Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-05-24
Musicians Of
Texas Topic
For Program

program for the day, music, musl-
clans and Texas composers, was
ably led by Miss Elsa Walther.
she introduced her subject by
saying that she was agreeaply sur
prised to find that Texas had SO
many prominent musicians and
composers, mentioning among them
Henry Liberman, blind musician,
director OF the band at the Blind
Institute at Austin. He wrote the
Blue Bonnet song and has set TO
music many Of the John Lomax
cowboy songs. Harold Mavis was a
San Antonian by birth. He studied
abroad and now teaches piano in
New York and Is also an orchestra
director.
Julia d. Owens. well known by
Texas club women lives in Ma
vasota and composes both vocal
and piano music. Viola Beck Van
Katmijk was a DeniSon girl and
also composes for the piano and
voice. Her husband Is dean Of music
AZ Southern Methodist University,
Dallas. Radie Britain OF Silverton,
teaches in Amarillo and is a com
poser OF voice and piano. Her songs
have attracted much attention on
account Of their resemblance to
those OF Schuman. Others discuss
ed included Horace CLARK, Newell
Cummins. Annette. Eloise Myers.
Anna Stratton Glebeng. Hattie Dick
Graves and katherine Allen Lively.
Oscar Fox
Mrs. S. G. Tucker spoke OF Oscar
j. Fox born at Burnet, Texas but
who studied In Switzerland. He has
directed both the mems glee club
and girls glee club at the State
University. He Is a recognized com
poser Of cowboy songs and is pre-
serving for poSterity many of these
reminders of the passing open
range days. His cowboy songs have
been nationally and internationally
sung by John Mccormick and 9TH
er musical favorites. II is a dream
Of Mr.. Fox that an opera may be
composed in which cowboy songs
may be sung. One OF his most pop
ular songs is Round up In Glory"
Most of his songs were composed
for male quartets.
Mrs. J.. A. Graham, whose home
was in Burnet, personally knew the
Fox family and spoke OF the father
OF Oscar Fox being a pianu tuner
and piano maker. He once had a
piano made with gold strings by a
New York house.
Mrs. Walter also spoke OF David
Guion Of Ballinger. who was dis
covered by his parents TO be a
musician when he correctly initiated
On the piano the discordant notes
OF a caliape after a visit OF a Mollie
Bailey show TO that then small town
He was the first Texan TO bring
TO prominence the Texas cowboy
songs apd negro spirituals. as wen
as the old fiddle tunes, Turkey in
the Straw and Arkansas Traveller.
he now lives in Dallas with his
mother and sister.
Mrs. Lena More and Mr.. Guion
we're children together at Ballinger
and she remineSced OF him and his
family.
New Member
The roll call of the members was
on Items OF interest about music
During the business session, Mrs.
Bert Cromack vas elects to men,
bership.
Mrs. Mae Brutche gave a report
OF the Valley Federation meeting
recently held at Pharr. Mrs. z. q.
Holiday reported the linen show
er given the Mercy Hospital on
Hospital Day May II.
Among the annual reports the
Arbor Day committee recorded the
planting OF 513 trees. 225 shrubs.
669 plants, IA roses. $4,000 gladioli.
30 Easter lilies, Is iris, $50 shasta
daiseS. ITS packages seeds.
Material accomplishments during
the year included: federation dues.
$3.50. contributed b Pennvbacker
Foundation, Sl.00. Randall loan
fund. Sl-00. contributed TO Valley
and local loan funds. $1,000, pledg-
ed $4,000 TO headquarters perma-
nent, paid $4,000 to City Fedora
tlon club house fund, $4,000 Red
Cross roll call, $1,000 to Red Cross
emergency fund. $3.50 Xmas seals,
Charity Home contributions, and
TO the Taylor fund. $3.50. Thirty
volumes Of reference work an.
fiction were given TO the high
school and library.
The club has twenty four active
and n honorary member. There
has been n resignation and one
addition to the club during the
year. The club has studied current
events during the past two years
and has selected the same general
theme for 1882.
The outline this year has in
cluded such topics as Armistice
Day and Red Cross. American pot
terry. physchology. American Gov
ernnant. Christmas. modern d1-
ma, Iceland. Russia, Book reviews,
architecture. Bible, best PLAYS OF
the year. four programs on Texas,
Brownsville history. women phil
anthropists. China and Japan. En-
gland. the home garden, Indians,
musicians, debate. best books OF
the year and three social meet
ings.
New programs VIII be distributed
at the next meeting which takes
the form Of a May breakfast and
viii conclude the year.