University Courier.
PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY MORNING.
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VOL. XI.
LAWRENCE, KANSAS, FEBRUARY 1, 18
THE GLEE AND BANJO CLUB.
A Short Sketch of Its History and a Write-up of Its Recent Tour.
The Glee and Banjo Club, in the two years it has been an organization, has proven itself a success in every respect. The Glee Club was really first organized by Prof. Penny, in the fall of 1890, but it was not until the fall of 1891 that the Glee and Banjo Club was permanently organized and placed upon a substantial basis, with Prof. Penny as musical director of the Glee Club and Prof. Saunders as director of the Banjo Club.
The first annual tour arranged by Mr. Rush, as business manager, proved a pleasant and profitable success, and included the cities of Topeka, Manhattan, Junction City, Abilene, Salina, McPherson, Hutchinson, Newton, Peabody, and Lawrence.
Last fall the Club was reorganized with Mr. Sherman, president; Mr. Baker, secretary; and Mr. Rush, business manager and treasurer. The Club was greatly strengthened by the addition of new voices and through the assistance of Herr K. Dome Von Geza, violinist, and Mr.E.J. Young, banjoist. Profs. Penny and Saunders were retained as musical directors.
A program of superior excellence was prepared, and Mr. Rush arranged the most extensive tour ever undertaken by any university organization. Not a cent of financial backing was given the Club in an undertaking that involved an expenditure of $1,500, and resulted in advertising the University more favorably and extensively than any other venture ever undertaken. By careful management and pleasing the people with their concerts, the boys not only paid all expenses but have a handsome dividend besides.
On the recent tour, undertaken during the holidays, the Club traveled over 2,200 miles, gave twenty-seven concerts, attended an equal number of receptions, and in each city visited the highest praise from press and public. The tour included the following cities in the order named: Emporia, Peabody, Newton, Arkansas City, Winfield, Wellington, Wichita, Hutchinson, Garden City, Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Denver, Salina, Solomon City, Minneapolis, Topeka, Junction City, Abilene, Concordia, Holton, Hawiata, St. Joseph, Atchison, Leavenworth, Lawrence, Kansas City and Olathe.
A delightful account of the tour, written by Prof. Penny, appeared in the January number of the Kansas edition of the Chicago Music Review. The Professor's modesty restrained him from giving himself the credit due him for much of the musical success of the tour. The article reads as follows:
"The most successful as well as the most extensive tour of any university organization, was ended Jannary 7th, when the Glee and Banjo Club arrived in Lawrence after a four weeks trip through Kansas, Colorado and Missouri. The boys had been singing and playing every night (except Sunday) for nearly a month, appearing before full 10,000 people in Kansas alone; they had attended receptions following the concerts, given by the young people of nearly every town in which they played, and yet they were fresh for renewed study at the University on Monday morning.
The Club gave its first concert at Emporia on the evening of December 13th, playing then in Peabody, Newton, Arkansas City and Winfield. At Newton a reception was tendered by the M. C. M. Club, and at Arkansas City the boys were delightfully entertained at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Repp. At Winfield a banquet was given in honor of the Club at the Southwest Kansas College, by Mrs. President Phillips.
"The next week began at Wellington, with the high school building crowded to its utmost capacity. The usual reception followed the concert. At Wichita the boys had a small but enthusiastic audience, at the Crawford Grand, and were royally entertained by the Coronado Club in its splendid club rooms.
"Concerts at Hutchinson and Garden City followed, from which latter place sleepers were taken at midnight for Colorado. Pueblo was reached early in the morning, and in the evening the best concert of the trip was given in the finest opera house in the West. The boys felt the influence of their elegant surroundings and gave a gift edged performance, notwithstanding the limited number in the audience. The next day at Colorado Springs was the day of the trip—as mild as summer. The boys donned their college caps, and with all their "profs," including Mrs. Penny and the youngest member of the party—Vernon Kellogg Penny—enjoyed a four hours ride in open carriages to Manitou, Grand Caverna, Garden of the Gods, and other interesting localities in the vicinity. A good concert was given in the Grand Opera house in the evening, and Christmas morning found the party in Denver dis-tributed round to the various churches, enjoying the elaborate musical programs given at the Episcopal cathedral, Trinity Methodist Church, and the Unitarian Church, where a Hungarian orchestra played.
"The evening train was taken for Kansas and the next week opened with cold weather at Salina. A matinee was given at Solomon City, and a fine reception was tendered the boys at the residence of Mr. Sexton, in Minneapolis. The great triumph of the trip was the concert at Topeka before the State Teachers' Association, on Wednesday evening, December 29. The opera house was packed, and a finely rendered program was encored again and again. The Pop
ular Pansy Club of Topeka also honored the club with a dancing reception. Abilene, Junction City and Concordia, all turned out full houses, and the old year ended at the latter place with a delightful reception tendered through Mr. and Mrs. Brown, the parents of Mr. Earl Brown. A special train from Bellville brought over sixty people to the Concordia concert.
Most of the club returned to Lawrence for their New Year's dinner, and the next week opened at Holton, followed by large audiences at Hiawatha, St. Joseph, Atchison, Leavenworth, and at the Soldiers Home on Saturday evening. At Hiawatha the Club was entertained by the ladies of the Degree of Honor, of the A. O. U. W. Lodge. A special brought many people from White Cloud. At Atchison the boys were greeted by the largest audience on the trip, with the exception of Topeka, where they sang before 1,200 people.
"The financial success of the tour was due to the superior ability of the manager, Mr. J. A. Rush. In every capacity he showed himself to be just the man for the place. The violin playing of Prof. Dome was the specially artistic feature of the program, and was greatly appreciated everywhere. The popular success was the banjo selections of Mr. Young, which always brought entnusiastic encores. The Club was accompanied on nearly the entire trip by Mr. Penny, their musical director, who acted as accompanist, and by Mr. Saunders, whose excellent playing, and whose drilling of the Banjo Club assured the success of the tour from the start."
The Club gave its concert to a splendid audience at the opera house in this city Friday night, after which a reception was given the boys by the faculty and students.
The next concert is at Kansas City in the Auditorium, the finest opera house of the city, next Friday night. The K. U. Alumni Association has arranged a grand reception. The concert at Olathe next Saturday night will close the tour A concert at Lincoln, Nebraska, in April, is a possibility.
The Club membership is as follows :
A. F. Sherman, president; D. F. Baker, secretary; J. A. Rush, business manager and treasurer.
GLEE CLUB.—Prof. G. B. Penny. musical director. First tenors: D. F. Baker, E. E. Hopkins, W. M. Curry. Second tenor: A. F. Sherman, C. H. Sears, G. Q. Adams, F. B. Miner; First basses: O. L. McCall, L. A. Phillips.
BANJO CLUB.— Prof. R. Saunders, musical director. Banjoists: R. S. Saunders, E. J. Young, J. M. Worrill, F. B. Miller. Mandolinists: R. S. Saunders, E. Blaker, J. M. Worrill, W. T. Perry. Guitarists: J. M. Challis, A. F. Sherman, F. B. Miller, M. L. Alden.
The Club was assisted by Herr K. Dome Von Geza, professor of violin at the University.
PROGRAMME.
Part I.
No.18.
Part I.
Estudiantina . . . . .
Banjo Club.
The Owl and Pussy Cat. Quartette. Messrs, Baker, Adams, Sears and
McCall.
El Menio... Swanders
Banio Clinb.
Banjo Club.
Banjo Club.
{ (a) Hungarian Rhapsoodie...Dome
{ (b) Gavotte...Hubay
Romeo and Juliet...Scott
Messrs. Baker and McCall—with
Glee Club.
Rondeladendesquez...Saunders
Banjo Club.
{ (a) Chestnuts from the Ark. A
Medley...Arr. by Penny
{ (b) Carmen U. of K...Penny
THE CONCERT.
The concert given by the Glee and Banjo Club on Friday evening last, was certainly the most successful and satisfactory University attraction of the year. A packed house greeted the boys and were they to repeat the concert, unquestionably as large a crowd would again attend.
University and Lawrence people know and appreciate good music, and judging from the encores in which they indulged Friday night, they were all more than satisfied and pleased with the entertainment.
For the want of space the COURHER can not speak of any special features of the concert. Herr. K. Dome Von Geza, the violinist can win an applause as often as he chooses. Both Clubs did themselves justice, a great improvement was noticed over last year, every movement, every song every piece rendered by either Club showed that both had been well trained, and Profs. Penny and Saunders are to be congratulated.
THE CONTEST.
After the concert Chancellor Snow addressed the audience, thanked the club for the great benefit and propitions advertisement which they had given the University by their successful tour, and also announced that the faculty and students would give them a reception, to which all were invited.
RIDDLE WINS.
Cook and Lutz Get Second and Third Place Respectively.
The Glee Club opened the program with an enjoyable rendition of "The Phantum Band," that received a hearty encore.
The tenth Oratorical Contest in University hall last night was witnessed by a large audience. There was a warm enthusiasm and generous applause for each speaker.
The president of the evening, Mr. Fullerton, then introduced Mr. Frank A. Lutz, who spoke on "The Triumph of Higher Motives," in a manner that showed careful training, and very favorably impressed his hearers. It was the best effort of Mr. Lutz's life. He said:
The history of the ages is the triumph of ideas. Man is ever looking upward. The present stage of civilization is but a step in the evolution of thought. Primeval man thought only of his immediate physical wants. Christ gave the world a new ideal. Moral terpitude declined. Christianity conquered, but not with the sword.
A cloud spread over Europe and darkened her moral and religious skies. The simple doctrines of Christ degenerated into dogma and cant. Once more we look. Behold! there stands Luther, tearing down the barriers of dogma; asserting the rights of individualism and sounding to succeeding centuries the summons to loftier and purer ideals.
The next speaker, Mr. Charles Henry Lease, was the orator on whom the attention of students and the people over the State has been especially directed, being the son of the famous Mrs. Lease. His oration on "The Jewish Race," was delivered in a full, deep, rich voice, and with a freedom of gesture that kept the close attention of his hearers and insured generous applause at its close. His delivery was, perhaps, somewhat too rapid, and his gestures rather to numerous. He began by saying that the Jewish race was the marvel of history. He traced the Jews through the lights and shadows of the past to the comparative sunlight of to-day. Touched briefly on their particular origin and their many assurances of Devine guidance. Mentioned their many characteristics to which they have so tenaciously clung through ages of buffeting and persecution. Claimed that they were the intellectual conquerors of Europe and the financial masters of the world, and ended by prophesying that soon the races would mingle together in one common brotherhood.
The vocal solo, "Protestations," by Miss Julia Titsworth, was sung in her usual faultless style, after which Mr. Fred B. McKinnon spoke on "A
[Continued on third page.]
New Spring Dress Goods arriving daily at Weaver's. Don't fail to see them. They are beauties.