The Greenwood Choral Society
BY: BG EDITOR
BY: BG EDITOR
Oct 07, 2017 — GREENWOOD, BC (BG)
In May 1901, the Greenwood Weekly Times announced[1] that a concert would be given the following month, by what would be Greenwood's first community choir. While Greenwood already had several established church choirs, the Greenwood Choral Society was the first secular community group to organize here.
"The Greenwood Choral Society have decided to give a public concert in the Auditorium on the evening of June 5th. The society includes many of the members of the local choirs and several other amatuer vocalists. They have been practicing for two months under the directorship of A. M. Whiteside. The programme for June 5th will include part songs, choruses and the society will be assisted by several soloists."
The new choir sang under the direction of conductor, Arthur M. Whiteside, a prominent attorney who had arrived in Greenwood in 1898, practicing law here alone and in various professional partnerships over the years. Arthur was a member of the local Presbyterian church, and on one occasion, sang with members of that congregation at a Scottish concert.
Despite the fact that the Choral Society's first concert was not well attended, the Times gave it a good review in the June 6th edition:[2]
CHORAL SOCIETY
The Initial Concert Given by Greenwood Society a Great Success
"The house which greeted the Greenwood Choral Society at their first concert on Wednesday evening was not encouraging. Those who were there were enthusiastic in their appreciation of the merits of the entertainment but too many vacant seats is a poor inducement to local people who train for months in order to provide a first class musical entertainment. The Choral Society were assisted by Mrs. Norman Mclnnes, of Rossland whose singing alone would be well worth the price of admission."
The Initial Concert Given by Greenwood Society a Great Success
"The house which greeted the Greenwood Choral Society at their first concert on Wednesday evening was not encouraging. Those who were there were enthusiastic in their appreciation of the merits of the entertainment but too many vacant seats is a poor inducement to local people who train for months in order to provide a first class musical entertainment. The Choral Society were assisted by Mrs. Norman Mclnnes, of Rossland whose singing alone would be well worth the price of admission."
Twenty-six members of the Choral Society took part in the performance, with a good representation in all four voice parts. Eleven sopranos were joined by 5 altos, 4 tenors, and 6 basses. Among the basses was Mr. C. Scott Galloway, the business partner of town founder, Robert Wood.
There were several soloists and a piano solo. The choir was accompanied by Miss Flesher, with A. M. Whiteside conducting.
"Mr. Whiteside deserves the greatest credit for the success of the concert. When it is considered that this was the first attempt of any of the kind in Greenwood, and that it was necessary to organize the vocolists and train them within a short space of time keenly demonstrated that there is magic in his batin [baton].
The voices of the society blended admirably, in all the part songs save "The Heavens are Telling", in which apparently there was a disorganized effort to create discord. Miss Wilson who is a recent arrival in the city was heard for the first time in public. She is a graduate of the Toronto Conservatory of Music and her playing Wednesday evening did
credit to her alma mater.
Miss Huberta Flesher has a sweet and well trained Soprano voice. She gave "For All Eternity" and the hearty encore which greeted her testified that her singing met the hearty approval of the audience.
Another valuable addition to Greenwood's musical talent is Mr. Harris, whose baritone solo True Till Death was energetically encored. Not since the visit of Madame Trebelli had a Greenwood audience an opportunity to here singing as sweet as that of Mrs. Mclnnes. In the flower girl a nursery song and two verses of Annie Laurie as an encore, Greenwood was convinced that something exceedingly good can come from Rossland.
Miss Flesher the accompanist of the evening did much towards making the concert a success. Greenwood is not often visited by professional, there is plenty of musical
talent in the city and all those who are anxious for something that will relieve the monotony of every day life should encourage entertainments such as that given on Wednesday evening."
The voices of the society blended admirably, in all the part songs save "The Heavens are Telling", in which apparently there was a disorganized effort to create discord. Miss Wilson who is a recent arrival in the city was heard for the first time in public. She is a graduate of the Toronto Conservatory of Music and her playing Wednesday evening did credit to her alma mater.
Miss Huberta Flesher has a sweet and well trained Soprano voice. She gave "For All Eternity" and the hearty encore which greeted her testified that her singing met the hearty approval of the audience.
Another valuable addition to Greenwood's musical talent is Mr. Harris, whose baritone solo True Till Death was energetically encored. Not since the visit of Madame Trebelli had a Greenwood audience an opportunity to here singing as sweet as that of Mrs. Mclnnes. In the flower girl a nursery song and two verses of Annie Laurie as an encore, Greenwood was convinced that something exceedingly good can come from Rossland.
Miss Flesher the accompanist of the evening did much towards making the concert a success. Greenwood is not often visited by professional, there is plenty of musical talent in the city and all those who are anxious for something that will relieve the monotony of every day life should encourage entertainments such as that given on Wednesday evening."
This week's Saturday Six-pack is dedicated to songs sung in early Greenwood, including several of those mentioned above.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Greenwood Weekly Times — May 23, 1901 P. 5
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0172916
[2] Greenwood Weekly Times — Jun 06, 1901 P. 1
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0172917
