Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1922-09-23
Chicago
Opera Star
Featured

Music folk of Salem consider
themselves as particularly fortu
nate for the opportunity to heal
Cyrena Van Gordon, the notet
contralto, whose concert tour OF
the Pacific coast this season vii
be very brief. Having appeared
in Portland last season, both IL
concert and with the Chicago
Grand Opera company, the metro
polls will be without her this sea
son.
She will be heard with the Chi
cago Opera company again this
year, as its leading mezzo
contralto. Miss Van Gordon is 6
young American singer who leap.
ed into stardom last season by &
spectacular performance of Brunn-
hide.
She is a small town girl, and
less than twenty years ago, was
taking part in church entertain
ments in the little town OF Cam
den, Ohio, rather shocking the
congregation by throwing kisses
at the deacon. Later. she sang
in the church choir.
When she left Camden to study
music in Cincinnati, with the am
milton of going on the stage, her
neighbors predicted bad end for
her. She studied at the College
of Music in the Queen city and
was chosen for a role in big mis-
sionary pageant entitled Ozark
ness and Light" 1t was there that
Campanini found her and offered
her the ocntralto roles in the Chi
cago organization.
Miss Van Gordon made nss
debut in Aida" and understudied
Nine. Schuman-Heink in the Ger
man opera roles. During the war,
German opera was suspended but
Miss Van Gordon's great oppor-
tunity came last year, when 'The
Valkyrie" was produced in Eng
lish.
1t was role that few artists
had essayed, among them Gadski,
Nordica, and Matzenauer. "Her
youth is against her." said the
critics. She would never last out
in this vocal Marathon, they pre-
dicted. They attended the per-
formance with misgivings. So like
wise, did "Pa" and Ma" and a
delegation from her home town,
headed by the mayor and publish
er of the local paper. They had
come to hear Cyrena on her day OF
triumph.
The curtain rose on the second
act. A golden voice rang out in
the famous war-cry. There was
an echo of applause from the boz
occupied by the home town folks
A moment later, seasoned opera
goers were rising from their seats
and crying Bravo"
The critics conferred themselves
amazed Her youth, instead of be
ing a detriment, had proven hel
greatest asset. She fitted into the
role as if she had been born lol
It, She was acclaimed not only
as the most beautiful Brunnhilde
the stage had ever known, but one
of the most magnificently equipped
vocally. She was heralded as a
second. Nordica.
Her rise from a small town
choir singer to an opera star OF
the firts rank, often has been cited
as proof that American artists dc
not have to adopt foreign names
or sing in foreign organizations in
order to win recognition here.
Miss Van Gordon's appearance
In Salem will be the occasion OF
the first concert Of Tie Salem
Artists Series, October IT, at the
armory.
Miss Edith Oscar and Archie
e. Kerber, both of Polk county,
were quietly married Saturday
evening, September 18th, at the
Evangelical parsonage, Rev. F. w.
Launer reading the service. Only
immediate friends were in at
tendance.
Mrs. James Nicholson and small
son Jimmie, went to Portland the
latter part of the week to be
away over the week end.