The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-06-12

N l\ Uf9A~LN tue liANpIN or muBlCal
 W Birmingham is written in
 flaming letters upon the an nals of time. there wilt be names which will stand prominently forth registering 1O1 per cent-triumphanu
 One of these will be the name of Edna Gockel Gussen--whose splen- did musician-ship. whose unswerving devotion to this most beautiful of arts, whose high standards have all ways been maintained assidiously and whose conscientious dealings in music in every form have been un- questioned-a name to conjure with f "a name to honor and respect. | For thorough musicianship, there is scarcely any other city in the south which can boast of an artist answering more satisfactorily to t this qualification than Birmingham can, in the person of Mrs Gussen, < for she knows music from every an gle; it has been her like work; her 'hobby" her calling" and to this beautiful Art she has devoted her | time, her ability and her means. That she has accomplished what she set out to do is fact which is now historical and which stands to the credit of Birmingham with brilA lliance and clarity,
 From. Mrs. Gussen herself-the casual observer would seldom learn lanything of her achievements; like Mir. Huneker exotically expresses it lin .Pairted veils"-one of his rar- lest and most subtle effusions-in speaking of certain music critic he declared that
 "Iie swas seldom expansive; he loathed' enthusiasm; his motto in life was fIeratan and to this he super added. Richelieu's injunction. Point ! de szeie.'"
 Mrs Gussen leaves her works to speak flor themselves-which they do most, .eloquently-and if some Bos- wen chances to write of her success full -.eadeavors-he must do them mostly without her assistance--for as said before enthusiasm Is re- served by her for every day duties and Is. seldom portrayed otherwise.
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 Back wonder in 1895 Birmingham met and liked Benjamin Guckenber- ger a musician of the rarest quail | sfications, who. with his lovely wife. ; lending her melodious contralto voice | Eo .,.church and concert, came to this city with progressive ideas, which | he'rsoon put into practical use.
 MT. Guckenberger organized and | established the Birmingham Conser- vatory of Music 1ss5-and until | the year 1902 was its direcaor. in- cluding in his fculty Mrs. Gucken- berger (voice), and Emil Wiegand | tv1olin).
 During these pioneer days while | MT. Gnckenberger was conducting | the affairs of the conservatory. at the same time his musical talent was | reaching out over untrodden fields | and his presentations of '"The Mes- si4h," ~Judas Maccabees," "Elijah." aud .srhe Redemption" interested musical Birmingham and set new tandard for musical progress.
 IFor these presentations MT. Guck- efberger imported such talent as Obcar Ehrgott, baritone. of Cincin- nAtis+ and George Hamlin. the well Known tenor, while local soloists whre given the opportunity to study and to, sing in these wonderfully in teFesting and educational oratorios. |
 Three Spring Festivals with large 1choruses and such orchestras | as the. Boston Festival. under Mollen- hauer, ' and the Chicago orchestra. | witch Theodore Thomas's baton's in | magic, rhythmn; Campanari, the | great opera singer, besides oratorio | soleistss like Genevieve Clark Will son, Sarah Anderson. Myron Whit nex. George Hamlin and always Mrs. Guekenbergers beautiful voice in- telprettng the contralto parts.
 Outstde of all these arduous musi- | cal Activities in the conservatory. | and the director of the festival chor- uses Mir. Guckenberger gave his clos | .SstAatfsntion to choir work, directing l the chorus at Temple Emanu-El and st. Marys and also the Treble Clef chorlS
 Then something happened; it all ways does, when things seem to be l moving too smoothly and too delight fully, for "the call back home" came which meant to the older musical center of Boston-and it was too strong and insstent for Mrs. Guck- 1 enberger to resist--so Birmingham
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