The Omaha guide., 1944-12-16

Over Coast-to-Coas
NBC Network with KC
Philharmonic Orchestra


Negro contralto who last spring wor
the Naumberg Foundation award. tn,
first OF her race to do so, will MAX,
her national debut on a coast tc
coas network OF the National Broac
casting Company, on Saturday after.
noon, December 18th, between 2 anc
8 pm, Central Time GA pm. East
ern War Time.
The broadcast program will be tina;
Of the Kansas City Philharmonic Or
chestra, first Of the 'Orchestras OF
the Nation series, with Efren
Kurtz conducting, on which Miss
Brice is appearing as guest soloist
This is the young singers first
public performance apart from con-
certs in small Negro colleges in the
South.
Conductor Kurtz heard of the
young artist through Clifton Fadi-
man, famed Master of Ceremonies OF
Information Please, who had
heard her sing at a party in West
port, Conn. Mr.. Kurtz auditioned
her in his suite at the Waldorf-As-
toria in New York City. She sang
n aria for him, Rossini's "Mura
Felici' and he declared her ready for
national presentation Prompt con-
sultationt with the Board Of Directors
of the Kansas City Philharmonic Or
chestra resulted in her engagement
as guest soloist for the concert and
the national broadcast.
Miss Brice was born in Indianapol-
is, Indiana, daughter Of a Congrega-
tional minister. Both her father and
mother, college graduates, are sing
ers though unprofessional.
At eighteen onths Carol was sent
to live with her famous Aunt, DR..
Charlotte Hawkins Brown, founder
of the Sedalia School of Sedalia, N.
Carolina. Her parents, two brothers
and sister followed her there later
when Mr. Brice became chaplain and
vice president Of the school.
At IA Carol became a member of
the Sedalia Singers, celebrated in
North Carolina, and travelled with
them about the country. She was
featured soloist when the Sedalia
Singers appeared in Town Hall in
New York.
She won the silver cup in the state
wide musical festival during her SEN
ior year at Sedalia, and through the
generosity Of a ~benefactress Of the
school was enabled to continue her
music studies for four years at Tai
ladega College in Alabama. With
no prospect of a career as a singer,
she specialized in public school mus
ic with the intention Of teaching for
a living.
Graduated in 1899, she came tc
New York, spent the sumner in the
chorus OF the "Hot Mikado7 at the
Worlds Fair, auditioned for the Jul
-
lard Graduate School in September
and won a fellowship. For the mex
five years she was a pupil Of Fran.
els Rogers, supplementing her fellow
ship with her earnings as contraltc
soloist at ST. Georges church. Dur.
ing this time she married a young
singer whom she had met at The
Worlds Fair.
Last spring, with her son scheduled
to be born a month later, she entered
the Naumberg competition and wor
the award.
For three years Carol Brice ha
toured southern college towns. act
ing as her W manager, gaining il
experience and repertoire, and con
tributing to the small family's fin
ances- Her husband, Neal Scott, ha
exchanged lbs own musical caree,
for that of a newspaperman an,
! Carols chief adviser.
will appear regularly in the New
York Post the NAACP press releas
es and leading magazines. With tn
addition of experiences in this ney
! ASSIGNMENT combined with earlier on
es IN the European theatre of oper
atoms in 1913 and the beginning 0
1914, Mr.. White will write ultimate
" a book dealing with the Who'll
problem of act in World War Il
Copaonton -. L L. I1-z-