Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-01

the occasion being the premiere
of Deems Taylor's Peter Ibbetson,' great and
small in the music world have begun to babble
1t seems that that ravager of health, la grippe,
has made such inroads in musical circles that
one never can be sure just who is going to
appear five minutes before the curtain goes up.
So that although Edward Johnson, Lucrecia
Bori and Lawrence Tibbett are meant TO be
the leaders in the Taylor opera, perhaps at the
last instant Jeritza, Pons or even Gadsk
flying around on horse will greet the audience.
However the interest in this new work is partly
due to the merits of its composer and partly,
one must admit, because the story IN itself is
one of the best beloved of fction's masterpieces.
"A WORD in memory of that gossamerlike in
= terpreter of the dance, Pavlova, whose
sudden death has rendered mute one Of the
largest audiences of the world. Nine. Pavlovas
art although perhaps outmoded by the eccen-
tricities of modernism, never failed to arouse
the most sincere admiration. She was welcomed
in the manner Of a queen, no matter in what
country or In what mood. She became not only
the leader of her particular school but curl
ousIy treasured myth bespoken of with great
reverence by the old to the young. She Is said
never to have disappointed an audience. she
wished to retire while she was at the summit
of her career. And she has, gracefully, quietly,
tragically, leaving behind that imper1shable
quality Of youth which can never die.
T Attest information from the Offices Of Mrs.
~ wilson-Greene indicate that the much
heralded concert of John McCormack's is likely
not to come of, after all. Officially, the word
is Mrs Wilson-Greene has not as yet COM
pleted arrangements" But some sort Of an
inkling suggests that the great Irishman Is too
busy elsewhere and that Washington win not
be on his list of recital cities.
EvEN If, however. this great ballad singer can
not be with us, there is in our midst a
notable person who bring back an infinite
number of anecdotes and personal memories Of
him. This is H. Norman Taylor organist and
choirmaster of st. Stephens Church for the
past IL years and before that in similar capaci-
ties at the Church of the Redeemer IN Bryn
Mawr, Pa, and at st. Johns Church at
Kingston on the Hudson, N. Y.
Mr. Taylor recently was lured out of his COM
parative quiet to admit that away back, prob
ably SIS years ago. when he organist at
ST. Johns Cathedral in Sligo, Ireland, he had
pupil who won second prize in one Of those
Feis Coeil competition fete days. and who
would have won first prize If native songster,
one John Mccormack, hadn't suddenly SWITCHED
the award away himself. At this time Nc
Cormack was youngster, living on the out
skirts Of Sligo and singing around and about
not so seriously as when he went later to Milan
and came back with the frills and furbelows
which brought boots and jeers at an Irish con-
cert, the audience crying. GIVE us The Low
back Car, John!"
Mr.. Taylor, who at the age Of II was ap-
pointed organist and choirmaster to ST. Mary's
Parish Church, Cheltenham Englnad, is one Of
those fortunates who can lay claim to having
accompanied Mr.. Mccormack in some OF his
less formal concerts in Ireland He seems TO
have a host of stories about the singer IN the
back Of his mind, which at more leisure he
might be induced to impart.
At any rate, this all comes conveniently
enough near to some sort of party that Is
being given by the church-St. Stephens
Church-for the benefit of its choir, and one
hopes it viii be the kind of success that its
sponsors wish 1t to be, what with Mr. Taylor
to add touch of his own personal and interest
ing biography to it.