OCTOGENARIAN ORGANIST.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 496, 1 May 1909, Page 12

OCTOGENARIAN ORGANIST.

PLAYED BEFORE MENDELSSOHN AND .... '. CHOPIN. One of the moat-interesting of 'London's persoiialities' at the present time is Miss iillen Day, organist of Christ Church,. Westbirthday rccent ''y celebrated her 81st "I was born in March, 1828," Miss Day told_a representative of the "Daily News," -JSt l ™ . m y Irst public appearance as prodigy. at-a London oonSP at , Lane. Theatre. Prodigies in tnoso days were not so numerous as ■ they are now. and I received quite enthusiastic aotnees from critics. < , "On September 27, 1838, I had the honour ■125T0 a c «n™ al i d to p)ay before the youthful Queon Victoria. The notice' riven was ,s° very shorty that , the official dressmakerat Windsor had to make me a Court frock in one. day—a remarkable achievement L . les3 . times, Her Majesty was graciously pleased to express her admiration of' my performance, and gave me a handsome-present." . . In June, 1844,. Miss Day received an invitation from Mendelssohn to . visit him at hia fev f dt ? n ®l uar e. Misa Uay: still has Mendelssohn's, letter in her possession; . .... ■ a PP° int ™cnt," she said, "and played..-to the composer his own G minor Concerto .and Weber's. A flat Sonata? £ , a sIi P> and ' showed 1 me what should have been played. Four years later r played to .Chopin in his rooms oyerlookmg tho Green Park. .1 played to fll? <5! + to Mendelssohn, Weber's A q Played, many times at' the Hanf OmS aD t al conCerts in the famous, old Crosby Hall. She has been organist at Christ: Ohurohfor 25 years, and previous to that was at.St. Matthew s, Westminster. Considering her advanced age, she possesses extraordinary enattends regularly to her duties, exeopt occasionally when;the wcatjber.is very