The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-09-15
Miss McNeiU and ChicQqo Music

musical center is the many
 facilities which that big western city
 has for educating her people musical
 ". The wonderful summer season of opera at Ravinia park, the band con-
 certs, the magnificent choirs and or ganists in the churches, the Chicago symphony orchestra, the music in the cafes and hotels, the fine music or- | chestral and organs in the picture
 shows-all combine to give the great populace in Chicago an opportunity
 of hearing good music, thus becoming
 familiar with the best music and the 1 best standards"
 Miss Minnie McNeill, Birmingham S
 accomplished musician organist at the
 South Highlands Presbyterian church
 and teacher of piano in the Birming
 ham Conservatory of Music, enthusi-
 astically spoke in the foregoing
 words of Chicagos splendid musical 1 advantages the other day when she
 was telling me of the delightful and
 interesting summer she spent in the
 Windy City"
 Miss McNeill, who went with Miss
 Evelyn Going, another of Birming
 hams talented musicians, to Chicago,
 had primarily in view plans to se
 cure bookings" as accompanist to | BI tdl dTllSlS lic COtnlIS StdSOur anu
 the first thing that she did after ar
 Irving was to consult with MT. Harry
 Culbertson, the well known concert
 manager, on this subject.
 l The result of my interview with
 MT. Culbertson," said Miss NcNeill
 was most satisfactory, as he told
 me that he would use me as accom-
 panist throughout the south this
 season instead of sending accom-
 panists with his artists. This, Of
 course, was quite agreeable to me,
 and l owe it all to the experience
 had last season with one of MT.
 Culbertson's artists, Myrna Sharlow, of the Chicago opera, who gave a
 concert at the Judson.
 | Having arranged satisfactorily
 with MT. Culbertson for my seasons york; Miss McNeill said, .I then
 looked over the field of musical at l fractions, and of course the first
 thing 1 did was to go to the opera at
 Ravina park. as all roads lead there, whether automobile, trolley car or
 railroad.
 "One of the first operas heard was l Mignon,' with Alice Gentle and | Florence Macbeth" said Miss McNeill
 q was delighted with Miss Gentles voice, like it better than any l heard altnOuSn AIIld FllIuuSn NOiCc IS lovely and so is she; tall, slender,
 dark hair and wonderful eyes. she Is
 charming to look at and to hear.
 Mario Chamblee. who sang here with
 the Scotti opera, was singing at Ra- vinia and Marie Sundelius also. while Stracciari, Charles Hackett Leon Rothier, whom I liked. Graham Marr, | whom Birmingham heard with the Rabinoff opera a few years ago, and many others composed the personnel of the opera this summer
 "The most impressive thing l saw and heard was the Caruso memorial at Ravinia park" Miss McNcill said. | "On this occasion the big gates were thrown open free to the public of Chicago and it's suburbs for the first time in the history of the big and
 beautiful open air home of grand opera The stars of the Ravinia Opera company, friends, coworkers and worshippers of the tenor of tenors while he and they sang side hy side | in New York's famous Metropolitan casts-offered a programme which will go down in operatic history as l one of the professions most memor- | able occasions. Former United States Senator James Hamilton Lewis deliv- cred the memorial address L Every conductor in the Ravinia | Opera appeared upon the programme, Genaro Papi, Louis Haselsmans, both conducting a number, while the Chi cago Orchestra, Giacomo Spadoni, conductor, contributed it's talent to
 the programme. Great crowds of for l eigners--mostly Italians. l presume stood with uncovered heads during the entire programme. many of them
 weeping away the tears from their eyes-because of the | great love they bore the one and only Caruso. shall never forget the sight--for it was one seldom seen in the history of the world. "One of the delightful things l en- lowed at Ravinia was 'Children's Aft ernoon,' when programme was given by the Chicago Orchestra. All bert Ulrich conducting and MT. and Mrs Marx Oberndorfer Interpreting the orchestral numbers. said Miss McNeill. 'Berlioz. Greig and Bach were presented, while the latter part of the programme was occupied with a lovely thing numbered as A Little While of Let's Pretend by Dugald Walker; 1t was perfectly charming and one of the most instructive things for children have ever heard.
 T simply lived in the churches on Sundays" Miss McNeill continued. flor I have never seen such organs and never heard such choirs! For