Lily Snyder, Viola Pratt, R. C. Easton,
George D. Pyper, H. S. Goddard,
J. D. Spencer and Choral Society.

10. Violin Solo,

Haydn.

Miss Emma Thursby,

Mr. George D. Pyper,

Mr. Myron W. Whitney,

Choral Society, Organ, String Quartette

and Piano.

In the rendition of these programmes, Mr. Whitney had first place, his grand W. E. Weihe. (H. S. Krouse, accompanist.) voice taking the audience by storm. He

II. Polonaise, (Mignon),

Miss Emma C. Thursby.

Thomas.

12. Solo and Chorus, "Crowned with the Tempest, (Ernani), Verdi. Myron W. Whitney and Choral Society.

absolutely left no desire on the part of the listeners, his tones being the perfection of combined purity, roundness and strength. Miss Thursby found much favor in the singing of florid movements, her execution of these being charmGwillam Gwent. ing, and showing to advantage her won

SATURDAY MATINEE.

1. Welsh Glee, "The Summer,"

derfully trained voice. The Choral Society Hullah. Mandolin and Apollo clubs, Professors Daynes, Krouse, Weihe, Mrs. Allison, Mrs. Edward, Miss Snyder, Mrs. Thomas, Miss Pratt, Messrs Easton, Pyper, Spencer and Goddard, in their special features of the festival received many tributes from the warm and sympathetic audiences, and added much to the success of the greatest musical event in our history.

Ladies Mandolin and Guitar Club.

Miss Ella Olsen, Conductor.

5. Solo and Chorus, "Bel Raggio," Rosini. Miss Lily Snyder and Ladies of Choral Society. 6. Organ Solo, "Star Spangled Banner," Dudley Buck.

Prof. Jos. J. Daynes. 7. Song, "He loves no more," E. Stephens.

Mrs. Bessie Dean-Allison.

8. Duo, "What from Vengeance," (Lucia),

Donizitti.

Professor Stephens, the conductor of both the festival and the CONTRIBUTOR musical contest, mentioned elsewhere in this magazine, was born in Carmarthen. shire, Wales, in 1854. In 1866, when he was only twelve years old, his parents brought him to Utah, and the family settled in Willard, Box Elder County, where he, in rural and homely simplicity, assisted his parents in earning a living in the humbler pursuits of life. While at this labor in the canyons and hills of Zion, he found ample opportunity for inspiration and growth in his love for divine music, and in this early pastoral life no doubt were inspired the themes for some of his most successful compositions.

During his residence in Willard, the only opportunity of gratifying the crav ings of his musical soul was in the local choir of that town, and he availed him

Evan Stephens

conductor commenced this labor by sing- dramas, and operas, and singing and per

ing the "Hallelujah Chorus."

forming them before the maidens of the At this time Stephens began work as la- village who would occasionally go to borer on the Utah Northern Rail- listen, though in doing so they had to be way, and continued until he was assisted up a rickety ladder which led twenty-five years of age. His musical to the hay window-the main entrance to studies during this period were pur- the dusty auditorium. At twenty-five he sued at night in an unusual way. He became organist for the Logan choir, and

THE JUNE FESTIVAL.

while there earned for himself an enviable name; and there, for the first time he adopted music as a profession. After two years of labor in Logan he began teaching in Salt Lake City, though he still clung to Willard as his home. Soon after coming to Salt Lake City he went to Boston, where he studied some time in the New England Conservatory. Upon his return, he began teaching a class in the Seventh Ward, which soon went to the Social Hall, and, enlarging, found a permanent place in Stephens' Music Hall, with Coalter and Snelgrove. This class merged into his popular opera company, which gave so successfully the operas of "Bohemian Girl," "Daughter of the Regiment," and "Martha," the only grand operas-"Maritana" excepted-ever given by a local company in this Territory. The opera companies finally merged into the Choral Society, with Stephens as conductor, where, together with his control of the Tabernacle Choir, he has been more appreciated perhaps than in any other labor of his life.

Professor Stephens has attained his present position of popularity and esteem by his own hard labor and fidelity to his purpose. With no wealth to assist him, required to earn a livelihood for others, and battling against obstacles and discouragements of every kind, his musical spirit sounded the key note to his success -"work." Work is still the secret of his magnetic power over his choruses; and that word seems to inspire them at each wave of his magic baton.

Of the numerous compositions of Professor Stephens, many have been published in the best music books of this country, and others have been sung by the greatest artists, and by them spoken of with much favor.

Emma C. Thursby was born in Brooklyn, N. Y. We are unable to give the year of her birth, but judge it was between 1850 and 1855. She studied music originally as a pastime; but with her father's death, which took place when she was twelve years of age, came complete financial ruin to her family, and her voice proved a blessing in earning for her and

327

her mother a good support. At that early age her voice was a remarkable one, being a rich soprano with a compass ranging from G in alt to A below the staff. She had been reared in strict Puritan fashion, and preferred the church to the theatre, as a means of attaining her end. She made her debut in Boston in 1870, and has ever since kept to the concert platform instead of the operatic stage, though she has been the recipient of some very tempting and flattering offers. The following very pretty story is told of the beginning of her career.

"One day, Mr. Strakosch was passing through New York; Strakosch you know well, the brother-in-law of Adelina Patti, the Christopher Columbus of throats of gold, a complete musician, the first and last of impressarios.

"Some one told him about Miss Emma; Sunday came; he followed the crowd and betook himself piously to the temple. Piously or curiously, I do not know, but what does that signify? It is true that he heard but little of the sermon after the opening hymn, for he was plunged into mystic ecstacies at hearing the invisible singer of the organ loft. After service, the impressario obtained an introduction to Miss Thursby, and made the most brilliant propositions to her. Had the young singer any right to refuse? Was she able to push away the good fortune which had come to her and repent of her former rigor towards herself? Was it possible, in a word, for her longer to conceal her gift from heaven, this marvellous voice, fitted for all the pure and noble purposes of art? Certainly not; and even less because her religious scruples were respected. Mr. Strakosch asked her not to go upon the boards of the theatre, but simply upon the platform of the concert hall.

"Under these conditions Miss Thursby signed a contract for the proposed engagement, and, after some weeks of special study, made her first appearance before the public and under the personal direction of her impressario.

"She surprised and enchanted her audience and won such a triumph as is filled with sweetness to a young artist. From

this first moment, Miss Thursby's reputation was established in America; it now remained for her to be crowned by the grand public of London and Vienna, of Berlin and Paris."

dition of the "Messiah" by the Handel and Haydn Society, and since that time has sung in nearly every important musical festival in this country. His legitimate rendering of all that was Thursby has sung in every capital in entrusted to him, producing the works of Europe, and in America, and has been a the great masters as written and inspired,

popular singer for the unusually long soon made him worthy of special eulogy.

period of twenty years.

Myron W. Whitney the great feature of the festival, is an oratorio singer of great fame and has no superior in that particular line of vocal music probably in the world. He was born in Ashly, Massachusetts, in 1836, and is consequently fifty-four years of age. He was first heard in Boston at a ren

His studies were pursued in Boston and Europe, and included a long course at Florence, Italy, under Senior Vannucini, the first of Italian teachers. London next received him, and he there studied oratorio under Randegger. He next went to New York and filled an engagement at Christ Church for seventy-five

FUNCTION OF THE MEMORY.

"Mr. Whitney is a distant relative of our Bishop O. F. Whitney of this city, the singer's family Bible in Massachusetts and the bishop's family Bible here, both

MuWhitney

FUNCTION OF THE MEMORY.

Our thoughts are linked by many a hidden ands of years ago; it almost seems man