Walter Russell Johnston Benefit Concert

“A grand complimentary concert will be given to Walter Russell Johnston, organist of St. Paul’s Methodist Episcopal church, Wednesday, May 16, at Irving Hall.”

“The promising young organist of St. Paul’s Methodist Episcopal church gave a concert at Irving Hall last night. . . .  Mrs. Abbott sang ‘Consider the Lilies’ better last evening than ever we heard her before.  Mr. Abbott’s organ accompaniment was a graceful setting to this gem of sacred music.  
It is a rare treat in concerts in this city to hear such a powerful, well modulated and trained soprano voice as that of Mrs. Abbott.  Miss Regnaud made her debut in a very unfortunate selection, namely an arrangement of Mendelssohn’s Wedding March by Franz Liszt.  This piece is extremely difficult (thoroughly Lisztian) and demands more powers of execution and more brilliancy of style than Miss Regnaud possesses.  She gave a very tame and uneven rendering of it, and in the extraordinary scale passages, which Liszt has interwoven in the end of the piece, she was completely indistinct.  Here and there through the march she showed some ability as a pianist, but the general effect was poor.  Mr. Johnston played the overture of Masaniello and a brilliant fantasia of his own, founded on a theme from the Star of the North, in a highly creditable and finished manner. Of the other artists, Messrs. Morgan, Castle, Campbell and Colby, we have spoken at length in previous concerts. The concert was very well attended.”