Bowling. organist Of st.
Anthony's Church. will return Thursoay
from the mountains of Virginia, where
she has been a member of large house
party.
Mr.. George Skilton. violinist. has re-
turned from a two-week stay at Newport,
where he was the guest of friends.
The Nadrigal Male Quartet, composed
Of Messrs Joseph F. Matthew, first tenor;
Leroy Glider. second tenor; James 3
Hicks, first base. and Theodore T. Apple,
second bass, have been rehearsing all
summer at the home of Mr.. Glider. on
Rhode Island avenue. and will be heard
in the closing musical function of the
Chautauqua course at Washington Grove
September 4. Mr.. Edwin Callow, for two
wears the business representative or the
Musurgia Club. will manage the business
end of the Madrigal Quartet this season.
Mr.. Charles r. Bartlett. the director of
the quartet, is spending his vacation i'll
and around his old home in Connecticut,
and reports Il recent visit to the New
England Conservatory of Music. in Bos-
ton, where he was graduated several
years ago.
Mr.. and Mrs. Alfred T. Gage, the latter
a member of tie RubinStein Club. have
been spending the early part of August at
East Gloucester and Plymouth. Mass.
They are now at Narragansett Pier, and
Mrs. Gage sang at the Church OF st.
Peter by the Saa last Sunday morning.
She was heard in 'The Ninety and Nine, :
nv Campion, and both her voice and her
method was the occasion of much favor
able comment. Mr.. and Mrs. Gage ware
among the guests recently at the dinner
and reception given by Mr.. and Mrs. John
H. Hanan in honor of Gov. and Mrs.