is concert was my first opportunity to hear such artists. They were
singers and players of the highest art.

It was to me not real. The music that I had heard and sung before was
sacred, on the Sabbath, and in songs familiar at that time, Home,
Sweet Home, Swanee River, Mary of Argyle, etc., and songs moderately
difficult, anthems and Te Deums and German leider were all we aspired
to. Others than these were not to be thought of. Nothing worldly was
tolerated. The minister's daughters must always be proper in all walks
of life. In 1846 when Jenny Lind made her tour of the world my sister
Mary was the fortunate one to be able to hear her. All of her
beautiful songs were in vogue and I was familiar with them, as my
sister was a fine singer. She obtained these songs and although it is
over sixty-six years ago I still have a great number of them, yellow
with age, published by Pond and Company, and Oliver Ditson Company.
These publishing houses were founded during my early life, Ditson and
Company began in 1834 and I was born in 1836. When I was ten years old
I was sent to these places to purchase the music sister required in
her teaching, church and home songs. For sixty-seven years I have
patronized the house of Ditson and Company. The original men have
passed out and the sons are now the members of the firm. Only this
year I received a cheery holiday greeting from the firm. I have
digressed somewhat and gone back to my girlhood days in Cincinnati.

Let us return again to Boston fifty years ago and listen to this fine
concert given in Boston Music Hall. It is almost impossible for me to
describe the grandeur of this magnificent chorus and the orchestra and
grand organ with Carl Zerrahn directing this multitude of singers and
players and Howard Dow at the organ, playing with such a masterful
touch. The brilliant audience listened with marked attention to this
beautiful music and the stillness was only broken by the mighty
applause of approval at the close of the grand performance and the
repeated recall of the artists who deserved all of this great
demonstration. The first great concert was but the beginning of my
career. In the four years I had opportunities that were of a lasting
profit to me. It was the cradle of my musical life and I often go back
in my mind and see those beautiful singers I learned to love as
friends and companions in song. Friends made then have lasted as long
as life. All have passed beyond and only