The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1917-05-13
LARGE AUDIENCE CREETs
GIFTED SINGER At THE
COLLEGE CHAPEL.
FINE PROGRAM IS RENDERED
Hon. 7. B. Franklin Makes Fe.
licitous Introductory Speech
to Audience.
RECEPTION HELD
AFTER RECITAL
Columbians Afforded Oppor.
tunity to Meet Singer at the
Music Hall.

Not since Paderewski appeared i
the chapel of the Industrial Institut
and College twelve years ago, ha
that building held such brillian
audience as the one which assembled
within its walls Thursday night t,
hear the song recital by Miss Mar
garet Woodrow Wilson, the giftet
daughter of the beloved President o.
the United States, who is now devot
ing her musical talent to a most sue
cessful effort to raise funds for thC
American Red Cross Society. The
audience was not only very large but
extremely enthusiastic and was ex.
ceedingly demonstrative in signifying
its approval of the charming singer
Miss Wilson, in turn, was very gen
erous in responding to the applause
showered upon her, and as encores
sang several beautiful numbers not
included in the printed program.
The entertainment was advertised
to begin at 8:15 o'clock, at which
hour Miss Onolia Williamson, ore Of
the students, began to play "Ameri-
ca" and the audience, led by Miss
Matte Lou Brown, the talented head
of the department of vocal music at
the college, joined in singing the
soul-stirring song. AS this song was
being rendered by the audience, Miss
Wilson entered the building from
the rear and proceeded to the stage,
which was decorated in the national
colors, having in it's center an Ameri-
can flag with the stars and stripes
marked by incandescent bulbs, which
up to this time had been aglow but
which were turned off when the pro-
gram was inaugurated. She was pre-
ceded by military guard " honor
composed of United States soldiers
now stationed in Columbus, while
walking with her were her accompa-
mist, Mrs. Ross David, of New York,
and Miss Weenonah Poindexter, who
is the head of the department of in
strumental music at the college and
who was one of the ladies' to inaug-
urate the movement to induce the
Presidents daughter to come to Co
lumbus.
Miss Wilson was introduced to the
audience by Hon. T. B. Franklin, who
fittingly and forcefully expressed the
unanimous sentiment Of the populace
when he said: columbus is proud
to welcome to her midst the gifted
daughter of the greatest president
that this country has ever had"
Miss Wilson possesses a voice of
great flexibility and her program COW
cred wide range, having embraced
selections by both American and for
eign composers. 1t is human nature
for people to love the old, familiar
songs which have become endeared
to them by happy memories of the
past, and it is therefore by no means
strange that the singing of "My Old
Kentucky Home" brought forth from
the audience unusually enthusiastic
applause. Another old favorite that
was joyfully greeted was "Danny
Boy" an Irish melody which is par
ticularly strong in its appeal to those
who love the lifting rythm always
found in the work of Irish composers.
The program, however, was not made
up entirely of light music, having
embraced numbers by Greig, Schu-
mann, Strauss and others who have
written in more serious vein. Each
number was effectively rendered by
Miss Wilson, who, notwithstanding
the fact that the program was diff |
cult one, showed no signs of fatigue,
but sang throughout the evening with |
fine dramatic effect and the most ex-
quisite technique.
Besides acting as Miss Wilson's ac-
companist, Mrs. David also appeared !
as an instrumental soloist, having
rendered three exceedingly difficult !
numbers in a manner which evoked /
me,'tcd applause.
Just before the final number was
rendered President Whitfield am
nounced that at the conclusion Of the |
program Miss Wilson would hold an