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Show MORAL SUPPORT FOR BOERS. "When I sing the beautiful masses of Haydn I feel myself above the earth." says Mrs. Willis Bird, soprano at St. Leo's. "There is a wealth of varied melody in the glorious prayers, and the soft, limpid Latin words, shorn of the rasping consonants that all English songs in them can like rag-time music. It's a mere acrobatic feat of the vocal organs, and few artists sing it at all. for it is ruinous to the voice. I remember remem-ber one time when I was asked to sing one of the popular 'coon' songs, and although al-though I was is going east soon, as she has received flattering assurance of aj position in operatic ork." j A singer with a pretty voice, charming charm-ing in quality, a voice still in its 'teens, is Miss Bessie Dade, contralto at St. Leo's. Miss Dade was one of the prize singers at the last Eisteddfod, and although al-though then only a girl of 16. she was awarded the gold medal in a large class of competitors. Even yet Miss Dade is only a little lassie, and it is wonderful that so much volume should be contained con-tained in so little room. In this same choir sings Mr. Menzies, a jovial Scotchman, whose face is continually wreathed in' smiles, and whose eyes i dance and twinkle in mirth. Directing ja choir and singing bass is jolly busi- ness with this merry monarch. He i can be heard to laugh and say: "I am i not here for my health," .and taking his own words as'your estimate, you j are right in thinking so. Mr. Menzies. j has been a resident of Denver for over i eight years, during which time he has ! always sung in church choirs. Previous i to that he was director of a choir ini j one of the churches in Edinburgh, Scot-' land. He was also awarded first prize by the Eisteddfod Singing society in i "The high altitude of Colorado has an j appreciable effect on the pitch of a voice." says Mr. Menzies. "It has raised the pitch of my voice over half an I octave, and if you. inquire .of singers j who, have been here j?ome time, you'll find they'll all tell you the same thing. It also gies an elasticity and ease to the voice that can be attained in a low altitude only after long nractlce." The tenor of St. Leo's is Mr. N. Silver. Sil-ver. Although not among the richest churches. St. Leo pays its choir very j generously, the aggregate cost of the i choir being 51.200 per year. |