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52
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
AUGUST 21, 1920
JAY WITMARK HOME FROM ENGLAND
BUYS WASHINGTON MUSIC CO.
"IRENE" A HIT IN AUSTRALIA
Comes Back With Most Encouraging Report
on Things Musical on the Other Side
J. Edgar Robinson Takes Over Entire Stock
and Publishing Rights of That Concern—
Strong Demand for Popular Music in Capital
Musical Comedy Also a Success in England,
While Four Companies Will Present It in
the United States During Coming Season
WASHINGTON, D. C , August 16.—J. Edgar
Robinson has purchased the entire, stock and
publishing privileges of the Washington Music
Co., formerly owned by Ernest Lent. The
catalog consists of a number of violin, vocal
and piano compositions by Ernest Lent and
other local talent, together with revised edi-
tions of celebrated classical piano compositions
by early and modern composers. It is the pur-
pose of the firm to increase the number of
standard compositions until they comprise cor-
rected editions of every well-known vocal or in-
strumental work. New material will also be
constantly added to the catalog from the pens
of Washington composers.
The "New Academic Edition" is the title
given the list of standard compositions revised
and published in this catalog. Among the com-
posers represented are Bach, Beethoven, B6hm,
Chaminade, Godard, Lack, Leschetizky, Lichner,
Massanet, Schumann, Schubert, Moskowski,
Saint-Saens.
One of the principal features of the publica-
tion is the Elementary Violin Technic with
Supplementary Recreations by Ernest Lent.
This is highly recommended for beginners on
the violin. It has had the indorsement of Leo-
pold Auer in the form of a personal letter to
the composer.
Odeil L. Whipple, manager of the music de-
partment of E. F. Droop & Sons Co., reports
that popular numbers are beginning to show
up strong again for the Fall trade. Several
light operas have made decided hits and they
have been locally introduced by the bands in
their weekly concerts, notably the concert by
the Marine Band at Sixteenth and Columbia
road last week, which delighted an enormous
audience who heard a splendid program of the
lighter songs and enthusiastically demanded
numerous encores.
There will be a significant improvement this
Fall in high-grade vocal numbers. There have
been important changes in American agencies
for English catalogs and the representatives of
these houses are striving to get their music
before local musicians. A campaign of educa-
tion along these lines is already under way in
conjunction with a well-known local firm, and
Washington is promised an insight into groups
of composers that is said to be a distinct step
forward.
Leo Feist, Inc., have just received a cable-
gram from Australia reading: " 'Irene' big suc-
cess; seems assured long run." The cable-
gram came from the producer of "Irene" in
Australia, where the bright musical comedy
promises to duplicate the tremendous success
that it has made in London.
The New York production of "Irene" is still
going strong. Having opened at the Vanderbilt
Theatre, New York, on November 17, 1919, the
demand is still sufficient to warrant the placing
on sale of tickets six weeks in advance. In
addition to this a Boston company opened on
August 16 and a Southern company opens in
Paterson on September 2, while a fourth com-
pany for a general tour of the States will open
on September 27. It is also understood that the
London producers have sent "Irene" companies
into the provinces.
The house of Feist as publishers of the
score report an excellent demand for the musi-
cal numbers, particularly for the big hit of the
piece, "Alice Blue Gown."
It seems only a short time ago that The Re-
view announced the departure for England of
Jay Witmark, of the firm of M: Witmark &
Sons. He has, as is his usual wont, made a fly-
ing trip and is again back at his desk.
When visited at his offices Mr. Witmark re-
ported that the prospects for American songs in
the English field were remarkably encouraging
and he stated that this was especially true
regarding the songs that belong to the famous
Witmark "Black and White" series. "Very
many of these songs," he remarked, "are of the
type that is and always has been vastly in de-
mand in Great Britain, and our plans contem-
plate exploiting such numbers as these in Eng-
land, so as to make them as familiar and suc-
cessful there as they are here." He mentioned
as examples of the kind of songs he spoke of
such well-known American favorites as "Mother
Machree," "Kiss Me Again," "Who Knows,"
"Smilin' Through," "The Magic of Your Eyes,"
"Sorter Miss You," "Starlight Love," "Values,"
"The Want of You," "The Lamp-lit Hour" and
"Sunrise and You."
The personal representative of M. Witmark
& Sons in London is Charles Warren, who has
been taking care of the English affairs of this
enterprising house for many years.
Handling the Witmark catalog in Great Brit-
ain is the firm of B. Feldman & Co., whose new
building now approaching completion will fur-
nish one of the most spacious music publishing
houses in the British metropolis. Among its
other novel features is an intimate theatre and
concert hall, where ballad concerts, so popular
in England, will be given to exploit Witmark
songs. Mr. Witmark completed negotiations
while in England for the British productions of
two great American musical comedy successes
whose music is published by his company.
These shows are "The Rainbow Girl" and "Take
It From Me."
Huntzinger & Dilworth are the publishers of
a new number entitled "Valse Nanette," which is
the work of Edgar Fairchild.
12th STREET RAG
SONG AND INSTRUMENTAL
Order from U* or Your Jobber
F. E. KNEELAND IN THE WEST
Frank E. Kneeland, representative for Harold
Flammer, Inc., is now visiting the trade in the
Middle West. He is breaking the monotony of
his long trip by taking a week's vacation in
Yellowstone National Park.
In a recent letter he said that all the dealers
are looking for a big season, at least their
orders would indicate such. He is featuring the
two Flammer songs, "O, Little Town of Beth-
lehem," a Christmas song by John Prindle
Scott, and "Baby," by Bertrand Brown.
D1TSON CO. ISSUES NEW CANTATA
Obtainable for All Mechanical Instruments
OTHER BIG SELLERS
LOVE BLOSSOM
KISS ME, DEAR
CINDA LOU
PARCELONA
UNDERNEATH THE DREAMY,
ORIENTAL MOON
J. W. JENKINS' SONS MUSIC CO., KANSAS CITY, MO.
The Oliver Ditson Co., Boston, have in-
cluded among their recent issues "The Shepherd
Lady," a cantata for women's voices, by Edith
Lang. This cantata makes a most interesting
addition to the Ditson library. There has also
been issued recently an interesting series of
part songs for male and female voices and for
mixed choruses.
RIO NIGHTS
The Fastest Selling Waltz Song on the Market
DEATH OF HOMER NORRIS
Noted Composer and Organist Succumbs to
Injuries Received in Taxi-cab Crash
Homer Norris, noted musician and composer
of this city, formerly organist of St. George's
Protestant Episcopal Church, died on Satur-
day last at Roosevelt Hospital from injuries
suffered from a taxi-cab accident.
Mr. Norris was a protege of J. Pierpont Mor-
gan, who built him a home in the Orange Moun-
tains for the purpose of enabling the composer
to get away from his many duties and spend a
few days at any time of the year composing
music.
Besides his distinction as an organist, Mr.
Norris was an author of special works on har-
mony and counterpoint and ranked high among
the composers of this country. He was a gradu-
ate of the New England Conservatory of Music
of Boston and also had two years of study of
organ with Alexandre Guilmant, of Paris.
Mr. Norris was composer of several cantatas,
of which the best known are "Nain" and "The
Flight of the Eagle," and more than fifty songs
well known on recital programs. Among these
are "Three Roses Red," "Cradle Song" and
"Mother o'Mine."
HOLDING FOR LATER RELEASE
The Riviera Music Co., Chicago, 111., has de-
cided to withhold from publication, for a short
time, their new number "Rose of China." Pro-
fessional copies and orchestrations have already
been issued and the song will be placed upon
the market in sheet music form early in Sep-
tember.
S lv r
Standard, of the World I I '.'.%"/.'"*
' ° "
Berlin on °" Song*
FOUR SONG HITS
MY SAHARA ROSE
I'LL
SEE
YOU
IN
C - U - B - A
TIRED OF ME
AFTER YOU GET WHAT YOU WANT
YOU DON'T WANT IT
IRVING BERLIN, Inc.
1587 BROADWAY
NEW YORK
HAVE YOU
"I've Been A-Long in' For You"
"Just A Rose"
"After It's Over, Dear" and "Alpine Blues"?
THEY'RE WINNERS
Order direct or through your jobber
FISHER THOMPSON MUSIC PUB. CO.
Gaiety Theatre Building, NEW YORK CITY