The Hawaiian gazette., 1910-11-11
PREPARING FOR THE
GREAT WORLD TOUR
British Chorus, Which Will Sing
Here, Already Active in
Rehearsal.

DR. Charles Harriss, under date of
September %, writes as follows:
Doctor Coward and two hundred
and fifty members of the Sheffield Choir
aIe this week singing in Germany, this
being their second visit to the most
critical of musical countries.
The chosen two hundred who are
to accompany me to Honolulu, live and
talk OF nothing else other than their
expcctationslo of beholding for the first
time the glories pertaining Hawaii en-
route to Australia and the other pOr
tions Of the empire which they in com.
mon with Doctor Coward and myself
( will visit during March and September
of 1911,
"My recent visit to South Africa
was exceedingly happy. The mayors of
! Capetown, Kimberley, Bloemfontein;
Johannesburg, Pretoria. Pietermaritz-
burg and Durham all rallied round me
and are taking the liveliest interest in
our appearances there. The Cape Town
Festival Choruses Kimberley Diamond
Fields Choral and Orchestral Society,
Johannesburg Philharmonic Society,
Durham Choral Society and the orches-
tras of Capetown and Johannesburg
combine with us as elsewhere so that
it is pleasant for me to relate that in
every c ty of the empire where we sing
the local musical forces join with us
both in heart and voice around the
world. This is truly inspiring to me, and
the spirit born of "getting together
will assuredly make the greater music
everywhere among the Anglo-Saxon
race with all credit due to the local
conductors and societies for their heart
mess in coming forward in a national
movement, the good of which is evil
dent to me in so many divers directions
''I must tell you that the Honorable
Charles p. Taft of Cincinnati, the
brother Of the President of the United
States, together with few other must
cal enthusiasts of Cincinnati have sub
scribed $1,000 to have us there for
festival on April IS, 10 and 90.
81 have chosen seven of the eight
soloists who viii accompany me, namely,
Miss Jennie Taggart, the Scottish
soprano whose work at the Royal Opera,
Covent Garden, Sheffield, Norwich and
Bristol festivals, Queen s Hall and Al
bert Hall concerts is so well known.
suppose she is one of the most sue
cessful and satisfactory all round
sopranos to be found in England and
to the thousands of Scots all over the
empire I thought it would make pop
ular as well as very wise choice.
"Miss Gertrude Lonsdale, the London
contrato, I fancy is already known in
your parts, she accompanied the Shelf
field Choir to Canada two years ago
and proved such a favorite that ] en-
gagged her for the world tour of festi-
walls
''Miss Alice Heelev is the other con
tralto, also, a very gifted vocalist with
well tried reputation throughout Eng
land. My tenors are Henry Turnpen-
ney of the Queen IS Hall symphony and
promenade concerts. Albert Hall, st.
James Hall, Crystal Palace and Alex.
andrs, Palace and principal London
concePs. and Wilfrd Virgo-the latter
sang with me at the Mackenzie Cana
dian festival tour in 1908, since then
he has sung in association with most
of the great ones and on PATHS fare
well tour in America amongst other
notable history music making events.
Formerly Virgo was a pupil of Panzani
of Milan. He is an operate tenor and
viii take Che role in my symphonic
choral idyl "Pan" amongst other
works Robert Charlesworth and Rob
ert Chgnell are my two bass soloists,
the FORMER was the bass soloist on the
Sheffield Choir's visit to Canada two
years ago and first won fame at the
Sheffield triennial musical festival. His
voice is very delightful and know he
will more than delight everyone who
hears him.
Robert Chignell is a bass-baritone
and has done highly successful work at
Covent Garden in grand opera and with
such festival choruses as at Worcester,
Bristol and Cardiff, Crystal Palace
promenades, Queen Hall concertSand
throughout the English provinces.
"These artists are all essentially in
their prime, and / do not think a double
quartet of soloists such as these can be
duplicated in England. At any rate 1
have engaged what satisfies my fastidi-
Gus taste and in having done so have
born the public well in mind; for after
all they are to be considered first.
81 dare say You will be surprised to
know the visiting chorus have already
been in active rehearsal with Doctor
Coward for the past four months on
the works they will sing, and l wonder
what the public will think when they
near one nunuIeu fehealsais nave TO DC
gone through ere the Sheffield Choir
embark on March II. These singers
really are as perfect as it is possible
to make perfect now, but with the
rehearsals to be consummated during
the coming five months you may judge
of what you win hear. The real fact
is they all seem to feel as if their
very lives depended upon all this siren.
nous preparation to become worthy of
singing round the world. 1t is won
derful thing when taken into account
their other multitudinous rehearsals
and concerts Then they have to get
mp to London to sing Sir Alexander
Mackenzie 5 new Cardiff festival work,
"The sun God. and / do not know
what else, but as they read anything
and everything at sight written for the
human voice there are really no limi
tations 10 what they can do.
~ shall sail for Canada on October
F., II and proceed TO British Columbia so
! ! have In view 5000 miles OF railway
travel before Christmas and when /
SGT foot in Canada three weeks hence
shall have completed $4,000 miles on
e. D. b.. al 1