Alkahest Lady Quartette

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Alkahest Lady Quartette

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Effie C. Palmer
Florence M. Hobson
Flora R. Trein
Elizabeth Walker


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Exclusive Management
ALKAHEST LYCEUM SYSTEM

Atlanta, Georgia


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INTRODUCTORY
THE Alkahest Lady Quartette, formerly the Lyceum Lady Quartette, is now entering upon its seventh year of signal success.  The desire for harmonious blending has been the thought uppermost in the selection of voices, and during these years a high standard of quality and excellence has been maintained.  The Quartette has just closed one of its most successful seasons.  Never has the work of the ladies been more heartily received; and their popularity as a company well equipped to entertain an audience, has been fully proven during the season just closed.



ARMOUR INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, CHICAGO
F. W. GUNSAULUS, President
Sept. 14, 1908.

Effie C. Palmer, 3800 Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Ill.  Dear Mrs. Palmer:—You may say to anyone that I greatly enjoyed your work at Kearney and consider your quartette a most helpful influence at a Chautauqua and especially to anyone who cares for the largest spiritual result with a great audience.

Faithfully yours,
F. W. GUNSAULUS

Chicago, Sept. 8, 1908.

To Whom It May Concern:—

It gives me great pleasure to say that I had opportunity to hear the Lyceum Ladies' Quartette during the past summer at several different Chautauquas and I heard them each time with increasing pleasure and delight.  They have appeared before many large and critical audiences and have never failed to bring forth a hearty response.  I am sure they will more than please any audience before whom they may appear and I take great pleasure in heartily recommending them to any organization or institution that may be in search of a really first class entertainment.

Very cordially yours,
FRANK G. SMITH

Pastor Warren Avenue Congregational Church




Comment of the Press

Elizabeth Walker, second soprano, sings with modesty, sweetness and power.  Her voice is rich in volume and pure in tone.  Coupled with a pleasing personality and winning smile, her platform work satisfies.—
Kirkwood (Mo.) Sentincl.


The Lyceum Lady Quartette gave one of the most enjoyable concerts ever heard in Brandon.  From the moment they opened with Macy's Waltz Song, till they sang God Save the King, the interest was intense.  In classic or folk song they were equally at home and entered into the spirit of each selection.  In choice of program and appropriateness of encore, they are artists.  They sang with unity and precision—four voices entirely different, yet flawlessly harmonious.—
Brandon (Man.) Daily Sun.


The entertainment last evening was one of the best and most highly appreciated of any on the program, being the first appearance of the Lyceum Ladies' Quartette.  The whole evening program was musical interspersed with a number of selections by the talented reader, Effie C. Palmer.  The ladies' quartette certainly has the ability to entertain and their three days' stay here will be a big attraction to everyone who attended last night.  The personnel of this company is Effie C. Palmer manager, contralto and reader; Flora R. Trein, first soprano; Elizabeth Walker, second soprano, and Florence M. Hobson, first alto and accompanist.  Time after time they were encored, being called back sometimes for the third and fourth time.  Mrs. Palmer's reading numbers were particularly happy and delightful.—
Hastings (Neb.) Daily Republican.


This concert scored another great success for the club.  The readings by Effie C. Palmer were far superior to what had been anticipated, and encore after encore brought her before the large audience.—
Chicago Heights Star.


Effie C. Palmer, dramatic reader and soloist, with the quartette, has a voice of surpassing sweetness and range, which, coupled with a charming manner, won her many friends.—
Rochester (Minn) Bulletin.


Sunday was a big day at the Bellevue Chautauqua.  In spite of the threatening attitude of the clouds, in spite of the fact that no tickets were sold on the grounds, an enormous audience gathered to listen to the Lyceum Lady Quartette, and Dr. A. C. Peck of Denver, both in the afternoon and evening.  In the afternoon, the quartette rendered a sacred concert which simply can not be surpassed.  Always enjoyable and entertaining, their music in the afternoon was absolutely inspiring.  Every one regrets that their engagement is ended.  In the evening also their music was a pleasure and a delight to the ear.  The song of the bells was especially good.—
Omaha World-Herald.


No other number of the People's Entertainment Course at the First Presbyterian Church has given greater satisfaction and delight than the concert given by the Chicago Lyceum Lady Quartette.  The four voices are unusual in balance and harmony, and the quartette work throughout was rich, full and satisfying.
The readings of Effie C. Palmer were given with a modesty and power of expression most unusual, and her imitation of the Gossiping Dressmaker was a real work of art, while her reading of Paul Laurence Dunbar's Negro dialect poem was a masterpiece of expression.
Mrs. Palmer, who in addition to her reading, was the second alto in the quartette, is no less remarkable as a singer than as a reader.  Altogether the entertainment will linger long in the memory of all who heard it as one of the most charming and pleasurable our public has enjoyed, and we shall welcome a return visit from this quartette.—

Three Rivers, Mich.


Effie C. Palmer is one of the best readers who has appeared in Valparaiso.  She has a magnificent voice for either reading or singing, a deep musical contralto.  Sonny, from which she read several selections, never struck its readers with more pathos, humor and charm.—
Valparaiso (Ind.) Evening Messenger.


The second number of the Lyceum course was given in the Fourth Street M. E. Church last evening before an audience which taxed the capacity of the edifice.  The attraction was the Chicago Lyceum Lady Quartette, composed of the following:  Flora Rau Trein, first soprano; Elizabeth Walker, second soprano; Florence May Hobson, first alto, and Effie C. Palmer, second alto, reader and director.  Each lady was a soloist of unusual merit, while in quartette work their voices were perfectly matched and blended into songs of such entrancing harmony that the audience sat spellbound.  The readings of Effie C. Palmer were incomparable and established a new standard for Moberly audiences, for they had never listened to her like before.  Her selections were sublime, ridiculous, pathetic and just uproariously funny by turns and in each variety she seemed to have found her special effort.  It is said by many that this was the finest vocal entertainment ever given in this city.  It was certainly a rare treat and no one was surprised to learn that the ladies had appeared before more than one thousand audiences of Chautauqua, Lyceum and other courses of entertainment which cater to the refined element of society.  Should this quartette ever visit us again they will be greeted with a record-breaking audience.—
Moberly (Mo.) Democrat.




Comment of the Press

Yesterday was a great music day.  many people took advantage of the opportunity offered to hear a great musical program.  The Lyceum Ladies' Quartette were favorites from the first, but grew more and more in favor with their audience as the program proceeded.  Every available foot of seating space in the great auditorium was taken.  The receipts exceeded $500.—
Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch.


The quartette is wonderfully well balanced, each voice has the individuality and charm of the soloist and is fully capable of filling the great auditorium with melody singly and alone.
Mrs. Palmer is unquestionably the star of the organization and her dramatic gifts make a splendid supplement to her rare contralto voice.  Her voice has somewhat of the power and thrilling quality of a pipe organ and its capacity never seems to be exhausted.  As a reader, not a word is lost to the ear and her art is of the highest dramatic expression.
A selection from Ruth McEnery Stuart's Christmas Guest, Sonny, was one of the most artistic things of the whole program.  Mrs. Palmer is always fascinating.  She has a fine sense of humor and power to portray the deepest pathos.  In everything she does the house goes wild over her.—

Joliet Daily News.


The famous Lyceum Quartette, composed of women appeared at 3 o'clock and rendered a most pleasing musical program, lasting about half an hour.  The quartette is composed of Effie C. Palmer, Flora R. Trein, Elizabeth Walker and Florence M. Hobson.  Effie C. Palmer, who is manager, contralto, and reader of the organization, is an entertainer of rare ability, and greatly pleased the audience with her individual work.  All members of the quartette possess voices of great tone and sweetness, blending perfectly.  Each has her musical talent well developed, forming a combination way above the average.  The Lyceum Ladies sprung into immediate popularity with those present this afternoon, and the future appearances of the quartette on the Chautauqua program will be looked forward to with a great deal of pleasuse.—
Lafuyette, Ind.


Miss Mae Hobson, one of the active members of the Harmonic club, who is now visiting at home after a year's study in Chicago, gave a double number.  It was the first opportunity club members have had this year of hearing her, and her singing was greeted with marked pleasure.  Her voice is a rich, sympathetic contralto of great range and wonderful sweetness.  Miss Hobson's unassuming, charming personality will make her a favorite in concert work, and club members have extended sincere congratulations on her success.  She will join the Lyceum Ladies' Quartette, starting in June to do summer Chautauqua work, followed by concert programs during the winter.—
Clinton (Iowa) Herald.


The entertainment given by the Lyceum Lady Quartette was one of the most enjoyable concerts given here.  Individually the voices are of the best and the quartette work is as near perfection as careful training and experience could make it.  Nearly every number of the program was encored, to which the ladies most liberally responded.  They gave a popular program.—
Winnipeg (Man.) Free Press.


The solo numbers of Flora Rau Trein, Elizabeth Walker, Florence May Hobson, were enthusiastically received.
The versatile Effie C. Palmer, second alto, reader and director, is more than all that implies.  Besides her wonderful voice, she shows a dramatic ability entirely unexpected.  Her recitation of That Old Sweetheart of Mine, to music, won the audience; and when she followed with Don't Fiddle That Tune, most people thought she would surely begin to jig before she got through.  We don't doubt for a minute that she can do it, but probably she realized before it was too late that she was in cultured Kirkwood.  At any rate for her near jig, she was rewarded with such applause that she was compelled to give another—a little coon song—which was done in such a manner as to be beyond the descriptive powers of the sporting editor of a country paper, so we won't attempt it.—

Kirkwood (Mo.) Sentinel.


The soloist with Kryl and his band at the Hippodrome this week is Flora Rau Trein, soprano, a well known Chicago concert singer.  Her rendition of the Aria from Queen of Sheba was beautiful.  She reminds one very much of Alice Nielson, having the same happy manner.  Annie Laurie and the Last Rose of Summer were rendered as encores in a simple, delightful manner.—
Milwaukee Sentinel, April 29, 2907.


The Lyceum Ladies' Quartette gave a most delightful concert last night in the Central Congregational Church before a good-sized and appreciative audience.  The organization is first class in every particular, and their work was so thoroughly enjoyed that nearly everything was encored.  It is safe to say that their quartette work was as fine as anything heard here in this line for years, and should they accept a return date before going south, would crowd any hall in the city.  Their program is entirely of a popular nature, and many of their quartettes were humorous, which of course were most enthusiastically received.  The voices blend beautifully, and in selections like Annie Laurie and Old Black Joe, the pianissimo effects are marvelous.
Effie C. Palmer has a phenomenally low contralto voice, as well as being an elocutionist of strong dramatic ability.  Her dialect work is very clever, and she kept her audience in roars of laughter with her comical selections.  Taking the program as a whole, there was not an uninteresting number on it, and the concert may well be considered a decided success.—

Winnipeg Telegram.


There was nothing more pleasing at the recent Chautauqua than the Lyceum Lady Quartette.  They were here last year, and have given the best of satisfaction both seasons.  They were only engaged during the last Chautauqua for a couple of days, but the audiences were so well satisfied with them that the managers concluded to keep them until the close of the sessions.  Effie Palmer, first alto and musical reader, won the hearts of the people with her songs and readings.  She has a clear, rich voice and knew exactly how to use it.  Time and again was she encored, always responding in her gracious manner and with a sweet smile which captivated the audience.  The Lyceum Quartette will ever be welcome at David City.—
David City (Neb.) Journal.



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