The Detroit times., 1913-10-29
Nine. Louise Homer
Scores Great Triumph

Our slash-skirted beauty and silk
hated chivalry were out In force.
Tuesday night. To attend the ofnctai
opening OF the music season. Pihi
Corsi TO the anterior Notwithstanding
They gathered in that elegant music
hall the Light Guard armorv, to hear
Nine Louise Homer, contrhito OF the
Metropolitan. In the first concert OF
James T.. Devoe's Philharmonic course.
Contrary 10 expectation, II neither
rained nor showed nor was there any
other meteorological drawback; and
al the second or third song. every
body stopped thinking OF the currency
bill and Mr. Diaz. and settled back In
contentment II not In comfort.
Nine. Homer appeared In gown
that many ladies. after opera-glass IN
spection. declared TO be Nell rose bro
caded with gold. II was unanimously
decided that Gov. Ferris ought to call
out the militia to shoot holes IN the
red curtain that forms the background
of the armory platform. and nuiltnes
the efforts OF every singer to achieve
harmonious color "a we'll ~ harmon
ious sound. II you weren't there. try
TO imagine that Nell rose gown
against the villainous rouge OF that
canopy. II you were. try to forget II.
Those who we're disappointed that
Paderewski could not open the music
season forgot him suddenly wnen
Nine. Homer began to sing. Nine.
Schumann.Heink has q more dramatic
voice; but Nine. Homer's contrslto Is
IL h. M
distinct and as pleasing In its own
| way as that Of the beloved older
singer She opened her program with
group OF German songs-Schubert.
Brahms. Strauss. Roger and Wolf. AT
| first the audience was unimpressed;
but after INIT deinem blauen augen"
tStrauss) the uproar showed that
Nine. Homer had complete command.
and could sing all night to an en-.
| thusiastic house. She repeated the
song. and had to sing . Brahms mum.
Der as AN encore. Then she gave a
group by her husband, Sidney Homer.
which was received with such acclaim
/ that she sang Ferry Me Across the
! Water" a second time, and added the
song known as "Homer's Dearest"
/ Sidney Homer has shown keen judy
ment in selecting real poems to set to
music. Christina Rossetti wrote beau
tiful songs when her religion did not
get the better Of her. Tom Hoods
| Song of the Shirt" is not the most
exquisite poetry. but Mr. Homer 8
music makes il q cry of revolution,
and Nine. Homer stirred her hearers
profoundly with 1t.
After the Saint-Saens aria. "My
Heart at Thy Sweet Voice." which was
wonderfully sung, Nine. Homer gave
Annie Laurie" and proved that the
old song Is as good now as il ever
was. A group Of songs in English,
many of them new to Detroit, closed
the program. II W. B. Yeats has any
more poems like Down by the Sally
| Gardens" 1t will pay composers to
investigate him. As an encore, Nine.
Homer sang the Meyerbeer aria,
mobile seigneur." from THE Hugue-
nots' About this time. band In the
basement Of the armory, where a
dance was In progress. proved for the
millionth time that Detroit needs q
music hall divorced from military op-
erations. Surely, war Is hell.
No review would be adequate with
out great deal Of praise OF Mrs. Ed.
| win NJ Lapham as an accompanist.
She makes the piano an important
part of the song without overem-
phasis. and succeeds in impressing on
an audience the beauty Of the music
itself, independent of the voice OF the
chief interpreter.
The second Philharmonic concert
will be given Nov Is by Nine. Nellie
Melba, soprano, and Jan Kubelik,
violinist, in joint recital.