The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-12-04
Child Wonder, Little WiIIette
WiIbourn, Is Only Twelve
Years Old.
PERFECTLY NORMAL CHILD
SHE IS NOT A FREAK OF NATURE
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. HER WON
DERFUL GIFT FOR MUsIc-To
AsTONISH DIVA.

Philadelphia, Dec. "A day has been
appointed for Miss Mary Garden to
grant gracious audience to little
girl, Willette Wilbourn, twelve years
old, who believes that she will astonisn
the famous diva.
Willette belongs to that amazing
species known the infant phenom-
enon. At eighteen months she began
piano exercises. At four years she
composed melody. At twelve she
sings grand opera selections and plays
Grieg, Bach, Beethoven and Schubert
on the piano.
Which is, Of course, to gasp. Miss
Garden heard of her prodigies last
spring, and generously consented to
listen to her singing and playing this
fall. The infant phenomenon will.
accordingly, perform for the diva in
her apartments at the Belleviue-Strat-
ford
Every one has heard of, met or read
about infant prodigies in the realm of
music. Over and over again older
folks have felt decidedly ashamed of
themselves in the dawning presence Of
an infant prodigy. They are usually
preceded by blare of praise. and they
are ordinarily very, very strange little
people. Understanding pretty close
to freaks of nature.
Just Like Any Normal Girl.
But Willette Wilbourn is no freak of
nature. She is very healthy and
very normal little girl, and she looks
as though she had fattened on apple
dumplings instead of celestial music
food.
She was born in California, where
she lived with her mother, Madame
Rita Wilbourn, a professional singer
until three years ago. Then they
came to this city and are now living at
1877 Spruce street. Willette has al
ready appeared in public concerts with
great success.
When a reporter called to see the in
FAINT phenomenon, he was greeted by a
plump. bumptious specimen of girl
hood, sitting on the front door steps
with roller skates fastened to her
shoes. She looked several thousand
miles away from Bach and Wagner.
Are you the little girl who sings?''
she was asked.
Yes, stree; I'm going to sing t.
Mary Garden tomorrow, too.
She took off her skates and ran up
stairs, laughing all the way and hold
ing her skirts down to hide big hole
in her stocking. which she had torn by
a fall while skating.
In another moment this little CIR
was at her piano and playing her owr
compositions and classical selection:
with the ease. one might almost sa,
the sangfroid of an old hand And ther
she sang. just a little, because she
wished to save her voice for the grea
test. A clear. beautifully musical ant
surprisingly powerful voice filled thu
room. OF her phenomenal abilit!
there could be no doubt.
Trained to Art. But Normal.
But the most surprising featur,
about Willette is her entirely norma
makeup. When she told of her sum
mer on the farm it was the pigs an.
not the singing birds which interested
her most. To mention California t.
her was to recall to her baskets o
juicy oranges. She has been trainet
to art. but she is still human being.
Her mother has trained her assidu
ously and sensibly to sing and to pla,
upon the piano from the time she wa
baby, and along with her musica
education has gone a thorough cours
Of private tutoring in the genera
branches.
Her chance has come early and mos
artists would tremble at the ordeal
Willette prepared for it by going on
skating.
Admiral Montague says that Will
n,pro tbon ono hundred millions ann