Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-12-24

The strange and intensely ex-
citing story of a man who saved
his life by raising his voice In song
"a Jewish hymn that cast a spell
over a prosecuting mob in Russia
was related in Butte by a widely
travelled Jewish cantor. His thrill
ing adventure has run the gamut
from Moscow where he sang with
the great Chaliapin to a Russian
Cossack camp where he saved his
own life by singing mol Nidrei" to
a band of outlaws.
He told Of the persecution and suf-
fering he encountered before he ar
rived in America to become a recog-
nized artist in the singing world.
He is Cantor B. KraSov of Chicago,
who was in Butte to sing a free con-
cert. Small and kindly, Cantor Krosov
now is a happy. contented man. Yet
there are his lined face and grazing
hair.
The Jewish cantor's life Of suffer-
ing and persecution began in 1920
when he was captured by anti-revolu-
tionary forces which sacked his home
city of Ekalermoslaw, Ukraine. In 1920
he had been singing in the principal
synagogue of that city and had been
made a member of the 125-voice public
choir by the bolsheviki. The following
year Cossacks took him captive and
he was made soloist for the 40-voice
Cossack choir, organized by the gen.
eral of the white" army.
For the next year or so, Cantor
Krasov said he was forced to accom-
pany the Cossacks on their guerrilla
raids through Russia, and, always
under guard as a captiTe, he was
forced to entertain them with song.
Krasov during that period encountered
untold suffering and witnessed wanton
cruelty in the scores of maSSacres and
pOgroms carried out.
At last the CoSsack troops turned
on him one night and threatened to
take his life. Faced with the realiza-
ton that he had but few hours
to live, Cantor Krasov fronted the
Cossacks and began to sing. His songs
were not those of the Cossacks but
he sang "Kol Nidrei," even the hard
ened troopers softened.
AS his guards, carried away by the
music, slackened their watch, Krasov
said he turned and fled into the night.
He hid for three days and nights be-
fore making his way back to his home
city, only to find that the girl to
whom he had been bethrothed had
been slain with her mother. He went
into hiding again until his father was
killed by the raiders. and then KraSov
determined to flee the country.
He escaped to Novcrossik on the
Black sea, made his way by open boat
to Batum and then entered Constan-
tinople. From there he fled to Cairo,
Egypt, where he became chief cantor
Of the Jewish AschkenaZi temple. After
spending some time in Cairo, Cantor
Krasov determined to make his way
TO America where he might start life
anew He applied for passport which
was granted, and he came to New York 4
eight years ago. Continuing his travels, !
he made his way to Chicago where
he was appointed cantor in one of
The Jewish temples of that city, serv- |
ng in that capacity until recently.
Cantor Krasov now Is on tour OF
.he country during which he is pre-
senting concerts. He was featured at
in Milwaukee, Minneapolis 1
and st. Paul before singing in Butte
from where he went to Seattle to pre-
sent fifth program.
Slight in stature and Slightly gray, |
Cantor Krasov has lived full life. He
;ays his most unpleasant memories |
IRE those of the CoSsacks, and his |
most pleasant recollections are Of the !
line he sang In Moscow with Feodor |
the great Russian basso, |
whose operate performances are world |
famous. Krasov himself has rich |
voice with a full range, and those who |
rave heard him compare his voice with |
hat of Laurence Tibbett, the Amert- |
an baritone.