39
P R E S T O-T I M E S
January, 1930
MAKES VIOLINS FROM
EXPLORER'S COFFIN
Dr. W. B. Hentz of Florida Uses Walnut That Had
Been Buried 350 Years.
The Associated Press recently sent out a story
from Winter Haven, Fla., saying that wood from the
coffin of Pedro Menendez de Aviles, Spanish explorer
and founder of St. Augustine, Fla., has been used by
Dr. W. B. Hentz in making two violins.
The explorer was buried in Aviles, Spain, in 1574,
nine years after he founded the ancient city. In 1924
the body was removed from its tomb to be placed
in a mausoleum. The casket, a remarkable piece of
workmanship in Spanish walnut, was presented St.
Augustine in memory of its founder.
The coffin lay in the city vaults of St. Augustine
four years and deteriorated. Then it was found by
Robert Ranson of the Florida Historical Society, who
rebuilt the top and restored the lettering of the
epitaph.
From the bottom enough wood was saved for a
memorial. This was turned over to Dr. Hentz, con-
noisseur of violins and musicians of note.
Dr. Hentz turned the wood into two violins, com-
bining the ancient and modern—strings and some
woods of the present with that which for 350 years
rested on a tomb in Spain.
Employing the arts of the Latins he had learned in
40 years' residence in Rio Janiero, Dr. Hentz brought
out the beauty of the wood and was rewarded by an
excellent tone quality.
SCHOOL BAND CONTESTS
The Year Book of state and national school band
contests for 1930 has just been published by the Na-
tional Bureau for the Advancement of Music, 45 West
45th street, New York. It contains the rules, con-
test lists and general information for 1930.
With its eighty pages, including the pictures of
sixty-six bands which won first place in the different
classes of the contest last spring, it is in marked con-
trast with the first of the series, issued in 1924, and
which contained but eight pages. The difference in
size is a reflection of the growth of the movement,
which has spread rapidly in all sections of the country
since the first five states were organized six years
ago. The 1929 contests were held in thirty-seven
states and had a total participation of 650 bands with
some 33,000 players. Present plans are developing so
well for next year's contests, according to C. M. Tre-
maine, director of the bureau, that it is probable that
nearly all the states in the Union will be organized for
the meets.
The contests will continue to be conducted as here-
tofore under the auspices of the Committee on In-
strumental Affairs of the Music Supervisors' National
Conference in cooperation with the National Bureau
for the Advancement of Music. Mr. Tremaine is
secretary of the committee and so is in a position to
render the contests distinctly helpful to the trade as
well as to the schools. The funds for prizes are fur-
nished by the school band contest supporting com-
mittee of the music industry, whose membership con-
sists of the following firms: C. G. Conn, Ltd.,
Ruescher Band Instrument Co., Ludwig & Ludwig,
Leedy Manufacturing Company, Pan-American Band
Instrument & Case Company, Elkhart Band Instru-
ment Company, Continental Music Company.
Dealers desiring the Year Book may obtain it free
in single copies by writing C. M. Tremaine, 45 West
45th street, New York.
and Young Women's Hebrew associations in Phila-
delphia, according to a special dispatch in the New
York Times. He said that in Moscow, for example,
there are 100 elementary music schools in which chil-
dren take their preliminary study in a two-year course.
SHEA OPENS NASHVILLE STORE.
FRANCIS VISITS THE SOUTHWEST.
The store at 242 Fifth avenue, North, Nashville
Tenn., formerly occupied by the Starr Piano Co., has
been taken over by M. F. Shea, who for forty years
past has been a musical instrument dealer of that
city and who more recently was located at 305 Fifth
avenue, North. The Shea opening occurred January
1 and was quite an interesting affair. The new store,
which contains four floors and a basement, is being
completely remodeled, the first floor to be used for
the display of pianos, radios and Victrolas, and the
other three as separate departments with separate
rooms on each floor in which instruments can be
tried out. A complete line of both grand and upright
pianos as well as popular makes of radios will be
carried.
Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Francis of Galesburg, 111., drove
to Oklahoma City, Okla., after New Year's Day.
After visiting there they go to Albuquerque, N. M.,
where they visit Mrs. Francis' uncle. In March they
will drive to the Grand Canyon, joining Mr. and Mrs.
Fred Apsey and the party, after visiting Los Angeles,
will return to Galesburg together. Mr. Francis' health
will not stand the cold weather in Galesburg. He will
open his piano store at Galesburg in the spring.
ARTISTS AT LAMBERT FUNERAL.
Many internationally known personages of the mu-
sical world attended the funeral of Alexander Lam-
bert, musician, in New York, on January 2. Mr.
Lambert died shortly after being run down by an
automobile. Walter Damrosch made a brief address
on behalf of Mr. Lambert's life-long associates.
Jascha Heifetz, the violinist, played Schubert's "Ave
Maria," accompanied by Josef Hofmann, and the
pianist also played Chopin's "Funeral March." Among
those at the services were Mines. Sembrich, Mat-
zenauer and Sophie Braslau. Acting as pallbearers
with Messrs. Damrosch, Hofmann and Heifetz were
Daniel Frohman, Serge Rachmaninoff, Arthur Bodanz-
ky, Efrem Zimbalist, Sigmund Herzog, W. J. Hen-
derson, Leonard Liebling. Hugo Greenwald and Wal-
ler Nanmberg.
MAHOGANY AT FIELD MUSEUM.
An exhibit showing mahogany tree branches with
their foliage and fruits and also the wood of three
species of American mahoganies has been placed on
view in Stanley Field Hall at Field Museum of Nat-
ural History, Chicago. The mahoganies shown are
the Cuban species, which was introduced into Europe
when Sir Walter Raleigh brought some from the new
world for Queen Elizabeth; the Mexican, known also
as Honduras or Central American mahogany, which
the Spanish explorer Cortez used to repair his fleet
while engaged in his conquest of the Mexicans, and
the Peruvian mahogany, the existence of which was
discovered only a few years ago.
RADIO THIEVES ARRESTED.
Michael Corsi and George A. Sutton were arrested
recently in their home at 1154 Highland avenue, Oak
Park. 111., as members of a radio theft ring which has
operated in two states. Corsi was held under $20,000
bonds on charges of larceny and receiving stolen prop-
erty, while Sutton was held in $5,000 bond on a charge
of receiving stolen property.
RUSSIA'S MUSIC SCHOOLS.
Soviet Russia
teaching music,
Symphony Club
said on January.
leads the world in its system of
Edwin A. Fleisher, founder of the
and collector of musical literature,
5 in an address to the Young Men's
Philip W. Oetting &
Son, Inc.
213 East 19th Street, New York
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