The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-08-23
A STRICTLY HIGH.
GRADE MUSICIAN

+. 4. Barroll returned home Satur-
day, after finishing his engagement as
manager of the Colonial Four, mu-
steal quartette, on Chautauqua. Mr..
Barroll reports very successful sea-
son, and considerable addition to his
laurels as a musician. Since return-
ing home he has been engaged by the
famous Scotch band, The Kilties, a
famous musical organization which
for the past twenty years has been
touring the world. This band was
commanded by King Edward while in
England. Mr.. Barroll will take his
place with this organization on Aug
ust Both, his position being saxophone
soloist and special feature attraction.
The Kilties are now playing concert
dates through the Middle West.
From the Musical Courier, the lead
ing musical publication of this coun-
try, a monthly published in New York
City, gives Mr.. Barroll the following
excellent and extended mention on the
work he has performed during the
Chautauqua season just closed, which
is one of the best possible compli-
ments that could be bestowed on his
musical ability:
The American public likes novelties,
but they must have merit. Edward
C. Barroll, the manager and saxophone
solist of "Four Colonials", musical
quartet, is proving the merit of his
particular instrument to the Chautau-
qua audiences. In fact, he has been
described as the most finished expo
nent of "songs without words, for
his art is such that the text of heart
song is never missed when he plays
one should say sings-its melody on
the saxophone. Into the interprcta-
ton of ballad Mr.. Barroll throws
the very soul of art until the instru-
ment he uses sings with all the fire
of a great organ and all the passion
of cello. AS one critic has put it,
with a soul that seeks expression in
song, but denied by nature the ply
steal qualifications, Barroll has con-
quered all difficulties of his instru-
ment, the saxophone, from the silvery
throat of which he brings richer mel
odies than nine-tenths of the singers
ever achieve" e.
Among the first to recognize the
limitlcss possibilities of the saxophone
as an art instrument, capable of emo
tional power fully equal to the cello
or violin, Mr.. Barroll has justly earned
a conspicuous place among American
artists as musician of the finest
type, especially in his interpretations
of American heart songs of the kind
he has done and is doing so much to
bring into nation wide notice. His
Judgment in this respect is well nigh
infallible, and, realizing that. he might
have something worth while to say on
the subject of ballads that possess
both sterling merit and wide appeal,
Mr.. Barroll was approached and did
not hesitate to enlarge on the ques-
ton:
"There is not" he said, "a more Sc
we're test of sheer merit of a COM
position than it's use as saxophone
solo. A wordless rendition of any
song, even with the thrilling and vi
brant beauty of properly cultivated
saxophone tone, puts it to a gruelling |
test In which only the very best can
hope to survive. That is why, after
careful trial before scores of audi |
ences. of dozens of song numbers,
have come to rely confidently upon
Arthur A. PENIS THE Magic of Your
Eyes and Clay Smiths 'Sorter Miss
You as unfailingly satisfactory in ev-
cry respect as solos for use in my
work. There is really no literature
for the saxophone as yet. Some of the
better compositions for both violin and
cello are available, if one has suffi-
cient technical resource to give them
adequate rendition, but no other sort
of compositions have proven so genu-
inely pleasing to the American pub
lie as the heart songs Of really Amer
lean composers-songs simple enough
in their conception to reach to the ut
termost depths of the humbles heart,
and noble enough in their artistic ex-
preston of real genius to satisfy the
most exacting requirements of cul-
tured and sensitive critics. Whatever
may be brought to bear by the human
voice, whatever may be expressed by
either a violin or violincello, is pos
sible to the saxophone as perfected by
modern mechanical and musical gen
Jus. But without an adequate supply
of worthy song numbers, the perfec--
ton of the instrument and the art Of
the players suffers an untold handi-
cap Give US more songs Of the
appeal of The Magic of
Your Eyes and 'Sorter Miss You,
say! Songs with melodic some
thing which carries an irresistible
appeal oven without the tremendously
quality of the beautiful
words for which the melodies are SO
a setting"