History of Salt Lake City, Part 100

Author: Tullidge, Edward Wheelock
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Salt Lake City, Star printing company
Number of Pages: 1194

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" Very appropriately the Opera House was inaugurated by a concert given by local talent, and if the entertainment is an indication of what will follow, the

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public may expect a series of good things at this new home of the song and the drama. The programme comprised selections by the Careless Orchestra, instru- mental solos, songs, etc., under the musical conductorship of Mr. George Care- Jess, and there was nothing done that did not excite enthuiastic applause. We believe everything was encored. The company seemed unable to get enough of the sweet voice of Mrs. Careless, who could only quiet the audience by re-appear- ing twice and singing a third song. The lady was also the recipient of magnifi- cent bouquets. Mr. R. Gorlinski, who is a well known local favorite, delighted the audience with an aria from 'E Puritani,' and was especially happy in an encore. Mrs. J. Leviberg, as a debutante, we believe, so far as relates to Salt Lake, made a highly favorable impression as a vocalist, Those who heard her will hope to often be charmed by her sweet singing. One of the most enjoyable parts of the programme was 'The Night before the Battle,' by the quartette, Misses Olsen and Richards and Messrs. Whitney and Spencer. Altogether the entertainment was artistic and extremely pleasurable, and such as can be often repeated without wearying the public. A concert by the Careless Orchestra will be given at the Opera House this evening.

" The proprietors of the Opera House, and the public are to be congratu- lated upon the successful opening of this new temple of amusement which is a credit to the owners, the builders and the city."

'The concert was repeated on the following evening.

On the 8th of June, the first dramatic performance was given, by one of Haverly's companies, in the play of " My Partner. " Louis Aldrich, as Joe Sanders, starred in the play, and George D. Chaplin, who had on several occa- sions starred at the Salt Lake Theatre, performed the comedy.

The Home Dramatic Club, at a later period, also gave several dramatic per- formances at the Opera House. Since its opening, a number of the stars of the world, dramatic and operatic, including the great Janauschek have performed at this house.

HISTORY OF SALT LAKE CITY.

[CHAPTER LXXXVI.

MUSICAL HISTORY OF OUR CITY. GRAND PERFORMANCE OF THE " MESSIAH." PERSONAL SKETCHIES OF THE MUSICAL PROFESSORS.

Musical development is very much the index of civilization, and its variations of quality the signs of national character. Nations highly advanced and refined have fine musical taste, such as the Germans, the Italians and the English. Their educated classes cannot endure crude compositions. Nothing less than exquisite strains of melody, and the grandest harmonies will satisfy the soul attuned to the beautiful and the sublime. On the other hand the Chinese, the American In- dians, and the races generally who are crude in their natures, and unprogressive in their national characters have very poor perceptions of sweet melodic strains or harmonic grandeur. Kettle drums, and noisy discordant instruments would afford them more delight than the matchless oratories of Handel and Haydn, or the solemn majesty of the Masses of Mozart.

In the growth of the arts, music springs up among their first outshoots, tak- ing the precedence, in the unfolding of civilization, of every genius but that of poetry-as the second born of the Muses, she starts out with her divine mission. In her first stage she takes the form of simple song. Like as poetry, when far ad- vanced, brings to its aid writing and printing, with their magician-like powers and agencies, so music, in her advancement, arranges her alphabet, notation, and her art becomes elaborated in science. Like also as poetry from the crude body of verse receives a massive and infinitely capacitated transformation into universal literature, so music rises from her primitive form of simple song and clothes her- self in grand gigantic harmonies No longer a hymn or a ballad from untutored voices and inartistic votaries, but a volume of Creation from the creator Haydn; from the harmonic Handel, a Messiah, bearing the almighty majesty of his Halle- lujah chorus to the Lord God Omnipotent, and from Mozart a consecrated mass 10 Deity. The genius of music develops capacities and forms for all the exposi- tions of the harmonies of nature and the human soul, and for her interpretation she is no longer dependent on unlearned composers, nor upon uncouth utterance from untutored voices.

The history and schools of music agree with the stages of civilization. In cathedral times we have cathedral music. Their solemn, massive forms and eccle- siastical sublimity resemble the religious service of the age to which they belong. Masses, anthems, and Luther's hymns show their quality. The Oratorio resembles the epic poem translated into another tongue of art, with the same principles, the same style, the same majestic elaboration. It is, however, Hebraic and not Gre- cian in its spirit, prophetic and not heroic in its themes. As yet the Oratorio is the best form and style that has been given in modern times of music suitable for Temple service. It is more Hebraic in its quality than the masses of the Catholic ;

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there is in its composition the declamatory moods, and bursts of bold inspiration that so wonderfully characterized the Jewish prophets, while the choruses describe the lofty exultation of the congregations of Israel when they were the people of Jehovah's special care. The mass music of the Catholics is, it is true, very impos- ing and seductive, but it is burdened with the superstitions of a church rather than with the bold inspirations of Prophets and Psalmists. Even its Gloria in Excelsis is more like choruses performed by priests and virgins of heathen tem- ples than the wondrous exultation in music of the vast congregation of the Zion of God. However near they may approximate to it in classical forms and treatment, there are no mass compositions burdened with such pure Hebrew subject, nor breathing so much divine theme as the oratorio of the "Messiah," and no Gloria in Excelsis equals the triumphant majesty of Handel's "Hallelujah, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth," in which one can imagine when Zion from above comes down to unite in worship with the Zion of all the earth, unnumbered millions of mortals and immortals will take their parts to swell the mighty theme.

This general view of music is pertinent in the history of the people who founded Utah. They were certain, in the early stage of their peculiar civiliza- tion, to manifest the genius of music. Being so eminently religious in their tone of character, music would naturally form one part of the basework of their wor- ship; and being also Hebraic in their type and history, the genius of praise was born in them. It is quite natural, therefore, that they should be a congregation of singers. They would love the exercises of singing more than the duty of prayer. Hence we find the Mormons, at home and abroad, always and every- where singing the " songs of Zion." We meet some very touching musical ep- isodes in the history of their exodus to the Rocky Mountains. Colonel Thomas L. Kane, in his famous historical discourse upon the Mormons, tells the follow- ing touching story. He said .

" Well as I knew the peculiar fondness of the Mormons for music, their or- chestra in service on this occasion (the departure of the Mormon Battalion from Winter Quarters) astonished me by its numbers and fine drill. The story was that an eloquent Mormon missionary had converted its members in a body at an English town, a stronghold of the sect, and that they took up their trumpets, trombones, drums and hautboys together and followed him to America.

" When the refugees from Nauvoo were hastening to part with their tableware, jewelry, and almost every other fragment of metal wealth they possessed, that was not iron, they had never thought of giving up the instruments of this favorite band. And when the battalion was enlisted, though high inducements were offered some of the performers to accompany it, they all refused. Their fortunes went with the camp of the Tabernacle. They had led the farewell service in the Nauvoo Temple. Their office now was to guide the monster choruses and Sun- day hymns; and like the trumpets of silver made of a whole piece, ' for the call- ing of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps,' to knoll the people into church. Some of their wind instruments, indeed, were uncommonly full and pure toned, and in that clear dry air could be heard to a great distance. It had the strangest effect in the world, to listen to their sweet music winding over the uninhabited country ; something in the style of a Moravian death-tune blown

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at day-break, but altogether unique. It might be when you were hunting a ford over the great Platte, the dreariest of all wild rivers, perplexed among the for- reaching sand bars, and curlew shallows of its shifting bed; - the wind rising would bring you the first faint thought of a melody ; and as you listened, borne down upon the gust swept past you a cloud of the dry sifted sands, you recognized it-perhaps a home-loved theme of Henry Proch or Mendelssohn, Mendelssohn Bartholdy, away there in the Indian marches !"

In the earliest days of Salt Lake City the Nauvoo Brass Band. under Captain William Pitt, attached to itself the first musical reminiscences of the Mormon . people, though it did not reach the professional eminence of that of Captain Ballo's famous band.

Dominico Ballo, an Italian, highly endowed with the musical genius of his race, was, before he came to Utah, band-master at West Point for a number of years. He is said to have been one of the best clarionetists in the United States. He was a fine composer and arranger and a great solo player, having played solos at musical festivals in New York and other Eastern cities. Ballo's band is famous in the musical history of our city. He also trained and organized the Provo band. The old musical amateurs of the city speak of him with reverence. Professor Ballo has been dead over twenty-three years.

After Professor Ballo we come to David O. Calder, the pioneer class teacher of vocal music in Utah.

David O. Calder was born in Thurso, Caithness, Scotland, June 18th, 1823. He moved with his parents to Edinburgh in 1824. His father died in 1839. David was then taken from school and entered in the service of the Union Canal Company as a messenger boy. On the 31st of August, 1840, he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints under the administration of Orson Pratt.

When the Hullah classes were organized in Edinburgh in 1842, for instruc- tion in the Wilhem method of singing, Mr. Calder joined one of them ; and hav- ing prosecuted the studies through the entire course, graduated as a teacher of the system.

In Scotland, Mr. Calder began his mission as a pioneer class teacher to the Saints, thus early aiming for musical education in the Church ; and he organized and taught the first choir in the Edinburgh Conference.

Having risen rapidly, step by step, in the outdoor and office departments of the canal company's service he was appointed by the directors of the company to the office of manager of the intermediate stations of the service, between Edin- burgh and Glasgow, with headquarters at Falkirk. Shortly after taking up his abode there, in 1846, he called a meeting of the members of the choirs of the several religious denominations and the instrumental performers of the town, at the " Town Hall," and after a few such meetings succeeded in organizing the " Falkirk Musical Association " and obtained the consent of the Earl of Zetland to act as honorary president of the society, and several of the nobility of the country to act as honorary vice-presidents. He was elected manager and secretary of the society. The association went into immediate practice of the oratorio of the "Me-siah," and subsequently, with the assistance of professional soloists, gave a

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performance which was highly approved by the critics, and largely patronized by the nobility and general public. The " Creation " was afterwards given with like results.

In January, 1851, he left for Utah, accompanied by his mother and her family, in the George WV. Bourne, which sailed from Liverpool to New Orleans ; and after two years' detention in Cincinnati. in consequence of the sickness and death of his elder sister, he arrived here in September, 1853, and settled over Jordan, where he taught a singing school during the fall and winter of 1853-4. In 1855, he entered the service of the Church as a clerk in the President's office, and from 1857 to 1867 was the chief clerk.

In 1861, under the patronage of President Brigham Young, Mr. Calder or- ganized two classes of two hundred members each, and commenced giving vocal instruction in his school room, using the Curwen tonic sol-fa method ; which was the first introduction of the system in America. He. compiled, arranged and printed the class books used. In December, 1862, he organized and taught two other classes of two hundred each, and the progress made by the pupils in the study of vocal music was a genuine surprise to the public and to local musicians. He organized the " Deseret Musical Association " with over two hundred picked singers from several classes-thus creating the material for the first musical asso- ciation. The society practiced the higher classes of anthems, choruses and glees, and gave several concerts in the tabernacle and in the theatre with success. With the intention of performing the opera of " La Somnambula," Mr. Calder trans- lated, transposed and printed the choruses of that opera into the Curwen nota- tion. After a number of rehearsals, diphtheria entered his house and carried off five of his children. This sad calamity, with the continuous waiting upon them during their sickness, so impaired his health that he was compelled to discontinue his labors as conductor of the association, and teacher of the several classes under way, which resulted in the disorganization of both the association and the classes.

The next musical personage of local fame is Professor Charles J. Thomas. He belonged to the London profession, and for years was associated with several of the principal orchestras of the metropolitan theatres. In 1862 he came to Salt Lake City, where he was already known by reputation, which the American elders had imparted to President Young and Messrs. Clawson and Caine.

The Salt Lake Theatre being about to open at the time of his arrival in the City, an experienced conductor of a theatrical orchestra was much in demand by the management ; and so Professor Thomas stood to the Deseret Dramatic com- pany in orchestral business, as T. A. Lyne did as theatrical master and profes- sional actor to the amateur company. John M. Jones, in the Social Hall had, as the first violin and leader, acquitted himself with honors; but in this new theatre an orchestral conductor from London was more acceptable to an audience who had paid first-class admission price ; and the conductor showed to the public that he was experienced in theatrical business, and to the management his general usefulness.

Professor Thomas was also appointed the leader of the Tabernacle Choir, which, until he took its charge, had been under Father James Smithies, as choir master. Indeed the Tabernacle choir had never risen above the musical status of

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an ordinary choir of a country church ; but under C. J. Thomas it soon became fairly metropolitan, and good anthem music was frequently performed on Sundays to the delight of the congregation, the majority of whom had come from the mil- sical cities of Great Britain, who until Professor Thomas took the leadership had seldom heard in the Salt Lake Tabernacle those fine English anthems with which they were familiar. In fine, the advent of Charles J. Thomas marks an epoch in the musical history of the city ; and he gave the first " grand vocal concerts" here, as benefits, and reaped a financial harvest. He long held a ruling musical position.

Professor John Tullidge (the father of Edward and John Tullidge) arrived in Salt Lake City, in September, 1863.

John Tullidge, Sen., was born in Weymouth, Dorsetshire, England, Novem- ber 5th, 1807. In his childhood he was the musical prodigy of his native town. He sang in a Methodist choir at the age of six, and in his young manhood was ranked as the principal tenor singer of the county. Unsatisfied with local fame he left his native place and went to London, in 1837, to study under the great English masters. There he was engaged as principal tenor, of the famous Evans' Saloon, and while occupying this position he studied harmony and counterpoint under the greatest English master of those times, the world-renowned Hamilton. He next conducted the best glee party out of London, and traveled with them through the musical provinces, taking engagements to sing at the grand fetes of the nobility. In the year 1838, or 1839, he and his glee party sang at the Count- ess of Westmorland's in honor of the visit of the Duchess of Kent and Princess Victoria. Grisi and Mario, the then greatest singers in the world, were the mu- sical stars of the occasion. 'The Princess Victoria did him the honor to " chat " with him a few moments to express her pleasure over a fine old English madrigal which the glee party had rendered, which charmed the English taste of the royal maiden more than did the classical pieces of the great Italians. Mario, struck with the compass and quality of Tullidge's voice, after the close of their service, asked Mr. T. if he would allow him to test his full voice capacity and execution, which condescension of the great singer was gratefully met. At the close of the trial Mario exclaimed, " My God, I never knew the English had voices till I heard yours ;" and adding that his voice was equal to his own, he offered to bring him out in Italian opera. Perhaps Mario, in his condescension and gener- osity paid the English singer too high a compliment. Mr. T. would fain have accepted the offer of Mario, but he knew not the Italian language and was not fitted for the operatic stage, which requires the actor combined with the star singer.

After singing at the Countess of Westmorland's, before the lady who became Queen of England, in the following year Mr. Tullidge went to the city of York, where he quickly won the position as principal tenor of the York philharmonic concerts, and became one of the four conductors of the York " Harmonicus So- ciety." His name may be found on its roll as John Elliot (Tullidge) his mother's maiden name. Mrs. Sunderland, known as the " Yorkshire queen of song," and later, succeeding Clara Novello as the greatest oratorio singer in England, was at that time the leading soprano of the society, and with her Mr. Tullidge was fre- quently sent out by the society to fill engagements as the principal singers at the

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oratioro concerts of the northern counties of England. It was one of these pro- fessional tours that lead hin into Wales.

Mr. Tullidge was conductor of St. Mary's Cathedral choir, Newport, South Wales, and was founder of the Newport Harmonic Society, in 1843, the offspring of which, years later, at the Crystal Palace, London, took the laurels from the choral societies of all England.

In 1863, he emigrated to Utah, and in September, 1864, gave his first con- cert in Salt Lake City, the first part of which consisted of the following selections :

Overture, "Tancred," Rossini. Anthem, " Zion's Harp," (Choir). Recitative, "And God Created Man," (Tullidge), Haydn. Aria, " In Native Worth," (Tullidge), Haydn. Recitative, (basso) "And God Saw Everything," (Tullidge), Haydn, Chorus, "Achieved is the Glorious Work," Haydn. Orchestra, C. d' Albert. Recitative, " In Splendor Bright, (Tullidge), Haydn. Grand Chorus, "The Heavens are Telling," Haydn.

He composed the Latter-day Saints' Psalmody, a number of whose hymns and anthems are sung at the Tabernacle.

In 1873, he fell down the theatre stairs, as he came from his music room, where he copied and arranged for the orchestra, and was killed in the fall. His anthem, " How Beautiful upon the Mountains," the favorite of the Tabernacle, and the delight of the lamented Mrs. Careless, will perpetuate his name in the musical history of our city.

But the man who has done the most for the musical progress of Salt Lake City, and for the establishment of the legitimate profession, is undoubtedly Mr. George Careless.

George Edward Percy Careless, (known as Professor George Careless) was born in London, Sept. 24th, 1839. Early in youth he showed musical talent, and having become fairly proficient as an amateur, without a teacher, he studied in the Royal Academy, and under the tuition of Alexander Simmons-a pupil of Sainton, and a member of the Queen's private orchestra. In London he played with the great instrumentalists of the day, under the batons of Sir Michael Costa, Sir Jules Benedict, Dr. Arnold, G. W. Martin, Wm. Ganz, Randegger, Barnard and other famous conductors in oratories, operas, concerts, etc., with from thirty- five to four thousand performers, in Exeter Hall, Crystal Palace, Drury Lane Theatre, Italian Church and other places. He left London, for Utah, June 3d, 1864, and arrived in Salt Lake City, November 3rd.

In 1865, Professor Careless took the leadership of the Salt Lake Theatre orchestra, which he held five or six years, during which time he produced a num- ber of musical plays, including " Macbeth, " " The Brigands" and " Aladdin. " For the latter he composed the entire music, (for over forty numbers), comprising solos, duets, choruses and dramatic music, Professor Tullidge copying the parts. For several years many of the melodies were sung around the streets. He also composed the music for " Cinderella; " and did all the composing and arranging work for the orchestra to the close of his leadership. It was during this engage- ment he conducted the first opera given in Utah-" The Grand Duchess "-with the Howson troupe, and an act from " Der Freischutz, " and several operettas.

He was appointed the conductor of the Tabernacle choir soon after taking the orchestra, and was conductor of this chcir over fourteen years, during which period the Tabernacle musical service reached its crowning excellence.

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But above the personal efforts of the Professor is the great event of the per- formance of the " Messiah " in our city in June, 1875. In the musical history of our city it marks an epoch.

Professor Careless was engaged as conductor of the " Handel and Haydn Society, " which afterwards changed its name to the " Philharmonic Society, " under his conductorship. On the occasion of the performance of the " Messiah " the Deseret News said : " Several months ago something over a hundred [over two hundred] ladies and gentlemen, including and comprising the best musical talent, vocal and instrumental, of this city, organized themselves into a society for promoting musical culture and raising the standard of musical taste in this com. munity. This was a most praiseworthy object, for the excellence which a com- munity attains in musical science and art is no mean criterion by which to judge of its local status. "

Among the principal vocalists and instrumentalists who distinguished themselves in the delivery of this vast musical epic, were Mrs. Careless, Mrs. Haydon, Mrs. Hamilton, Mrs. Waterbury, Miss Colebrook, Miss Sarah Olsen, Miss Belle Clay- ton, Mrs. Tester, Mrs. Grow, Mrs. Allen, Miss Haydon, Mrs. Hollister, Mrs. Groo, Miss Nebeker, Mr. Black, Mr. Hollister, Mr. Barnes, Mr. Williams, Mr. Podlech, Mr. Horn, Mr. Griggs, Mr. Foster, Mr. Emery, Mr. Morgan, Mr. Owen, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Schnell, Orson Pratt, A. C. Smyth, J. Broughton, Charles Smyth.

The following invitation was issued to the musical people :

SALT LAKE CITY, January 9th, 1875.

You are respectfully invited to be present at a meeting to be held at the Fourteenth Ward Assembly Rooms on Wednesday evening next, the 12th inst., at 7 o'clock, to take into consideration the desirability of giving a performance in Salt Lake City, of Handel's great oratorio " The Messiah, " by the associated musical talent of this city and vicinity, on some date to be hereafter decided upon, said performance to be solely for the furtherance of the divine art, (music) and not for the benefit of any institution or person.

This invitation was signed by the invitation committee, consisting of Mrs. Haydon, Mrs. Careless, Mrs. Hamilton, Messrs. George Careless, Orson Pratt, Jr., and Jos. Broughton.

Of the performance (which was given in the Salt Lake Theatre, with over two hundred performers and a full orchestra) a reviewer in the Salt Lake Herald said : " Taking the orchestra as a whole, and laboring under the difficulties already described, from the fact of the impossibility of placing them on the stage, the effect and result was simply a marvel of excellence-especially with the first violins, whose singing tones so nearly approached the vox humana on several occasions, as to defy all recognition of which was the voice and which the violin. Mr. Kennicott's organ accompaniment also for some of the recitativos and arias was charmingly delicate and yet supporting. Of the solo singers it is difficult to do justice to and not praise in the very highest manner one and all, though we will be pardoned if we make particular mention of Mrs. Haydon, Mrs. Careless, and Miss Haydon among the ladies, and Mr. Williams, Mr. Black and Mr. Hol- lister among the gentlemen. Mr. Horne also, as well as Mr. Podlech, deserve

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History of Salt Lake City, Part 100

Author: Tullidge, Edward Wheelock Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Salt Lake City, Star printing company Number of Pages: 1194

Author: Tullidge, Edward Wheelock
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Salt Lake City, Star printing company
Number of Pages: 1194