Camilla: A Tale of a Violin: Being the Artist Life of Camilla Urso
John Stuart Mill · en
Then she took her violin and played for them, giving the Beethoven
Concerto. The building was too vast for all to hear her instrument but
they listened in eager silence and at the close there was another
tempest of applause and showers of flowers till the stage about her was
literally “knee deep in fragrance.” She was twice called out after the
performance, but the excitement and fatigue were too much for her and
she declined to play again.
The chorus—“The Heavens are Telling,” the overture to “Der Freyschutz,”
the Anvil Chorus, and the “Hallelujah” chorus, from the Messiah
concluded the entertainment and the vast audience quietly dispersed.
The third day of the Festival was perhaps the most remarkable of all.
The chorus on this day consisted of two thousand public school children,
under the musical direction of Mr. Elliot, of San Francisco. The
programme consisted of orchestral selections and choruses from the song
books used in the public schools, sung by the children. The Hall was
packed to its utmost limits and the concert was a perfect success, both
in the high character of the music given, and the excellent manner with
which it was rendered. We have Madam Urso’s testimony that the singing
of the children was fully equal to the singing heard in the schools of
Boston and other Eastern cities. Madam Urso played a selection of
popular airs, including “Home, Sweet Home,” and the national melodies,
to the great delight of the young chorus, and the immense audience
assembled to hear them. This children’s concert was very successful and
to gratify the great number of people who wished to attend it was
repeated on the following Saturday.
On Thursday evening the seats were removed from the Pavilion and a grand
ball was given in compliment to Madam Urso. The next day, Friday, the
chorus and the orchestra volunteered and gave her a benefit concert.
Like the other concerts of the Festival it was a great success, and gave
fifteen thousand people an opportunity to listen to her playing, and to
testify to their admiration of her work in their behalf. With the
children’s concert on Saturday afternoon the Festival week was brought
to a successful close. There was not an accident to mar the pleasure of
the occasion and the cause of music in California received an impulse
that may be felt to this day. The Mercantile Library received a gift of
$27,000 as the result after every bill had been paid and everything
promptly and thoroughly cleared up.