Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1914-04-01
Prof. Carlo A. Sperati and His Mag
nificent Musical Organization
Will Leave America for
Norway on May 9Th.
LOCAL CONCERT APRIL "a
AT GRAND OPERA HOUSE.
American Tour of Band Will Take
in Number of the Principal
Cities of America, Be-
fore Sailing for
the Centennial.


Luther College and it's musical Or
ganizations when special invitation
from Norway was extended to its
Band to visit her and be present at
the centennial celebration of her In
dependence this year.
1t is a source of joy for all who are
acquainted with the high standard
of the College Band to think that it
will visit old Norway when it is In
the very zenith of it's efficiency.
Prof. Carlo A. Sperati has been
the musical director at Luther Col
lege since 1905 and has besides being
a professor of other branches raised
the musical standard of Luther Col
lege to an exceptional height.
Preparations for the trip are we'll
under way, and in a very short time
one of the greatest musical organi-
cations in the country today, under
the efficient, high class leadership
of Prof. Carlo A. Sperati, than whom
there is no better leader in the Unit
ed States, will sail for Norway.
Before leaving Decorah the band
will give one of it's popular concerts
at the Grand opera house Friday eve
ming, April Gath. The next day they
depart for ST. Paul and will give a
concert in the auditorium. From
there the route will include, Red
Wing, La Crosse, Madison, Beloit,
and on April 29th the band will give
concert in Orchestra hall, Chica-
60 On April 30th they will play at
Cleveland, Ohio, giving the final
American concert in New York city
on May 4th, sailing on the 5th for
Norway. ~--- s "s3p.
A few items in regard to Prof.
Sperati's life may be of interest to-
our readers. Prof. .Sperati was born
in Christiania, Norway, and has, one
might also say, inherited his musi-
cal ability. His father, knight Of
the Order of st. Olaf, was musical
director of the Second Brigade Band
in Christiania with the rank of cap
tain, and, under his dictatorship, the
band attained to, a degree of excel
lence unequalled by any other SINH
lar organization in Norway up to
that time. The son. prof. Sperati,)
who received instruction from his
father on the violin, piano, and snare
drum, began his musical education
while very young, and at the age Of
six years made a concert tour through
Denmark as a solo snare drummer.
While on this tour, he filled an en-
gagement at the Tiyoli Garden, Co
penhagen, accompanied by the or
chestra under the dictatorship OF
Baldwin Dahl. He also played before
the royal families of Denmark and
Sweden. At the age of nine he took
his fathers place during the winter,
at the pipe organ in one of the chur-
ches in Christiania. At the age OF
eleven his services were in constant
demand as pianist. From the time
when he first appeared as a snare
drummer, he became a member Of
his fathers orchestra, and at vari-
Gus times played the snare drum, vio-
lin and viola. At the age of fifteen,
Prof. Sperati, together with his
younger brother. played before Jo-
sephine, queen-dowagerN of Oscar I,
by whom he was received in audience
and presented with beautiful set
of studs inlaid with pearls and ru-
bies. Thus apparently, brilliant
musical career lay before him; but
it was the fathers wish that his sons
life should not be devoted to music
as profession.
From Norway Prof. Sperati came
to Brooklyn, N. Y, where he became
the organist in the Norwegian Sea-
mans Mission, and, through the in
strumentality of Deaconess Sister
Elizabeth Fedde, came to Decorah
and began his studies at Luther Col
lege with a view to preparing him
self for the ministry. While at Luth-
er College, he gave instruction in vo-
cal music for three years CS5-SS,)
lead the orchestra and played the
cornet and piccolo in the band. In
fact, he introduced the piccolo at
Luther College. He was also the di-
rector of the Norwegian singing So
ciety Luren in Decorah. In 1888 he
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