Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-03-29
FRENCH DEMANDS SLOW UP PEACE SESSIONS
LARGE AUDIENCE IS
CHARMED At D. H. s.
ORCHESTRA CONCERT

AT ITS BEST LAST NiGHT-sO.
LoisTs DELIGHT AUDITORS
WITH VOICE AND HARP NUM-
BERS.
The eleventh annual concert Of the
Ottawa Township High School, which
was rendered last night at the high
school auditorium, was better than
any previous public appearance of
! this wonderful musical organization.
| The orchestra is composed Of fifty
two musicians of great talent, who
/ have each been so thoroughly trained
| that they are able to play in unison
or to take a SOLO part with equal apt
ness
The solo given by Miss Marie Lud-
wig, the Chicago harpist, was one of
the most beautiful things ever heard
by an Ottawa audience. Miss Lud-
wig was forced to respond to two en-
cores. and even then the audience
would not be quieted Her technique
was wonderful and her rendering of
the "Valse Caprice" by Cheshire, was
one that will live long in the hearts
of the persons who heard it.
Miss Vera Belle Ham, the Ottawa
girl, who has delighted Ottawans so
many times with her beautiful con
tralto voice, never appeared to better
advantage than she did last evening.
Miss Hams voice shows improvement
each time she is heard and her friends
are now predicting a bright future
ahead Of her Especially beautiful
Miss Mildred Keeler, pianist, and Her
bert Weis celloist, accompanied Miss
Ham, in this group. Probably the
song Of Miss HAMS that won the /
greatest favor with the audience was .
her last number on the program, Milo /
Fernando, by DOnizetti This num-
Der showed to advantage the wide
range of her voice, and the technique
of her musical training.
1t would be almost impossible to
decide which selection played by the
orchestra was enjoyed the most by
the audience. Their program was
varied, and ranged from a group of
selections from the popular musical
Jack O. Lantern" to one of
Verdi's early operas, "Nebucodonos-
or, Each selection was enthusiast
ically received.
At the close of the first selection
a very large bouquet of red carna-
tiCns was presented to the orchestra,
and Miss Ham was presented with
A large arm bouquet of pink and white
snap dragons
That a city the size of Ottawa can
boast of so many musicians as are in
the high school orchestra, and never
was their music appreciated more
han by the large audience who heard
them last night. Especially to be
is their director John
L. Hoff, who has gathered them to-
gether and trained them. No other
city in the state of Illinois the size
IF Ottawa and many cities much lar
ger, cannot boast of an orchestra that
equals the Ottawa township orchestra
The program given last evening,
and the members of the ocrhestra
we're:
The Program.
Hail to America Ga patriotic intro
ductlon) ....,............. Huiter
The Ottawa High School Orchestra
The Fighting Allies (the new vic
tory medley .,.............La Lake
Note: A selection introducing the
national airs of Serbia, Russia.
France, Belgium, England, Italy and
the United States of America in the
order of their entrance into the war
The United States is represented with
the national anthem. "The Star
Spangled Banner" which is played
according to proper usage, not in
medley form, but as an individual Sc
lection entirely distinct from the rest
Of the piece. The familiar air of
America" heard in the middle of
he selection is the English national
God Save the King"
The Orchestra
NebucodOnOsor Overture .... Verdi
Note: revival of one of Verdis
early operas, not so well known as
many of his later works The opera
is based on the life of Nebuchadnez-
zar the biblical character of Baby
Ionian history The overture here
presented contains the beautiful aria,
Continued on Page Six)