G. SCHIRMER'S COLLECTION OF ORATORIOS AND CANTATAS

   "SAINT PAUL"
   An Oratorio
   Words from the Bible

   Music by Felix Mendelssohn

   Vocal Score
   The Pianoforte Accompaniment arranged by The Composer

   New York

I am intrigued by this score I picked up years ago.  There is no date
anywhere that I can find, but the soft cover looks very much like a William
Morris type of pattern, printed in black with the type in red ink.  This,
plus its relatively good condition could imply that it is from the first
few decades of the 1900s.  Inside at the end of the index I find that it
was printed at "Burr Printing House, Frankfort and Jacobs Streets, N.Y."

The presumably original owner was a "Bailey (I) (T) Sheppard", who got
it "from Mr.  Potter".  It eventually ended up in the hands of "B.  A.
Little", apparently a bass who sang the role of Paul (he wrote in blue
pencil:  "Bass Enter p.  60".  One can also see the blue markings
everywhere Paul sings.

I'm not sure why I am telling you all this, except that I am fascinated by
this little book.  If I were a film maker or a novelist I would construct
a rich chain of connections and lives around it.  If I were a private
investigator I would find out who this Mr.  Potter was (a voice teacher?)
who gave this score to Bailey Sheppard -- perhaps his best student, who was
sufficiently grateful to write its provenance on the cover.  I would
investigate how the score ended up in the possession of B.  A.  Little --
and who HE was...  An amateur singer with a local art association, who
during the day sold leather goods...  Where? In New York? in Cleveland?
Perhaps it was lost on the road to Damascus by a musical pilgrim...

OK.  If you've read this far, perhaps you can help me piece the story
together.  Even if it's not true, ultimately, perhaps it could be -- or
should be.  Maybe you know when these scores were published.  Maybe you
know who one of the protagonists was...

Miguel Muelle
[log in to unmask]
http://mmuelle.home.mindspring.com