Christmas-Tide Festival Concert

“...Mr. Hopkins has for many years worked hard to establish his ‘Orpheon schools,’ and as we are sure his object in life and his teachings are a good deal more sensible than his writings, we really think he ought to be helped by the public as well as by a few liberal persons who have thus far accorded him their support. On the other hand, there is not the slightest need of appealing to the nation for aid on the ground that the country is, in a musical sense, ‘ruled by foreigners, often the lowest and most disreputable,’ and that ‘foreign musicians are often cheats, beggars, and pickpockets.’ Rubbish of this sort sadly injures Mr. Hopkins’ cause, and if the gentleman’s essays in literature got into circulation by any act of injudicious friendship, so bad an opinion might be formed of the value of his instruction that he would have as much difficulty in finding pupils for his free classes as in obtaining money to keep them up.”

“Orpheon-Concert. Herr Jerome Hopkins, der Componist, Pianist, Dirigent und Organisator der sogenannten Orpheon Freien Sing-Schulen gab gestern Abend sein jährliches ‘Christmas-Tide’-Concert in Steinway-Hall. Herr Hopkins ist ein großer Mann; er spielt nur, was er selbst schreibt, und er componirt nur, was er selbst spielt, spielen oder singen läßt. Wenn diese Methode nicht behagt, den greift er in seiner Zeitung – den Herr Hopkins erfreut sich auch des Besitzthums einer Zeitung, welche während der sechs Winter-monate sechs Mal erscheint—nach besten Kräften an. In dem gestrigen Concerte, welches leider sehr schwach besucht war, lernten wir Herrn Hopkins und einige seiner Compositionen kennen; außerdem trugen einige seiner Schüler Chöre und Ensemble-Stücke, sowie einige Solisten Soli vor. Leider traten die Orpheonisten, zu deren Besten das Concert gegeben wurde, gestern abend nicht auf.”

“Some wise person said ‘Beware of the man with one book.’ As the man of a single book knows thoroughly all it contains, so the man of a fixed idea usually makes his point. Such a man is Jerome Hopkins, whose fixed idea is the Orpheon Free School, to which he has clung through thick and thin for a number of years, and to which he still sticks with all his zeal. One of his Orpheon Fund concerts was given at Steinway Hall last evening, before a numerous audience.

The Orpheon Club sang a number of selections, Mr Carri played with much taste upon the violin, Mr. Hopkins performed several brilliant pianoforte pieces, and Miss Rokohl and Mr. Wilkie, both of whom possess very good voices, sang. As Mr. Hopkins’s training schools are institutions of merit, it is pleasant to believe that the fund for their support will derive some substantial increase from the concert.”

“The Orpheon Fund Concert given by Mr. Jerome Hopkins at Steinway Hall on Thursday evening, Jan. 7 [date appears to be incorrect], attracted a large audience by reason of the interesting programmes offered, and the large number of performers participating in the musical features of the occasion as exponents of Mr. Hopkins’ system of musical culture.”