At
the closing recital of my sixteen months' stay she sang for her number
Gounod's Ave Maria with violin accompaniment, in the original key, to
the delight and great astonishment of the San Bernardino people, who
rather made her the butt of their musical jokes and hardly gave her
recognition previously, as they thought her musical ability was of the
most amateur sort. Her singing in the sixteen months of application in
the right direction and proper placement, brought out one of the most
phenomenal voices which has found favor abroad. She lives in London;
sang for the late King Edward and his royal household guests and still
holds sway among the musical people of London as the highest soprano
from America in this century. After leaving the south I never knew
what had become of her and often wondered if she kept up the good work
begun in 1888. In 1904, eighteen years after, she surprised me by
calling upon me to thank me for what I had done for her and her story
in this time seemed like a romance to me. After I left San Bernardino
she had succeeded so well that she concluded to go to her former home
in London and continue the work and, after eighteen years of success,
she came to San Francisco, stopped by the wayside to find her first
instructor and with deep emotion thanked her for her assistance and
good work when she needed a friend.
THE JORAN QUARTET
Prominent among the younger musicians of San Francisco in the 80's
were three talented children since become famous both in this country
and England, where they now reside.
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