Christie-Gjerdrum Concert Co.

              Christie-Gjerdrum Concert Co.

Prof Henrik Gjerdrum Pianist and Baritone.



Miss Signe Christie Contralto.


SUMMER SEASON 1911



CHRISTIE-GJERDRUM CONCERT CO.
Consisting of the noted singer, Miss Signe Christie of Christiania, Norway, and Prof.  Henrik Gjerdrum, pianist and baritonist, are by their specially acquired and highly developed talents able to present a most pleasing and variable concert program.  The company is especially adaptable to Chautauquas on account of its large repertoire.

Miss Christie's art is founded upon a thorough education, having studied for years with such international celebrities as Miss Schroeder, primadonna soprano at the King's Opera, Kopenhagen; Miss Dehmlow, Berlin and Frau Amalie Friedrich Materna, Vienna.  In Norway her teachers were Mrs. Ellen Gulbranson and Mrs. Edward Grieg. Miss Christie has made a special study of Edward Grieg, the most original and distinguished contributor of the century of musical literature, under the personal guidance of Mrs. Grieg.  She sings in English, German, Norwegian and French.

Prof. Henrik Gjerdrum is a young gifted musician whose career as an artist has been extremely successful.  He has received his education from the best teachers of Norway and from Court-pianist Vianna de Motta in Berlin.  He has devoted his time to teaching as well as concert work and has for the last year been Professor at the Hardin conservatory of music, Mexico, Mo.  Mr. Gjerdrum is also a splendid vocalist, being in possession a rich baritone voice highly cultivated.



SOME PRESS NOTICES AND TESTIMONIALS.
Dr. Hindley, Sup. of Devil's Lake Chautauqua Aug. 29, 1910, writes:

Miss Christie and Prof. Gjerdrum vocal and instrumental soloists filled a week's engagement with the Devil's Lake Chautauqua association.  Their work was pleasing, enjoyable and appreciated by all lovers of good music, where the performers show great natural and acquired proficiency.

Mrs. Ellen Gulbranson, the great Wagner Singer from Bayreuth, says:

Miss Signe Christie is in possession of a beautiful voice of wide range.  She has sung with great success at different concerts and has been a teacher at the conservatory of music in Christiana.  She is a pupil of Madame H. Dehmlow of Berlin and Frau Materna, Vienna, and has also for some time studied with the writer.  It is a pleasure for me to recommend her very highly.


Dagsavisen of Christiana, Jan, 31st, 1908:
The solos were sung by Miss Signe Christie, who at this occasion appeared for the first time in this city.  She has a fine contralto voice and she executed the selections with a lofty artistic spirit, which was unmistakable.  Mendelssohn's Arioso and Beethoven's Prayer and Hymn of Praise made a lasting impression on her audience.


Valley City Daily Times-Record, May 20, 1910.
Miss Signe Christie's recital at the Methodist Church on Wednesday night was an artistic success, viewed from any standpoint.  In the first place, Miss Christie's personality is very pleasing.  She smiles pleasantly at the world, and puts people in a good humor.  Her choice of song material is good.  She sings nothing trivial or uninteresting.  Her voice is good, especially in its lower register.  It shows most excellent training and control.  She is master of the smallest, most delicate tone.  Then again she can bring forth an artistically excellent crescendo, evincing tremendous and dramatic tone power.  But it is probably as an interpreter of the emotional song that she ranks highest.  We ask the singer to do for Schubert and Scuhmann what Irvin and Booth do for Shakespeare's lines—help us understand what the composer means.  This is what has given Wullner rank as the greatest singer of our times.  And this power Miss Christie possesses to so marked a degree that she ought to be consider
ed in the light of a dramatic artist, and as such she certainly gave a very pleasing and successful exhibition of her art.



Nome Tribune, Nome, N. Dakota, Aug. 5, '10.
Those who attended the recital given by Miss Signe Christie and Prof. Henrik Gjerdrum at the Opera House last Friday night, were most agreeably surprised.  Miss Christie recently came from abroad where she won many honors with her beautiful voice and charming personality.  Mr. Gjerdrum has that quality which few pianists possess—the art of being a brilliant solo pianist, and at the same time a remarkably fine accompanist.  His work throughout the program showed thorough mastery, and artistic finish to the last detail, and his Grieg numbers were especially pleasing.  Miss Christie sang the greater part of her program in her native tongue, selecting such composers as Borreson, Sinding, Tosti and Grieg.  Then for the closing number she appeared dressed in the Norwegian costume and favored her audience with a most spirited rendition of several Folksongs.  Miss Christie's voice is contralto, of a smooth rich, sonorous quality, and it is trained to give full expression of the abundant temperament
 with which she is endowed.


The Fargo Daily News, Sept. 17, '10.
A very select and appreciative audience greeted Madame Julie Rive-King and Miss Signe Christie at the dedicatory concert given in Stone's new hall last night and were gratified by hearing one of the finest musical programs ever given in Fargo….  Miss Christie has a remarkably clear contralto voice and her several solos were beautifully rendered.  Her voice is round and full and has carrying power and expression that are such rare accomplishments.


Nordmanden, Grand Forks, N. D.
Miss Signe Christie sang Still as the Night og senere Aa Farvel, og var velsignet, og Forsamlingen vilde ikke slutte med at applaudere, for hun havde sunget et Extranummer.  Hendes Sang var ubetinget Koncertens Glanspunkt.

Prof. A. E. Guerne, Director of the Hardin Conservatory of Music, writes:

Mr. Henrik Gjerdrum is not only an able pianist but also possesses a strong and sympathetic voice which his excellent musicianship qualifies him to use with real musical understanding and good taste in the rendering of songs of the best composers.


Fargo Forum:
Prof. Henrik Gjerdrum, of Valley City, represented the music club of that city.  His playing at the reception given by the Bay View Study Club showed him to by an artist of ability and experience.


Valley City Times Record:
Prof. Henrik Gjerdrum is becoming a favorite of the music loving people of Valley City.  His solos were executed with understanding and artistic finish.


Valley City:
The concert given last evening at the normal hall in the lecture course, drew a large crowd.  The door receipts were larger last evening than for any other number on the summer course so far.  The work of Prof. Gjerdrum is too well known to need any comment.  It can be said with all truthfulness that the number exceeded in merit any of the numbers of the course.

Mrs. May Beesley Adam, Head of Voice Department of Hardin Conservatory of Music states:

Mr. Henrik Gjerdrum has a baritone voice of very agreeable quality and of good range, the upper tones in particular are of telling and musical timbre.  He sings with individuality and temperament.  His singing of the beautiful Norwegian songs is notably interesting and admirable as to interpretation and phrasing.  Mr. Gjerdrum is also able to sing with good diction and musical understanding, German lieder and English songs as well as the airs and songs of his native country.


Mexico Ledger, Mexico, Mo., Sept. 24, 1910:
The recital given by the new members of the faculty of Hardin College Conservatory was unusually well attended.  Prof. Gjerdrum was heard in two very interesting selections, the first and closing numbers of the program.  The first, a Chopin Polonaise (No, 1, opus 4, was played with musical understanding and a very good technique.  It was, however, in his second number, Tempel Dance by Grieg, that Prof. Gjerdrum scored his greatest success.  His evident familiarity and sympathetic understanding of the composition of his great countryman enabled him to give the selection a fine reading.  The audience was very enthusiastic, calling the pianist to the stage a number of times.