The Dunbar Company: male quartet and bell ringers

              An International Musical Success
Figure

The Dunbar Company



A SLAYTON ATTRACTION




Figure



The Dunbar Company Male Quartet and Bell Ringers





The Dunbars are past 
promoting.
  Their history is their strongest endorsement.  They have given nearly two thousand concerts on tours carrying them more than three hundred thousand miles, far enough to encircle the globe twelve times, to every part of the Union, Canada, Great Britain and the continent, and everywhere great audiences have been charmed with their programs.  Three concerts were given aboard great steamships in midocean.  At least forty-four weeks of each year is given to concerts, with no open nights; the other eight weeks being required for special rehearsals and coaching.  In some of the large courses, they have appeared annually during their seven years of travel, and, in many others, they have appeared again and again with uniform success, and now about 75 per cent of their engagements are returns.  One hundred and twenty different Chautauqua assemblies have heard them and approved, some returning them for the second, third and fourth consecutive year; they often drawing the largest cash receipts of any attraction.  They sing part songs with all finesse of mature men and finished musicians that they are, and they produce comedy in song that is at once original and refreshing.  Most of their music is in manuscript, not published, much of which is composed or arranged by members of the company.  Their equipment is the finest money can buy, their present magnificent carillon of nearly two hundred bells having been made under their personal supervision while abroad.  Besides these, they have another peal nearly as large used for rehearsals.  They have perfected several improvements in bell construction and have placed hand bell ringing among the arts instead of a pleasing specialty.  Ralph Dunbar's 'cello solos have won splendid praise from exacting critics, who hear often the world's greatest 'cellists and are only interested in music in its highest developed forms.  Others, who enjoy a beautiful melody or prefer the simpler expressions from the noble instrument, are equally pleased.  Ralph Dunbar is neither a long-haired 
fad,
 who pretends to abhor everything but Beethoven and Brahms, nor a fiddler of tunes.  He is a splendid artist with an American brain, by the use of which he selects the best of extant 'cello literature and presents it in a pleasing and satisfactory manner.





Figure

Bell!  How canst thou mourn?
How canst thou rejoice?
Thou art but metal dull!
And yet all our sorrowings,
And all our rejoicings
Thou dost feel them all.


Longfellow.




The Dunbar Trio has achieved real success; the combination of flute, 'cello and piano, each in capable hands, having long ago proved its right to a place in the realm of chamber music.  Mr. Harry Dunbar is a success as a presenter of character sketches, his repertoire covering a large variety of subjects in as many dialects.  It has been often said that he 
was the star of the evening,
 but the same phrase has been applied to all the other six features presented in a program.  The vocal soloists are well worthy of the success they have won and every feature presented is a proved one devoid of all amateurisms.  The Dunbars have kept copies of press comments to the amount of about one hundred columns a year.  Many printed are not seen by them.  From the mass, we endeavor to present enough excerpts to fairly represent the concensus of press opinion:




Brockton (Mass.) Daily Enterprise


—No more satisfactory entertainment was ever given at the Commercial club.  They sing so well that staid members not only applauded but cheered.  Ralph Dunbar is a fine 'cellist, and artist worthy of that much abused title.  Harry Dunbar is a gifted impersonator.  Mr. Felgar's voice gave much pleasure and the tenor, Mr. Robinson, deserves mention.  The flute, 'cello and piano trios were received with most generous demonstrations.  The quartette singing was especially notable in Damrosch's 
Danny Deever.
—Jan. 16, 1907.




Cunard (S. S. 
Saxonia
) Daily Bulletin


—The program of the grand concert in the first saloon last night by the famous Dunbar Male Quartet was an elaborate one, everybody declaring it was like the first night at the opera, with a little comedy thrown in.  Mr. Ralph Dunbar is conceded to be master of the 'cello, and songs by Mr. Felgar and Mr. Robinson were received with great applause.—At Sea—May 9, 1906.




Providence (R. I.) Journal


—The entertainment was an excellent one and had great variety, and the audience was the largest of the course.—Jan. 11, 1906.




Lowell (Mass.) Sunday Telegram


—Every seat in the Y. M. C. A. Hall was occupied, chairs placed in every available place, people stood in the vestibules and crowds were turned away.  The beautiful and artistic renditions of charming music on the silver-toned bells was supplemented with solos, 'cello, and flute numbers, monologues and impersonations.  A quartette of versatile genius.—Dec. 8, 1907.




Cortland (N. Y.) Standard


—It is probably no exaggeration to say that the Dunbars are the most versatile company that ever visited Cortland.  There was not a dull moment on their program.  Two numbers they gave last year were all that were repeated and they by request.  Ordinarily it is risky to engage a company for the third year, but not with the Dunbars.—Nov. 27, 1907.




Jackson (Mich.) Morning Patriot


—Probably no entertainment in the course has given such satisfaction as the Dunbars.  Their voices blend beautifully and it seemed that the audience could not get their fill of the delightful music.—April 4, 1906.




London (Can.) Free Press


—Without doubt the best attraction presented this season at the Auditorium.—May 13, 1907.




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St. Thomas (Can.) Times


—The Dunbars are not only accomplished and refined musicians, but entered into the program with a life and vim that kept the audience in splendid humor.  They are gentlemen both on and off the stage.  Their concert was truly a wonderful performance.—Oct. 26, 1907.




Detroit (Mich.) Times


—The company taken collectively and individually is far superior to most attractions of its kind and the entertainment was one of the most interesting.—April 6, 1906.




Canton (O.) Morning News


—The program was received with much favor by the four thousand people in the auditorium.  The bell music charmed the great audience and the other features were equally pleasing.—Dec. 15, 1907.




Wilkesbarre (Pa.) Record


—It was entertainment, pure and simple, and the program varied.  It was all good, but the bell ringing was particularly delightful.—Jan. 24, 1907.




Mansfield (O.) News


—It is difficult to imagine how a more entertaining program could be made up.  The solos of Mr. Felgar and Ralph Dunbar were much enjoyed and the only fault with Harry Dunbar's work is that there was not more of it.—Nov. 7, 1907.




Wilson G. Smith, in Cleveland Press


—Is one of the best companies that visit Cleveland.  The quartet of gentlemen who appeared at the Catholic club concert provided a program of excellent quartet singing, some exceptional musical bell ringing, 'cello, flute and vocal solos, and character sketches.—Jan. 29, 1907.




Saginaw (Mich.) Courier Herald


—The program was so varied there was something to delight every one.  The bell music was the finest ever heard in Saginaw and the 
opera
 was a great hit.—Oct. 30, 1907.




Milwaukee Sentinel


—They gave a most unique and artistic entertainment.—Nov. 20, 1906.




Wausau (Wis.) Daily Record


—From gay to serious, easily spanning without violence the distance from the sublime to the comic, in which an amusing ridiculousness was not wanting, keeping an audience that completely filled the Grand Opera House on a tidal wave of pleasurable expectancy, the Dunbars easily proved themselves masters of an entertainment void of criticism, full of good things and furnishing an aftermath in which refinement, culture and a healthy mentality were striking features.—Oct 19. 1907.




Cumberland (Md.) Evening Times


—The entertainment was the finest of the season.  Every member is an artist and the audience was highly pleased.—Dec. 14, 1905.




London (Eng.) News of the World


—The Dunbars, male quartet and instrumentallists, have just made their first appearance in this country.  Their work is novel and contains sufficient comedy to make it pleasing and fresh.  They have already achieved a remarkable success.—June 3, 1906.




Los Angeles (Cal.) Herald


—The quartet was loudly encored and Ralph Dunbar's 'cello solos were appreciated by the audience, who insisted on more of them.  A reading by Harry Dunbar made a decided impression and he was applauded back to the stage a number of times.—April 6, 1907.




Watertown (N. Y.) Times


—The quartet was remarkably good.—Jan. 17, 1906.


Figure

Always at the Front
 Train delayed four hours by a landslide in Grand Canyon, Colorado

Figure


Traveling in Germany
 but singing in English




Baltimore (Md.) American


—Their program was most pleasing, the 'cello work of Ralph Dunbar being particularly good.—Jan. 23, 1906.




Peru (Ind.) Evening Journal


—Proved one of the most delightful numbers of the series.  Harry Dunbar gave some readings which were excellent, and every one was delighted.—March 31, 1906.




Hopkinsville (Ky.) Kentucky New Era


—One of the best of the popular series.  The best bell ringers ever heard here.  In quartet work they seemed to please best and each time it appeared the reception was most enthusiastic.—May 18, 1907.





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