| Biography | The de Reszke Singers, an American male quartet who performed unaccompanied a wide-ranging repertoire, took their name from Jean de Reszke, an acclaimed Polish operatic tenor who had retired from the stage in 1902.
The quartet members had been the last pupils of de Reszke before his death. The group spent two seasons in England and France before their debut tour of the United States in January 1925. When Rogers's lecture tour began in Elmira, N.Y., on 1 October, the printed programme listed Hardesty Johnson, Floyd Townsley, Erwyn Mutch and Harold Kellogg as members of the group. By the time the tour reached Kansas City, Mo., six weeks later, bass Harold Kellogg, baritone Mutch, and tenors Townsley and Francis Luther made up the quartet. The same four were listed in the tour's programme in November 1926. On other occasions Sigurd Nelson (or Nilssen) was listed as a member. |