The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-20
uEldAN Al TENDS
 OPERA q YEARS
Thomas R. NIcDermott. Impas- stoned Lover Of Music, Has
 Missed Few Performances

NEIN 1OhA, JdIIs. lo,--flUOuS tue personalities who stepped into the lime light at the Scotti celebration at the Metropolitan was Thomas R. McDer- mott has attended almost every per fornance at the opera house for the last 27 years, and he represented the gallery in the, tribute paid to Scotti. He spoke from behind the footlights, and it was the proudest hour of his life. 48
 McDermott is in reality two men. One of him lives on an ice truck. The other appears at the Metropolitan every evening, just in time for. Car men" or La Boheme'' or whatever happens to he playing. Night after night he can be found5in his seat in the family circle, lostsiH5 the music, leading with his restless first finger q phantom orchestra of his own. ss
 His whole life centers about the Metropolitan. In the afternoon he chugs up before his house on. Highland avenue in his, truck. As he alights he is sur rounded by Mrs. McDermott and the flee little McD Then the truck is put to> rest for the night twashed and shined up for the early matinee PcIl0Tluducc, V1CIcFIuOtt tAVluiuc} and the icenian of. the daytime is quick ly transformed into the music lover of the evening. He catches the 6 :45 for politan as the firstcomers are stfag- gring into the opera house.
 ImpassiOned Lover Of Music
 Woe to any one who makes the slightest noise in his vicinity. He wants quiet. He sits there, intense and ab- sorbed, and you.cari see that he is not only taking in the music; he is part of it. That first finger keeps up its rhythmic movement. Occasionally his eyes close, but mot for "a surreptitious nap. You might suspect that of the iceman, but never of the music lover. Z Between the acts he will talk of the opera, of the personalities who have made it in the last qharter century, and of his own steadfast devotion. "For 27 years now" he said one night in the intermission at Aida" there, have been very few performances here that I've missed. Opera Six nights'a week. Con- cert on Sunday nights. Matinee al- ways on Saturday and usually on Thursday, if I can manage to slip away from my business.
 Of course itswasnt likely I'd sit in the horseshoe ring, Family circle has always suited me. figure it's like watching a skyrocket. When you are right next to it and on the same level with it, what do you get when it goes of? Nothing but a little sizz, and it's all over. But if you're off little-way Q you can really get perspective on it, then you have something worth seeing. The opera is like that. Up here, you don't miss. trick. The voices are as clear, and; beautiful as if you were sitting in g small room with them and. they were singing just for you. And you see the stage;as it is meant to be seen. This is the.real place for opera lovers.' B. ttss-.s Knows The Singers
 z In the course of his quarter century of opera McDermott has come to know many of the stars. CarusQ, Farrar, Homer, Sembrich, Martfnelli, Bori, Jeritza, all the artists that are stage heroes or heroines to most people, to him are friends,
 My friendships with most of the singers are fairly casual" he said, "and I have always hated to presume oA them. Besides, most. of them talk for eign languages rather than English, U them there. It's hard for me to pick favoritess WhensI hear Jeritza, she's my favorite. The same with Jeanie Gordon and Matzenauer and any num- Der of the others. sX
 You 5see, when I fhink about these singers, l don't just hear their voices floating up from down there. I think about the years they have to train, all the sacrifices they have to make to be where and what they are. It's their whole. lives they, give up. And that's why I can't think of them as plain human beings like the rest of us.
 But at length he did narrow his fa- vorites down to three: Caruso, Farrar 100 per cent" he ended weakly, search ing for better word.t "Only one voice like that in q generation. Oh, used to love to hear him take his low notes He never gargled them like most of them do----you could always be sure of him. l heard every concert he ever gave at the Metropolitan.
 Its funny to think of genius like Caruso afflicted with. stage fright. But he always was nervous before he went on to sing, even when exerybody knew he was the greatest singer of his day. I'll never forget his performance in 'Pagliacci,' the time he fell and hurt himself. He was never entirely well after that Nobody realized how seri- ous it was, but it made me feel worse than if I had hurt myself.
 As for Farrar. there's woman for you. Greatest Carmen in the world. And the way this place used to go crazy with excitement when she sang. I used to laugh at all the Gerry fiappers.' but I shouldn't have laughed, because was one myself.
 'Of course. I have special place in my heart for Scotti You see, I've known, him longer than any of the rest of them, aRd he's real gentleman. So many artists are all right until they've