Apollo Concert Company

              The Apollo Concert Company

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ABOUT THE APOLLOS

Mssrs. Holmes, Smith and Wells as a Trio



The Apollo Phone



Mssrs. Smith and Homes in a Brass Duet


THE Apollo Concert Company is offered in response to a persistent call from the most experienced and discriminating committees for a company of strictly high-class musicians and entertainers, capable of giving a program of great variety and superior quality.  A careful consideration of the personnel of the company, their long and successful concert experience, the instrumentation (which includes legitimate instruments only) in solos and splendid ensemble work, the vocal selections, readings, etc., will convince the thoughtful committee that the Apollo Concert Co. will attract large audiences and please them greatly.  The press of many of the best Lyceum cities of this country uniformly attest the splendid satisfaction given by their entertainment to crowded houses.

While every member of this great company is noted for the splendid individual work done, the ensemble features of the program are unsurpassed.  This season the company has spent over a thousand dollars for new instruments, and included in these is a new instrument made especially for the Apollos, which they have named the Apollophone.  It embodies all the better qualities of the Xylophone and marimbaphone, retaining the carrying power of the former and the harp-like qualities of the latter.  It was built to order, is sixteen feet long, and has all the musical possibilities of the Steinway Grand Piano.  The best music will be played upon it, and this will be a feature offered by no other Lyceum attraction.

In the Winston-Salem (N. C.) Journal of January 20, 1912, Mr. Stiles Manning Scruggs, formerly of the Chicago Tribune had this to say:—It would be rather difficult for me, if I were on oath, to say just which member of the Apollo Concert Company received the most applause at Salem Memorial Hall last evening, as they each, separately and ensemble, were showered with blossoms of acclaim.

But—firstest, the flute, the mandolin, the guitar, the cornet, the trombone, the banjo, the piano and the saxophones—they all figured in the evening's musical feast, and not an instrument was allowed to retain any of its best notes.  The chime of the church bell, the trills of the mock-bird, the roar of the waterfall, the gentle patter of rain on the roof, the inimitable sweetness of the prattle of the babe and the tenderness of the mother's coo—ah me.  No wonder the audience, great in numbers and intelligent in interpretation, laughed, applauded, enthused and called 'em all back till they must have grown tired walking.

I'm going to just be that kind of a lady, when I grow up, mama, so I am, said one little girl who sat close to me after Miss Spring had responded to a fifth encore, having successively read, recited, sang, mimicked a number of James Whitcomb Riley characters, Then when Mrs. Alta R. Wells played the piano, saxophone and about every other kind of instrument that is made, the little girl, remarked, or that one, mama, sure.  An old man sitting dangerously near the foot-lights forgot that he was out of knee trousers and bless me, if he didn't act like a kid and I believe to my soul he would be there yet, if they hadn't put out the lights and locked the doors.

Now I've mentioned what they played or what they did, or what they did or what they played—I forgot,—oh well, beg pardon, so what is the use of saying more, every member is what Fra Elbertus would call a blown-in-the-bottle artist.  Every member is at all times courteous to the auditors, never forgetting that he or she is an artist and doing his or her best to share the wonderful ability to amuse with the hearer.

And they are just as nice folks to meet, personally, as they are to listen to.  After the entertainment the company held an informal reception and exhibited their beautiful new set of instruments.  Cornet, trombone and quartette of saxophones, all 18k gold and the most elaborate and expensive set of instruments ever produced.

And the audience—come to think of it—was a superb one.  The splendid hall was comfortably filled and my time was taxed to its capacity, believe me, for if I looked at the college girls, and think of it, two full rows of seats were occupied by the prettiest bunch of seniors since Salem college was a college.—(The class of 1908 will please be quiet, most of it is married, anyway.  As for the class of 1910, oh, well, it was pretty as it could be of course.)

But I started to say it was hard to drink in the loveliness in the audience and the harmony and splendor and sweetness of the rostrum, but take it from me—I made my optics do double duty and—but what's the blooming use.  What's the need of saying anything except that I and hundreds of others saw and heard the Apollo Concert Company at Salem Memorial Hall last evening and the event was one that we all fain would have to last as long as the sands of life filtered down to the bottom of the dial.

I congratulate Secretary Smith of the Young Men's Christian Association for booking the Apollo Concert Company, and may I ask him in the language of the Stroller, Are there any more at home like them—to come?




THE APOLLOS are five artists of equal rank and each is deserving of individual mention.  None is starred, but each is a star.  In describing the personnel, the individuals are not taken in order of rank.


MRS. ALTA R. WELLS Piano and Saxophone



MISS COYLA M. SPRING Reader and Soprano


MRS. ALTA R. WELLS is an accomplished pianist, a graduate of the Chicago Musical College, and has had six years' experience in lyceum and concert work.  Her piano accompaniments are one of the strong features of the entertainment.  In addition to her work as accompanist she performs an important part in the saxophone quartet, and in playing the Apollophone.

MISS COYLA M. SPRING as a reader has had successful experience in platform work.  Her ability to interpret the best literature has placed her among readers of highest rank.  She is a graduate of the Chicago Conservatory of Music and Dramatic Art, and followed this with a post graduate course in the American Conservatory of Chicago, and the Elias Day School of Lyceum Arts.  Her reading of the Cup Scene from Ingomar is especially artistic.  She is also very clever in character work and piano-logs.  As a vocalist, Miss Spring is exceptionally gifted.  She possesses a sweet soprano voice and uses it with good effect both in her singing and readings.

MR. ARTHUR WELLS is a cultured musician and worthy of a place among professionals of highest rank, a splendid banjo soloist and saxophone player, an experienced teacher of banjo, mandolin and guitar, and has had twelve full years' experience in lyceum and concert work with The Swiss Bell Ringers, The Asetceam Trio, The Wells-Greenawalt Musical Company, and others.  His banjo playing is a pleasing feature and always elicits an enthusiastic encore.  Music has been his profession for sixteen years and he has entertained in almost every State in the Union and throughout Canada.

MR. CLAY SMITH began his musical career as guitar soloist with the Curtis-Graves Mandolin Club at the World's Fair, Chicago, 1893, and since that date has been steadily engaged in concert work.  He has appeared as soloist with different clubs and orchestras, and he has made such a thorough study of this unusual instrument, that for some time he gave full evening recitals.  In 1895 he took up the study of trombone, under G. Simons and A. F. Weldon (world's greatest teachers of wind instruments).  For the past ten years he has appeared as trombone soloist with many of our best bands and orchestras, notably:  Fourth Regiment Band, during the St. Louis Exposition; Boston-Montana Band; Ben Hur Military Band; Norton's Symphony Orchestra; Ringling Bros.' Band; N. H. D. V. S. Gov. Band and Carl Clair's Concert Band in a tour of the entire U. S., Mexico and Canada.  Mr. Smith now owns and uses the trombone which won first prize at the St. Louis Exposition, for tone, quality and finish.  It is a beautiful instrument of 18k gold.

MR. G. E. HOLMES has had many years of successful concert experience as cornet and flute solist with various concert companies and bands, and for three years was teacher of cornet, trombone, flute, saxophone and harmony.  He is a well known and successful composer of band and orchestra music, having up to the present time more than one hundred compositions published and on the market.  Among his most successful are the following:  The Prospector March, Queen of Flowers Waltzes, Little lone Waltzes, Lights and Shadows Caprice, and Primrose Intermezzo.


MR. ARTHUR WELLS Banjo, Mandolin, Saxophone



MR. CLAY SMITH Trombone, Saxophone, Guitar



MR. G. E. HOLMES Cornet, Saxophone, Flute





A Few Press Notices

Dexter (Mo.) Messenger.
—The Apollo Concert Co., which gave an entertainment at the College Chapel last Saturday evening, is the best combination of musical talent that was ever in Dexter.  The program consisted of solos on banjo, cornet, trombone and saxophone, also quartettes, duets, readings and vocal selections.  The combination gave a very pleasing and attractive program.  A return date will doubtless give them a crowded house.  They are all finished performers.


Milwaukee Daily News.
—The best of the kind that has ever appeared in the city.  That they are all artists, the audience is left no opportunity to doubt after their first selection.  They are proficient on every instrument and were enthusiastically received by the audience.


Adrian (Mich.) Times.
—The music of the Saxophone Quartette was new and novel.  The different tones and musical expressions were brought out with remarkable skill.


Columbus (Ohio) State Journal.
—One of the best companies ever heard here, playing classical music.


Aberdeen (S. Dak.) Daily American.
—Miss Spring was called back again and again in both her vocal selections and readings.  The composure with which she sang song after song when the lights had gone out (the lights failed and the building was in total darkness for several minutes) was greatly appreciated by all.


Atchison (Kans.) Daily Champion.
—As a vocalist and reader, Miss Spring charmed her audience in every number and was a favorite throughout the evening.


Leavenworth (Kans.), The Leavenworth Times.
—The vocal selections and readings by Miss Spring were exceptionally good.  The only fault with her readings was that they were too few.  Miss Spring possesses a splendid personality and has a very finely cultivated soprano voice.


Auburn (N. Y.) Argus.
—The Apollo Concert Co. gave a very delightful entertainment last night in the R. R. Y. M. C. A. hall.  A most interesting program was given, which consisted of solos, saxophone selections, readings and vocal solos.


Lynn (Mass.) Item.
—Lovers of music were entertained Thursday evening at the Y. M. C. A. hall.  The entertainment was furnished by the Apollo Concert Co.  Long before time for the entertainment to begin the capacity of the hall had been reached and extra chairs were brought and placed in the aisles, but there was still a large number who were not able to gain admittance.  The work of the Apollos as entertainers has rarely been excelled in this city.


Tallahassee (Fla.) Daily Capital.
—The Apollo Concert Co. gave an excellent performance at the opera house last night.  Standing room was at a premium.  The large audience was highly pleased with what was considered one of the most interesting and enjoyable entertainments ever given in Tallahasse, and the event was a grand success from every standpoint.


Mansfield (Ohio) Daily Shield.
—The most pleasing number on the program was the playing of Dvorak's Humoresque on the banjo by Arthur Wells.  After this number he was forced to respond to two encores.


Danville (Iowa) Enterprise.
—Mr. Holmes as cornetist and flutist made many friends among the lovers of those instruments.  It was found our home band is using many of his compositions.


Chicago (Ill.) Lyceumite.
—The artistic number of the program was Clay Smith's trombone solo, The Rosary, which was phrased faultlessly, and was one of the musical gems of the week.


Tampa (Fla.) Daily Herald.
—The efforts of Mrs. Wells in the role of accompanist were enjoyed as much as any single feature of the program.


Superior (Wis.) Telegram.
—Mr. G. E. Holmes is a composer of wide reputation.  His work last evening as cornet soloist was among the best.


Conneaut (Ohio) News Herald.
—Among the numbers that greatly delighted was the trombone solo Pleiades, played by Clay Smith, who thoroughly enraptured his audience.


New Orleans (La.) Daily Picayune.
—Arthur Wells proved an expert in playing the banjo.


Grand Rapids (Mich.) Evening Press.
—Mrs. Alta Wells, the piano accompanist, took the lead in artistic merit.  Although, as usual, with accompanists, her work could not draw forth the acknowledgment it deserved.


Burlington (Vt.) Free Press.
—Mrs. Alta R. Wells, as piano accompanist, has mastery of her art.


Waynesburg (Pa.) Times.
—Mr. Holmes is a composer of national reputation as well as a great performer.


London (Ont.) Free Press.
—Arthur Wells, in his banjo solo, gave evidence that he is master of the instrument he played.


Bayard (Ia.) Advocate.
—We considered Mr. Smith, the trombonist, the best.


Winnipeg (Canada) Manitoba Free Press.
—One of the best combinations seen at the Dominion Theatre was the Apollos.  They play numbers of instruments and all well.


Rockford (Ill.) Register.
—The Lyceum Course was given a great send-off last evening when the Apollo Concert Company gave one of the highest class musical entertainments ever listened to by Rockford audience.


Boise (Idaho) Statesman.
—It was S. R. O. at the Pinney Theatre last evening again on the occasion of the second concert of the Apollo Concert Company.  The Apollos gave a program entirely different from the evening before.  One of the exceptionally fine numbers was Light Cavalry Overture by Suppe, played on the Saxophones.  This number was considered by musical critics the best of its kind Boise has ever heard.


Richmond (Ind.) Palladium.
—The famous musical organization known as the Apollo Concert Company was the attraction last evening.  They had the largest evening audience of the week, and the repeated encores and cordial applause greeting each number testified to the pleasure of the auditors.  This company is one of the best known companies on the Lyceum and Chautauqua platform, having the same personnel for the past nine years.


Burlington (Iowa) Hawkeye.
—Last evening a full concert was given by the most excellent organization the Chautauqua patrons have had the pleasure of hearing this season.  There is no doubt but that the Apollo Concert Company represents the best in music and are interpreters of rare ability.


Lamar (Mo.) Republican.
—The Saxophone Quartette brought down the house.


Chesley (Ont.) Enterprise.
—The concert given by the Apollo Concert Company under the auspices of the band attracted a large audience to the auditorium Saturday night.  The general verdict upon the entertainment, quoted tersely, may be taken as the best yet, and our band are to be heartily congratulated upon their engagement of so splendid a combination.

The Apollos use and recommend the celebrated Buescher True-Tone instruments

EXCLUSIVE MANAGEMENT THE COIT LYCEUM BUREAU ARTHUR C. COTT, President LOUIS J. ALBER, Gen'l Mgr. CLEVELAND




The Apollo Concert Company

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