The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-12-16
MADAME MELBA SINGS
BY WIRELESS PHONE
TO WORLD AUDIENCE

Halo! Halo, Halo! Nine. Nellie
Media is going to sing to you, first in
English. then in Italian, then in
French!"
The crash of an opening chord on
the piano. A long thrill, ending in
shrill crescendo-Mme. Melba's own
Halo" to the world-then, crystal
clear the opening measures Of Home
Sweet Home" Mid pleasures and
palaces though we may roam" Art
poured the old familiar words into an
inverted trumpet in the Marconi plant
at Chelmsford. Eng. Science picked
them up and bore them on magic
wings into infinity. Nine. Melba was
singing with the world her audience.
In Madrid, $50 miles away. little
band Of wanderers gathered in the
wireless telephone receiving room of a
scientific friend, listened and marvel
ed. At Karlsborg, Sweden, $50 miles
from Chelmsford, army officers and
scientists were held enthralled by the
silver strains that ran govt from the
great military receiving set.
German Listens In.
At Gelgow, near Potsdam, Germany,
officials of the German Telephone
company Joined the widespread audi
ence, while army officers at the great
wireless station at Eilvese, near Han
over, sat with receiving sets glued to
their ears, listening to voice that
since 1914 had been "verboten" to
them.
Far out at sea, passengers and crews
OF ocean liners and men of the British
navy were carried in mind back to the
concert halls of their homeland.
A huge amplifier was attached to
Societe Franchise Radio-Electroque in
Paris, and the words of the prima
donna were trumpeted across a great
courtyard where scores were gathered
to listen. At the same time, through
another set, the singers voice was car
ried into the receiver of a photograph
where it was recorded on a wax disc
, Before the end of the concert, the early
songs were being reproduced on a
phonograph.
Throughout England. professional
and amateur wireless stations were
| thronged, and everywhere the voice
, and words of the singer and the &C
compartment of the piano were heard
! with startling distinctness. There
was not scratch or interference of
any kind" the continental edition of
the London Mail reports from its Lon
don office. 1T was just Melba sing
ing as il she were standing with us"
Heard 1000 Miles Away.
| The concert was of greater magni-
! tude than any ever before attempted
by wireless telephone 1t was ar
ranged by the London Mail in gratifi-
cation of the desire of the Australian
prima donna to be the first artist to
sing to a worldwide audience. Signor
Marconi, himself had gone to Enc
land from Italy to witness the at
tempt. The radius of the concert was
somewhat limited by the present day
power Of radio-telephone instruments
but even so, the waves carried or a
distance of one thousand miles in ev-
cry direction from Chelmsford. A.
the greater distances electrical dis
turbances of the atmosphere inter
ferred with the clarity of the SCUM
transmission. but even so, wireless er
pe7ts are enthusiastic over the success
Of the experiment.
Nine Media. herself, was delighted
Three songs constituted her Original
program: Home Sweet Home" II
English, "Nymphes ct Sylvains" in
French. and the "Addio" from LA Bo-
heme" in Italian. But upon the com
pletion of these. the prima donna was
so fascinated with the thought of sing
ing at once to audiences throughout
all of Europe that she added two more.