Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1940-03-18

! Music lovers of Henderson have q
! rare treat in store for them on Ell
day, March 29th when Mildred Dill
ing, foremost American harpisl' WIZ
appear at the high school auditorium
under the auspices Of the cooperative
Concert Association.
Born in Indiana, Miss Dining mas
won acclaim both in the Onlleo
States and abroad for the beauty ana
artistry with which she plays on the
instrument many times associated
with heavenly things. She shareS
with PadcreWski the honor OF nav
ing played at the White House musI-
Gales more frequently than any olnef
artists during the past three admin
istrations. Her New York rccltals
have established her as one OF inc
most distinguished concert figures III
the metropolis.
Miss billings interest in the harp
dates from her childhood. On her
twelfth birthday she was given her
first harp, beautiful English Erard
instrument that had formerly belong
cd 10 Evangeline Booth.
Within few months the young
musician displayed such a marvellous
talent for the instrument that IN the
unbelievaDly short space OF a year
she was concert harplst. Her tlrSt
engagement was at the home OF
Meredith Nicholson, the famous In
diana novelist, who was a nelghbor
Of the billings. Another neighbor,
James Whitcomb Riley, frequently
asked her TO play Tor MIN and pre-
scntcd her with autographed copies
Of many Of his books. Still another
neighbor, Booth Harrington, engaged
her TO play her harp TO give the right
atmospheric touch to an Irish play he
was presenting for Little Theatre
group.
With such prominent people en-,
couraging her, Miss Diliing soon
went TO Paris, where she studied with
Henriette Renie, the leading harpist
in all Europe. She made her Euro
pean debut at the Sale Erard in
Paris and was immediately hailed as
musical genius. Since then her
fame and popularity have grown
continually.
During the past five years she has
filled more than four hundred en-
gagementS on both sides of the At
lantic. She holds the record for
America recitalists in England, haV-
ing played al seventeen concerts in
London in less than three weeks. AT
that time the newspapers pointed
nIIt tl,nf cl,n tbn firct hnr,Nict tn
give a recital in the British capital
since John Thomas Queen Victoria's
court harpist
A singular honor came to her when
she was chosen as the first harpiSt
to broadcast in Ireland, land of the
harp. The station officials Of Belfast
chose Miss Dilling, although she is
not Irish, because they considered
her the best interpreter Of the tradi-
tional instrument.
She was the first to present her
instrument over televison for the
British BroadcaSting Corporation.
and since has appeared annually in
this new medium Tor the BIC.
Each Sea"nn finds Miss Dilling full
lllllng extensive concert engagements
in recital, with symphony orchestra
and over the radio on two continents.
She usually appears in the United
States, Canada and Cuba in the Win
ter, and in the summer (during peace
time, of course) fulfills engagements
abroad Her summer home is il
Etretat on the Normandy coast in
France, and there she rests between
engagements, practices her programs
and does research work, studying
works of early and modern CON-
posers and tracing folk tunes To tt";'
origins. This work has reached its
elimination in two books, both pub
lished by Oliver Ditson & Co. The
first is called "Old Tunes for New