Chicago Choristers

Thirty years ago a baseball team made up of employes from Marshall Field's, No.1 Chicago department store, wound up its season with a deficit. Great was the stew among Marshall Fielders until William Burnell Towsley came forth with a suggestion. Mr. Towsley liked to exercise his resounding bass voice. He knew other Marshall Field employes who sang, suggested a Marshall Field Choral Society which might give a concert, raise funds to clear another baseball season. The Marshall Field baseball team has long been forgotten. The Marshall Field & Company Choral Society gave its 30th annual concert last week as an established musical organization.

Scene was the big Chicago Auditorium with some 200 Marshall Fielders massed on the stage. Fifty-four Chicago Symphony men were there as assistants. At Edgar Nelson conducted, got the concert off to a rousing start with the Hail Abode from Tannhaueser. Second half of the program was devoted to a concert arrangement of Cavalleria Rusticana in which the Chorus outshone Helen Jepsor of the Metropolitan Opera, whose voice was too pallid for the big dramatic aria. She made her chief impression with her shimmering blonde hair, her tight-fitting green gown, the way she made her exit blowing kisses to the storehands.

Marshall Field shoppers recognized William Burnell Towsley as the genial first-floor manager of the Wabash building where he directs customers to leather goods, stationery and jewelry. Founder Towsley is one of the Choral Society's seven charter members. With him from the start have been four other bassos: Charles Hanneman,a salesman in the "Store for Men" Edward Katschke in the candy stock room; Monroe A. Munson, retired this year from the rug department ; Howard E. Snyder, too old now for the shipping room. Two charter sopranos have kept pace with the oldtime bassos. Sarah J. Grimes still sells hats, Anna E. Bolton was retired lately from the china department. Missing at last week's performance was Tenor Carl Kjellberg, the Chorus librarian who works in the supply room. So excited was he about the concert that he had a stroke just before the curtain rose, had to be hospitalized. While there he received a letter from Founder Towsley, who makes a practice of writing to every chorister who is ill. Many of his singers have better voices than jobs in the store.

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