The Washington herald., 1921-06-26
FLoHENcE EAsroN..

world. what 10 a career " We have
no one to share it with us? What
does climbing to the topnost rung
| OF the, ladder. mean IL we climb
alone? Only an empty. isolated life,
And that is why my husband and /
agreed on our marriage never to be
separated by singing In different
opera companies, but to remain to-
gether. come what might. To dc
this has meant mutual sacrifices:
when one had an important engage
ment the other frequently had none
at all. but was content to sink the
thought of self in being helpful.
On the stage l have retained my
maiden name of Florence Easton,
by which l became known very ear
ly as a singer. instead of profess
sionally assuming that OF my hus-
band. Francis MacLennan. known
internationally as an opera tenor.
ment of sacrifice which singers are
not supposed to practice. the sub,
ordination of self, has in the end
brought success in opera in the old
world and the new. ~ -
First Appeared IN England.
My very first appearance 1 can
not. remember, for ] was only 5
years old. / am told that IL was, in
a farewell concert given BY my
parents when they left their York.
shire home for Toronto, Canada.
My insistence had been such that /
was finally allowed to sing, al
though originally no such, plan had
been contemplated.
When / was 10 years old. and aft
a. -
pianist at Toronto. where my faith
er directed the choir and my moth
er sang first soprano at the Park
Hill Methodist Church. To con-
tinue my training. for il was decid-
ed 1 should play in concert, / was
sent to the Royal Academy of Music
in London. There my teacher, Pro-
fessor Reddy. would not listen to
the one absorbing thought engag-
ing me, to forsake my chosen In
strument and become a prima DON
ma. The piano offered, SO he in
sisted. a more brilliant career for
me. But a prima donna l became
All along II had been the one idea
that possessed my heart. Years
later, when I was singing in opera
at Covent Garden. London, IL made
me very happy to hear that Prof.
Reddy had called me a great singer.
A further happiness came, too, in
connection with those early and
cherished associations-I was made
a Fellow of that same Royal Acad-
emy of Music: the first woman to
be thus honored.
From Concert to Oper..
At 1s 1 was, in Paris, studying
with Eliot Hasslam, whose train
ing had been French. From his
studio 1 passed to the concert
stage, and then very quickly to the
operate one with the Moody Man
ners Company, graduating from
small roles to large ones. In the
two years that followed Mr.. Mac
Lehman was also a member Of the
same organization. singing first
tenor parts. Then we married, and
both. as the old novels say, lived
happily ever after.
All this is by way Of prologue to
the real Performance, for very soon
rate began unfolding to us interest
ing experiences. Our wedding day
began then. The Moody-Manners
organization consisted at that juno
ture OF two companies. My hus-
band sang In the one and / in the
other. AS we had agreed to remain
together, my engagement ended au-
tomatically with the marriage cere-
mcny. But when husband and wife
Join In a steadfast. loyal. partner
ship, solution of their cares is sure
to come.
Opportunity Arrives.
A solution to ours was in store:
IT began on our very wedding day.
That sterling American and able
manager. Henry w. Savage, was
then in London securing singers for
Wagner's "Parsifal," which he in
tended presenting throughout the
United States. Mr.. MacLennan sang
that day to him and was engaged
But for me there were no prospects.
Then a way out came. Some spe
oial performances of "Rigoletto"
were given by the company, and l
was chosen to sing Gilda- My voice
was very high. and I could have
been a coloratura, but that did not
satisfy me. Mr.. MacLennan sang
heroic roles. II 1 was to appear
with him I must sing bigger parts.
With that aim in view, l kept on
studying greater roles, appearing
when the chance presented, and
content in. the successes that my
husband gained.
A real chance for me did arrive.
however. when Mr.. Savage produced
Puccinfs Madame Butterfly" for
the first time in America, and sang
the title part. Then, for a while,
excepting occasional appearances,
things ended for me. Mr.. MacLen-
nan was engaged to sing the big
Wagnerian tenor roles at the Ber.
lin Royal Opera. BY an existing
rigid rule OF that institution, hus-
hand and wife could not be mem
bers of the company. The one not
obtaining the regular engagement
might. however. sing in special pre-
sentations- This meant for me
goodbye to singing Indefinitely.
save for appearing now and again
as Madame Butterfly.
Studies Companion Roles.
So 1 began to study the compan-
ion roles to those of my husband
that l might help him in practice at
home. Before long 1 knew all the
wagnerian heroic soprano parts,
and together we would rehearse the
operas privately. Meanwhile, my
voice was Strengthening, and de-
veloping. and was preparing my
self for the good fortune just ahead.
That, of course, l could not then
foresee. -,..- --s-' -.-,
In opera singing the best chances
come when one least expects them,
and there is always some attendant
obstacle that makes them hard to
grasp. Ny special obstacle in one
important instance was that I had
not learned the last act of Verdi's
Aida" One Saturday the prima
donna cast for the title part in that
opera on the following Monday.
Monday night. sent word she could