The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-12-24
WEDNESDAY CLUB
SEEKING SINGERS
BOARD OF GOVERNORS WILL
MAKE SPECIAL TRIP NORTH
SOON.
PLAN is OUTLINED
RICHMOND MAY HEAR STARS
FROM PHILADELPHIA AS
WE'LL AS METROPOLITAN
COMPANY IN SPRING.

IT Tito Ruffo, most famous OF all
baritones, and, OF course. the nigh
est priced. is only amenable to rea-
son, he Will he heard In the Wednes-
day club festival next spring. Rich.
mond has heard Pasquale Anato,
who looks like glorifled barber and
who sings like a glorified demigod,
and pronounced him peerless but
Ruffo is said to be even greater, even
as Caruso Is greatest among tenors.
Be that as it may, the members Of
The board Of governors of the We'd
nesday club are going to look over
the Philadelphia grand opera orsani-
cation as we'll as the Metropolitan,
this year. and 1t is quite possible that
they will bring one or two of Mr..
Dippel's singers with them as well as
SiEnor Cleofante Campaninni's orches-
ira.
1t may be they will compromise on
Lankow, said to be the greatest basso
since the days Of Plancon. 1t may be
that they will get two of this trio of
grand singers, and, OF course, they
VIII have a tenor or two. not to mem
| tion a soprano and a contralto of in
ternational fame. Richmond has yet
| to hear Nine. Matzenauer. Emma Des-
! tim and Zenatello. said to be Carusos
closest rival
Therefore, it is quite possible that
when the members Of the board of
governors make their trip North they
VIII not only stop in Philadelphia be-
Tore reaching New York, but may
continue right on to Boston, where
bestinn and Zenatello are singing
with the Henry Russell company
VIII Not Have Special Car.
IL was at first planned to have all
the members Of the board Of COVER
nors OF the club make the trip in a
special car form the city, but as bust
ness and other engagements prevent
ed several of the members from taxi
ing advantage of such an arrange
ment, 1t has been decided that all
| sha!i leave here at their own conven-
renee but that all shall meet in New
YORK by January 18th at the latest
reservations already have been made
at the knickerbocker hotel for the
party. and that hosiery will be the
headquarters of the board during Ats
| stay In the metropolis.
The membership of the board of
governors Is as follows: j. G. CorIey.
| president of the club: George w.
stevens, John Stewart Bryan, j. Scott
Parrish, Meade T. Spicer, Norman
CAN, Conway II. Gordon, letter Jones
waiter Mercer, Arthur Scrivenor, Will
liam III. White, Moses Thalhimer, H
| Z. Maloney, Ben Brockenborough. r.
f. Banks and T. Netherwood.
| On their way to New York the
members OF the board will stop off
at Philadelphia where they Will hear
the artists of the Philadelphia and
Chicago Opera company, which will
be appearing In the City Of Brotherly
Love at that time. After listening to
/ the efforts OF the singers In the Sleepy
CITY the party Will continue its jour-
! ney to Gotham, where arrangements
have been made to have 1t hear all
the singers of the Metropolitan Opera
company.
Pleased With THE Messiah"
What this will mean for Richmond
can better be Imagined than express
ed" said Mr.. Corley.
In an interview yesterday Mr.
Corley said that the members of the
club were more than pleased at the
success Of the rendition of THE Mes
slah last Tuesday night He said
! that an effort had been made to repeat
| the oratorio at free performance at
| the City auditorium on a Sunday eve
| ming during the Christmas season, but
that so many of the singers who took
| part In II were busily engaged with
rehearsals for the Christmas music at
| the various local churches that the
! plan was found to be impracticable.
| Among other things he said;
"On Tuesday evening of last week
| the board OF governors OF the Wednes-
day club carried out plans which they
had had in mind for many years
| This purpose was to give here a choral
work about Christmas time. The
Messiah" was given entirely by local
| artists with the local Philharmonic
Orchestra. The orchestra did SPLEEN
did work and the director and men,
bers of the organization deserve the
highest praise.
The Wednesday club chorus was In
great form, showing careful training
with remarkable volume. The Mes
siah' was rendered as never before In
Richmond. The Wednesday club will,
in all robability, give sacred work
during the midwinter OF each season
and probably will give these concerts
free Of cost to subscribing members
While this work is desirable and
should not lie overlooked, 1t Is a
fact that the public generally will not
pay nor patronze such efforts suf-
ficiently 10 encourage the production |
of oratorios and similar works. The |
spring concerts Of the Wednesday |
club, however. have been splendidIy |
patronized and are proving very pop
ulad. Already more than $4,000 has
been subscribed for the spring con-
certs which will be produced by the
latter part Of April or the first of
May The works to be given next
spring will include several good num-
bers for the chorus"
According to President Corley the
club expects next season to be one
Of the most successful in it's history.
The chorus now numbers more than
500 and Is making rapid progress I'M