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The Campus Mirror^ Published during the College Year by the Students of Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia VOLUME XII FEBRUARY 15, 1936 Marian Anderson, Famed Contralto, Delights Large Atlanta Audience MARIAN ANDERSON By Mabelle S. Wall A capacity audience, with many standing', heard Marian Anderson, cele brated Negro contralto, when she sang in Sisters Chapel, Spelman College, Friday night, presented by Spelman, Morehouse College and Atlanta Univer sity. Simple mannered and without any ostentation whatsoever, the singer who has triumphed abroad and who has been acclaimed one of the greatest living singers, delivered a comprehensive pro gram of taxing quality with sincerity and with great artistry. To this sin cerity and to her indisputably eminent vocal equipment, the audience, which numbered many musical white people ot' Atlanta, responded with intense* en thusiasm. She began her program with a group of songs by Haendel, which tested her style, breadth of line and classical re- spose. Sustained and beautiful tone of individual timbre, round ness of phrase, and a good diction with which this group was sung, had an electrifying effect on the audience. But in the interpretation of Schu bert's songs, Marian Anderson’s art was at its pinnacle. Contrasts of tone color, poetry, emotional and dramatic power, were reflected through the medium of a voice of wide range, per fectly controlled throughout, and sup ported by apparently unlimited re- soums of breath. Her crescendos and decrescendos were archlike in evenness of tone and all ornaments in florid pas- sages were accomplished with an art, superb. In contrasting the utterances of the girl in Death and the Maiden, by Schubert, her vocal timbre and color ing were amazing. Her low tones arc No. 5 richly dark, powerful and somber, and her high tones are shining and light. Die Allmacht, by Schubert, was another offering that was quickened by a sort of divine afflatus. 0 Don Fatale, from Verdi’s Don Carlos, was the aria given with superb dramatic effect. A group of songs by the Italian woman composer, Sadero, whose compositions have only recently been included on recitalist’s programs, were unique and highly effective and interesting. The Tarantella, by this composer, was a tour de force in speed, clarity, and diction. A group of Negro spirituals com pleted the program on a note of pathos. These were arranged by Hall Johnson, Roland Hayes, John Payne and Flor ence Price. Encores included an Echo Song, Schubert’s TYohin; a quaint and appealing Finnish folk song, arranged by the accompanist, Kosti Yethanen, which had to be repeated; a Cuckoo Song and Will o’ the Wisp. Accompaniments that were excellent support, technically free, and sympa thetically colored were given by Kosti Verhanen. At the close of the program, Miss Florence Reed, president of Spelman College, asked the Negroes of the au dience to sing their anthem which was composed by Rosamonde Johnson. This was noble music, sung with reverence. Several hymns were also offered, under the leadership of Kemper Harreld, di rector of music in the Negro colleges of Atlanta.—From The Atlanta Journal. « * Listening to Marian Anderson was a thrilling experience and an unforget table treat! She has the most amazing vocal tech nique, meeting with ease and evenness (he demands for a balance in high and low tones and equipped to do colora tura work. There were long sustained phrases never wanting for breath—rich, robust tones in which she added another unpushed swell, then spinning off into a delicate tone like a mystical echo. At all times her singing and inter pretations were refined and exquisitely charming. Her diction, whether in Ger man, Italian or English, was pure and definite. She was completely at home in her art.—From The Atlanta (leor- gian. (Editor S Note—The student reporter for the Marian Anderson concert gave place to reports of the newspaper music critics. I he Campus Mirror acknowledges the courtesy of The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Georgian in permitting the reprint ing of material concerning Marian Ander son.)