Evening star., 1924-08-24
American Composers
KAROLYN WELLS BASSETT
VARoLYN WELLS BASSErT is on

Y AROLYN WELLS BASSETT is one
- of the youngest in the group of
| American woman composers. Her
| rise TO fame in the musical world has
| been rapid. In addition to her talent
| as a composer she possesses equally
dne ability as singer. She recently
made her debut on the concert stage
as coloratura soprano. Miss Bas-
sett is the daughter of Mrs. Harmon
s. BaSsett of Briarcliff Manor She
| was born in Derby, Conn. Her educa-
tion was acquired at the Prince
! School of Boston, Berkeley Institute,
Brooklyn. and Nine. Veltin's School
| IN New York. Miss Bassett studied
| piano with Mrs. Reinold Faction and
Carl Faction in Boston, piano and
harmony with Theodore S. Holland in
| Berlin, piano with Leona Clarkson,
voice with Theodore Van Work and
| Jeanne Faure.
| Seldom does young person display
two such distinct musical talents as
| karolyn Wells BasSett. Dmnutive,
| piquant and alluring as to appear
! ance, one would scarcely think to
| look at her that her songs had ap-
peared for several seasons on the
| programs of many DISTINGUISHED
| artists But Miss Bassett was not
| content with this one medium of ex-
preston. Singuarly gifted from
childhood as musician, her creative
| talent soon became expressed through
/ composition, and in humming over
some of her own melodies she diScov-
cred that she possessed II voice which
she quietly began to develop without
| publicity and with characteristic
! seriousness. At one of the recent
| concerts given by the American
| Association of Music Lovers at Car
! negie Hall, Miss Bassett, who ap-
| pearcd as guest artist, came for the
/ first time before the New York pub
| lie as a singer. She admits that this
| debut was made year earlier than
! she had planned, but in spite Of that
! she created such a favorable impress
| sion that decided interest has been
manifested in her singing career.
During the past winter Miss Bassett
was engaged four times at Briarcliff
| Lodge, Briarcliff Manor, New York;
she sang for the Women's Club in
! Derby, Conn; at the Sleepy Hollow
! Club. Scarborough the Harvey School.
: Hawthorn, n. Y, and gave two recitals
| AT Palm Beach and three at St
| Augustine, Fla. A Southern tour has
| already been arranged for next season,
! which will include many other
! Florida cities.
| During May Miss Bassett sang for
| the Thursday Musical Club of New
| York City in a joint recital with Felix
| Salmond, cellist; appeared again at
| brlarclIff Lodge, and during Music
week on American Composers night
| at station WOR Miss Bassett broad
| cast program Of her own com
positions. Miss Bassett is planning a
series of recitals for next season.
Many concertgoers have heard
| Anna Case sing Miss Bassetts song
| The lcicle." about which Miss Bas-
| sctt tells the story that the song
nearly faded away as tragically as
! the icicle described in it does, be
cause twice the music publishers re-
| fused the bit of melOdious humor,
though they finally begged it back
again from its composer and il is now
| in its fifth edition. Her music is
| spontaneous, exceedingly melodious
and grateful to the singer. 1t be
| longs to the 'PolIyanna type" Of
| glad song. one of her songs. Take
| Joy Home" throbs with emotion and
| shifting color.
Miss Bassett began her career at
| the early age of as L composer
Seated al the piano one day. and
| striking the keys with tentative fin
| gers, she suddenly burst into tears
| Her father much alarmed lest she
| had pinched her fingers or stubbed
| her toes, rushed to her, TO his aston-
| ishment to find that she was crying
| because she wanted to play some
| thing she heard in her head and
| couldn't" Her father listened while
| she hummed the something" and
then helped her work it out on the
| piano.
Out among the blue hills of Briar-
| cliff Miss Bassett lives in a lovely
| old colonial house. Here most of
her songs are written, and one feels
| this CloseneSs to nature in all her
| work. The cold bleakness of winter
| in white silence. spring and budding
| things, the breath of lilies, daffodils
| and all the bright hosts in the old
| fashioned garden below the hill,
warm sun, the dull rasping of in
| sects and the "irk of an idle May"
| All the old familiar things live in
! her music. drawn from an emotional
| quality which is vigorous as well as