Evening star., 1933-05-28
BY MARY CHURCH TERRELL.

you had been IN the city OF chi
cago a few months back you might
have witnessed something that is
i really new under the sun. You
might have seen Clarence Cameron
White, colored, presented the David
Bispham medal by the American Opera
Society Of Chicago, because he had
written the best opera composed by an
American during 1882.
The success of this talented colored
man possesses special interest for the
people of Washington, for it was right
here in this city that he began to study
music. and it was here, also, that he
settled upon his musical career. Mr..
White came here not long ago to de-
liver an address at the Washington
Conservatory of Music, founded 81
years ago by Mrs. Harriet Gibbs Mar
shall. He told the story of his opera,
and had several selections from 1t sung
He referred to Washington as his home
and expressed great satisfaction at be-
ing able to tell the folks at home what
he had been trying to do.
When Mr. White was about II years
old he came to Washington with his
mother and stepfather, DR.. w. H. Con-
ner, who had been appointed medical
examiner for the Government Pension
Office.
washington wrought many changes
in my young life he said. Il came IN
contact with numerous boys and girls
of nv own age who were students OF
music. I was allowed to go to many
concerts where I saw and heard the
celebrities of that day. An incident
happened at one of these concerts
which really started my musical ca
reer. One evening my mother took me
to hear the pupils of Mrs. Alice Strange
Davis, the most renowned piano teacher
in washington at that time among
colored people. l was especially anX-
ious to hear Will Marion Cook play
the violin. He had just returned from
Europe and was to play number to-
ward the end of the program. AS usual
a program by pupils is rather a long
draWn-out affair, SO by the time Cooks
number came l had fallen asleep. l
was awakened by the tremendous ap-
plause after his solo, and when l was
told that he had played l burst out
crying and made such fuss thst my
mother had to hustle me out OF the
concert and 1 went home in disgrace.
s"This rather unusual carrying on
at the concert prompted COOK TO m
ulire who the little boy was, and when
he discovered the cause OF my great
disappointment, he came to see my
parents and offered to give me Vloln
lessons during the coming summer va
cation period. Every lesson was one
of pure Joy. and it was during this
period that 1 definitely made up my
mind to be a violinist. At the end OF
the Summer nv lessons came to an
end and Cook left Washington. l was
not quite IL years old, and my next
period of lessons came when l was
about IA"
"Ouanga" is the name of the opera
which has been composed by Mr. White.
1t is pronounced ''Wanga" with the
| "ou" pronounced like and the frst
"a" like ah. The scene Is laid IN Halti.
It is partly historical and partly not;
! has a thrilling love story running
through it; enough tragedy to quicken
your heart beats a little; an unusual
| ballet: original dances which have prob
ably never been put on the stage be-
fore and is both colorful and beautl-
| full That is all l shall say about the
opera. until I tell you more about the
medal and the difficulties which the
composer had to overcome to win 1t.
For a long time Mr.. White had been
wanting to write an opera, he says. he
| conceived the idea of doing SO at least
| 10 years ago, he states. But he was
kept so busy teaching and giving con-
certs. so as to make a living for his
family and himself that he had neither
the time nor strength to attempt any
thing so serious and so exacting. FL
nally, he was given a fellowship by the
Rosenwald Foundation, so that he
might go to Paris and study how to
write an opera according to the high
est and best standards set for such a
work in Europe.
Having secured the fellowship Mr.
White went to Paris and studied under
well known master, Raoul Iaparra,
who had won the Grand PriX Go Rcase.