Gatty Sellars, the well-known English organist-composer, returned to England July 31st, after his tour of two hundred and twenty-three recitals in the United States, prior to which he visited the principal cities of South America
The “Opera-Ballet,” which was popular about 1718-1735, is to be revived in Paris.
Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s incidental music for Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing was a leading factor in the interest excited by the recent performance of that play at the National Theatre of Munich.
Stephen Townsend is to reassemble the admirable Symphony Chorus of the Boston Symphony Orchestra for the production of works by that organization, requiring the assistance of a chorus. Formerly Mr. Townsend held a similar position with the New York Symphony Orchestra.
Vincent d’Indy’s opera, “La Legende de Sante Christophe,” of which he wrote both the words and music, has been produced in Paris, and was hailed as an important event in French operatic history.
Sir Hugh Allen, the Director of the Royal College of Music of London, was knighted on the recent King’s Birthday Honour’s List.
Gaston Borch, the well-known composer and conductor, is maturing plans by which Boston will have a grand opera company of its own.
$250,000 has been presented to the Cleveland, Ohio, Museum of Art, toward the formation of a permanent Music Department.
A Prix d’Europe of $3,000, offered by the Province of Quebec, carries with it a year’s study in Europe.
The Convention of Negro Musicians of America met during the last week of July, at the Bethel Church of New York. Lectures, concerts and addresses by white and negro musicians filled the meetings.
Grand Opera for the Pacific Coast Cities will be supplied this season by a four weeks’ visit of the Chicago Grand Opera Company.
Henry Hadley, the American Conductor, has been appointed Associate-Conductor with Josef Stransky, of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.
Paderewski, in a late London interview, said, “I am through with music. I shall never play again.”
Charles Wakefield Cadman, the great American composer, is writing a complete musical score for a screen production of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.
Julia Claussen, the Brilliant Contralto of the Metropolitan Opera Company, her husband and two daughters, have received their final papers making them full-fledged American citizens.
The Metropolitan Opera Company has been invited to visit London next spring.
Giacomo Puccini is reported to be contemplating another visit to America “to obtain atmosphere for a new opera which will have life in Old Virginia as its theme.”
Robert L. Paul, Instructor of Harmony at the Peabody Conservatory of Music of Baltimore, and author of several text books, died July 5th.
Eugene J. Albert, violin expert and collector, died at his home in Philadelphia, July 8th.
Albert Coates, conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, is to be “Guest Conductor” at several programs of the New York Symphony Orchestra, during the coming season.
A Fifty Per Cent. Increase of Salary has averted a threatened strike of musicians in the “legitimate” vaudeville and musical comedy houses of New York.
The Municipality of Tokio. Japan, is to build a larger music hall at Hibiya Park, because of increased interest in concerts.
$4,520,000, in all, has been given by Mr. George Eastman for the promotion of the interests of the Eastman School of Music of Rochester, New York.
The title “Dame,” which King George revived during the war, by conferring it upon Madame Melba and Clara Butt, is supposed to be equal in rank to that of Knighthood for men.
The prize of One Hundred Dollars for the best American organ sonata, offered in November, 1919, was awarded to Harry Benjamin Jepson, of Vale University. The judges were Frederick Stock, Clarence Dickinson and Mr. De Lamarter.
A stupendous Handel Festival took first place in the musical total of the past season in London in July. An orchestra of 250, a chorus of 4,000 and an audience that numbered 30,000 made the occasion a notable one to be remembered a long time to come. This festival is held every three years.
A convention of Music Managers met at Chicago, late in July, to negotiate a full and interesting season of musical features for the coming winter. Though it lasted only forty-eight hours it is said to have accomplished some significant work.
Ignace Paderewski has received the degree of D.C.L. from Oxford University, England.
Alexander Porter Browne, the Boston lawyer who first gave status to international copyright, is dead.
Mabel Garrison, the American soprano, is winning high praise in London, with her beautiful voice and finished art.
Singing lessons outdoors are an innovation in some English schools.
American organists are making a determined stand for increased pay in church services.
Dame Nellie Melba, the Australian soprano, recently sang in England into a wireless transmitter, which carried the tone clearly to Madrid, Spain.
Sir Edward Elgar has recently received the Order of the Crown from King Albert, of Belgium, in recognition of the aid to the Belgian cause, by his Carillon.
A thirteen-year-old organist has been appointed to an English church. He won out in an open competition with adult organists.
The London Sunday-school Music Festival will be held October 16th, at Crystal Palace. There will be five thousand voices in the junior chorus alone. A novel feature is to be a mandolin concert in the evening, as the finishing event of the festival.
Handel’s organ in the church at Whitchurch, England, is being restored and steps taken to preserve it to the next generation. It is still in active service, and is used in church service every Sunday.
The Trustees of the Juilliard Musical Foundation have appointed Dr. Eugene Allen Noble, of Schenectady, New York, as the secretary of the organization. Dr. Noble is a clergyman who long has been interested in educational work. The purpose of the Juilliard Foundation is “to aid worthy students in securing exceptional musical training.” The address of Dr. Noble will be in care of the Guaranty Trust Company of New York, 140 Broadway. N. Y. City.
Columbia University has made the announcement that the Pulitzer Scholarship in Music has been awarded to Bernhard Rogers, of New York City, by the jury consisting of Daniel Gregory Mason, Walter Henry Hall and Dr. Frank Damrosch. The scholarship was awarded through the School of Journalism, which was established by the bequest of the late Joseph Pulitzer, founder, of the New York World. It is valued at $1,500. The lucky Mr. Rogers is twenty-seven years old, and has already had an important work, To the Fallen, performed by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.
Vancouver, B. C., had its first Music Festival in June. The program included Mendelssohn’s Elijah, sung by the Vancouver-Westminster Choral Union, under the direction of the well-known choral conductor H. A. Fricker, of Toronto.
Sir Edward Elgar has been elected a corresponding member of the Academie des Beaux Arts, to take the place of Giovanni Sgambati, of Rome, Italy, recently deceased.
The national desire for national music has found one outlet in the founding of a Society for the Publication of American Music. Although the aims of the Society are large and include the publication of such works not likely to be accepted by the regular publishing houses, at present only chamber music will be considered. Later orchestral and similar compositions will be introduced through its medium. Eight distinguished musicians compose the advisory music committee, which selects the compositions worthy, in their judgment, of being printed. These men are Georges Barrere, flautist and organizer of several unique ensembles; Harold Bauer, pianist; Adolfo Betti, of the Flonzaleys; Frederick Stock, conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra: Hugo Kortschak, of the Berkshire String Quartet, and George Chadwick, Rubin Goldmark and Deems Taylor, three representative American composers. Each member of the Society, in addition to having the satisfaction of supporting an enterprise of so important a nature, receives a copy of every publication issued by the body.
The Matinee Musical Club of Philadelphia offers a prize of one hundred dollars, in competition, to American composers, for an instrumental ensemble for organ, violin. ‘cello and harp, not to exceed fifteen or less than ten minutes in length. The ensemble awarded the prize will be given a public presentation in the Ballroom of the Bellevue-Stratford in the Spring of 1921 by the Matinee Musical Club. Compositions to be submitted anonymously, but to bear some distinguishing mark or motto, a copy of which, with the composer’s name and address is to be enclosed in a separate sealed envelope. The Club reserves the right to withhold the award if none of the compositions submitted are deemed of sufficient merit. It is imperative that all manuscripts be sent in by November 1, 1920, at which time the contest closes. Please note that Mss. music is first class mail matter and that it should be sent to Clara Z. Estabrook. Secretary, 620 Cliveden Ave., Germantown, Penna.
