The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-01-13
OVATION RENDERED
ENGLISH SINGERS
Mime. Clara Butt, Contralto, and Ken
nerley Rumford Sing to Appre-
eiative Audience.

Nine. Clara Butt, contralto, and her
husband KennerIey Rumford, barytone.
were given a veritable ovation by a dis
eliminating musical audience at the New
National Theater last night, when these
well-known English singers appeared in
joint concert.
II is seldom that singers have such a
wealth of attributes in Interpretation as
these artists showed last night. From
the very first number given by each
singer there was a bond of appreciation
visihly extended by the audience in its
spontaneous applause.
The expression in the heavy as well as
lighter songs was so full of real feeling
and meaning that the artists fairly took
their audience by storm. Although "a
libretto of the entire programme was in
the hands Of the audience, the singers
gave such clear enunciation to the
words Of their songs and interpreted the
real meaning of the text with such foyce-
lW expression, that the libretto was
really unnecessary.
The programme presented was varied
enough to satisfy any audience. The old
school was represented by Schubert
SChumann, Handel. and Brahms, and the
new school by Grieg. MacDowell. De-
busy, and Richard Strauss.
Mr.. Rumford opened the programme
with two numbers, "Allerseelen'' and
raum Durch Die Daemmerung." and
Richard Strauss, and a group of four
songs by Grieg, Nit Elmer Primula
Veris,' ''Zwei Braune Augen," Nit
Elmer WasserIilie" and Eur Johannis-
nacht." In the last two Of these songs
Mr.. Rumford showed his masterful in
depreciation and expression, the latter
song especially giving him an opportun-
ity TO display his full powerful barytone
to advantage.
Nine Butt sang as her opening num-
Der "Rend ii Serene" and ''Lusinghe
Piu Care" by Handel, in which the
wealth Of color and power of her Won
derful cOntralto was demonstrated. In
addition to these, she sang in her OPEN
ing group Brahms Won Ewiger Liebe. -
Schumanns Der Nussbaum,' and
Schubert's Der Wanderer."
1t was in the singing of the English
songs that the singers made themselves
especially attractive to the audience
They truly exalted their mother tongue
and impaired to their own language in
song a charm that many are prone to
believe capable of any but foreign
languages.
Mr.. Rumford has keen sense of hu-
NOR, as evidenced in his Interpretation
and expression given to the old Irish
air. "Molleen Oge," and the cavalier
song, king Charles" In the latter Mr..
Rumford showed his dramatic capabiI-
tiles.
In the duet, Might Hymn at Sea-
both the singers showed their impressive
manner of Interpretation so visibly as to
make the atmosphere almost religious.
Mime. Butt was compelled to repeat
two Of her numbers in her last group,
Debussy's Madeline and Franco
Leonfs The Leaves and the Wind"
The latter was eXquisitely dainty
The climax Of the evening was reached
in Liddle's Abide with Me-" which was
the last number given by Mime. Butt
This was given with such power of
voice and expression that a profound
silence. filled with religious feeling, made
itself visibly felt by the entire audience.
Among the critical listeners in the
boxes were the members of the Flon-
Zaley String Quartet. who gave a recital
Saturday afternoon at the New Willard
and Miss Dagmar de e. Rubne- the
well-known pianist, who will be the
soloist at the Washington Symphony
Orchestra concert, to be given next
Tuesday afternoon at the Columbia
Theater.