Page:Czecho-Slovak Student Life, Volume 18.djvu/439

both personal and pecuniary, during the war.

We have not mentioned, as yet, the fact that Mr. Oumiroff is accompanied at his recitals by his wife, who appears as Mlle. Ella Správka and is an eminent pianist in her own right. Her playing has greatly added to the popularity of these joint recitals.

Mr. Oumiroff was president of the Czecho-Slovak Colony in France, and is a member of the Artists’ Club of Chicago and of the Association of American Musicians. As has been previously stated, he is also Officier de l’Academie de France. The Czecho-Slovak Government has decorated Mr. Oumiroff with the highest order of the Revolution and he has received governmental decoration from France. Other decorations have been received from the King of Serbia, the King of Spain and the Queen of Italy, Prof. Boža Oumiroff’s studio is located at 510 Fine Arts Building, Chicago, Ill.

Let us go back in spirit to the grand old days when “knighthood was in flower”, and focus our attention upon the workshop of a master craftsman in finely drawn swords of steel. We see the master working there quietly and patiently, though dexterously, at his chosen profession, unnoticed by the world at large. He chooses, pounds, fashions and refashions the product of his skill that is to be sent into the world to win the unstinted admiration of men, with comparatively little or no knowledge of the maker. Much the same story could be told of the Rev. Francis Sindelar, Doctor of Music and musical composer. Father Sindelar was born at Calmar, Iowa, June 2, 1890. He received his primary education at the Catholic school at Calmar. Already then he took up the study of music seriously, taking up piano and violin from a local music teacher, John Thaler, and a rigorous course in harmony from one of the nuns at the school.

It is doubtless here that he made it a part of his nature to work constantly under high pressure, which is to say, efficiently and quickly. In the city a school curriculum with the study of music in nothing unusual. On a large Iowa farm, however, where things are done on a big scale and much help is needed, the “younger set” must naturally do its share. Father Sindelar and his sister, now Therese Halamicek, of Santa Clara, California, and of the American College of Music there, being old enough, had to perform chores every morning and evening.

Now in their study of the piano, practice was imperative and time evidently scarce. Hence nothing remained for the two youthful musicians but to alternate their practice hours weekly, one hour in the morning and one in the evening, the morning practice beginning at five o’clock.

Grammar school finished, we find Father Francis at St. Procopius College in 1907 busily acquiring a higher education and a knowledge of music. He studied both piano and violin under Prof. Joseph Halamicek, who then taught music at the above mentioned institution.

In 1912, as a member of the Benedictine Order, he was placed in charge of the St. Procopius College Orchestra. During that same year he further pursued the study of music at the Cosmopolitan School of Music in Chicago under Mr. Hugh Lauder. During the summer of 1913 he studied organ and voice under Mr. Joseph Wortman, organist of Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago and during the following summer studied voice and church music under Rt. Rev. Leo Manzetti at Baltimore, Md. But it should also be remembered that Father Francis Sindelar, besides these musical studies, was always an active member of the teaching staff at St. Procopius, where for many years he taught Latin in the High School and Hebrew in the Seminary.

During the summer of 1919 he stud-