Indiana daily times., 1920-11-27

OF late Sunday evening concerts in the
various hotels and clubs have become a
regular feature in indianapolis Local
artists are presenting delightful pro-
grams OF musical merit and pleasing va
riety The old "raCgy" cabaret type OF
music is fast disappearing. giving way
to a higher class OF numbers.
The gradual raising of the musical
standard Of such music is due In a great
measure to Mrs. s. X. Ruick, WHO orig
mated the idea OF the special Sunday
evening concert about two years ago.
She is n talented musician with a pas
sIonate love for music, and is possessed
Of unb0unded enthusiasm, with the
added talent OF being able to enthuse
others.
when the opportunity came to me to
join the Instrumental trio in the hotel
! grasped 1t eagerly for 7 felt that here
was my long desired chance. not merely
chance. either. but a responsibility ;
that Of setting q new standard for hotel
music" sad Mrs. Rulck, while discuss-
ing hotel music with group Of friends
the other day.
MY duties. together with my accom-
panying. consisted in arranging the pro-
gram, and that was no easy matter ct
first Sometimes the numbers would go
ever the heads OF the diners and per-
laps after one OF our choicest offerings
4 blase gentleman would ask us to play
the Jazz Blues or some such compost
ton. Then tho girls would say rs It
worth the effort we are making: maybe
we had better just play popular stun
and not worry ourselves over IT,
But we would always emerge from
our cloud Of gloom with the determlna-
ton to make the public like what we
offered. I felt that people really would
prefer the higher class Of music II we
chose our programs with care. 1t meant
putting In a lot Of time and work for
constant practice IN our ensemble work
was necessary. And how I worried over
the program, the balancing OF the num-
hers. wondering whether folk would Ike
this or that haunted the music shops,
looking for fresh material The buying
Of the music was a merry little task in
itself, keeping ahead Cf the new operas
that we're coming and scanning the sea
sons theatrical bill to find what was
coming and when.
Il picked the best OF the musical com
edy numbers, interpOlating them In our
program, chose the duets and solos that
were tunCful for the singers that assist
eu us II II AIiELAhE NusA NAf HthnFashAe :
o. weil-tra lned beautiful voices can do
with some OF the popular type OF song.
Il conceived the Sunday night concert
idea shortly after ! began my work in
the hotel. We secured the best singers
IN town and I worked like Trojan fig
urlng out that initial program, for II
meant either realizing my hopes with
success or the realizing OF lot OF Others
fears with failure. But IL went big. and
that was the beginning Of the upward
climb, for after few weeks they began
to take gloriously. We realized that peo-
pie were coming down, not merely to
eat, but to listen to our programs. and
they kept coming until more sccommoda-
tions had to be made, tables being placed
on the balcony"
Mrs. Rrick has given a number OF
notable programs, musical offerings that
Eve years ago would have been thought
utterly impossible for a hotel dining
room. She has given on several occasions
entirely classical programs and at times
when grand opera was In the city has
used nothing but numbers from those
operas with no noticeable lack OF en-
thusiasm from her hearers.