The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1912-02-27
HH8 HEHS OF YESTERDAY
First Time She Had Chance 10
Sing Her LOudest
Psrsps-Rosa ~ cHmorss Peace Jubi
lee Was Heard Above the Cannon,
Organ, and Great Orchestra
Chorus Of Ten Thousand.
ByE /. EDWARDS.

BY &. !. EDWARDS.
Recently I told ia the words Of the
late Patrick sarsheid Gilmore. the
greatest bandmaster this country has
ever produced. the story q the ro-
mantle courtEhip Of q great prima
donna Of the sixties and the early sey-
enties, Parepa-Rosa. and Carl Rosa,
VINO. al the height Of Parepas fame al
grand opera singer, was looked
upon as one Of Europe's great violin
lists Today I tell in Mr. Gilmore's
own words the story Of ihs manner IN
which be secured Parepa-Rosa as the
soloist for bis National Peace Jubilee
Of 1869, which was held IN Boston. and
which was one 81 the great musical
festivals that won for Gilmore inter.
national fame as a bandmastef
n began 70 lay plans for the peace
jubilee a year or two after the close
Of the Civil war" said Mr. Gilmore,
whose band. during the war, was the
most famous Of all the musical or
ganizations on the Union side. IA
first bad just a vague idea Of cele-
bration IN song and music o. the res
toration Of peace in the United States
But the more I though Of the idea, the
more 1t expanded, and at laat-haying
ia the meantime received every en-
couragement from my Boston friends
and obtained fgancial guarantees
against loss from some Of The mer-
chants of that city decided to get
together an orchestra Of one thousand
pieces and a chorus Of ten thousand
voices. / soon found that all Of the
musical societies Of the United States.
at least of the larger cities, we're only
too glad to cooperate with me. Then.
10 give the jubilee decided novelty
worked out a plan for using artil.
lery as a part Of the orchestral ac.
compartment. the cannon to be placed
outside Of the Coliseum and 70 be dis
charged by electricity exactly as The
organist would touch particular note
upon the organs keyboard when he
waited a special effect
Well. do you know that all the
while was planning for these large
effects 1t never occurred to me that
had forgotten that | ought to have
solo'st who had voice powerful
enough to be heard above the salvos
Of the cannon, the organ, the great or.
chestra and the great chorus When
did think Of it my plans were far
advanced and / was in grave anxiety
least should be unable to secure a
soloist. But one evening, as sat
listening TO Parepa-Rosa singing an
aria from Meyerbeer's opera Of Rob
ert the Devil, the thought suddenly
came to me: There's your soloist
That woman has voice that would
soar above any combination Of
voices and instruments, no matter
how many.
so | sought out Parepa.RosA and
told her what my plans were-that
they called for great dramatic so
prano whose voice would soar above
chorus Of ten thousand and an or.
chestra Of one thousand She replied
that she had never yet had an oppor
tunity to let her voice out to its full
capacity, that she believed a chorus
Of even ten thousand voices could not
drown her own.
But. said |, I am to have twenty
cannon placed and discharged by cleo
tricity as an accompaniment to the
orchestra
ooh she said. delighted. That
would be like singing on a battlefield.
And she added: Mr.. Gilmore, ! Will
sing for you as your soloist If you
win promise me one tsing-your mu-
sieians must discharge tho cannon on
the beat Of time. II they do that ]
will make my voice heard above the
cannon But if they come in out Of
time then all is ruined
''I was bold enough to make the
promise, and at the first days per
formance / escorted Parepa to the
center Of the stage There were thirty
thousand people there. She stood be
fore them smiling, awaiting the in.
PRODUCTION by the orchestra and then
the chorus. At tbs exact moment she
began. Her voice was like a melody
from tho heavens. Her song rose
pure, clear and exquisite above all
that vast combination Of sounds. No
other thing did the vast audience pay
heed to-it was the song of that
woman, triumphant over that vast
combination of instruments and voices
and cannon, that taught them what
the human voice is capable Of. And
when II was all over and Parepa had
retired 70 tumultuous applause she
told me- that for the first time IN her
entire life had she ever really sung.
Copyright 1911, by p J. Edwards. Al
Rights Reserved)
Be q Manly Man.
Toka iifa ifko a man Tab a .