BOOTBLACK MAY RIVAL CARUSO.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 319, 9 January 1909, Page 3

BOOTBLACK MAY RIVAL CARUSO.

After a farewell recital in church, Harry Sokolsky, the "bootblack tenor," whose, voice, is said to give promise of rivalling that of Caruso, left Pittsburg to join the Metropolitan Opera Company of New York. He is a Russian Hebrew, aged nineteen years, and at the concert the Sharpsburg Presbyterian Church was Idled with an audience which had come lo hear the bootblack tenor's farewell to his native city, as it is his intention to study live years before returning to Pittsburg, lie. sang "Watchman, Whit of the Night'r" and "If With All Your Hearts" as a farewell.

Young Sokolsky, who has been lac only support of liis mother aiul two sisters, was discovered fight years ago in a back scat in one of the synagogues singing the difficult music witli a voice which brought the rabbi on the search for him. lie found a ragged little child who had just coine from Rusflia and who had learned to sing there. The voice was of such rare sweetness that the. rabbi took an interest in the child, and lie •was placed under instruction with a Pittsburg teacher five years ago. last April, when the -Metropolitan Opera Company visited Pittsburg, iSokolsky was given ail audience by Caruso and by Ferrari and liigo, of the company. They were so impressed with the range of the little bootblack's voice that negotiations were opened with his mother for placing him under instruction witli Xew York masters.