Music and Some Highly Musical People Part 16

27. Fantasia, "Home, Sweet Home" _Thalberg_ 28. " "Last Rose of Summer" "

29. Fantasia, "Lily Dale," for left hand _Thalberg_ 30. " "Ever of Thee," &c. "

31. " "Carnival de Venise" "

32. Reverie. "Last Hope" _Gottschalk_ 33. La Fontaine 34. "Whispering Winds"

35. "Caprice" _Liszt_ 36. Fantasia, "Old Hundredth Psalm"

37. "Auld Lang Syne," and "Listen to the Mocking-Bird"

(Piano-Forte Imitations of the Bird) _Hoffman_

=Marches.=

38. March, "Delta Kappa Epsilon" _Pease_ 39. "Grand March de Concert" _Wallace_ 40. "Gen. Ripley's March"

41. "Amazon March"

42. "Masonic Grand March"

=Imitations.=

43. Imitations of the Music-Box.

44. " " Dutch Woman and Hand-Organ.

45. " " Harp.

46. " " Scotch Bagpipes.

47. " " Scotch Fiddler.

48. " " Church Organ.

49. " " Guitar.

50. " " Banjo.

51. " " Douglas's Speech.

52. " " Uncle Charlie.

53. Produces three melodies at the same time.

=Descriptive Music.=

54. "Cascade"

55. The Rain Storm _Blind Tom_ 56. The Battle of Mana.s.sas "

=Songs.=

57. "Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep"

58. "Mother, dear Mother, I still think of Thee"

59. "The Old s.e.xton"

60. "The Ivy Green"

61. "Then you'll remember Me"

62. "Scenes that are Brightest"

63. "When the Swallows homeward fly"

64. "Oh! whisper what Thou feelest"

65. "My Pretty Jane"

66. "Castles in the Air"

67. "Mary of Argyle"

68. "A Home by the Sea"

69. Byron's "Farewell to Tom Moore"

=Parlor Selections.=

70. Waltz in A flat _Chopin_ 71. Waltz in E flat "

72. Waltz in D flat "

73. Tarantelle in A flat _Stephen h.e.l.ler_ 74. "Josephine Mazurka" _h.e.l.ler_ 75. "Polonaise" _Weber_ 76. Nuit Blanche _Stephen h.e.l.ler_ 77. Spring Dawn Mazurka _William Mason_ 78. "Monastery Bells"

79. "California Polka" _Herz_ 80. "Alboni Waltzes" _Schuloff_ 81. "L'Esplanade" _Hoffman_ 82. Anen Polka

_Programme for the evening to be selected from the preceding._]

XII.

ANNA MADAH AND EMMA LOUISE HYERS,

VOCALISTS AND PIANISTS.

THE "HYERS SISTERS."--AN ACROSTIC.

"Hail, tuneful sisters of a Southern clime!

Your dulcet notes inspire my rhyme: Each in your voice perfection seem,-- Rare, rich, melodious. We might deem Some angel wandered from its sphere, So sweet your notes strike on the ear.

In song or ballad, still we find Some beauties new to charm the mind.

Trill on, sweet sisters from a golden sh.o.r.e; Emma and Anna, sing for us once more; Raise high your voices blending in accord: So shall your fame be widely spread abroad."

M.E.H., _in Boston Daily News_.

One day, two little girls, the one aged seven and the other nine years, came gayly, gleefully tripping into the room where their parents sat quietly conversing, and soon began to sing some of the songs and to enact some of the scenes from operas, performances of which they had occasionally witnessed at the theatre. This they did, of course, in childlike, playful manner, yet not without a showing, considering their ages, of a surprising degree of correctness.

[Ill.u.s.tration: EMMA LOUISE HYERS.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: ANNA MADAH HYERS.]

Their parents at first, however, only laughed at what they considered the gleesome antics of these embryo personators in opera.

But, the little girls continuing in the presence of their relatives and playmates their performances, it was ere long discovered that they possessed no small degree of lyrical talent; that their voices, considering their tender years, were remarkably full and resonant; and that they exhibited much fondness for music, and a spirit of great earnestness in all they undertook.

With these manifestations their parents were of course highly pleased; and they at once resolved to give their children such instruction in the rudiments of music as lay within their power.

Thus, then, did those two gifted little girls, Anna Madah and Emma Louise Hyers, early show their devotion to art, and make that beginning, which, in a few years afterward, was to grow into a musical proficiency and a public success in the highest degree creditable to them.

After one year's instruction, it was found that the girls had advanced so rapidly as to have quite "caught up" with their teachers (their parents); and it was therefore found necessary to place them under the instruction of others more advanced in music. Professor Hugo Sank, a German of fine musical ability, became then their next tutor, giving them lessons in vocalization and on the piano-forte. With this gentleman they made much progress. Another change, however, being decided upon, our apt and ambitious pupils were next placed under the direction of Madame Josephine D'Ormy,--a lady of fine talents, an operatic celebrity, and distinguished as a skilful teacher. From this lady the sisters received thorough instruction in the Italian, and were taught some of the rudiments of the German language. It is, in fact, to the rare accomplishments and painstaking efforts of Madame D'Ormy that the Misses Hyers owe mostly their success of to-day. For she it was who taught them that purity of enunciation, and sweetness of intonation, that now are so noticeable in their singing of Italian and other music; while under her guidance, also, they acquired that graceful, winning stage appearance for which they have so often been praised.

Although, as was natural, quite proud of the rich natural gifts possessed by their children, and extremely delighted with the large degree of their acquirements in the art of music, their sensible parents were in no haste to rush them before the public; and it was therefore nearly two years after leaving the immediate musical tutelage of Madame D'Ormy when these young ladies made their _debut_.