The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-01-31
MCCORMACK FILLS
CONVENTION HALL
Ovation Given Great Sing
er by Tulsans at Mon
day Concert
HIS VOICE IS FLAWlESS
Ability as Artist Matched by
Selection of Songs Which
Appeal to All

q. J,hr Mccormack to succeed
rr,Iso Daruso as the worlds most
eminent tenor? After last nights
rrr. or. Robert Boice Carson, who
brought the famous Irish singer
here. was inclined to think so. No
artist who has ever visited Tulsa has
drawn the crowd that John Nc
Cormg.t drew to Convention hall
,,as sold out by 10 o'clock Monday
morning. When the throngs OF
poopIe streamed to the corner of
Ersdv and Boulder last night and
iamm,d the steps of Convention
hall clamoring for n chance-any
klel OF q Chance-to hear McCor-
mm,k. stage seats and standing
h room we're sold as long as there
vns any available. When. shortly
after S o'clock the doors were closed
There we're more than a thousand
disappointed people turned away.
Euriro Caruso, when he was here
about two years ago, did not draw
as large "a crowd as Mccormack
last night. Carson stated that no
artist, within his experience has ever
commanded the house here that the
tenor did.
Within, the fortunate audience
that overflowed into the lobby heard
Mccormack sing as he has rot sung
before in Tulsa. lie was In eX-
celput voice and in gracious mood.
He as frankly enjoyed his audience
as his audience enjoyed him and
showed the pleasure that ha later
expressed in It's appreciation of him.
No thing is so sure a register of
a singers success as that singers
audience. That which heard Nc
4 C(NmaCk I'm Tulsa last night was not
cisentally different from that of
any other city. His hearers were
his friends from the beginning: with
the magic of the voice that is his
he played upon them, handled them
as a leader handles his orchestra
and modelled their moods TO III his
own. Consummate artist that he is,
his art IS not an end I'm itself but
lovely medium by which he beauti-
files and illumines emotions and
thoughts that are common to all
To those who seek in music the
technical perfection and beauty
Of tone production, he is satisfying.
\ To those who love the lyric beauty
4 Of melody he Is no less satisfying
and by that contingent, vastly in the
4 majority, that love the simple songs,
) the songs they know and have heard
at home, he is above all beloved.
Il And who is there who will deny
4 but that as the simplest MELODY is
n evolved from the most complex
4 harmonies, so is tho greatest artistry
q required for the singing Of these
4 so-called simple" songs?
4 But no one went to hear John
n Mccormack, the master student OF
4 song literature, with any analytical
4 intent 1t is the privilege OF Nc
i Cormacks listeners TO lose them
selves In frank enjoyment. sure that
at no time will he violate the codes
Of vocal music that lift 1t into the
ranks Of really good singing. To
the somewhat severe beauty OF the
Handel group WITH which he opened
his program Mccormack brought his
mastery phrasing, excellent dictiOn,
wonderful tonal quality that made
n them no less warmly welcomed than
his later group of Irish ballads
truly an achievement. Although
obviously struggling against a cold,
he rose above tho difficulty beauti-
fully and so far as tones and per-
formance were concerned. was
handicapped not at all. Although
many In his audience were dlsap'
pointed not to hear Chausson's la
Caravane," 10 have been tho first
number OF his second group. THE
Procession" by Caesar Franck, sub
s,ituted by the artist at the request
4 OF Mr., Carson, as appreciated and
warmly applaudeM It's loveliness
was enhanced by McCormackis abil-
ty 20 bring all that Is lovely out of
i anything that he sings. In view of
z tho fact that It has so recently
listened to the Russian composer.
Tulsa heard with particular interest
McCormack's reading of Rachman-
inoffs beautiful little song when
!. Night Descends."
At heart people never grow up
and they never are too old in their
hearts 10 love fairy tales. SO Nc
Cormack's "Once upon a time" songs
won delighted applause last night.
Thore were several of these, In his
4 Two groups on the second part, of
n the program and among ancores with
which he was most generous. The
little song that told the story about
the prince who went a wooing, and
the other one depicting the puzzled
spiritual state of the sailor boy who
lachrymosely enqulred what IS the
gram was The Palanquin Bearers
4 ppou a time favorites. one of the
eNquisite little things on his pro-
ffam was "The Paanquin Bearers.
But after all, when all is said and
4 done, the place that John McCor-
n mack holds in the hearts OF people
4 everywhere he has made by the sing,
ing n the beloved songs known
10 them all. And last night when
me familiar chords of Mother
3Machree," OF "Dear Old Pal OF
4 Mine and other songs that will be
A Tor time immemorial associated with
their master singer, were struck. a:
A one person the audience applauded
quickly, warmly, then settled hap
PLY back to listen. IL throat'
ughtened and ached a bit while hC
rang Mother Machree," nobody
II was ashamed. II was only n mo-
mtnt until tears were forgotten ir
.nloyment of a rollicking Irish tale
that tho singer told through the
happy medium of 'his music, or Q
Whlmslcally tender story.