Forty years of musical life in New England

CARL ZERRAI1N.

THE

New England Magazine.

New Series.

OCTOBER, 1899.

Vol. XXI. No. 2.

FORTY

YEARS OF MUSICAL LIFE IN NEW
ENGLAND.

* v

By Martha Dana Shepard.

I SHALL always recall with pleas-
ure the fact that I made my first
appearance in public as a musician
under the auspices of that distin-
guished man who did so much for the
cause of music in New England, par-
ticularly church music and chorus
singing, Mr. Lowell Mason. I was
eight years old at the time. Mr.
Mason had come to Plymouth, New
Hampshire, to direct one of the gath-
erings so commonly spoken of then
as a "county sing." On such an oc-
casion the people who were musically
inclined would gather from all over
the county for musical drill, con-
ducted by some well-known local
teacher or some man of wider fame,
like Mr. Mason, hired to come from
Boston for the occasion. The ambi-
tious achievements of the country fes-
tivals ot to-day, when entire oratorios
of world-wide reputation are sung,
and often well sung, by country
choruses, were unknown then. The
chorus spent more than half the time
singing psalmody, with glees and part
songs interspersed for recreation.
The rest of the time was devoted to
anthems and choruses from the great
oratorios and operas. In this way
country singers became familiar with
many of the world's musical master-
pieces, such as "The Heavens are

131

Telling," and the "Hallelujah
Chorus," with a result which could
not but be beneficial to country
music.

In those days, the small "county
sings," those of only one day's dura-
tion, would often take place at the
home of some one interested in music ;
but the larger gatherings, where a
famous director like Mr. Mason was
to conduct, would meet in a more
public place. I have often been to the
old Pemigewasset House at Plym-
outh, New Hampshire, for this pur-
pose. At the time I first played in
public we met in the village church.
Mr. Mason was then an old man with
white hair. I remember that he was
not large in stature and that he always
wore a little black cap. Everybody
looked up to him as a sort of saint in
music, an opinion which the silk cap
strengthened in my childish mind, I
think. I wish I could remember more
about Mr. Mason ; but I was so much
a child that I fear I thought little of
anything except myself and my play-
ing. I played "Home, Sweet Home,"
with variations, and was so small that
I had to be lifted on and off the piano
stool. As I look back to that time,
and remember how I played, I think
my "tempo" and "expression" must
have been a source of amusement to

132

FORTY YEARS OF MUSICAL LIFE.

the eminent direc-
tor, and 1 can only
hope that he did not
remember me any
better than I do
him.

I suppose I was
looked upon as an
infant prodigy; but
I do not think I was
a prodigy at all. My
father, Dr. J. A.
Dana, had a fine
musical tempera-
ment, played the
violin well and was
also a good tenor
singer. My mother
played the piano,
and was a singer of
local reputation. I
cannot remember
when she began to
teach me to play the
piano, but it must have
been when I was
very young, for I do
not remember the
time when I did not
play, gaining expe-
rience by playing
accompaniments for
my father. Our
home life was singu-
larly happy. I can-
not imagine how
any could be hap-
pier. While he had only moder-
ate means, and followed faithfully
the arduous profession of a coun-
try physician, my father loved
the beautiful in nature and every-
thing which was beautiful in life,
flowers, music, books and pictures,
and, so far as he could do so, en-
dowed his home with such surround-
ings. It may have been partly this,
as well as my parents' genial hospi-
tality, which made our home a centre
to which friends and neighbors liked
to come. Very many were the even-
ings when a dozen or more, musically
inclined, would be gathered in our sil-
ting room, bringing their instruments

MARTHA DANA SHEPARD.

with them. Basses, violins and the
smaller wind instruments made up an
orchestra to which mother or I played
accompaniments on the piano, while
we sang over and over again the great
oratorio and opera choruses, until I
was as familiar with them as with my
letters. The days when such gather-
ings were easily possible seem to have
gone from the New England country
towns, taking with them the church
choirs which made the bare but rev-
erent country churches full of the
melody of the praise of God.

It was a little later, at one of the
"county sings" at Plymouth, that I
first heard B. F. Leavens, then the or-

FORTY YEARS OF MUSICAL LIFE.

133

ganist at St. Paul's Church in Boston,
play the piano. This festival was con-
ducted by Leonard Marshall, then the
choir master at Tremont Temple.
Later, when I was studying in Bos-
ton, I boarded in Mr. Marshall's fam-
ily, and sang in the Tremont Temple
choir. Mr. Marshall had a son by the
same name, who is to-day one of the
best known of the teachers of music
in the Boston public schools. I have
made special mention of my having
heard Mr. Leavens play because I
was soon to become his pupil. His
early teachings had a great influence
for good over my whole musical life,
and I fully realize how great are my
obligations to him.

When I was eleven years old my
father decided that I ought to begin to
study music under a more experienced
teacher than my mother, and, deter-
mined that from the very first I
should have good instruction, ar-
ranged for me to come from my home
in Ashland, New Hamp-
shire, for the winter, to re-
main in Boston and take
lessons of Mr. Leavens.
How much Boston has
changed since then ! I
boarded that first winter
with a friend of my family,
— not Mr. Marshall, — who
lived on Harvard Street,
off Harrison Avenue, up
and down which I rolled
my hoop ; and I walked for
my lessons across the
Common and over Beacon
Hill to where Mr. Leavens
lived, on Chilson Place,
near the foot of Green f,< w

Street. That same winter
I attended Mr. Spaulding's
famous dancing school in
the old "Liberty Hall," at
the corner of Essex and
Washington Streets. At
the end of the winter I went
back to Ashland, and to
school, practising over and
over what I had studied in
the winter.

That was my life for several years.
I suppose my father took a natural
pride in my work, for while it would
never have been his nature to push me
forward, he was always anxious for
me to do my part towards the pleas-
ure of others. Whenever at singing
school or social gathering there was
any delay for an accompanist, he would
say, "Here's Martha. She'll play for
us," and play I had to, often when I
would rather have sung, or perhaps
have passed the time in more social
pleasures with the young people of
my own age.

I do not speak of this here so much
for its connection with my own life as
with musical life in general. I would
like to show, if I can, that the ability
to do really good work in music, as in
everything else, can come only by
years and years of patient, conscien-
tious work, by associating with good
musicians and by living in the atmos-
phere of fine music. So very often.

■>:■:

LOWELL MASON.

134

FORTY YEARS OF MUSICAL LIFE.

J. H. MOREV.

especially now that it is known that I
have given up my professional work,
do young people, and sometimes
older ones, come to me and ask:
"How was it, Mrs. Shepard, that you
fitted yourself for your work? I
would like to do such work as you
have done. What shall I do to be-
come known or to get a position or
engagements?" I have always
deemed it a pleasant duty to advise,
encourage and help along those who

had talent and ambition ; and as far as
I could, I have done so. My work
was my very life itself, begun before
I can remember, and developed by al-
ways doing every task which pre-
sented itself just as honestly and faith-
fully as I could. I am very proud to
be able to say, and I think I may be
pardoned the pride, that in over forty
years of musical life I have never
failed to keep an engagement but
once, and then only on account of the
illness of one of my family.

My musical horizon first broadened
in this way. George Wood, who was
one of the most successful of the New
Hampshire singing-school teachers,
and had conducted several such
schools at Ashland and Plymouth, ar-
ranged to give a concert at Concord,
New Hampshire. To my surprise
and delight, he asked me to come
down to that concert to play a solo
and the accompaniments. Of course
I was glad to go. At that time Walter
Dignum's band of Manchester was
probably the most famous musical or-
ganization of the kind in the state.
By a member of this band hearing me
play at Concord, I was asked to come
to Manchester and play at a series of
concerts which the band was to give
there. I went, and gained self-confi-

"UNCLE BEN" DAVIS.

DUDLEY BUCK.

FORTY YEARS OF MUSICAL LIFE.

135

ADELAIDE PHILLIPS.

dence and experience from the en-
gagements.

Up to this time there never had
been attempted in New Hampshire
anything more ambitious than the
"county sings," of which I have
spoken, except that in some places,
such as Keene, these had been dig-
nified by the name of festivals, and
had been improved until they de-
served the name. Among the music
teachers of the time two of the best
known and most successful were J.
H. Morey and "Uncle Ben" Davis of
Concord. Mr. Morey had the reputa-
tion of being the best pianist in the
state, and "Uncle Ben" was a distin-
guished teacher. These two men,
with John Jackman, another well-
known teacher, conceived the idea of
organizing a state musical festival,
which should meet at Concord, and to
which singers should come from all
over the state. They carried out their
plans successfully, and the first state
festival assembled in Phoenix Hall,

Concord. There was present a chorus
of a thousand persons. To accommo-
date the chorus, the stage was built
far out into the middle of the hall,
and the chorus was about as large as
the audience. My father went down
to join the chorus, taking me with
him, as he always did to such gather-
ings. I had no idea of doing anything
at the festival but sing, and joined the
chorus. There were two pianos on
the stage, though, and when Mr.
Morey, who was to play one of them,
met me before the first rehearsal, he
said, "Martha, I wish you would play
that other piano." I said I would play
if he really wanted me to, and did so.
That was my most important engage-
ment up to that time. After that I
played there every year as long as the
gatherings lasted. The state festivals
continued for several years, the audi-
ences growing larger from year to
year, and the choruses smaller, as the
flood wood in the latter dropped
out.

The festivals at Concord brought
into the country many able musicians
as conductors whose conscientious
work in the drilling of those country
singers was to have a wide and per-
manent influence for good. Mr. L. O.
Emerson conducted the first state fes-
tival, and Mrs. Minnie Little was the
soloist. Mr. Emerson was a distin-
guished writer of church music, and
he was equally successful as a festival
conductor. He always maintained

MYRON \V. WHITNEY.

136

FORTY YEARS OF MUSICAL LIFE.

SOLON WILDER.

good discipline with his singers and
he had that personal magnetism which,
is so essential to successful leadership.
Among other conductors who came
to Concord were W. O. Perkins, Carl
Zerrahn, B. F. Baker and L. H.
Southard. Up to this time the work
of festivals had still been largely de-
voted to psalmody, anthems, glees
and choruses from oratorios and
operas. It was not until Carl Zerrahn
began his work as a director that the
country singers began to be familiar
with oratorios as a whole. Travel was
not so easy in those days as now, and
comparatively few persons would have
had an opportunity then to come to
Boston to hear an oratorio.

The first time I played for Mr.
Zerrahn was at Keene, New Hamp-
shire, and among the selections which
he gave was the "Stabat Mater," — the
first time it had ever been given there.
The playing at that festival was a very
important event in my life, both from
the prominence of the festival and be-
cause it was there I first met Mr.
Zerrahn. The Keene festival was
then probably the most famous in all
New England, being relatively what
the Worcester festival has since be-
come. In the wildest dreams of my

youthful days there had been none
more extravagant than to wish that
some time I might get to be able to
play at a Keene festival. The opportu-
nity came very unexpectedly. A
member of the Keene committee who
had heard me play at Concord recom-
mended me, and I was written to and
asked to come. At first it seemed as
if I could not leave my home at Ash-
land, where I had married and was
living ; but I knew very distinctly that
I wanted to play at Keene, and I
realized that it might be now or never.
So. taking my six-months old baby
with me and a woman to take care of
him, I started for Keene. Meanwhile
the committee, it seemed, were having
anxieties of their own on my account.
Mr. Zerrahn was known to have de-
cided opinions, and it was reported to
the committee that he did not approve
of women pianists as accompanists for
a chorus. Years afterward, when we
had become fast friends, he told
the story many times for us to laugh
over.

"Mr. Zerrahn," said the committee
propitiatingiy, "we have arranged for
a pianist for you."

W. O. PERKINS.

FORTY YEARS OF MUSICAL LIFE.

137

LEONARD MARSHALL.

"Ah," said Mr. Zerrahn, "who is
he?"

"It is a woman, Mrs. ■ "

"A woman!" interrupted Mr.
Zerrahn, "I will not have a woman
play for me!"

"But, Mr. Zerrahn," implored my
friend, "we have engaged Mrs. Shep-
ard of Ashland. She is a very fine
pianist, and I am sure you will like
her."

"I have no doubt I should," de-
clared Mr. Zerrahn, not a bit placated,
"as a woman ; but as an accompanist,
never! In the first place, I always
feel that I am working a woman ac-
companist to death ; and in the second
place, if she doesn't play to suit me,
and I say anything to her, she'll cry.
I will not have her."

Can more unpropitious auspices for
the beginning of a friendship be imag-
ined? Fortunately I did not know of
them. I only knew that I was desper-
ately afraid of Mr. Zerrahn, the Men-
delssohn Quintette Club, who were to
assist, and the quartette of famous
Boston singers who had come as solo-
ists ; but, frightened as I was, I real-
ized that perhaps this was "my
chance," and I meant to do my best,
resolved that if I did not give satis-

faction I would never have to feel that
it was not because I had not tried. I
watched Mr. Zerrahn, and when his
baton fell, my hands came down on
the piano. Greatly to the relief of the
committee, as I afterwards learned, he
was pleased. As he has been good
enough to say since: "I saw that this
woman had talent, and T made up my
mind I would help her," adding, "be-
sides, she didn't cry."

Really, I believe the fact to which
he referred last has been no small
factor in such success as I may have
had as a festival pianist. I have al-
ways tried not only to inspire confi-
dence, no small item with choruses of
inexperienced country singers, but I
have always tried to smooth down all
the rough places that I could. Peo-
ple cannot sing half as well as they
might if they do not feel pleasant.

Just here I would like to write a few
words which may express in a meas-
ure the regard which I have for Mr.
Zerrahn and for his work. I have
played for him for forty years. I
think of him as one of the best musical
friends I have ever had. He was al-
ways kind, thoughtful and helpful. As
a conductor he was unexcelled for

L. O. EMERSON.

itf

FORTY YEARS OF MUSICAL LIFE.

EDWARD LEHMAN.
AUGUST FRIES. Wl'I.F

THE MENDELSSOHN

tact, for wisdom and for dignity. His
very presence commanded respect. I
think his influence on the musical life
of this country has been as great as
his career has been uncommon. He
came to New England at just the op-
portune time, when the country
needed just such a leader, and his in-
fluence has been correspondingly
strong for good.

I have spoken of the quartette of
Boston singers who came to Keene
as soloists. No small portion of the
pleasure which I have derived from
my work has come from the acquaint-
ances which I have made in this way,
although one of my greatest anxieties
also came with the soloists, since they
were almost always talented and thor-
oughly trained musicians, and I
could very rarely know beforehand
what they would select for their solos,
nor how difficult an aria I might be
asked at a moment's notice to play an
accompaniment to. In cases like that,
I have so many times looked back
with thankfulness to my father's train-
ing, which gave me confidence and
ability to attack almost anything at
sight.

THOMAS RYAN.

FRIES. FRANCIS RHZ1A.

QUINTETTE CLUB.

I remember I first heard Annie
Louise Cary sing in a little hall in
Bradford, Vermont, where I was play-
ing for a festival. She was then only
a church singer in Boston, and had
probably never even dreamed of the
great success which she was later to
attain. She impressed me even then
with the quality of her voice, the
magnetism with which she held her
audience, and the remarkable ability
with which she read. Personally, I was
charmed with her hearty manner. She
was one of those rare persons who are
honest in every way, and I have
counted her friendship one of the
privileges of my musical life. When
she was in Milan, I had a letter
from her in which she said her
teacher wanted her to study for
opera, but that it did not seem to
her as if she was equal to it. The
photograph which I have used in
this article was taken in Chicago,
and bears in her writing the date of
May, 1877.

I have a photograph of the hall in
Bradford, where Cary sang. It was
taken many years afterward, and
shows me at the piano there. Speak-

FORTY YEARS OF MUSICAL LIFE.

-T39

ing of halls, my work has taken me
into about everything- of the kind in
the country, from the perfectly ap-
pointed opera house to little rooms so
bare that a barn would be well fur-
nished in comparison with them.
Twice at least, once in Canada and
once in Pennsylvania, I have played in
buildings which might to all appear-
ances have just been used for a prize
fight, since the earth floor was deeply
strewn with sawdust. Think how
music must have sounded in such a
place !

At one time and another I have
played for pretty nearly all of the best-
known solo singers and performers
who have lived in Boston, as well as
for very many of the most famous
who have come to Xew England.
One of the funniest experiences of this
kind that I ever had was with Camilla
Urso, the great violinist. She came
to Boston when I was seventeen years
old. I happened to be in Boston then
taking lessons of Mr. Leavens. Mr.
Marshall, in whose family I was
boarding, arranged a concert in
Tremont Temple at which Camilla
Urso was to play, and he asked me
to play her accompaniments. Neither
Mr. Marshall nor I could find out

CAMILLA URSO.

ADDIE RYAN.

what she was to play until she came to
a rehearsal which had been arranged
for her on the morning of the day of
the concert. The music proved to be
something with which I was familiar,
and I did not have any anxiety as to
my ability to go through it satisfac-
torily. When the star performer saw
me, though, agirl of seventeen, and was
told that I was to accompany her, she
declared that she didn't believe that a
girl could play the accompaniment,
winding up finally by handing the
sheets of music to me and declaring
that she would not rehearse a note
until I had gone home and practised
the music. There was nothing for
me to do but to go, and I went ; but
when I came back in the afternoon,
and we went over the score together,
violin and piano, the great artist was
pleased to declare her satisfaction,
and we became such good friends that
the next day I went with her to have
the photograph taken which I have
included in the illustrations of this

140

FORTY YEARS OF MUSICAL LIFE.

and director. I
always enjoyed
p 1 a y i n g his
compositions.
lie had great
individuality,
and his accom-
paniments are
so thoroughly
musical in
t h e in s e 1 ves
that they
m i g h t well

A COUNTRY FESTIVAL HALL.

article. Afterwards I played for
her at Concord and at other
places.

At the time of the Peace Ju-
bilee in Boston I came down
from my home and sang in the
chorus. That was the first time
I saw Parepa Rosa and heard
her marvellous voice. Her hus-
band was with her and I remem-
ber one day seeing them walk up
the central aisle, when she had
her arm around him — she was so
much larger than he was.

Among my pleasantest recollec-
tions are those of Dudley Buck, who
has been so successful as a composer

.;n'i.^'v'\ ' -

3%hl Vk$^^*i

=r*:Y

THE PEMIGEWASSET HOUSE.

CITY HALL, KEENE.

serve as solos. The first time I saw
Mr. Buck was at Keene, and some
little time after the festival which Mr.
Zerrahn directed there, of which I
have written. Mr. Buck
was to direct one of his
own compositions, a secu-
lar cantata called "The
Legend of Don Munio."
I went to the festival a
little worried, because I
was afraid I should not be
able to suit him. This
may have been because I
had always heard my
teacher, Mr. Leavens,
who was an intimate
friend of Mr. Buck, speak
so highly of his abilities.
Instead of being difficult

FORTY YEARS OF MUSICAL LIFE.

141

H. G. BLAISDELL.

to please, as I had feared, Mr.
Buck proved very pleasant, and
after the festival was over gave me
one of the most satisfactory com-
pliments I ever received. Since
the frankest of vanities are par-
doned in reminiscences, and since this
warm word gave me such peculiar
pleasure and pride, I shall venture to
repeat it. "We are living in a time,"
said he, "when we are not surprised at
anything we may hear in the way of
music, since it is possihle for us to
hear the most eminent musicians of
the world, those who are well-nigh
perfect in technique, — so if I should
say that you play better than any one
else, you might doubt my veracity ;
but the days of common sense are as
rare as they ever were, and you have
it." Afterwards I played at the St.
Albans, Vermont, festival for him,
where "Don Munio" was given again.
After the festival was over Mr. Buck
thanked me for my work, and asked
me if I remembered what he had told
me at Keene. I said, "I shall never
forget it." "I wish to repeat it," said
he.

At the St. Albans festival the Men-
delssohn Quintette Club was with us.
The members of that organization, as
well as of the Temple Quartette, and
the Beethoven Club, were thor-
ough artists, with whom it was

always a pleasure to work. Mrs. H.
E. H. Carter was the solo singer.
Mrs. Carter's picture, which I use in
this article, was given me about that
time, as was also that of Mr. Buck.
Mrs. Carter was a delightful singer,
so musical, and with such a truly
musical temperament. She had a
sweet, rich voice, and was one of the
first church singers of her time in Bos-
ton.

Another composer and director
who has had a great influence for
good on the musical life of New Eng-
land was Solon Wilder of Worcester,
who frequently conducted the festi-
vals there. Mr. Wilder was a highly
cultivated man, a composer of good
music, and a conductor of ability. At
the time of his death, I remember the
chorus of the Worcester festival at-
tended his funeral in a body and sang
his composition, "Rock of Ages."

During the last thirty years the
genius and skill of Mr. H. G. Blaisdell
of Concord, New Hampshire, has
contributed to the success of very
many of the musical gatherings. I

MRS. H. E. H. CARTER.

I4i

FORTY YEARS OF MUSICAL LIFE.

CLARA LOUISE KELLOGG.

have played for him a great
many times. He has a
keen appreciation of the
finest music and is a good
conductor, bringing out
good results in little time.
His orchestra, too, has
been very successful under
his leadership.

Boston, our New Eng-
land capital, is the musical
capital of America. Every-
body knows about the
musical life of Boston ; its
famous musical organiza-
tions and its great series of i
concerts of every kind. But
not everybody knows of
the conscientious and im-
portant 'work which is be-
ing done year after year,
and has been done for
many years, in many of the
smaller \Y\\ England
cities. The Worcester fes-
tivals command general at-
tention, and the oratorio
work of the societies at
Salem and Springfield and
a few other places is some-

times noticed in the Boston and New
York papers ; but much remains to be
said of musical life in New England.

At times, when I get to "retrospect-
ing," it seems to me as if I had lived
through generation after generation,
as musical generations go, the faces
of so many singers rise before me who
have won recognition by their efforts
and merits, have pleased the public
during their day, and then have gone
on to make room for others, who in
their turn, too, have made way for
those who now are doing such good
service. Away back in the days when
I was first beginning to play in public
were Julia Houston West and Mrs.
Minnie Little, Flora E. Barry and
Mrs. J. H. Long. With them were
M. W. Whitney and James Whitney,

■"Bass" and "Tenor" Whitney, as
we distinguished them. All were true
artists, and all, like all of those I shall
name, Boston singers. Annie Louise

ANNIE LOUISE CARY.

INDIAN SUMMER.

143

C a r y I have
spoken of. Then
there were Ade-
laide Phillips,
Mrs. H.M.Smith.
Addie Ryan,
Mrs. D. C. Hall,

Mrs. H.
yer and

E. Saw-
Mrs. H.
F. Knowles. H.
C.Barnaby every-
body knows, and
also D. M. Bab-
cock. Then there
are "Billy" Fes-
senden, who
made a success in
light opera, Ella
Cleveland Fender-
son, Jennie Pat-
rick Walker, Ger-
trude Edmands,
J. C. Bartlett
Ivan Morowski.
that these are all

George

CARL AXD PAREPA ROSA.

J. Parker and
I do not mean
but these are the

faces which rise
most vividly be-
fore me. With-
out exception
they were, and
those who live
still are, artists in
their profession,
conscientious
and faithful in
their work ; and
the service which
they have ren-
dered and the
pleasure which
they have given
have been great.
[ feel sure that
the life of the
people of New
England has been
made better bv

the work they have done, just as I
know my own life has been made hap-
pier by my association with them.

INDIAN SUMMER.

By Alice Van Leer Carrick.

A SOFT wind moves through all the garden walks,
And, stirring gently, as it onward blows,
Bends down the tall heads of the hollyhocks,
And strips the petals from a faded rose.

Light whispers all across the grasses run,
That sigh and pause and sigh again and sway.
And pigeons, preening burghers of the sun,
Strut in its warmth the whole exultant day.

The velvet nights, the days of lessening heat.
The growing symphony of Autumn's strain.
All weave in one a melody complete,
The echo faint of Summer's last refrain.

Ill