Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-25
BOYHOOD VISIT IS
SONG INSPIRATION f.
Laporte Van SAINT Recalls Appearance
Before English Royalty in Con-
nection With New Effort.
PLAYS IN HOME OF THE QUEEN
"The Pilgrims Message" Which Then
Had Inception. Completed in
Rock Island.

Presentation of THE Pilgrims Mes
sage" to the world of sacred music, a
song composed by Laporte VanSant
who uses the pen name John Howard
Craig, and which had its final shaping
in Rock Island, where it was sung
from the proof sheets at his studio in
the Safety building, owes its origin to
a germ of sentiment smouldering for
wears in the heart Of its author and
struck into fame Of ardent religious
fervor by times fuller convictions.
An incident that cemented the theme
Of this song is not altogether unrelated
to visit that the composer made some
years ago in company with DR.. Rice,
an ex-senator from Illinois, to Osborn
house, Isle Of Wright, at that time the
home of England's queen. DR.. Rice
was a guest of the earl of Lonsdale at
his home, Lowther castle. 1t was ar
ranged through the courtesy of the
earl and the discretionary powers of
Lord Ponsonby that the doctor should
visit her majesty's favorite home, she
being away for the time being at Bal
moral, DR.. Rice could take but one
visitor with him and Mr.. VanSant was
not slow to accept the kind invitation
to accompany him on the trip.
1t was not long after their arrival
that the voice of the young baritone
was requisitioned for the entertainment
of the ladies of the royal household.
After singing a number of selections
ballads and operate arias-he was re-
quested to perform on the queens IA
vorite organ, an unimposlng lnstru-
ment with two banks of keys and ped
ais Following the playing OF the
| Gloria" from Mozart's 18th mass,
which about exhausted his store OF
memorized organ music, he performed
with improyised variations the Cast
Thy Burden" passages from what is
| known now as The Pilgrims Mes
sage" with which music he had al
ready invested the message of the tow
ering figure in this dramatic song-a
song then only in the heart and brain
of the composer and which was des-
tined to find it's full expression in after
years.
! The warmly expressed appreciation
of the theme by those present and the
! fattering comment by Lady N,
the hostess pro TEN, to the effect that
! this was just the kind of music her
majesty would enjoy were she present,
made VanSant more determined than
ever that he would some day carry out
his cherished purpose to write the
song
1t seemed to him at that time stag
gering task, for in addition to his lin
| tied knowledge of harmony and COM
| position-he had then written and pub
| lished but one piano selection-he be-
| lieved he had penned lyrics for the
song that were quite impossible from
the composers standpoint. But write
the song he would; for not only was
the theme and story. told largely in
rugged metaphor, near to his heart,
waiting for definite musical expression,
/ but the consummation of his task
would be an achievement most worthy
| to commemorate his visit to the Isle
J of Wight But the song slumbered.
Possibly this was kind fate-making
for the full fruition of the young COM
poser's conception. A mature expe-
rience, a full knowledge Of life's count
less disappointments, its griefs, its
ofttimes suppressed, but none the less
burning tears; these, all these are nee
essary to the highest soul expression.
Spends 10 Years in Europe.
Mr.. NanSant spent 10 years in Eur
ope studying, teaching and singing. In
Italy he became pupil of the cele-
brated baritone and maestro, Giraldoni,
and was a fellow student with Giral-
doni's son. In Paris he studied with
NJ. Mason Later he returned to Milan
and studied dramatic action under
Mottino and with the veteran baritone
Ronconi. He made his first appear
ance before London audience, sing
ing and playing the part of Amiens in
LAS You Like 1t" with the late Ada
Rehan as Rosalind in IA consecutive
performances. At that time he had
acquired a repertoire of 20 operas,
mostly in Italian. The major part of