VOCALIST AND JOURNALIST.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2717, 24 January 1910, Page 3

VOCALIST AND JOURNALIST.

MR KENNERLEY RUM-FORD- AND “THE TIMES.” LONDON, Dec. 3. An incident which is exciting great interest in musical circles (writes tlie London correspondent of the “Press”) occurred on Tuesday evening, in the vestibule of the Queen’s Hall, when Mr Kennerley Rumford boxed the ears of Mr Collis, the musical critic of “The Tunes.” Mr Rumford strongly resented the following remarks concerning Madame Clara Butt in Mr Collis’s notice of r. symphony concert in the Queen’s Hall last Saturday:— “No d iibt the apathy of its reception was partly due to the fact that the audience was largely made up of the admirers of Mine. Clara Butt, -who are not generally interested in symphonies or other forms of serious music. Her performance of some of Elgar’s ‘Sea Pictures,’ two songs by Beethoven, with of course, Donizetti s ‘II Segivtto’ as an encore, apparently satisfied them.” It seems that Mr Rumford went to the Queen’s Hall and saw Mr Collis, who admitted that lie was the author. Mr Rumford thereupon expressed strong condemnation of the reference to his wi*le, .which he contended was of a personal character and beyond the bounds of fair musical criticism. The critic replied that if that was the opinion of Mr Rumford his proper course was to- write to tlie editor. Further discussion ensued, and finally Mr Rumlord boxed the critic's ears. The following correspondence has since passed on the subject. Mr Mobcrley Bell, the managing editor of “The Times,” wrote:—“Sir, —We are informed that last night, at the Queen’s Hall, you committed a gross assault upon m -member of our staff, Mr H. D. Collis; on account of some criticism which appeared in ’The Times.’ We are very unwilling that questions connected -with our criticisms should be brought into the Police Court, but unless you tell us you are .prepared to apologise to Mr Collis we cannot refuse to allow him, to adopt this course.” Mr Rumford’.s reply -was us follows: —“&ir, —l should not dream of apologising to Mr H. D. Collis. My wife and 1 take no exception to unfavorable criticism, but your critic's notice was not criticism at all. It was an impertinence on his part. He said that the symphony was badly received by the public because the audience, was composed of admirers of my wife, who were unable to appreciate ami understand serious music. I thoroughly agree with you that it is unfortunate that those matters should be tlie subject of Police Court proceedings. If. sir, you are sincere in the expression of your opinion, the trouble is easily remedied by your instructing your critics to confine themselves in lutuie to criticism and not to persistent and personal abuse. Had such so-called criticism been directed to me I should have treated it with the contempt it deserves, but as it was directed against my -wife and is otic of a series of sustained attacks upon her in your newspaper,. I ain now compelled to take strong measures to put a stop to tlie annoyance. My solicitors are Hilder, Thompson, amt Dunn, 36 Jermyn street, who will accent service on mv behalf.” Mr Rumford left London for Bristol with his wife on Wednesday, and in his absence Mr Boosey, managing director of Messrs Chappell and Co., explained that Mr Rumford nad no ob-jection-whatever to criticism. If “The Times” critic had said that his wife had sung badly he would have taken no notice -whatever of it. What ho complains of is the suggestion - that Madame Clara Butt’s admirers do not appreciate serious music. “But tins is not an isolated instance. Mr Rvinford says that objectionable lot’ces respecting his wife have been appear ng in ‘The Times’ for three or four years. On one occasion the critic said that

she had taken a breath in. the middle of a pTirase—"which was net really a fact—and on another lie had taken exception to the distribution of some of her encore songs' among an ,audience at the Albert Hall.”

[AYo have since been informed by cable that Air Rumford .apologised, and legal .proceedings were abandoned.]