The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-03
BIRMINGHAM
 and SUBURBS

Lncey AS Presfdent--Foilowin the resignation of Lee Wright. president of the East Birmingham Civic league. tho league has elected J. L. Lacey as president, and w. o. Chenney as vice president. MT. Wright resigned be- cause other business interests de- manded his full time. The league meets on the first and third Monday nights of each month.
 Chicken Dinner--A chicken dinner will be served at W. o. Broyles' furni- ture store, 2023 Third avenue, Wednesday and Thursday by women of the Twenty seventh Street Bap-
 tist church.
 Randall EIected-Ira- F. Randall. formerly president of the Birming- ham Furniture Dealers association. was elected president of the Simms Baraca class, Raleigh, N. C., at its twenty-second anniversary. Mir. Randall was in civic and church work in Birmingham before he left for Raleigh.
 Station Here Leads--The Birming- ham recruiting station of the marine corps leads in recruiting for the southeast. according to Capt. George Bower, recruiting officer. Captain Bower said that recruits were still needed to bring the marine corps up to the required strength.
 Christmas Program--The Dante club, composed of young Italians. will distribute baskets of food to the poor in Birmingham on Christmas Eve Day, according to Jake Rose. chairman of the club. The baskets will be distributed following an en- tertainmcnt given by the club at 3 o'clock. Christmas Day the club will give an entertainment for members and friends, beginning at o'clock, with dinner at o'clock. followed by Q dance.
 their earliest days to sing for the opera.
 When went with the Metro politan Opera company several years ago, was compelled. after I had been on tho concert stage for 30 years to try my voice with singers from Italy who had been trained all their lives in opera singing. And there is a world of difference be- tween tho two"
 MT. Werrenrath glowed when ne spoke of the opera. "The opera is not singing" he said. Tt Is singing. acting, orchestra, setting. and every thing that go to make up an ar- tistic whole. Wagner. who wrote his own libretto as well as score, who arranged his lighting and setting, and who produced his operas. brought all these factors together in one great personality and in the greatest operas that have ever been written.
 Americans Preferred
 wagner Is so human. l tried to go over Wotan's sheet of Die Wal kurie' today, but I could not. Some thing--well, something welled up In my throat ,and I had to stop. After have gone over it number of times, I will get my emotions trained so that I can keep them up here," point ing to his head.
 It is not true," continued Mir. wer- renrath, "That American artists are not received. They have carte blanc everywhere, and, in fact. are pre- ferred in this country. Our need is not for more artists. but for Amer loan music.
 Tho Metropolitan Opera company is tho most potent proponent of i'm ported artists. An Italian atmos- phere prevails in tho company. but there Is no hostility to American sing CTS, and there are number of them. The Chicago Opera company is freer from foreign influence, but lacks the esprit de corps of the Metropolitan company" He told, however, of a recent production of this company that he had seen. RimskyKorsa koff's Snow Maiden" that showed an improvement in this respect.
 But, returning to tho south" Thank goodness he didn't say hinter- land, T want to say emphatically that the south does appreciate good music. There is the sincerity and genuineness of appreciation in south ern audiences that is found in the great music centers.s
 Frog in His TAroat
 Mir. werrenrath is . human artist. Red blood, firm grip of tho hand. c smile. and the careless use of such expressions as mot off the griddle" whom he meant that a song was just off the press and n frog in my throat which temperatmentally might be converted into most pro- volSing impediment." arc mixed in this man with the dignity of a genius and the knowledge and poise of an au- thority.
 His home is in New York. T am that extraordinary creature. New Yorker born in Now York" he said.