MAHAN'S MUSIC FESTIVAL AT CORTLAND

Mahan’s Music Festival. [Advertisement, Democrat, June 17, 1887.]

   Thirteenth year will begin Monday P. M. June 13th, and close Friday evening, June 17th. 1887, at the Cortland Opera House and, will be conducted by Mr. Carl Zerrahn, of Boston. The great chorus of about 500 singers will be assisted at the Grand Concerts June 10th, and 17th, by the following eminent Artists: Miss Zelie de Lussan, prima donna soprano, of Ideal Opera Co., Miss Ellen D. Campbell, prima donna contralto, of the American Opera Co., The Lotus Glee Club, of Boston, Mass., and Mrs. Martha Dana Shepard, Pianist and Accompanist.

Chorus or Singer's tickets, $1.25 each

Matinee,                  "              .25 each

Concert,                   “             .50 and .75 each

Season or Subscribers, "       1.50 or 2.00 each

   The sale of tickets will begin on Saturday morning, June 11th, at Mahan's Music Store.

   No extra charge for reserved seats. Orders by mail or telegraph faithfully attended to. Address,

   A. MAHAN, Cortland, N. Y.

Zelie de Lussan, opera singer.

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, June 24, 1887. 

Mahan’s Music Festival.

   The musical festival closed on Friday evening with a concert which was certainly one of the finest ever given here. The crowning feature of the evening was the rendition of the three choruses from Rubenstein's Tower of Babel. Mr. Zerrahn introduced this selection by a brief description of the oratorio from which it was taken, and the statement that the entire work had been presented in only three cities in America.

   The chorus of the sons of Shem was the finest selection of the week, and was a high tribute to the efforts of Mr. Zerrahn. Aside from this piece the programme was of the same order as that of Thursday evening, which was as follows:

PART FIRST.

1. Chorus—"Festival Hymn," D. Buck

Full Chorus.

2. Tenor Solo—"Like as a Dream," Flotow

Mr. Edward E. Long.

3. Grand Aria— "Nobil Signor"- Huguenots, Meyerbeer

Miss Helen D. Campbell.

4. Quartette --"Cheerfulness," Neuman

The Lotus Glee Club.

5. Grand Aria—"Linda" Donizetti

M'lle Zelie De Lussan.

6. Chorus—"Sleep, Darling, Sleep" Martin

Full Chorus.

PART SECOND.

1. Bridal Chorus—(From the “Rose Maiden")--Cowen

Full Chorus.

2. Contralto Solo—"Gavotte"—Mignon, Thomas

Miss Helen D. Campbell.

3. Baritone Solo— "Let All Obey," Leach

Mr. Clifton F. Davis.

4. Song—"Come Where the Lindens Bloom," D. Buck

M'lle Zelie De Lussan.

5. Quartette—"Massa's in the Cold,Cold Ground," Foster

The Lotus Glee Club.

6. Chorus—"The Belfry Tower," Hatton

Full Chorus.

   Especial interest centered in the appearance of Miss Helen D. Campbell, of whom the press and musical critics have spoken so highly elsewhere. And when the festival closed, there was not a musician present, it is safe to say, who did not agree with the high encomiums which have been bestowed upon her. Her voice and manner are such as grow upon her audience. To her, music is not a light pastime; it is a dignified profession. In no childish sense of the term she seems to have for her motto "l'art pour l’art.” Her rich contralto showed to best advantage in the grand aria from Rossini’s "Semiramide," "A quel giorno," which received the enthusiastic encore which it deserved.

   The Lotus Glee Club have always been favorites here. For them was received the greatest applause of the evening. Sometimes this was prompted by the popularity of the selection to a certain extent, but in the main by the genuine worth of the production. While singly the voices are not remarkable, collectively they show the highest cultivation. Each individual voice is absorbed in general harmony in a greater degree than is usually found.

   M’lle de Lussan has always been a favorite here since her first appearance some seasons ago. Since that time her peculiar qualifications for opera have given her a foremost position in that branch of music, and she came here this year with laurels that she had yet to win before. In every piece requiring vivacity in manner and of voice she excels, and never fails to captivate her audience. Such a selection was Arditi's "L' Estaci" so enthusiastically received on Friday night.

   Such festivals as these, however, must always be judged from the standpoint of the success attained by the chorus. The good done to the community and to those who attend from out of town is largely centered there. This year high excellence was assured by the presence of the eminent director, but it was proven by the substantial character of the choruses at both concerts. Mme. Cappiani, the well- known instructress of New York, formerly operatic singer at La Scala, was present at both occasions, and expressed great surprise that after only four or five days of drill such excellence could be attained. The last two matinees, which were in progress as we went to press last week, were also of unusual merit, probably the best we have ever had. We give the programme of the closing one, the features of which space does not allow us to discuss.

1. Solo and Chorus—(From the Magic Flute) ...Mozart

Bass Solo by Mr. Davis.

2. Tenor Solo--"O Weiner Nieht". ..Kucken

Mr. M. D. Murphy, Jr.

3. Piano Solo a. "Silhouette b. Valse Boheme…Kowalski

4. Quartette—Serenade….Arens

The Lotus Glee Club.

5. Soprano Solo—"A Dream"….Robyn

Mrs. G. A. Sears.

6. Cradle Song—"Lullaby"…Norris

Mr. Devoll.

7. Contralto Solo—"The Day Is Done"….Balfe

Miss Lillie C. Arthur.

8. Quartette—"Breeze of Night"….Lamothe

The Lotus Glee Club.

9. Bass Solo—"Two Grenadiers" Schumann

Mr. Davis.

10. Bridal Chorus—(Fiona Lohengrin)....Wagner

Full Chorus.

   [CC editor's note: Mr. Mahan owned a music store in Cortland and he was former president of the village. He and his family lived at 91 North Main Street, Cortland.]

HERE AND THERE.

   E. M. Santee, of this place, has taken out letters patent on a reclining chair.

   The Water Works Company have removed their office to No. 7 Railroad street.

   Dunsmoor gives another party at his Park on Port Watson street, on Thursday evening.

   Sullivan's case, which we reported last week, has been adjourned to Wednesday next.

   The present Normal School graduating class is the largest ever sent out, numbering between forty and fifty.

   Commencement exercises of Marathon Academy take place in the Baptist church in that village, this Friday evening, at 6 o'clock.

   Probably no optician visiting Cortland has better success than Prof. Palmer, who will be at J. C. Gray’s jewelry store until Saturday night, July 2d.

   A new highway is to be laid out between Marathon and Freetown, which will avoid the steep hill over which people have had to travel for the last 50 years.

   A Fourth of July Party will be given at the Virgil Hotel on Monday evening, July Music by Ed. Blinn's full orchestra. Bill, $1.50. J. H. May, proprietor.

   It is said that when the E. H. & L. Co. were going through with their fancy drill at the Floral Trout Park, in the evening, they look so much alike in their uniforms that the fair sex can hardly tell which one is their exclusive and individual "fellow,'' and when they "break ranks" they have to look twice before they can make up their mind whether they are taking a "fancy" to their own man or some other man.

   Postmaster Maybury has selected the following mail carriers for the free delivery, which commences July 1st next: Joseph Freer, William H. Wilber, Michael Comfort. The distribution cases arrived last week, and seem to be suitable for the purpose for which they are intended. Twenty-four boxes in addition to those already in use will he put up at convenient places on the streets for mailing letters and papers. Carriers will collect mail matter from these twice a day.

   The Cortland Wagon Company commenced work yesterday on a new brick building to be erected in rear of their present buildings for a store house and cutter works. The building will be 200x50, three stories high, besides a basement. They are forced to add more room for the reason that they have been unable to keep up with their orders this season. Up to the first of June they had built and shipped 5,000 of their celebrated road carts, besides the usual number of buggies, surreys, platform spring wagons, etc.

   Last month Mr. O. D. Allen, of this place, drove over the river bridge at Marathon on a trot, and last week he settled with the Street Commissioner of that place by paying him $12. We advise Mr. Allen to give the south towns of the county a wide berth. About the time he drove over the bridge on a trot, he was prostrated by a shaft of lightning while driving from Marathon to Freetown and rendered unconscious for several hours. But then one might about as well be struck by lightning as to drive over that pet bridge faster than a walk.

   Yesterday morning as two men driving from Homer to Cortland, when near the railroad crossing a freight train passed south on the west track, and although the flagman waived his flag vigorously, the men drove their horse on the track just in time to be struck by the engine of the 10 A. M. passenger train going north on the east track. The horse which was not a very valuable one, was killed instantly. The men were thrown out of the buggy, but were scarcely scratched. Parties who witnessed the accident say that the men were considerably under the influence of liquor. The train was backed up, but as no one was injured it moved on.

Coveted His Neighbor’s Wife.

   ROCHESTER, June 20.— Albert R. Sturges, manager of the Western Union telegraph office in the village of Clyde, Wayne county, last Friday eloped with the wife of Charles Lessring, a malster. 
   Sturges, who has been a wild young man, is twenty-three years old. He met Mrs. Lessring, who is twenty-six years old and become infatuated so much so that be neglected the business of the office. On Friday he concocted a false message and sent the woman's husband to deliver it at a farmer's three miles away. Sturges then drew on the Western Union for $50 when both skipped for the west.

Oswego County’s Wooly Calf.

   A Central Square correspondent of the Oswego Palladium says: "We had the pleasure of visiting the much talked about "woolly calf" and found that the reports had not been exaggerated. This really wonderful freak of nature is the property of Mr. Will Spencer, who owns a farm on stony ridge, in the eastern part of the town of West Monroe. The woolly calf is now five weeks old, and at a short distance looks like a small black and white spotted calf, it being only about half the size of an ordinary calf of that age. Mr. Spencer called the calf by its name, 'Barney,' and it immediately approached us for inspection. Its body, which is black, is covered with genuine black wool similar to that seen on lambs, while perhaps there are half a dozen spots of long silky white hair. Its legs and feet resemble those of a calf, while its head and tail, which are black, are those of a sheep and it bleats like a lamb. The mother and father of this curiosity were both of a bright red, and Mr. Spencer has had no sheen on the premises until within a few weeks ago. The mother refused to own her offspring, and would have destroyed it had it not been taken away.

   Mr. Spencer informs us that 'Barney' had visitors from all parts of the country, some days as many as fifty calling at the farm, and that he had been offered all sorts of prices ranging from $3 to $100, which a gentleman offered for him last week. Mr. Spencer proposes to exhibit the 'woolly calf, Barney,' at the county fairs this fall, provided be does not sell him before then.

Zelie de Lussan: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z%C3%A9lie_de_Lussan