CAMILLA URSO'S FESTIVAL, 1873. MADAME ANNA BISHOP. THE LORING CLUB.
ALFRED WILKIE, FRANK GILDER, D.P. HUGHES
One of the most difficult tasks in writing my memoirs is the choice of
the most important happenings in a busy life. There are so many things
to speak of it is hard to know where to begin. I cannot begin with a
more appropriate event than the Fourth of July celebration which took
place in 1869, with William Seward, Secretary of State, in one of the
boxes of the California theater.
Alex Austin, Esq., was president of the day and called the assemblage
to order.
The programme was as follows:
Prayer by Rev. H.D. Lathrop.
Music by the orchestra.
Reading of the Declaration of Independence by Lawrence
Barrett, Esq.
God Bless our Glorious Land (written for the Fourth of July,
1869, by our friend Sam Booth). Full chorus, George T.
Evans, leader.
Poem by R.C. Hopkins, Esq., read by John McCulloch, Esq.
Music, orchestra.
Vocal music, Gloria in Excelsis, Mozart.
Oration by Henry E. Highton, Esq.
Song, Star Spangled Banner.
Full chorus from the Handel and Haydn Society and quartette
composed of Mrs. S.D. Mayer, soprano; Mrs. M.R. Blake,
contralto; Mr. S.D. Mayer, tenor; Walter C. Campbell, bass.
Music, orchestra.
In 1868 we were visited by the Lyster Opera company from Australia,
which gave a season of ten operas at the old Metropolitan Theater on
Montgomery street. They brought with them a goodly company of artists.
Henry Squires, _tenor_
W.F. Baker, _tenor_
Armes Beaumont, _tenor_
Lucy Escott, _soprano_
Geraldine Warden, _mezzo-soprano_
Mrs. Ada King, _contralto_
Mr. Sutcliff, _baritone_