Private Musical Evening

“Among people here last night were Mr. and Mrs. Harrison, sometime of Virginia. He was chief of staff—private secretary—or some such thing, to Jeff Davis, that pagan full of pride, before his overthrow. The lady is a nice looking blonde, cultivated, pleasant mannered, and with the most honest, earnest feeling for the best music. A woman who tells me that she spurns Verdi and who takes a copy of The Creation into the country for a summer companion, assures one at once. This lady is a sister of our nice young friend Clarence Cary, sings in our C. M. A. chorus, and attends its Rehearsals with laudable punctuality. She sang for us, last ev’g, quite effectively, tho’ her voice has its weak points. In English song, her expression and distinct articulation make her performance impressive—as e.g. in ‘Too Late’ from Tennyson’s Guinivere, which was most touching and beautiful as she rendered it, giving its due value to each word. The notes of the melody are of no great account, but this lady conveyed the meaning of the text with power. She sang ‘With verdure clad’ to, and charmingly, tho’ its worth is wholly in its melody, its text being inferior to Mother Goose.”