MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 170, 11 April 1908, Page 12

MUSIC.

[BT Treble CLIP.]

A visit to Australia will shortly be pair by Mr. Charles Saunders, a loading Knglisl tenor who was out here a few years ago anc won such praise for his cultivated style anc excellent interpretation. For the last thrci years Mr, Saunders has boon the principal tenor at tlio great Handel Festival in England. Mrs. Saunders will accompany her Ims band. Mr. Saunders was the tenor in the last b;g musical festival held in Wellington, on which occasion Madamo Bristow was the soprano. Carreno and De Paehmann. The following, credited to Mme. Carrono, is vouched for by tho Sail Francisco "Argonaut" : —"At tho time of this adventure 1 had nover heard or sewn Da Paehmann. '] was playing in St. James's Kail, London, anc tho publio was kind enough,to bo very enthusiastic. But ray attention was particularlj attracted by a little bum, who looked like a Protestant minister, and who stood up in his chair and slioutodl and applauded wildly Naturally, my curiosity was excited by such r marked display of enthusiasm, and I asked my manager, Mr. Vert, who. the demonstrate person might be. "'But don't you know?' ho answered, 'That is,Do Paehmann.' "It was the height of the Loudon season, and after tho concert the small green room was crowded, for I havo many friends there, and Busoni, Godowsky, and Rosenthal wore also filling engagements in the city,'and witl: several other artists of equal eminence had been kind enough to attend my recital. Suddenly there was a commotion at the door, and De Paehmann entered. Talking in a most exicted manner, he forced his way to the contro of tho room, and. falling on his knee: before mo, declaimed:—So, madamo, on mj knees, do I acknowledge your supremacy Queen of pianists! Most glorious of artists Regal woman!' And turning to Godowsky, Busoni, Rosenthal, - and the rest, he commanded that they, too, kneel. , "Well, it made me sick," Madame Carrono continued, colloquially, but emphatically. "Such'extravagance was, to say the least, embarrassing, but though I finally persuaded Mr. do l'achmaun to stand, he continued to overwhelm me with compliments At last, however, Mr. Vert.persuadod-him t< leave, and though most of my friends had loft, and those who remained were as sick with long_ repressed merriment as I was witf mortification, we, were just beginning, to feel comfortablo when the, door was again opened suddenly, and De Paehmann returned, like the music master in tho 'Barber of-Seville,' to add one more word of extravagant compliment. , " 'Your sixth rhapsodic!'. he cried. '1 hare heard it from Liszt himself, and not oven ho could play it so!' ' _ "A year later mv daughter, Teresita; met De Paehmann in Berlin. 'I know your' moho said. 'A beautiful woman 1 But she should not try to play tlio piano !' " - Band Music. ■ Tho Australasian Concert Company, which nas_ been in_ Adelaide, has arranged to givo tho Australian public some military band music during the coming winter. The Director,; Mr. P. A.. Howells. ,has through Mr. John Dixon of Booser and, Co., London wcured tho services of the R'oyal Artillerv iiand from Newcastle-on-lVne. The bani (of whom' 36 members will visit Australia) the, bandmaster, Mr. ■ Roßert, Smith, and several of tho soloists have' high reputations nW™ , R concerts will begin in Adelaide m the-middle ■6f May 'and from there tho band mil go on to the Eastern otates and' Now 2k)alancL l -"\: Now Attractions. ■ - . Edward Branscombo (who will bo remom bered as tho organiser of tho Westminster Abbey Glee and Concert Party) -has several important-London attractions which are booked; to visit:: tho, colonics idurin<* the S nt y i ar " fir ?t of. thfeso'is a musical rompany known as, the '.'Scarlet Troubadours, a party,- of society,. entertainers gentlemen)j giving refined- and novel .musical poi^ormanccs. in character- and VlirLt 510 fw: tho m<)s t being of a light and humorous order. The company number twelve, and include an exoeltent male quartet, and all the artists enjoy Enghsh reputations as singers. Amongst is an whose quamt t, are illustrated by him jii colouredl chalks m record timo, and in a most inimitable manner. The next at,trac ion to follow the-"Troubadoursfwll be whn« er f maVsklls ' • three Russian bovs performances in trios and solos on the forth fh- v'v. an ? Io I ? avo reccl \tly called forth tho highest; encomiums from London musical critics. They reach Melbour™ neS Popular. Hymns. ~ Tho "Treasury" publishes as tie result of , a competition a list of the Best Fifty with their Tunes, selected bv some 1200 mdere of . the magazine: As the Injury is a Church magazine, neailv" all i W K B UU f mS competitors are H° fo " n , d , ■!? Hymns Ancient and Mo"no f 9 i? n th Me " heads fto list with (09 yote6, 139 votes over: its nearest svn vnJ' Ca Tl (1 { " which received 1 v, „ rhf ? " oxt ln list aro "0 God, our Help, with .566 votes, "Holv Holv Holy, 549 votes, " The Church's Ope foundation,' with 542 votes, and Rock of Ages, with : s2o ,votes. After theso come, to complete th© list of . the first2o, "And now 0 l<ablior, Hark!, the herald angels sing," JesU| \lover of my'. soul,". " Gome, Holy Ghost, Sun of my soul,'! "Whenl survey," All, people that on earth do dwell," "For all the saints, ' "Jesus Christ is risen to-' day, Onward, Christian soldiers," "0, come all yo faithful," "Eternal Father! strong to save, tl On tho Resurrection moroand "Glory to Thoe, my .God,, this night, lhe fiftieth hymn in tho list is "The strife is Ver," which polled 99, votes. ' It niU3t bo borno in mind that-the request vras o rthe best hymns with their tunes. Nevertheless it is a curious list, and it differs very considerably fro mthe prize list, that is to say, the hymns which received the largest number of votes,' jn the famous "Best Hundred Hymns" competition, instituted by tho editors of the '' Sunday at Homo" just- 20 years ago. In that competition nearly 3500 persons responded to the invitation, and the' majority of tho votes (3215) fell to "Rock of Ages," "Second in tho list was " Abide .with Me;" "Lead, Kindly Light" took tho fifteenth place; "0 God, o'ur holp" was No. IU, "Holy, Holy,- Holy" No. 23,' and "The Church's one foundation" No. . 57, while Cowpor's "Sometimes a light surprises," with 866 votes, was No. 100. ' Notes.' ■ Miss Rosina Buckmann is taking a leading part in the Dunedin Amateur Operatic Society's performance of "Erminie." The soprano has /been offered an engagement to take tho solos in the performance of "Elijah 1 ' in May next by the Palmerston North Musical Socicty. The "leading lady" of the: Merrymakers,. tho "team" of entertainers which Messrs. J and N; Tait are to introduce to Australia iu a fow weeks timo graduated to her ■ present position from th'o Follies, who have had such- a romsiTkably swift riso to fame during the last fow years in, England, 1 where their porformanco is always sure to, draw liun-o crowds. ° Madamo Albani' is taking a limited number of pupils in London, but. does, not, intend to retire from tho concert platform for a while Mmo. Melba was paid high homage during her stay at: Sydney. Princes Kadavu and Pope, of Fiji, havo presented her with a "tabua" (whalo's /tootli), which carries wit-h it the! freedom of Fiji. In olden days tho possessor of the "tabua" could solid to any chief from whom itMiad been received a lomatid for as many fighting men. as required. Tho suminor season of Italian opera at Dovent Garden provides for tlio rc-entreo of \lelba, Tetrnzzini, Dostiun, Kuby-Lumi Mario Gay, Cavalieria, and Edyth Walker', Bonci will be tho principal tenor, Caruso not being availahlo just now, supported bvScotti Jouruet, Whitchill,, and M'Connack (the Irish', tenor). A German quintet for tho Wagnerian cyclo will bo found in Herren Lvuote, Joru, Cornelius, Von Rooy, and .u-upfer. •