MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1008, 24 December 1910, Page 10

MUSIC.

, (Bi' Treble Clef.)

Tho Sheffield choir. Dr. Charles Harriss, the Canadian musician who is promoting Empire interests by touring the British possessions next year with tho famous-Shef-field Choir, writes to Mr. H. N. Southwell from London under' dato September 29:—"Dr. Coward and 250 members of the Sheffield Choir, are this week paying their second visit to .Germany, the most .critical of musical countries. My recent visit to South Africa was exceedingly happy. The Mayors'of Capo Town, Johannesburg, and other centres wo intend to visit are taking the liveliest interest in our approaching tour, as are also tho loading choirs aud musical societies of each city. I must tell you that the llou. Charles P. Taft, of Cincinnati, tlio brother of the President of the United States, together, with a few other,musical enthusiasts, have subscribed £3000 to have,us for the Cincinnati Festival. I shall sail for Canada on October 14, 1910, and proceed to British Columbia, whence I-have in view 6000 miles of railway travel before Christmas, and when I set foot in Canada threo woeks hence I shall havo completed 53,000 miles during tlio past 14 months. , The Sheffield Choir' will sail on March 17, and I dare say Australians will be surprised .to know that they have already .been rehearsing under Dr. Coward; for the past four months on the works they will'sing, and they yet have 100 rehearsals before tlfom. It is. a wonderful thing in view of" the' fact that they havo to prepare tor London Sir Alexander Mackenzie's now Cardiff Festival work, 'Tho Sun God.' lam bringing out with the choir a sot of low-pitchcd instruments, so that tho orchestras may be as perfect as possible." Dr. Harriss also adds tho Aames and carecrs of seven of tho eight solo 1 artists who will bo heard in Australia next year. -M"Taggart, a Scottish singer who has appeared for. some years past at the oratorio festivals of Sheffield, Norwich, Bristol, and at the Queen's Hall and other concerts, and at ..Covcnt Garden opera, will be the soprano ; Miss Gertrude, Lonsdale, who visited Canada with the Sheffield Choir and made herself a great favourite throughoutithc Dominion, and who also toured Australia with Watkin Mills five years ago, will bo the contralto; and Miss Alice Hoeley, another English contralto,' has Also been ' engaged 1 . The tenors will be Mr. .Henry .Turnpenny (Queen's Ilall Symphony and Promenade Concerts) and Mr. Wilfrid Virgo, ah operatic tenor who was with Adelina Patti during her farewell tour of America, and with Sir Alexander Mackenzie's' Canadian Festival tour in 1903. Mr. Robert Charlesworth, a basso who first won fame at the Sheffield Triennial Festival, and Mr. Robert Chignell, a bass-baritoijo who has sung at many oratorio festivals and ill grand opera at Covent Garden, will coniplete the party.

Schumann's Songs. Schumann composed some 245 songs, tho poets whoso lyrics , stimulated his genius being Heine, Ruckert, 'Byron, Geibel, Burns, Kerner, Chamisso, Goethe, and others. According -to a writer in the "Musical Times," about fifty of these songs have achieved popularity in artistic,circles. Some of the most beautiful demand a compass which few singers can command, but "The Two Grenadiers," "Ich grolle nicht" (I will not grieve}, "Dor Nussbaum," and one or two others are not only beautiful and expressive, but come within the executive powers of' tho amateur. Nearly all of Schumann's finest songs ivero comoosed soon after his marriage. The part-songs f and choruses, 'which number about seventy, are mostly. unaccompanied, and are written for all kinds of choirs. All have the saving, grace of melody, and.call more for subtlety of interpretation than great technique. • Notes. Messrs. Ricardi, the .music publishers, aro. giving Lee Fall (the composer of "The Dollar Princess") 250,U00 francs down for the score of a comic opera, the book of which is to be by Dr. Wilncr. The piece will be done first in Milan. Franz Lehar is engaged on another book by Dr. Wilncr, called "Eve," which is to seo the.light first in Vienna, while Gustave Heritor's "Snowdrop"—the libretto by the.'doctor again—"will bo produced in the same city shortly. Koikor will bo recalled as the composer of "Tho Bell'o of New York."

Of M. Ossipoff, who is to sing with Lawrence Campbell, tho. elocutionist, next week, the : Melbourne . "Herald" says:—"Jl. Ossipolr possesses lull, rich baritono voice. Without any apparent eifort lio gave tho most robust interpretation to the fervid style of Russian ■ composition. He has a dramatic manner which imparts plenty of colour and life to his songs, and was a very welcome figure whenever ho appeared. Two of his numbers 1 that were especially pleasing were tho prologuo from "Pagliacci," for which ho was twico recalled, and tho. Toreador ■ song, from ''Carmen." r An. important commercial "move" in tho European music publishers' business ji-s agitating , most of tho large publishing houses of the Continent. Von iScebach s (of Dresden) independence of the Strauss-Furstner proposals on tho now Strauss opera has also had a very drastic etfcct upon tlio firms who ato making such tremendous demands or the operetta of Oscar Strauss, Lobar, I< all, and others. It need not surprise the musical world if certain arrangements will he perfected that will compel the publishing houses to beeomo reasonable in their demands. The first step toward such a course has been taken already.—New York "Musical Courier."