Evening star., 1935-02-24


istible. It's a foGegone conclusion that
the speaker. having gotten to a
= platform, will tell his listless audience
be they architects or artists, mining
engineers or singers - that there is only one
work. WORK.
The audience take this well-meant advice
with a grain of salt. So it's about time to
you my friend, Miss Grace Moore.
Grace Moore, the ambitious. the gay. the
generous. the persevering young lady from the
backwoods Of Tennessee, decided one day to
be singer. Today she has the most beautiful
soprano voice in the world. All want to do
is tell you briefly what happened in between.
Grace. as a baby Of three, was sent to
Sunday school, As she grew older she became
aSunday school teacher. She led the children's
choir at morning services, and was soloist at
night. She planned life as missionary.
But something happened soon after Grace
was sent to school in Nashville During her
freshman year concert was given that was
to shape her destiny. Mary Garden sang. and
the wide-eyed school girls life was changed
from the moment she heard the great Diva's
opening note. No missionary work for her
now. she wanted to sing. She wanted to sing
with her heart and soul - to sing 50 people
would laugh or weep as she willed it through
her gift of song.
This meant battle The Moores of Jellicoe
had their own ideas of the pitfalls that lie in
wait of any stage aspirant. But the deter
mined Miss Moore prevailed and she entered
a music school near Washington, D. c.
In her whiriwind ambition to be concert
singer, after very little study, she wrangled
herself into joint concert with Giovanni
Martineli in 1918. Her part of the concert
was received with marked lack of en-
thusiasm by the critics, and she nipped of to
New York.
What did you do frst1" asked her.
II went to look at the Metropolitan Opera
House, of course" Grace answered.
But, where did you get the money to eat1"
asked, having a practical mind. found that
she sang for her supper, literally. every night,
at the Black Cat restaurant in Greenwich
Village.
At the time other music students were
learning voice placement, Grace was singing
in public. But she had been rushing things too
fast. The inevitable happened. Suddenly
there was no voice.
Stark tragedy this. She had turned her
back on family, friends - she had made her
choice, and now it was impossible for her to
60 on singing. Did she think of giving it all up1
have known Grace most of my life and have
yet to know her to do anything like that.
She had heard of the great voice teacher,
DR.. Mario Mara6otti, and she sought his ad-
vice. And what advice it turned out to be!
Absolute silence for six months was her one
chance! Grace, the talkative, not to say word
or whisper sound for six months 1t nearly
killed her, but her reward was overwhelming.
Back she went to DR.. Marafotti again after
six months, and fearfully sang her first song.
The miracle had happened! The beautiful
voice had gained depth and richness; the high
notes seemed to touch the sky.
Now having learned that no great singer
was ever made overnight, she was content to
60 more slowly. An engagement to understudy
Julia Sanderson was accepted, and on Thanks
giving night in 1922 - Miss Sanderson being
indisposed - Grace Moore had her first
opportunity to sing in musical comedy.
1t was when we were staying in Paris,
shortly after this, that got first hand knowl-
edge of Grace's energy. She not only was
spending hours on her voice. but was struggl-
ing with her French accent on the side She
would drag me to all sorts of places pre-
tending she was French - and If they spotted
her American accent she would be furious.
One day she would find a remote swimming