The American Presidents and Shakespeare
On April 23, 1932, Shakespeare-lovers from around the country flocked to Washington, D.C., to attend the dedication of the handsome new...
America's Musical Life Escalates
How Long? 2 minutes
President Ulysses S. Grant was once said to have known "only two tunes. One is ‘Yankee Doodle,’ and the other isn’t." But the great military hero of the Civil War, General Grant did, in fact, enjoy the music of the Marine Band, which gave concerts regularly on the White House grounds every Saturday during summer and early fall. As America’s musical life escalated throughout the nation, Grant’s successor, Rutherford B. Hayes, brought to the White House at least twenty-five different opera singers, instrumentalists, and choral groups that represented the finest in American cultural tastes of the latter part of the century. One of the outstanding programs of the Hayes period was the performance of the brilliant young coloratura soprano, Marie Selika. With such fine programs as this, President and Mrs. Rutherford Hayes inaugurated the musicale tradition that exists in the White House today.
Landmark Era Performance - 1878:
One of the most outstanding programs of the era was the performance in
the Green Room of the brilliant young African-American coloratura
soprano, Marie Selika, who appears to be the earliest black artist to
have presented a program at the White House. Selika had toured Europe
and had sung for several crowned heads of state. With such fine programs
such as this, President and Mrs. Rutherford Hayes inaugurated the
musicale tradition that exists in the White House today.
Marie ("Selika") Williams.
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