View source for Kimsey, Lora Orth (piano)

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This page presents a biography of the pianist '''Lora Orth Kimsey''', one of four artists who recorded for the [[Chicago Gramophone Society]].

It is part of the site [[Classical 'Society' Records by Nick Morgan]].

Kimsey's career diverged markedly from those of the Society's other artists: after a brief, early foray into the classical recital and teaching markets, she devoted two decades to accompanying her first husband, an evangelical song-leader, at religious and other events, in broadcasts, and on the Lyceum and Chautauqua circuits.

Almost nothing is known of Kimsey's career and life after the late 1930s.

For dates of creation and latest update, please see 'Page information' in left sidebar.

==Life==
'''Born''' Lora Jean Orth, 26 June 1893, <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plattsmouth,_Nebraska Plattsmouth]</span>, Nebraska, USA<ref>Biographical data retrieved from birth, death, census, travel and other documents, accessed via <span class="plainlinks">ancestry.com</span>, except where noted</ref>

'''Married''' November 1917, to Howard Wade Kimsey, <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis St. Louis]</span>, Missouri<ref>Bingham, Ralph <span class="plainlinks">[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015079986579&view=1up&seq=61 'The Spotlight']</span>, ''The Lyceum Magazine'', Vol.XXIX No.2, July 1919, p.37, which supplies only the location of the Kimseys' marriage, not the date; the date shown is that found in 'Army Song Leader Well Known Is [sic] Macon County', ''The Macon Republican'' [Macon, Missouri], Friday 14 March 1919, p.[2], although it differs by two months from that found in Johnston, Carrie Polk & McGlumphy, W.H.S. ''History of Clinton and Caldwell Counties, Missouri'', Topeka – Indianapolis: Historical Publishing Co., 1923, p.<span class="plainlinks">[https://archive.org/details/historyofclinton00john/page/510/mode/1up 510]</span>, which states, 'Howard Wade [Kimsey] [...] was married to Miss Lora Jean Orth of Spencer, Ia., January, 1918'; my thanks to a distant cousin of Lora Orth Kimsey for alerting me to the reference in ''The Lyceum Magazine''; private e-mail, 6 May 2021</ref>

'''Divorced''' October 1939, California<ref>'Divorces Granted', ''The Los Angeles Times'', Wednesday 25 October 1939, p.13</ref>

'''Married''' 31 July 1958, to George Stanley Hill, <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino,_California San Bernardino]</span>, California

'''Died''' 30 April 1967, <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarksville,_Arkansas Clarksville]</span>, Arkansas<ref>I am most grateful to the cousin of Mrs. Hill (Lora Orth Kimsey) for forwarding the latter's Arkansas State Department of Health Certificate of Death, retrieved from <span class="plainlinks">ancestry.com</span>, where it had long eluded me; private e-mail, 26 March 2021</ref>

==Studies==
Lora Jean Orth was one of two musical daughters of Edward M. Orth (1862-1931), a travelling salesman of jewellery and novelties,<ref>'The Final Curtain', ''The Billboard'', Vol.43 No.19, 9 May 1931, p.66</ref> and Sally Frances, née Rarick (1872-1940). Her younger sister was the violinist Buda Beverly Orth (later Dorsey, then Carew) (1895-1980).

Lora Orth grew up in <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spencer,_Iowa Spencer]</span>, Iowa, where the 1910 US Federal Census noted her occupation, at age 16, as 'Organist', 'In Church'; whether she had left school is not stated.

She attended <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake_University Drake University]</span> in <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Des_Moines,_Iowa Des Moines]</span>, Iowa, where she studied with Dutch-born <span class="plainlinks">[https://archive.org/stream/drakeuniversi415drak#page/8/mode/1up/ Marie van Aaken]</span> (1881-1971),<ref>'News of Musical Circles of Des Moines and a Glance Outside', ''The Register and Leader'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Sunday 31 March 1912, p.8</ref> professor of piano at the Drake University Conservatory and herself a pupil of <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teresa_Carre%C3%B1o Teresa Carreño]</span>.<ref>Born in Rotterdam on 21 March 1881, Maria Catharina Johanna van Aaken was the daughter of <span class="plainlinks">[https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Karel_Gerardus_van_Aaken George Karel Gerardus van Aaken]</span>, a military bandmaster, conductor and composer, see <span class="plainlinks">[https://www.wiewaswie.nl/personen-zoeken/zoeken/document/srcid/071009383#007 Bevolkingsregister met George Karel Gerardus van Aaken]</span>, www.wiewaswie.nl (NB another <span class="plainlinks">[https://studiezaal.nijmegen.nl/detail.php?id=2278923700 registry entry]</span>, giving her date of birth as 21 March 1841, is clearly a scribal error); in 1905 she moved to the USA, teaching first at <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwestern_University Southwestern University]</span> in <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgetown,_Texas Georgetown]</span>, Texas, see 'Miss Larmer's Guests', ''The Albany Ledger'' [Albany, Missouri], Friday 1 September 1905, p.[1], and 'Local and Personal', ''The Albany Capital'' [Albany, Missouri], Thursday 7  September 1905, p.[5]; from 1907 at Drake University, see 'Holland Pianiste Coming', ''The Register and Leader'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Saturday 31 August 1907, p.10; and from 1919 as Dean of music at <span class="plainlinks">[https://www.shorter.edu/ Shorter College]</span> in <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome,_Georgia Rome]</span>, Georgia, see 'Misses Marie and Georgine van Aaken to Summer in Europe', in 'Society and Clubs', ''The Des Moines Register'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Friday 25 April 1919, p.7. Her life and career are well documented in US newspapers until her marriage in 1922 to Dr. Pieter Kooiman of New York City, see 'Past Events', ''The Evening Tribune'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Thursday 6 April 1922, p.15; thereafter, she appears to have given up teaching and professional performing, and she died on 31 March 1971 in <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ridgewood,_New_Jersey Ridgewood]</span>, New Jersey, see 'Mrs. Marie Kooiman', ''The Evening News'' [Paterson, New Jersey], Friday 19 March 1971, p.43. On her studies with Carreño, see e.g. <span class="plainlinks">[https://archive.org/stream/TheMidwesternVolume4/TheMidwesternVol.4#page/n160/mode/1up/ 'The van Aaken Sisters']</span>, ''The Midwestern'', Vol.IV No.3, November 1909, p.[48], and 'Drake University Conservatory of Music' (advertisement), ''The Register and Leader'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Thursday 30 December 1909, p.10</ref>

Lora Orth's studies at Drake ended in early 1913; she had apparently graduated, though no official announcement has been located. In February, the University's campus newspaper <span class="plainlinks">[http://ddr.lib.drake.edu/digital/collection/p15183coll1/id/38920/ reported]</span>,
 'Miss Lora Orth who has been student in piano under Miss Marie van Aaken left Wednesday for her home at Spencer, Ia. Friday she goes to Chicago to resume her music in the Cosmopolitan School of Music.'<ref><span class="plainlinks">[http://ddr.lib.drake.edu/digital/collection/p15183coll1/id/38920/ 'Society']</span>, ''Drake Daily Delphic'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Friday 21 February 1913, p.3</ref>
It seems likely this meant that, in Chicago, Lora Orth would be 'resuming' studies started at Drake; there is no evidence she had previously attended the Cosmopolitan School of Music and Dramatic Art, which had opened on 10 September 1906 in Chicago's <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auditorium_Building_(Chicago) Auditorium Building]</span>.<ref>'Cosmopolitan School of Music and Dramatic Art' (advertorial), ''Chicago Sunday Tribune'', 2 September 1906, p.8</ref> It also seems she did not enrol immediately. From March to May 1913, Lora Orth was in South Dakota (see [[#Rapid City|below]]); but for the following two years, she appears in no press sources consulted for this page, and could well have been studying in Chicago. Unfortunately, this cannot be confirmed. The Cosmopolitan School published 'catalogs' or directories for the academic years 1913-14 and 1914-15; these list no students, only instructors.<ref>I am indebted to staff members of Research and Information Services, <span class="plainlinks">[https://www.library.illinois.edu/ University Library]</span>, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who kindly checked the Library's copies of these catalogues: personal e-mail, 6 June 2018</ref> The Cosmopolitan School closed in the 1960s; the whereabouts of its archives, if any survive, are unknown, and no other mention of Lora Orth as an alumna of the School has been uncovered.

Little more is known about her last documented academic course of study. The <span class="plainlinks">[https://archive.org/stream/catalogue191213191819nebr#page/n812/mode/1up ''Annual Catalog 1917-18'']</span> of <span class="plainlinks">[https://www.nebrwesleyan.edu/ Nebraska Wesleyan University]</span>, in the state capital <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln,_Nebraska Lincoln]</span>, <span class="plainlinks">[https://archive.org/stream/catalogue191213191819nebr#page/n962/mode/1up/ lists]</span> Lora Jean Orth among students enrolled in NWU's Conservatory of Music. Perhaps, feeling her studies had been adversely affected by her early professional activities and War work (see [[#Career|below]]), she needed a refresher - or a qualification, if she had not already obtained one. The Conservatory's Director, and Head of its Piano Department, was Carl Beutel (1881-1959), but whether she studied with him is not known.<ref>Alabaster, F.A. (ed.) ''Bulletin of the Nebraska Wesleyan University, Series XVII, Number 4: Annual Catalog 1917-1918'', April 1918, p.<span class="plainlinks">[https://archive.org/stream/catalogue191213191819nebr#page/n824/mode/1up 11]</span> (Beutel), p.<span class="plainlinks">[https://archive.org/stream/catalogue191213191819nebr#page/n962/mode/1up/ 149]</span> (Orth)</ref> 

In 1921, Lora Orth, now married and recently settled in [[#New York City|New York City]], was reported to be receiving musical instruction,<ref>High, Fred 'Chautauqua Department', ''The Billboard'', Vol.33 No.28, 9 July 1921, pp.42-43; 'Back To New York', ''The Lathrop Optimist'' [Lathrop, Missouri], Thursday 8 September 1921, p.8</ref> possibly private lessons; no further details have been ascertained.

==Career==
If Lora Orth played the organ in church in her childhood home of Spencer, Iowa, it was probably for services, but no press reports have been located which mention her in this capacity at this period.

===Des Moines===
By 1911, Lora Orth was playing the piano in public in Des Moines.<ref>Earliest notice found: 'Society', ''Des Moines Evening Tribune'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Friday 8 December 1911, p.9</ref> At student recitals, she programmed well-known concert pieces (see [[#Repertoire|below]]) which she would have little opportunity to play in [[#New York City|her later career]].<ref>e.g. <span class="plainlinks">[http://ddr.lib.drake.edu/digital/collection/p15183coll1/id/31771/ 'Remarks about the Music Department']</span>, ''Drake Daily Delphic'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Tuesday 3 April 1912, p.6; <span class="plainlinks">[http://ddr.lib.drake.edu/digital/collection/p15183coll1/id/38735/ 'Amateur Musical Club To Meet Wednesday']</span>, ibid., Saturday 18 January 1913, p.7</ref> She also performed, presumably as a paid freelance soloist, at a hospital, for a mothers' club, the Des Moines Literary Club, and at the city's <span class="plainlinks">[http://collguides.lib.uiowa.edu/?IWA0167 YWCA]</span>.<ref><span class="plainlinks">[http://ddr.lib.drake.edu/digital/collection/p15183coll1/id/32270/ 'Two Conservatory Students Play At Methodist Hospital']</span>, ''Drake Daily Delphic'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Saturday 28 September 1912, p.4; 'Social Calendar For Week', ''The Register and Leader'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Sunday 17 December 1911, Society and Clubs section, p.1; <span class="plainlinks">[http://ddr.lib.drake.edu/digital/collection/p15183coll1/id/32630/ 'Four Conservatory Students Appear Before The Des Moines Literary Club']</span>, ''Drake Daily Delphic'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Wednesday 4 December 1912, p.2; <span class="plainlinks">[http://ddr.lib.drake.edu/digital/collection/p15183coll1/id/32518/ 'Society']</span>, ibid., Tuesday 12 November 1912, p.7</ref> At a musicale held in December 1911 by the Abigail Adams chapter of the <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daughters_of_the_American_Revolution Daughters of the American Revolution]</span>, the Des Moines Women's Orchestra performed under Emily Ritchey;<ref>The Orchestra's conductor appears in contemporary press notices under a bewildering variety of names, including Miss Richey, Miss Emma Richie, Emelie Ritchie, Mrs. Emma A. Richty [sic], and Emma A. Ritchey, possibly the 'correct' form; her life and career have not been investigated for this page</ref> Lora Orth accompanied a singer and a violinist, and perhaps joined the Orchestra in 'The Swan' from Saint-Saëns' <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Carnival_of_the_Animals ''Carnival of the Animals'']</span>.<ref>'Society', ''Des Moines Evening Tribune'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Saturday 9 December 1911, p.5; 'Abigail Adams Musicale', ''The Register and Leader'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Tuesday 12 December 1911, p.5</ref> More than once, she accompanied school and amateur vocal ensembles directed by Frances Wright, supervisor of music for Des Moines' public schools.<ref>'Society Clubs Music', ''The Register and Leader'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Tuesday 28 May 1912, p.7; 'Music Programme for Baccalaureate', in 'Social Calendar for Week', ibid., Sunday 2 June 1912, Society and Clubs, Music, Features section, p.3</ref>

===Rapid City===
If Lora Orth did enrol in Chicago's Cosmopolitan School, it was after a brief sojourn in <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_City,_South_Dakota Rapid City]</span>, South Dakota.<ref>In Rapid City, Lora Orth stayed with a family, the Royses, whose connection and relationship to her, if any, are unknown; see 'The Hospital Guild', ''The Black Hills Weekly Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota], Friday 14 March 1913, p.3</ref> Her presence is first suggested in a notice of a performance by one Laura Orth at a women's club meeting in early March 1913,<ref>'Fortnightly Club', ''Rapid City Daily Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota], Tuesday 11 March 1913, p.8</ref> and then confirmed in notices of a benefit concert for the Methodist youth <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epworth_League Epworth League]</span>, which billed her as Miss Lora Orth, of Drake University, Des Moines, playing works by Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff and Smetana, among other composers.<ref>'Epworth League Gives Concert At Methodist Church This Evening', ''Rapid City Daily Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota], Friday 14 March 1913, p.8</ref> Her performances challenged one local reviewer's preconceptions of female pianists' abilities:
 'she is a marvel. She plays with unusual power for a lady, and in addition has the delicacy of touch required to make the softest of tones. One distinguishes the rollicking waves and the gentlest breath of air, all coming at will from the tips of her fingers.'<ref>'Charming Program Methodist Church', ''Rapid City Daily Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota], Tuesday 18 March 1913, p.2</ref>
The following week, she again played for two Rapid City women's societies, at whose regular meetings papers were read and music enjoyed. On Tuesday 18 March 1913,
 'the Music department of the Fortnightly Club met with Mrs. Robert Burton. Papers were given by Mrs. W.M. Cox and Miss Ruth Brennan and vocal solos by Mrs. Stannard. Mrs. Vincent had [i.e. reported on?] the current events. Miss Lora Orth, of Drake University, Des Moines, Ia., was present and gave piano solos. She is a forceful player, and delighted her hearers with her beautiful music.'<ref>'Current Events and Fortnightly Give Fine Program', ''The Black Hills Weekly Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota], Friday 21 March 1913, p.6</ref>
On Friday 21 March,
 'at the home of Mrs. W.M. Dodge was held a splendid meeting of the Current Events Club. China was the subject, and the papers read showed much thought, study and general knowledge upon the present situation over in that new republic. [...] "The Present Situation" was given in a very comprehensive paper by Miss Coffin. She was decidedly optimistic in her deductions. Miss Orth gave two beautiful selections on the piano.'<ref>'Conditions In China Subject Discussed', ''Rapid City Daily Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota], Sunday 23 March 1913, p.5</ref>
By the following week, the new arrival had been persuaded to prolong her stay:
 'Miss Lora Orth has consented to remain in Rapid City and give piano lessons. She will have her studio over Pennington county bank.'<ref>'Piano Lessons', ''Rapid City Daily Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota], Tuesday 1 April 1913, p.8</ref><br />
 'Elsewhere is a notice stating that Miss Lora Orth will give piano lessons. Miss Orth is an artist, and Rapid City is fortunate in securing her.'<ref>'Elsewhere is a notice [...], ''Rapid City Daily Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota], Thursday 27 March 1913, p.8</ref>
In April 1913, Orth played at a charity bazaar and Woman's Christian Temperance Union mothers' meeting;<ref>'Bazaar Friday Fraternity Hall', ''Rapid City Daily Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota], Thursday 3 April 1913, p.8; 'W.C.T.U. Mothers’ Meeting', ibid., Sunday 20 April 1913, p.8</ref> in May, she again played for the women's clubs;<ref>'Current Events Club Meets At Mrs. M'Gee's And Dr. O'Harra Speaks', ''Rapid City Daily Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota], Thursday 8 May 1913, p.8; 'Music Department Fortnightly Club Give Fine Program', ibid., Thursday 8 May 1913, p.8</ref> and in June, she entertained volunteer workers at a charitable sewing bee for a local hospital, and performed solos at a six-day 'teacher's institute' (a successor to the short-lived 'teachers' Lyceums' of the early nineteenth century).<ref>'Mrs. Duhamel and Her Neighbors Sew for the Hospital', ''The Black Hills Weekly Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota], Friday 20 June 1913, p.6; McKone, W.J. 'Institute Lectures [sic] Pays Compliments to County Teachers' (letter), ibid., Friday 27 June 1913, p.[1]'Institute Subjects Interest Teachers', ''Rapid City Daily Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota], Thursday 19 June 1913, p.8; </ref> Unfortunately, press notices list no works performed at these events, except for a memorial meeting of local <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Association_of_Rebekah_Assemblies Rebekahs]</span> and <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_Order_of_Odd_Fellows Odd Fellows]</span>, at which Orth played a prelude by Rachmaninoff.<ref>'Odd Fellows And Rebekahs Hold Impressive Memorial Services For Dead Members', ''Rapid City Daily Journal'' Thursday 22 May 1913, pp.[1], 2</ref> Other appearances were covered in more detail, notably her only documented organ recital in Rapid City, given at the Presbyterian Church on 16 May 1913; the programme consisted of pieces by Ernest W. Barnard(?), <span class="plainlinks">[https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89douard_Batiste Edouard Batiste]</span>, <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Gounod Charles Gounod]</span>, Heinrich Hoffmann(?) and <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Th%C3%A9odore_Salom%C3%A9 Théodore Salomé]</span>, alongside songs and poems.<ref>'Program For Organ Recital This Evening Covers Wide Range', ''The Black Hills Weekly Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota], Wednesday 14 May 1913, p.6; 'Current Events and Fortnightly Give Fine Program', ibid., Friday 21 March 1913, p.6</ref> The previous month, Nellie Chase, who read the poems at the organ recital, had staged Humperdinck's opera <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hansel_and_Gretel_(opera) ''Hänsel und Gretel'']</span> in neighbouring <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadwood,_South_Dakota Deadwood]</span>, with Lora Orth and a Rapid City violinist accompanying the action on stage, as well as performing selections from the opera as a prelude and interludes.<ref>'Fairy Play of Hansel and Gretel', ''Deadwood Daily Pioneer-Times'' [Deadwood, South Dakota], Wednesday 23 April 1913, p.[4]; 'Beauty Features Of Hansel And Gretel', ibid., Friday 25 April 1913, p.[4]</ref>

After two months, mentions of Lora Orth in South Dakota newspapers suddenly cease, without explanation, and for almost two years she appears in no sources consulted for this page. Perhaps, as planned, she was studying at the Cosmopolitan School in Chicago. In March 1915, she suddenly resurfaces as the pianist of a touring concert party founded by the singer who would become her husband.

===Lyceum and Chautauqua===
Howard Wade Kimsey (1887-1975) was the son of a doctor, druggist and one-time Methodist <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circuit_rider_(religious) circuit rider]</span>.<ref>Johnston, Carrie Polk and McGlumphy, W.H.S. ''History of Clinton and Caldwell Counties, Missouri'', Topeka and Indianapolis: Historical Publishing Co., 1923, pp.<span class="plainlinks">[https://archive.org/details/historyofclinton00john/page/509/mode/1up 510]</span>-11</ref> At 18, Kimsey's bass voice won him a scholarship to Drake University.<ref>'Possesses A Consecrated Bass Voice', ''The Council Grove Guard'' [Council Grove, Kansas], Friday 8 November 1912, p.[1]; 'Howard Kimsey Has Interesting Career As Speaker, Singer', ''The Daily Journal'' [Jacksonville, Illinois], Friday 18 January 1935, p.4</ref> Two years later, he was singing professionally on the <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyceum_movement Lyceum]</span> and <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chautauqua#Circuit_Chautauquas Chautauqua]</span> circuits;<ref>'Brief Mention', ''The Red Cloud Chief'' [Red Cloud, Nebraska], Friday 26 July 1907, p.[4]</ref> but around 1911, in his mid-twenties, he briefly resumed singing studies at Drake, where he was a member of the Glee Club, Handel Choir and <span class="plainlinks">[http://drakeapedia.cowleswiki.drake.edu/Howard%20Hall Howard Hall]</span> male vocal quartet, and sang as a soloist in the University Church.<ref><span class="plainlinks">[http://ddr.lib.drake.edu/digital/collection/p15183coll1/id/32487/ 'H.W. Kimsey Will Travel With Evangelistic Company']</span>, ''Drake Daily Delphic'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Thursday 7 November 1912, p.3; McLaughlin, Lillian 'N.Y. Mission Chief Stops In For a Visit', ''Des Moines Tribune'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Friday 8 December 1950, p.19</ref> He and Lora Orth met at Drake; in February 1912, she performed at a university music club meeting, at which Howard Kimsey took part in a 'humorous discussion', speaking against the motion 'That Music Hath Charms to Soothe the Savage Beast [sic]'.<ref><span class="plainlinks">[http://ddr.lib.drake.edu/digital/collection/p15183coll1/id/31418/ 'Regular Meeting Of Amateur Musical Club To Be Wednesday Night']</span>, ''Drake Daily Delphic'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Tuesday 6 February 1912, p.4</ref>

In late 1912, Kimsey left Drake to become a travelling evangelist, possibly under the influence of his brother Rolla Warren Kimsey (1888-1982).<ref><span class="plainlinks">[http://ddr.lib.drake.edu/digital/collection/p15183coll1/id/31151/ 'Society']</span>, ''Drake Daily Delphic'' [Des Moines, Iowa],Saturday 13 January 1912, p.6; <span class="plainlinks">[http://ddr.lib.drake.edu/digital/collection/p15183coll1/id/32487/ 'H.W. Kimsey Will Travel With Evangelistic Company']</span>, ibid., Thursday 7 November 1912, p.3</ref> In 1914, he again changed direction, forming his own Howard Wade Kimsey Concert Party,<ref>'Congregational Announcements', ''The Sabetha Herald'' [Sabetha, Kansas], Thursday 25 June 1914, p.3</ref> and by the end of the year was touring the (roughly) mid-western concert, Lyceum and Chautauqua circuits.<ref>Earliest notice of concert performance found: 'The entertainment given by the Howard Wade Kimsey Concert Party [...]', ''The Lathrop Optimist'' [Lathrop, Missouri], Thursday 17 December 1914, p.1<br />Earliest notice of Lyceum activity found: 'The Continental Lyceum Bureau Of Louisville Presents the Howard Wade Kimsey Concert Party [...]' (advertisement), ''Hayti Herald'' [Hayti, Missouri], Thursday 20 May 1915, p.[1]<br />Earliest notice of Chautauqua activity found: 'Miss Leonore Shinn signed a contract Saturday [...] ', ''The Olathe Mirror'' [Olathe, Kansas], 10 June 1915, p.3</ref> At some point, Kimsey engaged Lora Orth as the Party's pianist. The earliest known mention of her in this capacity is in a press notice of a forthcoming appearance by the Party in March 1915:
 'Miss Lora Orth is a pianiste of rare ability. Her rendition of the difficult "Hungarian Rhapsody", by Franz Liszt, demonstrated her talent and captivated her audience so that they demanded an encore. Her accompaniments for the other musical numbers were much appreciated.'<ref>[Title unknown], ''Brighton News'' [Brighton, Illinois], date unknown, quoted in 'Concert Party', ''The Commercial'' [Union City, Tennessee], Friday 26 March 1915, p.[6]</ref>
As the paper acknowledged, the above was quoted from an earlier press notice;<ref>The same notice has been found quoted in:
*'Lora Orth', ''The Boonville Standard'' [Boonville, Indiana], Friday 7 May 1915, p.[5]
*'Miss Lora Orth Pianiste', ''The Bloomfield Vindicator'' [Bloomfield, Missouri], Friday 21 April 1916, p.[4]
*'The Howard Wade Kimsey Concert Party' (advertisement), ''The Kosciusko Herald'' [Kosciusko, Mississippi], Friday 23 March 1917, p.1
The presence of the phrase 'rare ability' in other notices, e.g. 'Concert Company Coming', ''The Culver Citizen'' [Culver, Indiana], Thursday 25 January 1917, p.1, and 'Last Lyceum Attraction Tonight', ''The Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle'' [Clarksville, Tennessee], Thursday 19 April 1917, p.[1], suggest that these too are based on press material supplied by the Howard Wade Kimsey Concert Party</ref>
the date of the earlier appearance, in <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brighton,_Illinois Brighton]</span>, Illinois, is not known, so that the forthcoming performance, on 31 March 1915 in <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_City,_Tennessee Union City]</span>, Tennessee, is her earliest dated performance with the Party.

The Howard Wade Kimsey Concert Party varied in size from three to five; besides Kimsey and Lora Orth, other regulars were Leonora Shinn (1894-1942), reader, singer, and whistler,<ref>'Miss Leonore Shinn signed a contract [...]', ''The Olathe Mirror'', Thursday 10 June 1915, p.3; 'Miss Leonore Shinn is now in Chautauqua work [...] ', ibid., Thursday 29 June 1916, p.4<br />(NB Shinn was often named Leonore in press notices but she was consistently named Leonora in Census returns and other genealogical documents accessed via <span class="plainlinks">[https://www.ancestry.com ancestry.com]</span>)</ref> and Celoa Allen (1893-1977), reader, reciter, contralto, violinist, pianist and whistler.<ref>'Miss Celoa Allen, with The Howard Wade Kimsey Concert Party, 1914-15' (photograph caption), ''The Lathrop Optimist'' [Lathrop, Missouri], Thursday 24 September 1914, p.8<br />Other occasional members were:
*Buda Orth (violin), Lora Orth's sister, see e.g. 'The Howard Wade Kimsey Concert Party [...]', ''The Dexter Statesman'' [Dexter, Missouri], Friday 21 April 1916, p.[2]
*Jeff (alias Jeffie) McAdams (soprano) (later Smith, 1892-1962), see e.g. 'Concert Party', ''The Commercial'' [Union City, Tennessee], Friday 26 March 1915, p.[6]
*Lyla Myers (piano, 1895-1975), attested only once, 'The Howard Wade Kimsey Concert Party [...]', ''The Dexter Statesman'' [Dexter, Missouri], Friday 21 April 1916, p.[2]</ref> A 1916 Lyceum directory added Howard's brother Rolla Warren, billing him as 'The Bird Man' and lecturer on 'Birds I Have Met', with bird imitations, and described Lora Orth as 'pianist and cellist'; evidently, she performed the 'Cello Obligatos' listed in the Party's repertoire (what these were is not known).<ref>'Who's Who in the Lyceum', ''The Lyceum Magazine'', Vol.XXVI No.2, July 1916, pp.ii-xiii (on p.<span class="plainlinks">[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015001808073&view=1up&seq=108 viii]</span>); this listing was reprinted each month until <span class="plainlinks">[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015001808073&view=1up&seq=571 December 2016]</span></ref> In another 2016 report, Lora Orth was billed as the Party's whistler, probably in error.<ref>'Plays and Players', ''The Messenger'' [Owensboro, Kentucky], Tuesday 18 April 1916, p.8</ref> But many press notices of the Party's appearances did not name the members; Lora Orth figures in relatively few of them, but this does not mean that she did not perform at most or all of the Party's engagements. As it happens, she is attested at least once in newspapers from all the states in which the Party is known to have performed: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio and Tennessee.<ref>Lora Orth is attested in press notices as performing with the Kimsey Concert Party in the following states, although the vagaries of reporting and accessibility mean that she could also have performed elsewhere:
*Illinois: 'Wednesday, Feb. 23 The Continental Lyceum Bureau Presents The Howard Wade Kimsey Concert Party' (advertisement), ''The Cairo Bulletin'' [Cairo, Illinois], Tuesday 22 February 1916, p.4; <span class="plainlinks">[https://idnc.library.illinois.edu/?a=d&d=CAB19170209.1.6 'Amusements']</span>, ibid., Friday 9 February 1917, p.6; see also report in ''Brighton News'' [Brighton, Illinois], date unknown, quoted above
*Indiana: 'Fountain City Lecture Course Opens Oct. 29', ''The Richmond Item'' [Richmond, Indiana], Tuesday 26 October 1915, p.3; 'Concert Company Coming', ''The Culver Citizen'' [Culver, Indiana], Thursday 25 January 1917, p.1
*Iowa: 'The Warsaw Gate City', ''The Daily Gate City and Constitution-Democrat'' [Keokuk, Iowa], Tuesday 25 July 1916, p.5
*Kansas: 'Tonight The Howard Wade Kimsey Concert Party' (advertisement), ''The Daily Republican'' [Cherryvale, Kansas], Tuesday 9 November 1915, p.[2]; 'Praise For Miss Shinn', ''The Olathe Mirror'' [Olathe, Kansas], Thursday 16 March 1916, p.1
*Kentucky: 'Concert At High School Auditorium', ''The Central Record'' [Lancaster, Kentucky], Thursday 22 April 1915, p.6; 'Last Lyceum Attraction', ''The Bee'' [Earlington, Kentucky], Friday 17 March 1916, p.1; 'The Howard Wade Kimsey Concert Company' (advertisement), ''The Hickman Courier'' [Hickman, Kentucky], Thursday 30 March 1916, p.[11]; 'Plays and Players', ''The Messenger'' [Owensboro, Kentucky], Tuesday 18 April 1916, p.8
*Louisiana: 'The Howard Wade Kimsey Concert Company', ''The Gazette'' [Farmerville, Louisiana], Wednesday 21 February 1917, p.[3]
*Mississippi: 'The Howard Wade Kimsey Concert Party' (advertisement), ''The Kosciusko Herald'' [Kosciusko, Mississippi], Friday 23 March 1917, p.1; 'Kemsey [sic] Company Score', ''Winston County Journal'' [Louisville, Mississippi], Friday 30 March 1917, p.1
*Missouri: 'The Continental Lyceum Bureau Of Louisville Presents the Howard Wade Kimsey Concert Party [...]' (advertisement), ''Hayti Herald'' [Hayti, Missouri], Thursday 20 May 1915, p.[1]; 'Miss Lora Orth Pianiste' and 'Howard Wade Kimsey Concert Party' (advertisement), ''The Bloomfield Vindicator'' [Bloomfield, Missouri], Friday 21 April 1916, p.[4]
*Ohio: 'North Eaton', ''The Elyria Chronicle'' [Elyria, Ohio], Tuesday 28 September 1915, p.3
*Tennessee: 'Lyceum Course', ''The Camden Chronicle'' [Camden, Tennessee], Friday 31 March 1916, p.(<span class="plainlinks">[https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn89058013/1916-03-31/ed-1/seq-2/ 2]</span>)</ref> From Louisiana, Leonora Shinn sent her parents an elated account of the party's reception in <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarks,_Louisiana Clarks]</span> and <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia,_Louisiana Columbia]</span>, small rural communities, in 1917:
 'Well, the minute we got over to the hotel Mr. Slagle and his wife came over to meet us, and after the concert, they gave us a reception at their magnificent southern home and there were just lovely people there. Honestly they nearly worked Lora Jean (the pianist) and I [sic] to death. We just sang and whistled and played everything we knew. There were some musical people there too, and we certainly had a lovely time. We were to go to Columbia, Tuesday morning on an early train but Mr. Slagle's brother [...] drove us over in the afternoon instead. Honestly we did have a lovely time. In the morning we went through the big lumber mill and saw the entire process of manufacturing from the rough, water-soaked logs to the refined lumber, all yellow pine. I shall never forget it. Then one of the young fellows came over to Columbia to hear us again Tuesday night. [...] We were entertained the other night in a beautiful southern home. The father and mother were so dear, and they had six grown up children, and they had their own electric light plant and a large open court in the center of the house and a big porch all around the house. This is a very interesting country and I surely am enoying [sic] this trip in the southland. Lora, Howard and I just feel fine down here. I guess its [sic] the southern cooking, we sure do get good things to eat. Our future booking dates up to April 28th takes us from the Gulf of Mexico along the coast and north through the States of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky and home about May 1st. With love to you all, Leonora Shinn.'<ref>'Way Down South', ''The Olathe Mirror'' [Olathe, Kansas], Thursday 8 March 1917, p.4<br />No notices of appearances by the Howard Wade Kimsey Concert Party in Alabama, Georgia and Kentucky at this time have yet been located; they may have been cancelled after the outbreak of war in April</ref>
As with members, instrumental items were rarely billed in notices of the party's appearances; when they were, Lora Orth was invariably reported to have played music by Liszt, probably the Hungarian Rhapsody which had a favourable reception in Illinois in 1915.<ref>Besides the ''Brighton News'' [Brighton, Illinois] report quoted above, see also:
*'Tonight The Howard Wade Kimsey Concert Party' (advertisement), ''The Daily Republican'' [Cherryvale, Kansas], Tuesday 9 November 1915, p.[2]
*'Praise For Miss Shinn', ''The Olathe Mirror'' [Olathe, Kansas], Thursday 16 March 1916, p.1
*'The Howard Wade Kimsey Concert Party' (advertisement), ''The Hickman Courier'' [Hickman, Kentucky], Thursday 30 March 1916, p.[11]</ref> She also played accompaniments for the Party's vocalist(s), although few press notices mentioned this role either;<ref>e.g. [Title unknown], ''Brighton News'' [Brighton, Illinois], date unknown, quoted in 'The Howard Wade Kimsey Concert Party' (advertisement), ''The Kosciusko Herald'' [Kosciusko, Mississippi], Friday 23 March 1917, p.1; 'Praise For Miss Shinn', ''The Olathe Mirror'' [Olathe, Kansas], Thursday 16 March 1916, p.1</ref> one which did also documents the Party's last known performance, in <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarksville,_Tennessee Clarksville]</span>, Tennessee, in April 1917,<ref>'Last Lyceum Attraction Tonight', ''The Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle'' [Clarksville, Tennessee], Thursday 19 April 1917, p.[1]</ref> just over a week after the USA entered the War. By early June, Howard Wade Kimsey had signed up,<ref>'The Military Registration', ''Plattsburg Leader'' [Plattsburg, Missouri], Friday 15 June 1917, pp.[2]-[3], on p.[3]</ref> but he was rejected for active service because of his eyesight.<ref>'C.C. Notes', ''Plattsburg Leader'' [Plattsburg, Missouri], Friday 29 June 1917, p.[4]</ref> Undeterred, he found a non-combatant role in the Army, which would have a lasting influence not only on his career but also on Lora Orth's: they were married in November 1917.<ref>'Army Song Leader Well Known Is [sic] Macon County', ''The Macon Republican'' [Macon, Missouri], Friday 14 March 1919, p.[2]</ref>

Mrs. Kimsey did not immediately follow her husband to his first posting. By January 1918 she, her sister Buda, Leonora Shinn and at least one other unnamed artist had formed a concert party, the Orth-Shinn Company. Two appearances on a Lyceum circuit in southern Illinois are documented in early 1918;<ref>'Concert Pleases', ''Nashville Journal'' [Nashville, Illinois], Thursday 24 January 1918, p.[4]; 'Elkville', ''The Daily Free Press'' [Carbondale, Illinois], Friday 1 February 1918, p.[4]</ref> another, 'An Evening of Readings, Music and Song', was postponed,<ref>'Fourth Number Prairie State Lyceum Course' [advertisement], ''The Kinmundy Express'' [Kinmundy, Illinois], Wednesday 9 January 1918, p.[8]; 'Fourth Number Prairie State Lyceum Course' [notice], ibid., Thursday 17 January 1918, p.[8]</ref> possibly indefinitely, as in March Lora Orth Kimsey travelled south west to place her musical skills at the service of the war effort.

===US Army===
In July 1917, Howard Wade Kimsey joined the US Army as its fifth Song Leader and was assigned to the 87th Division at <span class="plainlinks">[https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/camp-joseph-t-robinson-2262/ Camp Pike]</span>, near <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Rock,_Arkansas Little Rock]</span>, Arkansas. He was also put in charge of recreational music for the 3rd Arkansas National Guard, and of community singing in Little Rock itself.<ref>High, Fred 'Chautauqua Department', ''The Billboard'', Vol.33 No.28, 9 July 1921, pp.42-43</ref> In the absence of his soon-to-be wife, Kimsey led 'sing songs' from a portable organ, at which he was photographed for some of the many press reports about the Army's camp music programme:
 'Where the words of the songs are unfamiliar, the leader posts them on the back of the organ, as shown in the picture, until they are learned. The song so posted in the picture is Ivor Novello's "Keep the Home Fires Burning," which has become a universal favorite with the men both in Europe and this country.'<ref><span class="plainlinks">[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=chi.097535834&view=1up&seq=790 'Portable Music At The Camps']</span>, ''Musical Courier'', Vol.LXXV No.18, 1 November 1917, p.44; see also Stanley, May <span class="plainlinks">[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951d001376867&view=1up&seq=977 'Songs that Our Fighting Men Can Carry Into the Fray']</span>, ''Musical America'', Vol.XXVI No.24, 13 October 1917, pp.3-4</ref>

By March 1918, Lora Orth Kimsey had joined her husband in Little Rock, where she participated in concerts given jointly by civilian and military performers before similarly mixed audiences.<ref> 'Personal Mention', ''Arkansas Democrat'' [Little Rock, Arkansas], Saturday 23 March 1918, p.5; 'War Camp Service To Give Sunday Concert', ibid., Friday 29 March 1918, p.14; 'Little Rock, Ark. [...]' (untitled notice), ''Musical America'', Vol.XVIII No.7, 15 June 1918, p.<span class="plainlinks">[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951001901841r&view=1up&seq=352 38]</span></ref> In May 1918, ''The Billboard'' reported:
 'The War Camp Community Service of Little Rock recently presented Howard Wade Kimsey, community song leader, a fine Ford runabout as a mild token of its appreciation for his services during the past nine months at Camp Pike and the Arkansas capital. Mrs. Kimsey, who recently became definitely attached to the Kimsey household, and well known in chautauqua circles, is the accompanist for her talented husband in his work at the camp.'<ref>Lucey, Thos. Elmore 'Jotted While Waiting At The Junction', ''The Billboard'', Vol.30 No.19, 11 May 1918, p.25</ref>
That month, Howard Wade Kimsey was photographed leading a sing song from the Ford, alongside the visiting tenor <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Hackett Charles Hackett]</span>.<ref><span class="plainlinks">[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951001901841r&view=1up&seq=556 'Music at an Arkansas Camp', ''Musical America'']</span>, Vol.XVIII No.12, 20 July 1918, p.32</ref>

In June 1918, Howard Kimsey transferred to <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Antonio San Antonio]</span>, Texas, as travelling song leader for Army units stationed along the border with Mexico.<ref>Bingham, Ralph <span class="plainlinks">[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015079986579&view=1up&seq=61 'The Spotlight']</span>, ''The Lyceum Magazine'', Vol.XXIX No.2, July 1919, p.37</ref> It is not known if Lora Kimsey joined him on this posting, with its sometimes arduous assignments, for which his less advanced skills as an organist probably sufficed:
 'Much of this work was done under primitive conditions, as some of the assignments were overland 50 to 100 miles from the railroad. On these trips a folding organ was carried (via packhorse many times), as there were no pianos in many border posts.'<ref>High, Fred 'Chautauqua Department', ''The Billboard'', Vol.33 No.28, 9 July 1921, pp.42-43</ref>

A year later, Howard Kimsey moved again, to Seattle, Washington, to work with coastal artillery and infantry units. When the War ended, he remained in the Army. In January 1920, he was named Music Director to the 4th Army Division, and stationed at <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Dodge Camp Dodge]</span>, near Des Moines, Iowa, where
 'he organized a school of music, having an enrollment [sic] of 100, with instruction in piano, voice, violin, theory and band and orchestra.<ref>'High, Fred 'Chautauqua Department', ''The Billboard'', Vol.33 No.28, 9 July 1921, pp.42-43</ref>
The piano instructor was Lora Kimsey, while her sister Buda taught the violin.<ref>Waltz, F.R., Lieutenant-Colonel <span class="plainlinks">[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951p011403189&view=1up&seq=226 'Camp Dodge (Iowa) Music School']</span>, ''Musical Messenger'', Vol.XVI No.7, July 1920, p.37; 'Iowa Folks', ''Des Moines Register'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Tuesday 6 July 1920, p.3</ref> In July 1920, Howard Kimsey was promoted further, to the rank of Army Music Director, and after additional training was posted to the Panama Canal, his wife again joining him.<ref>Peterson, O.A. 'Musical Musings', ''The Billboard'', Vol.33 No.6, 5 February 1921, p.35</ref> Only in July 1921, when provision for army music directors ended, did Howard Kimsey return to civilian life. As an extended profile in ''The Billboard'' related,
 'the average army song leader lasted about seven or eight months. Mr. Kimsey's 46 months, which will become 48 months July 31st next, is a noteworthy exception to this statement. Mrs. Kimsey, pianist-pipe organist, has acted as accompanist for practically the entire period, and has a certificate recognizing her services from the Secretary of War.'<ref>High, Fred 'Chautauqua Department', ''The Billboard'', Vol.33 No.28, 9 July 1921, pp.42-43</ref>
The sources consulted for this page ascribe no official status to Lora Kimsey during the three years and more she spent working alongside her husband. Was she employed by the US Army, or was she an auxiliary or even a volunteer? Was she paid? The couple was presumably housed by the Army; did she have expenses reimbursed, for instance on clothes or music? How unusual was her award of a certificate from the Secretary of War? These questions must await access to US military records.

===New York City===
In July 1921, the Kimseys moved to New York City, where they reportedly both took further instruction,<ref>'Metropolitan Musings', ''Musical Monitor'', date unknown, quoted in 'Arkansas Artists On Petoskey Program', ''Arkansas Democrat'' [Little Rock, Arkansas], Sunday 28 August 1921, Magazine and Society [etc.] Section, p.5; 'Methodist Church Notes', ''The Lathrop Optimist'' [Lathrop, Missouri], Thursday 18 August 1921, p.8; 'Back To New York', ibid., Thursday 8 September 1921, p.8</ref> possibly to equip them for freelance work in this open, highly competitive metropolitan market. Luckily, Howard Kimsey's extensive wartime experience proved a solid footing for a career as a soloist and song leader, and over the next few years he gained a variety of regular engagements and positions, including:
*music director for the City of New York Army and Navy Y.M.C.A.<ref>'Letter From Howard Wade Kimsey', ''The Lathrop Optimist'' [Lathrop, Missouri], Thursday 22 July 1922, p.3; Bloom, Pauline 'Introducing H.W. Kimsey, Dinner "Song Leader"', ''Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Sunday 13 April 1924, ''Sunday Eagle Magazine'' section, p.13</ref>
*song leader for the <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Churches_of_the_City_of_New_York#Historical_Names_of_the_Council New York Federation of Churches]</span><ref>'Easter Crowds Fill Churches, Parade Lacking', ''New York Tribune'', Monday 17 April 1922, p.3</ref>
*song leader for the New York <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiwanis Kiwanis Club]</span><ref>'Chautauqua', ''The Billboard'', Vol.37 No.44, 31 October 1925, p.46; Bloom, Pauline 'Introducing H.W. Kimsey, Dinner "Song Leader"', ''Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Sunday 13 April 1924, ''Sunday Eagle Magazine'' section, p.13</ref>
*song leader for the Brooklyn Rotary Club<ref>Timpson, Fred. H. 'Rotary Club Rotograms', ''Brooklyn Life and Activities of Long Island Society'' [Brooklyn, New York], Saturday 16 November 1929, p.18; 'Kimsey Sings, Leads Chorus in Chapel', ''Drake Times-Delphic'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Thursday 3 May 1934, p.[1]</ref>
*bass soloist and leader of hymn singing at Manhattan's <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvary_Baptist_Church_(Manhattan) Calvary Baptist Church]</span><ref>'Letter From Howard Wade Kimsey', ''The Lathrop Optimist'' [Lathrop, Missouri], Thursday 22 July 1922, p.3; 'Howard Kimsey Has Interesting Career As Speaker, Singer', ''The Daily Journal'' [Jacksonville, Illinois], Friday 18 January 1935, p.4</ref>
*music director at the <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_Avenue_Presbyterian_Church Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church]</span> in Manhattan<ref>'It's A Little World', ''The Lathrop Optimist'' [Lathrop, Missouri], Thursday 7 January 1926, p.[1]; 'Howard Kimsey Has Interesting Career As Speaker, Singer', ''The Daily Journal'' [Jacksonville, Illinois], Friday 18 January 1935, p.4</ref>
*director of recreational singing for employees of <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Electric Western Electric]</span><ref>'Mass Singing to Be Featured at Chautauqua Tent', ''The Daily Times'' [New Philadelphia, Ohio], Thursday 19 August 1926, p.5</ref>
*leader of Christmas carol singing at the <span class="plainlinks">[https://www.madisonsquarepark.org/news/tree-of-light Tree of Light]</span> in <span class="plainlinks">[https://www.madisonsquarepark.org/about-the-park/park-history Madison Square Park]</span><ref>'Howard Kimsey Has Interesting Career As Speaker, Singer', ''The Daily Journal'' [Jacksonville, Illinois], Friday 18 January 1935, p.4</ref>
*song leader for services held twice daily in summer months on the ''DeWitt Clinton'', a leisure steamer of the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.hrmm.org/history-blog/the-hudson-river-day-line-1863-1971 Hudson River Day Line]</span><ref>'News of Churches', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Saturday, 28 September 1929, p.7; 'News of the Churches', ibid., Saturday, 24 May 1930, p.8; Juengst, William 'Sunday Sermons', ''Brooklyn Eagle'', Saturday 15 November 1948, p.4</ref>
In 1924, Kimsey reportedly wrote songs for supporters of <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Gibbs_McAdoo William G. McAdoo]</span>, who was campaigning for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. That June, at the closely fought <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1924_Democratic_National_Convention Democratic Convention]</span> in New York's <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madison_Square_Garden#Previous_Gardens Madison Square Garden]</span>, he acted as cheer leader for the candidate's forces (McAdoo was unsuccessful).<ref>'M'Adoo Parade Is Led By Belle Of California', ''Eau Claire Leader'' [Eau Claire, Wisconsin], Thursday 26 June 1924, p.4; 'Howard Wade Kimsey Wrote M'Adoo Music', ''The Lathrop Optimist'' [Lathrop, Missouri], Thursday 17 July 1924, p.[1]</ref>

Kimsey was also available for hire as a song leader for dinners and banquets. As a 1924 newspaper supplement explained, community singing had become a fixture at public and private dinners after <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition_in_the_United_States Prohibition]</span>:
 'Mr. Kimsey plays the same part at banquets where singing is used to entertain as Will Rogers does to the banquet where monologue is needed. They are step-children of Prohibition. They do the stunt of driving the skeleton from the feast which <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Barleycorn John Barleycorn]</span>, that restless deceased, used to perform. Also, like Prohibition, he is a left-over from the war.'<ref>Bloom, Pauline 'Introducing H.W. Kimsey, Dinner "Song Leader"', ''Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Sunday 13 April 1924, ''Sunday Eagle Magazine'' section, p.13</ref>
(Early in the century, Kimsey had toured with the Prohibitionist politician <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sobieski_(U.S._Colonel) Colonel Sobieski]</span>, and with the 'dry' male-voice Menely Robley Quartet.<ref>'Concert and Recital', ''Bevier Appeal'' [Bevier, Missouri], Friday 19 June 1908, p.[1]; 'Mr. Kimsey Again', ''The Jasper News'' [Jasper, Missouri], Thursday 13 January 1910, p.[3]; 'May Be Heard Here', ''The Hiawatha Daily World'' [Hiawatha, Kansas], Wednesday 20 July 1910, p.[1]</ref> Many years later, he still described himself as 'a Prohibition Fanatic'.<ref>McLaughlin, Lillian 'N.Y. Mission Chief Stops In For a Visit', ''Des Moines Tribune'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Friday 8 December 1950, p.19</ref>)

Lora Kimsey surely partnered her husband in some of these activities, although press accounts rarely mention her. He was profiled more than once in newspapers and magazines; if she was named at all, it was usually as his accompanist, in listings and reports of religious services, broadcasts, banquets and other events, such as Brooklyn Rotary Club meetings.<ref>e.g. 'Water Supply Situation Explained', ''Plainfield Courier-News'' [Plainfield, New Jersey], Friday 23 March 1923, pp.1, 8; 'Arcanum Dance', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Sunday 4 May 1924, p.C3; 'Clubs and Clubwomen', ''Brooklyn Life'', Saturday 21 February 1925, pp.13-14; 'Clubs and Clubwomen', ibid., Saturday 20 February 1926, p.12; 'Brooklyn Rotarians See Work of Crayon Artist', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Friday 30 August 1929, p.15</ref> Equally rare are mentions of the music they performed; probably typical were the solos Howard Kimsey sang at a dinner of the Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor in Brooklyn, after a mass rendition of <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_the_Beautiful 'America']</span>: Sullivan's <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lost_Chord 'The Lost Chord']</span> and 'On the Shore' (uncredited<ref>This was probably the <span class="plainlinks">[https://imslp.org/wiki/On_The_Shore_(Neidlinger%2C_William_Harold) setting by William H. Neidlinger]</span>, which Kimsey sang elsewhere, see e.g. 'Concert and Organ Recital Tomorrow', ''Bergen Evening Call'' [Hackensack, New Jersey], Thursday 18 November 1926, p.16</ref>).<ref>'Irving Square Young People Gave Dinner', ''The Chat'' [Brooklyn, New York], Saturday 12 May 1928, p.12</ref> He had led the communal singing at the parent Society's annual banquet the year before; as well as accompanying, Lora Orth Kimsey had 'render[ed] special numbers during the evening', but there is no indication as to what these were.<ref>'Christian Endeavor Dinner', ''Brooklyn Daily Times'', Saturday 22 January 1927, Wall Street Edition, p.5(?) (NB the pagination of this day's editions on newspapers.com is unclear)</ref>

===Broadcasting===
If Lora Orth Kimsey was rarely mentioned without her husband after they had moved to New York, the first documented instance is of special interest. In March 1922, she was apparently the first of the couple to broadcast, when she accompanied soprano Marie Kimball in a transmission from WYCB / WVP, the <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_Corps_(United_States_Army) US Army Signal Corps]</span> station located at <span class="plainlinks">[https://www.nps.gov/places/fort-wood-fort-gibson.htm Fort Wood]</span> on <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Island Bedloe's Island]</span>, site of the Statue of Liberty;<ref>WYCB had begun transmitting only a month before, see 'More Broadcasting', ''Asbury Park Evening Press'' [Asbury Park, New Jersey], Tuesday 21 February 1922, p.3; it was apparently renamed WVP by 22 March, see 'New Name for WYCB', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Wednesday 22 March 1922, Section 1 [i.e. 2], p.5 A</ref> the programme's contents were not billed<ref>'Radio Program For The Week', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Sunday 19 March 1922, Section B, p.B 3<br /></ref> but it may have included well-known songs like those by <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thurlow_Lieurance Thurlow Lieurance]</span>, <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_L%C3%B6hr Hermann Löhr]</span>, <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paolo_Tosti Paolo Tosti]</span> and others, which Kimball broadcast from other stations the following month.<ref>2-IA, <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_City,_New_Jersey Jersey City]</span>, see 'Radio Programmes for Tomorrow', The Standard Union [Brooklyn, New York], Tuesday 18 April 1922, p.12;  WOR, <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newark,_New_Jersey Newark]</span>, see 'In the Air Today', ''The Daily Home News'' [New Brunswick, New Jersey], Thursday 27 April 1922, p.11<br />Marie Kimball's life and career have not been documented for this wiki</ref>

That April, Howard Kimsey's profile was raised yet further when he led a 'vast congregation' in New York's annual open-air Easter Day dawn service, in Manhattan's Central Park, and 
 'For the first time in history an Easter service was broadcasted by radio telephone.'<ref>'Churches Thronged At Easter Services', ''New York Herald'', Monday 17 April 1922, p.5<br />This article does not name Kimsey, but his involvement in the service is confirmed by 'Easter Crowds Fill Churches, Parade Lacking', ''New York Tribune'', Monday 17 April 1922, p.3, and by the photographic reportage in 'Easter Service at Dawn' [photograph], ''Daily News'' [New York], Monday 17 April 1922, p.[1]</ref>
Broadcasting would now loom large in the Kimseys' lives. For some twenty years, the prominent British-born minister <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._Parkes_Cadman Samuel Parkes Cadman]</span> had been conducting Sunday meetings and preaching at the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.ymcanyc.org/bedstuy/about Bedford branch of the Y.M.C.A.]</span> in Brooklyn.<ref>For a full and particularly vivid, account of these meetings, if somewhat fictionalised, including a potted history of Cadman's career, see McAdam, Roger W. 'Cadman Conference Attended By Radio Fan, Who Learns History of WSAI Sunday Feature', ''The Cincinnati Enquirer'' [Cincinnati, Ohio], Sunday 21 November 1926, Radio Supplement, pp.[1]-2</ref> These meetings had long included music, performed by a variety of artists, including the famed all-female Gloria Trumpeters (successor to the <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edna_White Edna White]</span> Trumpet Quartet).<ref>e.g. 'Tear Down 'L' Roads, Dr. Cadman's Advice', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Monday 28 December 1914, p.5; 'Dr. S. Parkes Cadman' (notice), ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Saturday 8 October 1919, p.15<br />The Edna White Trumpet Quartet had played at Cadman's meetings since at least late 1914, see 'Dr. Cadman "A Man's Temptations: Can They Be Overcome?"' (notice), ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Saturday 5 December 1914, p.8<br />By mid-1919, when it was reformed as the Gloria Trumpeters, the members were Katherine Williams, Louise Gura, Cora Roberts and Mabel Coapman, see 'Christmas Music In the Stewart Rotunda', ''The Asbury Park Evening Press'' [Asbury Park, New Jersey], Saturday, 30 November 1918, p.3, and 'Gloria Trumpeters With Methodist Centenary Meet', ''The Sandusky Register'' [Sandusky, Ohio], Saturday 14 June 1919, p.2<br />This remained the line-up until at least 1931, see 'The Week In Music And Theatrical Realms', ''The Ithaca Journal-News'' [Ithaca, New York], Monday, 12 January 1931, p.6; by the following year Gura had left the group, now a trio, see 'Gloria Trumpeters to Appear In Seibert Church, December 3rd', ''The Allentown Morning Call'' [Allentown, Pennsylvania], Thursday, 23 November 1933, p.10, although it later welcomed a new fourth member and was disbanded only in late 1936 or early 1937 (last listing found: 'Mr. Peanut Leaves His Shell; New Sign Dazzles Broadway', ''The Times Leader'' [Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania], Wednesday 18 November 1936, p.3)</ref> From late 1922, Howard Kimsey was song leader for these meetings, initially with another pianist;<ref>Earliest found: 'Dr. Cadman On Election', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Saturday 4 November 1922, p.10</ref> Lora Kimsey was first named in this role some months later (not all notices billed the pianist).<ref>Earliest found: 'Dr. Cadman on America's Race Heritage to Y.M.C.A. Conference', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Monday 9 April 1923, p.A 5</ref> From 7 January 1923, the meetings were broadcast over the <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AT%26T_Corporation American Telephone and Telegraph Company]</span>'s <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WNBC_(AM)#NBC_Network_Radio WEAF station]</span>, although it seems some transmissions did not include the 'mass singing' which Howard Kimsey led before the meeting proper.<ref>'To Broadcast Report Of Men's Conference', ''The Allentown Morning Call'' [Allentown, Pennsylvania], Saturday 6 January 1923, p.5; 'Men's Conference Bedford Branch Y.M.C.A.' (notice), ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Saturday 6 January 1923, p.5; 'An Tenna' (pseudonym) 'Static Trail', ''The Richmond Item'' [Richmond, Indiana], Sunday 28 February 1926, p.19; Guilfoyle, Keran 'Bass Soloist Gives Date of Premiere Cadman Broadcast' (letter), ''Brooklyn Eagle'', Sunday 24 May 1953, p.36</ref> In March 1923, WEAF also broadcast Lenten 'noonday theater meetings' held by the New York Federation of Churches in three well-known Broadway venues; six of these came from the <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_Theatre_(New_York_City) Palace Theater]</span>, with Dr. Cadman as preacher and what would become his core musical team: the Gloria Trumpeters, Howard Kimsey as bass soloist with Lora Kimsey at the piano, and the renowned operatic contralto <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Homer Louise Homer]</span>.<ref>'Noonday Theater Meetings', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Saturday 17 March 1923, p.8; 'Radio Broadcast Programs Today', ''The Hartford Courant'' [Hartford, Connecticut], Tuesday 27 March 1923, p.10</ref> (The series was repeated the following year, with little change.<ref>'Public Lenten Theatre Meetings' (notice), ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Saturday 5 April 1924, p.10</ref>) On Easter Day 1923, Howard Kimsey again led an early morning open-air 'song and praise service', this time from the grounds of <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_University Columbia University]</span> but, apparently, not broadcast.<ref>'Easter Dawn Service' (notice), ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Saturday 31 March 1923, Section A (Easter Church Section), p.A 5</ref> Cadman's musical team was soon famous enough to carry an event without him: at a 'monster entertainment' in <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Amboy,_New_Jersey South Amboy]</span>, New Jersey, to raise funds for the local Y.M.C.A., Lora Kimsey performed one of Liszt's <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liebestr%C3%A4ume Liebesträume]</span> and probably accompanied the Gloria Trumpeters.<ref>'Gloria Trumpeters Of WEAF Will Appear At South Amboy Tuesday', ''The Daily Home News'' [New Brunswick, New Jersey], Monday 19 October 1925, p.[9]</ref> A contemporary report on Cadman's broadcast meetings, while journalistic and fictionalised, is clearly based on eye-witness testimony and gives a vivid impression of proceedings; typically, it mentions all the musicians except Lora Orth Kimsey.<ref>McAdam, Roger W. 'Cadman Conference Attended By Radio Fan, Who Learns History of WSAI Sunday Feature', ''The Cincinnati Enquirer'' [Cincinnati, Ohio], Sunday 21 November 1926, Radio Supplement, pp.[1]-2</ref> Nevertheless, by the start of Cadman's autumn campaign in 1927, her association with the Trumpeters in particular was deemed worthy of being publicized with a photograph captioned, 'Famous Quintette at Bedford', while in the accompanying article she received higher billing than her husband:
 'Lora Orth Kimsey, equally well known to the musical public and radio fans for her artistic ability as a pianist of the front rank, has been re-engaged for the coming season. She will act as accompanist to the Gloria Trumpeters, in addition to rendering special piano numbers from time to time. G.E. Betts and H.W. Kimsey will also take part in the program.'<ref>'Dr. Cadman Resumes Weekly Addresses at Bedford 'Y' Tomorrow', ''Brooklyn Daily Times'', Saturday 1 October 1927, Wall Street Edition, p.5</ref>
The Kimseys' work for the Y.M.C.A. left tangible traces. In 1927, they were reportedly captured on a de Forest <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonofilm Phonofilm]</span> of a Cadman meeting; it is not known if this survives.<ref>'Phonofilm Showing At Bedford Branch', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Saturday 12 February 1927, p.9</ref> Around the same time, the Y.M.C.A.'s Association Press published a <span class="plainlinks">[https://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/islandora/object/ui%3Atc_29068 leaflet of 'Community Songs']</span> compiled and edited by Howard Kimsey, apparently distributed free to participants at 'sing-ins' led by Kimsey. Containing the texts of 55 songs, each assigned a key and listed under the headings 'Patriotic Songs', 'Hymns', 'Folk Songs', 'Popular Songs' (the largest group), and 'Play Songs', it gives a good idea of what might have been heard at one of these events.<ref>Kimsey, Howard Wade (comp. & ed.) <span class="plainlinks">[https://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/islandora/object/ui%3Atc_29068 ''Community Songs'']</span> (leaflet), New York: Association Press [Y.M.C.A.], n.d. [late 1920s?], available to view as part of <span class="plainlinks">[https://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/islandora/object/ui%3Atc 'Traveling Culture - Circuit Chautauqua in the Twentieth Century']</span> (digital repository), <span class="plainlinks">[http://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/ Iowa Digital Library]</span>; original in Special Collections Dept., <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/ University of Iowa Libraries]</span>, Iowa City, Iowa</ref> The couple's association with Cadman continued until 1928.<ref>The Kimseys' last meeting with Cadman appears to have been on 20 May 1928, see 'Today's Radio Program', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Sunday 20 May 1928, p.6 E</ref> It brought Lora Kimsey before radio audiences numbering tens of thousands - at least, according to a newspaper which may have had an interest in boosting these events;<ref>'Nationally Known Men's Conference Bedford Branch Y.M.C.A.', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Saturday, 21 April 1923, p.6; 'Men's Conference To Close For The Summer', ibid., Saturday 28 April 1923, p.7</ref> another, some years later, claimed 'millions of listeners over the radio.'<ref>'Evangelistic Services Continue to Attract', ''Plainfield Courier-News'' [Plainfield, New Jersey], Thursday 26 September 1929, p.16</ref> As before, press listings and reports usually summarized her contributions, if at all, with variants of the term 'accompanist'. Besides her husband, she later accompanied George E. Betts, a player of the <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tubular_bells tubular chimes]</span>, whose solos were given considerable prominence in notices promoting Cadman's broadcasts.<ref>Betts, often billed, apparently erroneously, as George F., has so far resisted identification; his performances at Cadman's meetings are frequently attested in the press from January 1924 to October 1930, see 'WEAF Manhattan' in 'Radio Programs', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Sunday, 27 January 1924, Section C, p.7, and 'Russell Brougher Live, Magnetic, Young Preacher' (notice), ibid., Saturday 4 October 1930, p.10; in 1928, he was reportedly organizing a community choir for the Bedford Y.M.C.A., see 'Dr. Cadman Will Address Y.M.C.A.', ibid., Saturday 12 May 1928, p.5; he was still playing tubular chimes solos in church in 1932, see 'Optimism Is Keynote of All Pulpit Talks', ibid., Saturday 2 January 1932, p.11; no other biographical information about him has been uncovered</ref> Only very rarely did Lora Kimsey receive special billing in her own right: for one Cadman meeting in January 1924, she was billed as playing 'on an Especially Installed <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duo-Art Duo-Art]</span> Steinway Concert Grand Piano', although why an expert pianist was required to operate a reproducing instrument was not explained.<ref>'Men's Conference Bedford Branch Y.M.C.A.' (notice), ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Saturday 19 January 1924, p.9</ref> A January 1927 preview reveals a rarely attested side of her musicianship and suggests the character of some of her 'special numbers': at a special Cadman meeting to mark the annual 'Membership Campaign Week', she and Betts were billed to perform
 'The most outstanding musical item on the program [...] This unique number will be in the form of a medley of American Folk Songs, and will include, "The Old Folks at Home": "Maryland", and "Juanita". Mr. Betts will play the melodies, while Mrs. Kimsey will contribute, in her own inimitable way, original improvisations on these old-time favorites.'<ref>'Soloists At Bedford "Y" Tomorrow', ''Brooklyn Daily Times'', Saturday 15 January 1927, Wall Street Edition, p.5</ref>
Another Cadman meeting later that year included 'Roll Call: Special Arrangement on Piano for Armistice Day', devised and played by Lora Orth Kimsey.<ref>'Radio News & Programs', ''The Richmond Palladium And Sun-Telegram'' [Richmond, Indiana], Saturday 5 November 1927, p.3; 'Sunday Radio Music', ''The [Brooklyn] Standard Union'', Sunday 6 November 1927, p.12</ref> One Christmas, at the Bedford branch, she was sandwiched between a film and a retelling of the Nativity for children; what she played in this interval was not reported.<ref>'Santa Visited Bedford "Y" at Entertainments', ''The Chat'' [Brooklyn, New York], Saturday 3 January 1925, 21st 23rd and 24th Ward Edition, p.[1]</ref>

In the meantime, Howard Kimsey had formed the Brooklyn Federation Radio Quartet, a vocal ensemble with his wife as pianist, to serve the broadcasting needs of the Brooklyn Federation of Churches. In October 1924, ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'' newspaper broadcast a 'Mystery Voice' from its studio at the <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_H._Grebe A.H. Grebe]</span> station <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WCBS_(AM)#Before_the_news WAHG]</span> in <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richmond_Hill,_Queens Queens]</span>, offering a $15 prize to the listener who correctly guessed its owner; he was Howard Kimsey.<ref>'Howard W. Kimsey, Noted Song Leader, Is "Mystery Voice"', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Sunday 26 October 1924, Section C, p.C 7</ref> A promised follow-up broadcast by Kimsey does not seem to have materialised; but on 28 November 1924, the Quartet took part in the first broadcast of a noonday religious musical programme from WAHG's ''Daily Eagle'' studio, organized by the Federation;<ref>'To Broadcast Services From Eagle Studio', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Sunday 23 November 1924, Section C, p.C 7<br />NB The Quartet is not to be confused with another Federation Radio Quartet, affiliated with the New York Federation of Churches, directed by baritone Arthur Billings Hunt, and broadcasting from WEAF, see e.g. 'WEAF (Manhattan)', in 'Radio Programs', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Sunday 17 February 1924, Section C, p.C9; 'The Chat's Radio Program', ''The Chat'' [Brooklyn, New York], Saturday 1 November 1924, p.22</ref> a preview in the ''Daily Eagle'' was illustrated with a photograph of Lora Orth Kimsey.<ref>'Good Singing Is Feature Of Noonday Radio Service', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Sunday 7 December 1924, Section C, p.4 C</ref> On New Year's Eve 1924, the Quartet was part of an extensive line-up of artists engaged to usher in the New Year on WAHG with a long, mixed programme of ensembles and solos, secular and sacred, including three piano solos to be played by Mrs. Kimsey.<ref>'Tonight's Program', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Wednesday 31 December 1924, Section 1, p.6 A</ref> The Kimseys' involvement in the Quartet appears to have been very short-lived; by late March 1925, they were no longer part of its line-up.<ref>e.g. 'Dr. Fritz W. Baldwin on Radio', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Friday 27 March 1925, p.2, or 'Good Friday Worshippers Throng Boro Churches — Jews Observe Passover Season', ibid., Friday 10 April 1925, p.3</ref>

During these years, Lora Orth Kimsey occasionally broadcast from other stations, such as the <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westinghouse_Electric_Corporation Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company]</span>'s <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WBZ_(AM)#1921.E2.80.931931:_Springfield WBZ]</span> station in Springfield, Massachusetts. Newspaper listings gave few details, as ever, but it seems she did not broadcast as a soloist, only as accompanist to her husband and other singers.<ref>'Radio Programs For Week', ''Pittsburgh Post'', Wednesday 7 November 1923, Radio Section, p.2; 'Radio Programs For The Week', ibid., Wednesday 2 April 1924, Radio Section, p.8; 'Radio Radiations', ''Hartford Daily Courant'' [Hartford, Connecticut], Thursday 10 April 1924, p.21; 'Tonight's Best Radio Features', ibid., Saturday 20 March 1926, p.12; 'Today's Radio Program', ''Bridgeport Telegram'' [Bridgeport, Connecticut], Thursday 25 November 1926, p.4</ref> In January 1924, WJZ relayed, live, part of a banquet for more than 600 held in the New York's <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Astor_(New_York_City) Hotel Astor]</span>, to mark Benjamin Franklin's birthday and the start of the annual <span class="plainlinks">[http://lcweb2.loc.gov:8081/ammem/amrlhtml/inthrift.html Thrift Week]</span>; as well as speeches, the guests heard some of Franklin's own songs,<ref>Franklin's texts were set to traditional tunes selected by <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Engel Carl Engel]</span> of the Library of Congress, see 'Songs Written by Benjamin Franklin to be Sung at Thrift Week Banquet', ''Lancaster Daily Intelligencer'' [Lancaster, Pennsylvania], Wednesday, 16 January 1924, p.3, and ''Lancaster News Journal'' [Lancaster, Pennsylvania], Thursday, 17 January 1924, p.10</ref> sung by the tenor Harvey Hindermyer (1878-1957) with Lora Orth Kimsey at the piano, but it seems these were not broadcast, perhaps because they were performed during the dinner itself.<ref><span class="plainlinks">[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015086803049&view=1up&seq=264 'Brilliant Party at Astor']</span>, ''The American Printer'', Vol.78 No.3, 5 February 1924, pp.52-53</ref>

===Organist===
As noted [[#Life|above]], Lora Orth's earliest documented occupation was as a church organist; she was then aged 16. Her formal [[#Studies|studies]] seem to have been centred entirely on the piano; perhaps she was trained on the organ outside academia, possibly in church.

In 1913, five weeks before her twentieth birthday, Orth gave a well-received public organ recital in [[#Rapid City|Rapid City]], and she was later commended for her [[#US Army|War work]] as both organist and pianist. But her later career as an organist is poorly documented. Two appointments in New York are known only thanks to a letter to the press from Howard Kimsey published in mid-1922, stating that his wife was organist and choir director at the Sinai Temple (synagogue) in the Bronx, and St. John's Methodist Episcopal Church in Brooklyn;<ref>'Letter From Howard Wade Kimsey', ''The Lathrop Optimist'' [Lathrop, Missouri], Thursday 22 July 1922, p.3</ref> nothing more is known about these posts (nor is she known to have had a connection with any other Jewish religious establishment). In September 1923, passing through <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lathrop,_Missouri Lathrop]</span>, Missouri, her husband's former home, she gave a joint recital with local artists in support of a church building fund, performing both piano and organ solos.<ref>'ME Church Building Fund Recital' [notice], ''The Lathrop Optimist'' [Lathrop, Missouri], Thursday 6 September 1923, p.8; 'Methodist Recital Delights Audience', ibid., Thursday 13 September 1923, p.5</ref> In 1926, Mrs. Kimsey took part in another organ fund benefit recital in <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackensack,_New_Jersey Hackensack]</span>, New Jersey, alongside her husband, again mixing piano and organ solos.<ref>'Concert and Organ Recital Tomorrow', ''Bergen Evening Call'' [Hackensack, New Jersey], Thursday 18 November 1926, p.16</ref> Most of her work for evangelical services in New York seems to have been at the piano, but occasionally she played her other instrument: in Holy Week 1927, during Dr. Cadman's services in the ornate E.F. Albee Theater on Brooklyn's DeKalb Avenue, she accompanied the Gloria Trumpeters, presumably on the Theater's <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nycago.org/Organs/Bkln/html/RKOAlbeeTheatre.html Wurlitzer organ]</span>.<ref>'Palm Sunday Services In Churches Tomorrow', ''Brooklyn Daily Times'', Saturday 9 April 1927, p.5</ref> By mid-1928, she was billed in the press as 'Sunday evening organist of the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian church of New York, the largest Presbyterian in America'.<ref>'Concert Will Be Treat For Music Lovers', ''Monrovia Daily News'' [Monrovia, California], Thursday 26 July 1928, p.3</ref> This notice was one of several publicizing a concert she was to give in her parents' home town, <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monrovia,_California Monrovia]</span>, California,<ref>Mr. and Mrs. Orth had moved from Spencer, Iowa, to Monrovia in 1920, see Knudsen, Elizabeth 'A Walking Tour of Monrovia', ''Monrovia News-Post'' [Monrovia, California], Tuesday 13 October 1936, p.4; Buda Orth moved there the same year from Canada, see 'Boyd's Orchestra Plays Tomorrow Night', ''Monrovia Daily News'' [Monrovia, California], Friday 3 December 1920, pp.1, 8 (on p.1), and 'First Concert Proves Splendid Success', ibid., Tuesday 7 December 1920, p.1</ref> alongside her sister Buda, playing works by Mendelssohn, Saint-Saëns, Schubert and Dvořák on the organ (none originally composed for the instrument).<ref>'Evening Of Music Enjoyed Last Night', ''Monrovia Daily News'' [Monrovia, California], Wednesday 1 August 1928, p.3</ref> Some weeks later, Lora Orth Kimsey again played the organ in public while visiting her parents-in-law in Lathrop.<ref>'Mrs. Kimsey Played', ''The Lathrop Optimist'' [Lathrop, Missouri], Thursday 27 September 1928, p.[1]</ref> It was perhaps understandable, if galling, when a New Jersey newspaper described her husband in 1929 as the 'noted organist', ahead of his arrival to prepare local choirs for a revivalist campaign.<ref>'Noted Organist Assists Revival', ''Plainfield Courier-News'' [Plainfield, New Jersey], Thursday 12 September 1929, p.21</ref> The following year, Mrs. Kimsey was still organist at New York's Fifth Avenue Presbyterian church,<ref>'Social Briefs', ''Monrovia News-Post'' [Monrovia, California], Wednesday 30 July 1930, p.5</ref> and by 1932 she was playing the organ for the evangelist Tom Noonan (see [[#Rotary Club to Rescue Society|below]]). Not long after, she was reported to be giving up her work as organist in New York, although it is not known exactly when she did so. By 1936 she had definitely quit New York for [[#California|California]], where she gave her last known performance as an organist. Whereas Lora Orth Kimsey's [[#Piano|piano repertoire]] encompassed works old and new, serious and light, substantial and slight, her known [[#Organ|organ repertoire]] was smaller and narrower in range and style, seemingly reflecting both the instrument's status and the opportunities available to a female organist.

===Last Chautauquas===
The Kimseys' work was highly seasonal and episodic; the Cadman meetings, for instance, were not held all year but in short series. Possibly to ensure a continuing income, during two summers the Kimseys returned to the Chautauqua circuit, now in the employ of the Redpath Chautauqua Bureau.<ref>'Chautauqua', ''The Billboard'', Vol.37 No.44, 31 October 1925, p.46</ref> In 1925, as far as is known from accessible press sources, they performed in New York State (at <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Rochester,_New_York East Rochester]</span>, Howard Kimsey sang with a different pianist<ref>'East Rochester Chautauqua Week', ''Rochester Democrat and Chronicle'' [Rochester, New York], Tuesday 7 July 1925, p.5</ref>), Vermont and New Hampshire.<ref>NB documentation of the Kimseys' 1925 Chautauqua work is strongly biased by the accessibility of press sources, which only cover the following locales:
*<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canandaigua_(city),_New_York Canandaigua]</span>, New York: 'Redpath Chautauqua' (advertisement), ''The Daily Messenger'' [Canandaigua, New York], Wednesday 10 June 1925, p.4; 'America Must Uphold Her Traditions, Smith Says', ibid., Friday 10 July 1925, p.3
*<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunkirk,_New_York Dunkirk]</span>, New York: 'Redpath Chautauqua' (advertisement), ''Dunkirk Evening Observer'' [Dunkirk, New York], Saturday 6 June 1925, p.7; 'Varied Program At Chautauqua', ibid., Thursday 25 June 1925, p.6
*<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naples,_New_York Naples]</span>, New York: 'Redpath System Opens At Naples', ''Rochester Democrat and Chronicle'' [Rochester, New York], Wednesday 8 July 1925, p.5
*<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry,_New_York Perry]</span>, New York: 'Redpath Course In Perry To-Day', ''Rochester Democrat and Chronicle'' [Rochester, New York], Friday 19 June 1925, p.21
*<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burlington,_Vermont Burlington]</span>, Vermont: 'Redpath Chautauqua' (advertisement), ''The Burlington Free Press'' [Burlington, Vermont], Saturday 1 August 1925, p.11; 'Government Needs Support To Succeed', ibid., Thursday 20 August 1925, p.8
*<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montpelier,_Vermont Montpelier]</span>, Vermont: 'Fire Department Called When Motor Burns Out [...]', ''The Burlington Free Press'' [Burlington, Vermont], Saturday 22 August 1925, p.9
*<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portsmouth,_New_Hampshire Portsmouth]</span>, New Hampshire: 'At Chautauqua Large Audiences Enjoy the Daily Programs', ''The Portsmouth Herald and Times'' [Portsmouth, New Hampshire], Tuesday 1 September 1925, p.1</ref> In 1926, according to Howard Kimsey, they would perform in some 90 locales in Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.<ref>'H.W. Kimsey Is On Chautauqua', ''The Lathrop Optimist'' [Lathrop, Missouri], Thursday 3 June 1926, p.[1]<br />NB documentation of the Kimseys' 1926 Chautauqua work is strongly biased by the accessibility of press sources, which only cover the following locales:
*<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Thomas,_Kentucky Fort Thomas]</span>, Kentucky: 'Campaign Is Launched By Club To Finance Chautauqua To Be Held in Ft. Thomas', ''The Cincinnati Enquirer'' [Cincinnati, Ohio], Kentucky Edition, Thursday 24 June 1926, p.[1]
*<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucyrus,_Ohio Bucyrus]</span>, Ohio: 'Bucyrus Plans Summer Chautauqua', ''The Marion Star'' [Marion, Ohio], Monday 24 May 1926, p.10
*<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge,_Ohio Cambridge]</span>, Ohio: 'Chautauqua Will Open', ''The Times Recorder'' [Zanesville, Ohio], Monday 26 July 1926, p.[5]
*<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coshocton,_Ohio Coshocton]</span>, Ohio: 'Chautauq u [sic] Plans Made By Backers', ''The Coshocton Tribune'' [Coshocton, Ohio], Wednesday 21 July 1926, pp.1, 8; 'Dickason Gives Splendid Talk at Chautauqua', ibid., Friday 30 July 1926, p.8
*<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Liverpool,_Ohio East Liverpool]</span>, Ohio: 'Chautauqua Opens Monday', ''East Liverpool Review-Tribune'' [East Liverpool, Ohio], Tuesday 3 August 1926, p.5
*<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galion,_Ohio Galion]</span>, Ohio: 'Historical Pageant Will Feature Annual Chautauqua Entertainment At Galion', ''The Marion Daily Star'' [Marion, Ohio], Friday 14 May 1926, p.14
*<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lima,_Ohio Lima]</span>, Ohio: <span class="plainlinks">[http://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/cdm/ref/collection/tc/id/50212 ''Redpath Chautauqua 1926 Lima, Ohio July 17-23'']</span> (brochure), <span class="plainlinks">[http://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/cdm/search/collection/tc/searchterm/Traveling%20Culture:%20Circuit%20Chautauqua%20in%20the%20Twentieth%20Century/mode/exact Traveling Culture: Circuit Chautauqua in the Twentieth Century]</span> Digital Collection, Special Collections Dept., University of Iowa Libraries
*<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Philadelphia,_Ohio New Philadelphia]</span>, Ohio: 'Mass Singing to Be Featured at Chautauqua Tent', ''The Daily Times'' [New Philadelphia, Ohio], Thursday 19 August 1926, p.5
*<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairborn,_Ohio Osborn]</span>, Ohio: 'Osborn Chautauqua Plans Completed', ''The Dayton Daily News'' [Dayton, Ohio], Thursday 1 July 1926, p.13
*<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portsmouth,_Ohio Portsmouth]</span>, Ohio: 'Chautauqua Speaker Says Dawes Plan To Cause Flurry When Big Payments Are Due', ''Portsmouth Daily Times'' [Portsmouth, Ohio], Wednesday, 7 July 1926, p.2
*<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem,_Ohio Salem]</span>, Ohio: 'Redpath Chautauqua To Appear In Salem August 10 To 16', ''The Salem News'' [Salem, Ohio], Monday 3 May 1926, p.1
*<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilmington,_Ohio Wilmington]</span>, Ohio: 'Two Speakers On Today's Program', ''Wilmington News-Journal'' [Wilmington, Ohio], Thursday July 8, 1926, p.7
*<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zanesville,_Ohio Zanesville]</span>, Ohio: 'Grathwell Gives Two Chautauqua Talks Wednesday', ''The Times Recorder'' [Zanesville, Ohio], Thursday 29 July 1926, p.5
*<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altoona,_Pennsylvania Altoona]</span>, Pennsylvania: ''Today At Chautauqua', ''Altoona Tribune'' [Altoona, Pennsylvania], Friday 11 June 1926, p.[14]
*<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elk_Lick_Township,_Somerset_County,_Pennsylvania Elk Lick]</span> Pennsylvania: 'Aug. 3-9, Elk Lick Chautauqua Dates', ''Meyersdale Republican'' [Meyersdale, Pennsylvania], Thursday, 13 May 1926, p.2; (Elk Lick Bureau) 'Salisbury Siftings', ibid., Thursday, 12 August 1926, p.2
*<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniontown,_Pennsylvania Uniontown]</span>, Pennsylvania: 'Chautauqua To Have Excellent Attractions', ''The Morning Herald'' [Uniontown, Pennsylvania], Friday 14 May 1926, p.20
*<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary,_West_Virginia Gary]</span>, West Virginia: 'Redpath Program For Gary People', ''Bluefield Daily Telegraph'' [Bluefield, West Virginia], Sunday 25 April 1926, p.9</ref>

1926 was seemingly the Kimseys' last Chautauqua season: circuit Chautauqua was by now in serious decline, although the East Coast Redpath circuit they worked in 1925 remained active until 1932.<ref>Case, Victoria & Case, Robert Ormond ''We Called It Culture: The Story Of Chautauqua'', Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Co., 1948, pp.233-34; Lush, Paige Clark ''Music and Identity in Circuit Chautauqua: 1904-1932'' (PhD thesis), Lexington, Kentucky: University of Kentucky, 2009, p.57</ref> After these summer tours, they returned to New York and existing associations. These could in turn lead to new openings: in early 1927, apparently thanks to his work alongside Cadman at the Bedford 'Y' and other venues, Howard Kimsey began leading the singing at meetings held by the 'child evangelist' <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uldine_Utley Uldine Utley]</span>, both in New York and possibly elsewhere.<ref>'Old-Fashioned Revival', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Saturday 12 February 1927, p.8; Evangelistic Committee of N.Y.C., Inc. 'Brooklyn's Big Religious Event Uldine Utley' (notice), ibid., Saturday, 12 March 1927, p.9; 'News of the Churches', ibid., 4 June 1927, p.8; Kimsey was initially due to accompany Utley to Pittsburgh, see: 'Uldine Utley, Girl Evangel, To Come Here', ''The Pittsburgh Press'' [Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania], Saturday 27 August 1927, p.8, but he was not named in reports of the Pittsburgh campaign, see e.g. 'Uldine Utley Evangelistic Party' (photograph), ibid., Saturday, 10 September 1927, p.8, where Utley's musical director was pictured and named as J. Dalbert Coutts; on the same page, an article stated, 'J. Dalbert Coutts, the musical director, known as the "Paderewski of the Church," has already won the people with his singing. Under his direction a large choir is being formed.' ('Utley Revival Week Of Prayer', ibid.)</ref> It seems Lora Orth Kimsey accompanied him at some of these; as usual, she was not always mentioned in notices.<ref>'City-Wide Meetings For Evangelism', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Saturday 12 March 1927, p.8</ref> Probably because of Howard Kimsey's travels with Utley, in March 1927 Mrs. Kimsey was billed alongside a different song leader at a series of Lenten services in the Albee Theater;<ref>'Albee Theatre Noon-Day Lenten Services' (notice), ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Saturday 19 March 1927, p.9</ref> occasionally, too, she seems to have played at Cadman's meetings at the Bedford Y.M.C.A. without her husband.<ref>'"Blind Leaders," Dr. Cadman's Topic,' ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Saturday 12 November 1927, p.[8]</ref> Another slightly later notice states that 'Mrs. Kimsey is also accompanist for [...] many well known concert singers.<ref>'Talented Musicians Visiting Parents', ''Monrovia Daily News'' [Monrovia, California], Tuesday 17 July 1928, p.3</ref> Clearly, she had an independent professional profile, despite being very much under her husband's shadow; paradoxically, this may have led to the preservation of her playing on disc, whereas the voice of her husband, then much better known, appears to have been recorded only on sound films.<ref>Two films in which Kimsey appears are currently known:
*''Let's sing'', Talking Picture Epics, Inc., c.1930; the Film and Television Archive at UCLA's <span class="plainlinks">[https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/education/archive-research-study-center-arsc Archive Research and Study Center]</span> holds two copies of this short, <span class="plainlinks">[https://cinema.library.ucla.edu/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=76453 catalogued]</span> as containing performances of three songs with 'Howard Wade Kimsey, songleader'; whether Lora Orth Kimsey appears in the film is not stated
*[Title unknown], de Forest <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonofilm 'Phonofilm']</span>, 1927 (see [[#Broadcasting|above]]); no surviving copy known</ref>

===[[Chicago Gramophone Society]]===
In December 1927, at two sessions held a week apart in the studios of Columbia's 'Personal Record' Department in New York City, Lora Orth Kimsey performed songs by Hugo Wolf and Richard Strauss alongside the mezzo-soprano [[Hager, Mina (mezzo-soprano)|Mina Hager]]. Kimsey's only known record is one of two discs which make up the [[Chicago Gramophone Society 50019-P, 50020-P|second and final issue]] of the [[Chicago Gramophone Society]] (on the other, [[Carpenter, John Alden (piano)|John Alden Carpenter]] accompanied Hager in a set of his own songs). This repertoire was different from Kimsey's usual fare: no notices have been found of other performances by her of these composers' songs. How did this engagement come about?

The Chicago Gramophone Society was short-lived and little reported: its activities are known mainly from notices in a Boston-based magazine, <span class="plainlinks">[http://arsc-audio.org/blog/2016/10/27/phonograph_monthly_review/ ''The Phonograph Monthly Review'']</span>, which acted as its mouthpiece. To summarize the detailed account presented [[Chicago Gramophone Society|elsewhere]] on this site, the Society had [[Chicago Gramophone Society#Beginnings|started life]], probably in late 1925, as a private circle for aficionados of recorded music,<ref>Fisher, Vories <span class="plainlinks">[https://archive.org/stream/PMR_1_1/1_1#page/n32/mode/1up 'Chicago Phonograph Society']</span>, in 'Phonograph Society Reports', ''The Phonograph Monthly Review'', Vol.1 No.1, October 1926, pp.32-34 (on p.32)</ref> one of several North American groups formed around this time which were modelled on Britain's gramophone societies. The Society was formally and publicly constituted in late 1926, when it elected as its President a Chicago stockbroker and record-collector, [[Fisher, Vories|Vories Fisher]]. At that stage, originating new recordings was not among its stated aims. Fisher himself did have ambitions in this direction, which he hoped to realise through a [[Chicago Gramophone Society#The Phonograph Monthly Review Contest|contest]] for readers of ''The Phonograph Monthly Review''. But he seems to have abandoned this fairly quickly, and in early 1927 he proposed that the Society issue a recording which he was underwriting with a fellow-member, [[Pollak, Robert|Robert Pollak]]. The proposal was accepted, and in May or June the Chicago Gramophone Society distributed its [[Chicago Gramophone Society 50016-P, 50017-P|first issue]], consisting of César Franck's ''Prelude, Chorale and Fugue'' for solo piano, recorded complete on two 12-inch (30 cm) discs by [[Roberts, Marion Mahan (piano)|Marion Roberts]], an up-and-coming local pianist and composer. In October 1927, Fisher tentatively <span class="plainlinks">[https://archive.org/stream/PMR_2_1/2_1#page/n10/mode/1up promised]</span> a second issue in time for Christmas, but could not reveal its contents.<ref>[Fisher,] Vories <span class="plainlinks">[https://archive.org/stream/PMR_2_1/2_1#page/n10/mode/1up 'Recorded Remnants']</span>, ''The Phonograph Monthly Review'', Vol.2 No.1, October 1927, pp.9-10 (on p.10)</ref> November brought news of 'an over-crowded schedule at the recording studios [which] has necessitated the postponement for a few weeks of the making of these records', again with no hint of the programme or artists.<ref>Johnson, Axel B. <span class="plainlinks">[https://archive.org/stream/PMR_2_2/2_2#page/n2/mode/1up 'General Review']</span>, ''The Phonograph Monthly Review'', Vol.2 No.2, November 1927, pp.[41]-45 (on p.<span class="plainlinks">[https://archive.org/stream/PMR_2_2/2_2#page/n5/mode/1up 44]</span>)</ref> The recordings were made the following month, and the issue was <span class="plainlinks">[https://archive.org/stream/PMR_2_4/2_4#page/n26/mode/1up/ announced]</span> in full in January 1928: consisting as before of two 12-inch (30 cm) discs, it was pressed in a limited edition of 200 sets, priced at $5 each, and distributed later that month or in early February.<ref><span class="plainlinks">[https://archive.org/stream/PMR_2_4/2_4#page/n26/mode/1up 'The Chicago Gramophone Society hereby...']</span> (notice), ''The Phonograph Monthly Review'', Vol.2 No.4, January 1928, p.146</ref>

Lora Orth Kimsey is not credited on the disc labels, was not mentioned in the Society's announcement, the sole known <span class="plainlinks">[https://archive.org/stream/PMR_2_8/2_8#page/n27/mode/1up review]</span>,<ref><span class="plainlinks">[https://archive.org/stream/PMR_2_8/2_8#page/n27/mode/1up 'Special']</span>, ''The Phonograph Monthly Review'', Vol.2 No.8, May 1928, pp.306-15</ref> or any other published source relating to the Society; she is named as pianist only on Columbia's matrix cards.<ref>Columbia's matrix cards are now held by Sony Music Entertainment in New York City; details of Lora Orth Kimsey's recording sessions for the Chicago Gramophone Society were retrieved by Michael H. Gray, whose kind help is gratefully acknowledged (personal communication, 18 September 2015)</ref> No evidence has been uncovered to link her with Hager;<ref>The <span class="plainlinks">[https://mms.newberry.org/xml/xml_files/hager.xml Mina Hager Papers]</span> at the Newberry Library, Chicago, may contain correspondence with Kimsey, or with officers or members of the Chicago Gramophone Society; an application for a <span class="plainlinks">[https://www.newberry.org/short-term-fellowships Short-Term Fellowship]</span> at the Newberry Library, submitted by the author in December 2017, was rejected in April 2018, so the Papers have not been consulted for this page</ref> they both performed in circuit Chautauquas in 1915, but for different bureaux, and more than a decade before their sessions for the Society. Instead, the simplest and most likely reason for Lora Kimsey's engagement is her work, from the early 1920s, as a freelance accompanist in New York. She had clearly built up a reputation as a reliable, versatile pianist, accustomed to the microphone. She would surely have been known to agents, managers, fixers and bookers, and thus to the staff of the Columbia Personal Record department, which supplied pianists for clients lacking an accompanist or partner.<ref>Donovan, A.E. Typescript letter, unaddressed [to Hayes, Roland], undated [1917?], 1 ss.; <span class="plainlinks">[http://184.168.105.185/archivegrid/collection/data/667621573 Roland Hayes papers]</span>, Detroit Public Library; scan by courtesy of Tim Brooks, personal e-mail, 18 February 2017</ref> Such an arrangement would appear to run contrary to Hager's high estimation of the pianist's role: three years later, she stated that, 'Without the accompanist, the singer would be nothing'.<ref>'Mrs. Rayburn To Be Accompanist', ''The Evening Huronite'' [Huron, South Dakota], 12 February 1931, p.12</ref> Perhaps none of her regular recital partners was available, especially if the Chicago Gramophone Society sessions were arranged somewhat hastily; in that case, Kimsey could have been supplied as a stop-gap. Until the output of Columbia's Personal Record department is fully documented, or other relevant information comes to light, this question will remain unanswered. If Kimsey was indeed supplied by Columbia, she would presumably have been paid by the company and would have had no dealings with the Society itself; there is no evidence that she auditioned test pressings or received a copy of the finished, pressed disc, and nothing to indicate her opinion of it.

===Rotary Club to Rescue Society===
In March 1928, just after the Chicago Gramophone Society had distributed her recording to subscribers, Lora Kimsey again played during noonday Lenten services from the E.F. Albee Theater, not with her husband but another song leader.<ref> 'Leading Pastors In Theater Series', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Saturday 17 March 1928, p.6</ref> At the end of the month, the Kimseys were invited to join the staff of a Young People's Leadership Institute run by the <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Encyclopedia_Americana_(1920)/Baptist_Young_People%27s_Union_of_America Baptist Young People's Union]</span> at the <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baptist_Temple_(Brooklyn) Baptist Temple]</span> in Brooklyn; no details of their respective roles are known.<ref>'Dr. Megaw's Talks At Baptist Temple', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Saturday 31 March 1928, p.6</ref> In May 1928, Dr. S. Parkes Cadman bid farewell to the Bedford Avenue branch of the YMCA in Brooklyn.<ref>'Farewell Address By Rev. Dr. Cadman', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Saturday 19 May 1928, p.4; 'A Farewell Message by The Rev. Dr. S. Parkes Cadman', ibid., Monday 21 May 1928, p.14</ref> It is unclear if he was to have returned for the customary series of meetings in the autumn of 1928; for whatever reason, this did not take place. For a time thereafter, the Kimseys are somewhat less visible in accessible press sources. A possible reason is that Howard Kimsey became involved in the <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1928 1928 US presidential election campaign]</span>, touring Southern states with the Baptist preacher <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Roach_Straton Dr. John R. Straton]</span>, pastor of Manhattan's Calvary Baptist Church, at which Kimsey sang. Straton campaigned in support of the ultimately victorious Republican candidate <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Hoover Herbert Hoover]</span> against the Democratic Governor <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Smith Al Smith]</span> of New York, because of the latter's 'wet' (anti-Prohibition) stance. Two decades later, Kimsey told a newspaper reporter that
 'during the Smith election he was instructed to sit about six feet behind Dr. Straton on the rostrum while the latter was preaching. "Underneath my chair there were three large hymn books but I never led a song out of any of them! They were bound with strips of innertubes and I had instructions that if any fanatic in the congregation started toward Dr. Straton, I was to throw the books at him. A hymn book in a situation of this kind is as good as a brick," Dr. Kimsey mused.'<ref>Prather, Gibson 'Mission Head Who Stumped South for Hoover Recalls '28', ''Tampa Morning Tribune'' [Tampa, Florida], Saturday 14 October 1950, p.9</ref>
It seems unlikely Lora Kimsey joined her husband on the campaign trail. She spent July and August 1928 at her parents' home in California, and in September, on her way back to New York, she performed an organ solo at a Sunday service in her husband's home town.<ref>'Mrs. Kimsey Played', ''The Lathrop Optimist'' [Lathrop, Missouri], Thursday 27 September 1928, p.[1]</ref> In December, she took part in concerts and services of Christmas music at an Episcopal church in Brooklyn: these included excerpts from Handel's <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messiah_(Handel) ''Messiah'']</span> and works by <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Schubert Schubert]</span>, <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Holst Holst]</span> and others. A press preview mentioned that she had 'played at the Cadman services for many years', suggesting how useful and important this association had been for her.<ref>'Church of Incarnation Plans Xmas Music Program' and 'Church of The Incarnation' (notice), ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Saturday 22 December 1928, p.11</ref> Ironically, her husband's name and face were used a few months later in an <span class="plainlinks">[https://mtr.arcade-museum.com/MTR-1929-88-15/26/ advertisement]</span> for <span class="plainlinks">[http://antiquepianoshop.com/online-museum/brambach/ Brambach]</span> pianos, which described Kimsey as the 'Nationally known song leader, renowned through his Sunday radio broadcasts with Rev. Dr. S. Parkes Cadman', even though he presumably did not often play the instrument.<ref>Brambach Piano Co. 'The Expression of the Artist on the Brambach' (advertisement), ''The Music Trade Review'' (Magazine Number), Vol.88 No.15, 13 April 1929, p.26</ref> At some point in 1929, as well as resuming his previous seasonal employment on board the Hudson River Day Line's summer services,<ref>'News of Churches', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Saturday 17 August 1929, p.4, and ibid., Saturday 5 October 1929, p.11</ref> Kimsey became song leader to the Brooklyn Rotary Club, entertaining members at weekly meetings and special events, with his wife at the piano, and occasionally engaging guest artists such as the Swiss-born 'singing comedienne' Thérèse Quadri (1886-1976).<ref>Earliest notice found: 'Brooklyn Rotarians See Work of Crayon Artist', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Friday 30 August 1929, p.15<br />First mentions of Kimsey as Brooklyn Rotary Club song leader and of Quadri: Timpson, Fred H. 'Rotary Club Rotograms', ''Brooklyn Life and Activities of Long Island Society'', Saturday 9 November 1929, p.18</ref> It was thanks to this connection that, in November 1929, the Kimseys toured for two weeks with a figure of national stature, Sergeant <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvin_York Alvin C. York]</span>, hero of the World War, visiting Rotary Clubs and other institutions in cities and towns in the east and mid-west.<ref>Timpson, Fred. H. 'Rotary Club Rotograms', ''Brooklyn Life and Activities of Long Island Society'', Saturday 16 November 1929, p.18</ref> On 8 November, for instance, they were in <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plainfield,_New_Jersey Plainfield]</span>, New Jersey, as a local newspaper reported:
 'Sgt. Alvin C. York, "the greatest civilian soldier of the World War," [...] will arrive in Plainfield on the 7:04 p.m. train from New York, accompanied by Howard Wade Kimsey, a nationally known radio song leader, and Mrs. Kimsey, a pianist of distinction. Mr. Kimsey will start the program at 8 with a short community "sing" illustrated with stereopticon slides. Greetings will be spoken by Mayor Alexander Milne and Chairman D.J. Spratt. Mr. and Mrs. Kimsey will give a musical specialty. [...] Mr. Kimsey will give sidelights concerning matters about which Sgt. York is too modest to talk.'<ref>'Sgt. Alvin York, Late War Hero, Ball-Kirch Guest', ''Plainfield Courier-News'' [Plainfield, New Jersey], Friday, 8 November 1929, p.1</ref>
What the slides contained (this was not the sole instance of slides being shown during community singing<ref>See e.g. 'Evangel Church Gets Many Gifts', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Saturday 8 October 1927, p.4, and 'The Glories Of The Heavens' (notice), ibid., Saturday 7 January 1928, p.9; on Sunday 13 November 1927, during the Men's Conference meeting at the Y.M.C.A.'s Bedford Avenue branch, with the Kimseys present, a 'Stereopticon Lecture on Palestine' followed Dr. Parkes Cadman's customary 'Question Hour', see 'Men's Conference Bedford Branch [...]' (notice), ibid., Saturday 12 November 1927, p.[9]</ref>), or what special music the Kimseys performed, is unfortunately not known.

Meanwhile, the couple had begun another association, which would once again bring them before a large radio audience. Thomas J. Noonan (1878-1935) was superintendent of the Rescue Society, whose Chinatown Mission was housed in the <span class="plainlinks">[http://gotham.fromthesquare.org/the-1893-chinese-theater-5-7-doyers-street/ former Chinese Theater]</span> in lower Manhattan's <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doyers_Street Doyers Street]</span>. This formerly notorious dogleg lane opens off the <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowery Bowery]</span>, to whose down-and-outs the Mission ministered. Never ordained, Noonan was popularly known as the 'Bishop of Chinatown'.<ref>'His Radio Hour Will Broadcast Noonan Funeral', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Friday 26 July 1935, p.11</ref> Like Cadman, from as early as October 1926 Noonan harnessed radio to win support for the Rescue Society.<ref>'Hot Waves from the "Mike" Today and Tomorrow', ''The Daily Pantagraph'' [Bloomington, Indiana], Saturday 2 October 1926, Section B, p.7-B</ref> His broadcasts from the Mission over New York's <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WMCA_(AM) WMCA]</span>, WAAM and <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WOPG_(AM)#History WOKO]</span> stations became enormously popular and attracted a 'deluge of letters', telling '[h]undreds of touching stories.'<ref>'Up In The Air With The Radio Editor', ''The Hartford Daily Courant'' [Hartford, Connecticut], Sunday 23 October 1927, Part 7 (Radio Section), p.21 F; in 1930, Noonan's broadcasts reportedly still prompted 1,000 to 1,500 letters a week from listeners, see 'Tom Noonan's Voice Carried On Big Chain', ''Rochester Democrat and Chronicle'' [Rochester, New York], Sunday 29 June 1930, Section IV(?), p.9D(?) (pagination unclear on newspapers.com)</ref> Like Cadman, too, Noonan used music, and by 1929 assembled a group of artists who would be referred to as his 'famed radio family', 'gang' and 'troupe'.<ref>'Tom Noonan Will Give Programs In City April 14-15', ''Harrisburg Telegraph'' [Harrisburg, Pennsylvania], Saturday 14 March 1931, p.1; 'Enthusiastic Crowd Hears Tom Noonan', ''Hartford Daily Courant'' [Hartford, Connecticut], Saturday 11 April 1931, p.2; 'Tom Noonan Moves Big Crowd At Elk Benefit Performance', ''Asbury Park Evening Press'' [Asbury Park, New Jersey], Friday 11 March 1932, p.19</ref> Its stalwarts were the instrumental Hackel-Bergé Trio,<ref>Alexander Hackel (1886-1965), violin; William E. Bergé (1889-1955), cello; pianist currently unknown</ref> the Harmony Trumpeters,<ref>At this time, the Harmony Trumpeters was composed of Clyde K. Hendricks (1899-1935?), Harman Reed Clark (1901-68?) and William Howard Hendricks (?-?), see e.g. 'Many Big Features Over WTIC', ''Hartford Daily Courant'' [Hartford, Connecticut], Sunday 8 January 1928, part 6, p.E 11, and 'Humorist Among Speakers On Christian Endeavor Program' (with photograph), ''The Dayton Herald'' [Dayton, Ohio], Thursday 27 June 1929, p.[19]; a decade later, it was reformed by Clark as a non-professional trio, composed of Clark, Ballington Duncan Boss (1909-88), and Herbert Gustav(?) Steffens (1915-2009?), see e.g. 'First Baptist Church' (under 'Somerset County Christian Groups Will Hold Services'), ''The Daily Home News'' [New Brunswick, New Jersey], Friday 26 March 1937, p.30<br />N.B. Neither group should be confused with a Philadelphia-based quartet of the period, also named the Harmony Trumpeters, and composed of Thomas D. Hobson, first trumpet, Charles H. Gobrecht, second trumpet, Charles H. Gobrecht, Jr., third trumpet, and William Simpson, fourth trumpet, see e.g. 'Radio Features For Today', ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' [Philadelphia, Pennsylvania], Saturday 11 April 1925, p.20</ref>, <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nichibei.org/2013/11/the-great-unknown-and-the-unknown-great-hapa-baritone-george-hiroses-theatrical-story/ George Hirose]</span>, a Japanese-American baritone (and, later, actor), and the Kimseys. Howard Wade Kimsey had sung at the Mission as early as 1913;<ref>'Friends Meet For First Time In 37 Years', ''The Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle'' [Clarksville, Tennessee], Friday 28 May 1954, p.8</ref> now, he was engaged as bass soloist and congregational song leader.<ref>First mention of Howard Wade Kimsey in Rescue Society broadcast (Lora Kimsey presumed present but not named): 'Brown's Redemption To Be Told On WDEL', ''Every Evening'' [Wilmington, Delaware], Saturday 26 October 1929, p.11</ref>  Lora Kimsey, at the piano, accompanied her husband in both his roles, as well as other soloists including Noonan himself, and perhaps played solo numbers.<ref>'"Bishop of Chinatown" Tells How Souls Are Saved Along the Bowery; 1,100 Hear Him at First M.E. Church', ''Plainfield Courier-News'' [Plainfield, New Jersey], Monday 16 February 1931, p.12; 'Noonan Tells 300 Of Mission Work', ''Asbury Park Evening Press'' [Asbury Park, New Jersey], Wednesday 25 April 1934, p.3</ref> Also from 1929, Noonan visited towns and cities where his broadcasts ensured him a large following, to raise funds for the Mission. He often took the Kimseys with him - and, sometimes, only Mrs. Kimsey, as in March 1930 in Wilmington, Delaware, whose WDEL station regularly broadcast the Rescue Society's services.<ref>'Tom Noonan Is Given 'Big Hand' On Visit Here', ''The Evening Journal'' [Wilmington, Delaware], Friday 28 March 1930, p.24</ref> In a report of one of these visits, to <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Brunswick,_New_Jersey New Brunswick]</span>, New Jersey, she was billed as 'his organist';<ref>'"Bishop of Chinatown" Tells How He Helps Derelicts to New Life; Friend Tells of Rescue by Noonan', ''The Daily Home News'' [New Brunswick, New Jersey], Saturday 13 February 1932, p.3</ref> possibly some venues had a pipe-organ rather than a piano.

Of the many reports of Noonan's services, broadcasts and tours, a few bring Lora Orth Kimsey out of the shadows, and suggest how much Noonan valued her and her work. At Poughkeepsie, in April 1931, the ''Eagle-News'' reported,
 'men and women of all walks in life laughed and cried with "Chinatown's bishop," sang his songs, listened to his story and sent him away with $265.16. [...] The ever-present good humor of the evangelist had a magical effect on his audience. Even Lora Orth Kimsey, his accompanist, who must listen to him every night, could not stifle a laugh at every joke. And she was no less amused than anyone else at Tom's wind-up before going into a song.'<ref>'Welcome Is Given To Tom Noonan', ''Poughkeepsie Eagle-News'' [Poughkeepsie, New York], Friday morning, 10April 1931, p.5</ref>
In March 1933, at a large gathering in Philadelphia, Noonan apparently introduced Mrs. Kimsey to his audience as a 'poetess of the piano' (unless, even more noteworthily, this epithet was bestowed by the ''Philadelphia Inquirer'' reporter).<ref>'Tom Noonan Stirs 5000 On Visit Here', ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', Tuesday 21 March 1933, p.2</ref> The same month, she and her husband appeared in a Brooklyn church as members of what was billed as the 'Doyers St. Mission Band', suggesting how well known the ensemble had become: 'Come Early For A Good Seat', urged the notice, for a service of 'Converts' Testimonies, Songs, Solos and Congregational Singing'.<ref>'Doyers St. Mission Band' (notice), ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Saturday 11 March 1933, p.10; 'Mission Workers to Assist in Service', ibid., p.11</ref> Most touchingly, after Noonan died in July 1935, the vivid account in the ''New York Times'' of his funeral at the Doyers Street Mission noted the
 'musical selections by the Harmony Trumpeters, the Three Guardsmen, the Hackel-Bergé Trio, George Hirose, and as Mr. Bennett [Noonan's executor] reminded, "I can almost hear Tom standin' here now sayin' 'Jack, don't forget to tell the crowd we have the charmin' Laura [sic] Orth Kimsey at the Steinway.'"'<ref>'Noonan Mourners Throng Doyers St.', ''New York Times'', Monday 29 July 1935, p.15</ref>
By this time, mentions of Lora Kimsey in the press had dwindled to a trickle. When not following Noonan on his forays around New England, she apparently worked with her husband only sporadically. A confusingly worded and error-prone report of early 1933 stated she would soon visit her mother (widowed two years previously<ref>'Edward M. Orth Passes Saturday', ''Monrovia News-Post'' [Monrovia, California], Monday 13 April 1931, p.[1]</ref>) in California, adding, 'Mrs. Kinsey [sic] gives up her work as an organist in one of the New York churches to come here.'<ref>'Mrs. Lauda [sic] Orth To Visit Mother', ''Monrovia News-Post'' [Monrovia, California], Thursday 16 February 1933, p.7</ref> Was this a first step in a planned permanent move? Was Mrs. Kimsey already unwell (see [[#California|below]]), or growing weary of performing at evangelical meets alongside a die-hard Prohibitionist,<ref>e.g. Howard Wade Kimsey, 'Statistics as Evidence Alcohol Is No Bracer' (letter), ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Tuesday 28 February 1933, p.18, and 'Kimsey Will Speak On "Harm of Beer"', ''The Anniston Star'' [Anniston, Alabama], Thursday 25 May 1933, p.2</ref> whose role in Noonan's entourage was, as one journalist put it, that of 'combination song-leader and stooge'?<ref>Harrison, Paul 'In New York', ''The Daily News'' [Frederick, Maryland], Thursday 20 April 1933, p.4; also syndicated in many other newspapers, e.g. Harrison, Paul 'A Day in New York', ''Arizona Daily Star'' [Tucson, Arizona], Tuesday 2 May 2, 1933, p.8</ref> She did not join Howard Wade Kimsey at evangelical revivals and associated appearances in West Virginia or Alabama in  May 1933,<ref>'Civic Clubs Will Hold Joint Meet', ''Bluefield Daily Telegraph'' [Bluefield, West Virginia], Tuesday 2 May 1933, p.10; 'Singer Coming Here Saturday From New York', ''The Anniston Star'' [Anniston, Alabama], Friday 12 May 1933, p.11</ref> or at a camp for under-privileged boys on Long Island that summer, where he directed the vegetable farm, 'camp-fire sings' and story-telling.<ref>'Advance Guard Of 100 Boys Go To Camp July 3', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Sunday 25 June 1933, p.A 11</ref> In September 1933, a newspaper in Kimsey's native Missouri stated, 'He has a conservatory of music in New York City';<ref>'About Town with the local reporter', ''Macon Chronicle-Herald'' [Macon, Missouri], Friday 1 September 1933, p.4</ref> this claim is unsubstantiated, although the lack of reports of his wife's activities leads one to wonder if she did in fact take in pupils. From the spring of 1934, Kimsey rejoined the evangelist Uldine Utley on her revivalist campaigns in Iowa and Illinois;<ref>e.g. 'Uldine Utley's Revivals Open; Crowd Is Large', ''The Davenport Democrat and Leader'' [Davenport, Iowa], Tuesday 27 February 1934, p.3; 'Uldine Utley In Muscatine', ibid., Sunday 4 March 1934, p.23; 'Sermon Preached on Divine Laws', ''Muscatine Journal and News-Tribune'' [Muscatine, Iowa], Friday 2 March 1934, p.11; 'Uldine Utley' (notice), ''The Daily Journal'' [Jacksonville, Illinois], Saturday 12 January 1935, p.3, and 'Sunday Church Services', ibid., p.8; 'Uldine Utley', ibid., Thursday 7 February 1935, p.10</ref> an advertisement in the ''Chicago Daily Tribune'' proclaimed Utley 'The American Joan of Arc' and Kimsey 'New York's Foremost Chorus Leader for Everybody',<ref>'Uldine Utley' (notice), ''Chicago Daily Tribune'', Saturday 28 July 1934, p.7</ref> and their association continued for another year.<ref>Last notice found: 'Uldine Preaching In Grand Island', ''The Waterloo Daily Courier'' [Waterloo, Iowa], Tuesday 26 March 1935, p.3</ref> Meanwhile, the Kimseys joined Noonan for one last time, on an excursion to New Jersey in April 1934;<ref>'Noonan To Visit Shore April 24', ''Asbury Park Evening Press'' [Asbury Park, New Jersey], Thursday 29 March 1934, p.15</ref> the only other reported public appearance by Lora Orth Kimsey that year was in September, when she accompanied Thérèse Quadri at another Brooklyn Rotary Club dinner.<ref>'Rotary Entertained By French Singer', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Friday 21 September 1934, p.12</ref> The last occasion at which the couple is documented as performing together on the East Coast was a 'sacred concert' on 18 November 1935 at the Times Square Mission in Manhattan;<ref>'Howard Wade Kimsey, known in Brooklyn [...]' (notice), ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Saturday 16 November 1935, p.6</ref> this was apparently preceded by a broadcast the day before.<ref>'Sacred Concert by Howard Wade Kimsey [...]' (notice), ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Saturday 16 November 1935, p.7</ref> Whether demand for Howard Wade Kimsey's services as soloist and song-leader in New York was on the wane, and what implications this might have had for the couple's relationship, cannot be ascertained from currently accessible sources. Curiously, and somewhat ironically, at this moment Kimsey embarked on a new career as a writer for the ''Brooklyn Daily Eagle'': a column profiling couples who celebrated their golden wedding anniversaries ran under his byline from November 1935 until February 1936.<ref>First known instalment: Kimsey, Howard Wade 'Married Life Happy? Ask These 4 Couples', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Saturday 16 November 1935, p.7; thereafter the series, now entitled 'The Golden Years', ran from Saturday 30 November 1935, p.3, until Saturday 1 February 1936, p.5, after which it was taken over by Herbert George W. Sundelof (1900-81) and his wife Mabel Doris (née Ferger, 1907-81), both by-lined initially as 'Pinch-hitting for Howard Wade Kimsey', see ibid., Saturday 25 January 1935, p.5, Saturday 8 February 1936, p.5, and Saturday 15 February 1936, p.5; the series continued until at least 1938, see Sundelof, H.G.W. 'New Year Recalls A Golden Parade', ibid., Saturday 2 January 1938, Section E, p.4 E</ref> In May 1936, Kimsey was stated to have been in Washington, D.C., reporting from Congress for the paper.<ref>'Howard Wade Kimsey Here', ''The Lathrop Optimist'' [Lathrop, Missouri], Thursday 21 May 1936, p.[1]</ref> Later that year, he left New York for <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_City,_Missouri Kansas City]</span>, where he found new employment in his old capacities as congregational song-leader<ref>'Howard Wade Kimsey Here', ''The Kansas City Star'' [Kansas City, Missouri], Saturday 10 October 1936, p.4</ref> and broadcaster;<ref>'Beginning Broadcasts', ''The Lathrop Optimist'' [Lathrop, Missouri], Thursday 19 November 1936, p.[1]</ref> he also took charge of a children's church choir.<ref>'Howard W. Kimsey Home', ''The Lathrop Optimist'' [Lathrop, Missouri], Thursday 3 December 1936, p.[1]</ref>

===California===
Lora Orth Kimsey did not join her husband in Missouri. Instead, at an unknown date she moved to California (see [[#Later life|below]]), where her sister Buda was living with their mother.<ref>Buda Orth Dorsey was recorded as living in the parental home in Monrovia, California, in both 1930 and 1940 United States Federal Censuses, accessed via ancestry.com; her father had died in Monrovia on 11 April 1931, see 'Edward M. Orth Passes Saturday', ''Monrovia News-Post'' [Monrovia, California], Monday 13 April 1931, p.(1), and 'The Final Curtain', ''The Billboard'', Vol.43 No.19, 9 May 1931, p.66</ref> In 1936 and 1937, they played together at Sunday School worship services; at one of these, in August 1936, Mrs. Kimsey gave her last known performance as organist.<ref>'Sunday Church Services' and 'Pipe Organist And Violinist In Concert', ''Monrovia News-Post'' [Monrovia, California], Saturday 22 August 1936, p.2; 'Sunday Church Services', ibid., Saturday 14 August 1937, p.2</ref> Meanwhile, her husband had also moved to the state by early 1937,<ref>Shippey, Lee 'The Lee Side o' L.A.', ''Los Angeles Times'', Wednesday 31 March 1937, Part II, p.4; 'Howard Wade Kimsey was visiting friends [...]', ''The Lathrop Optimist'' [Lathrop, Missouri], Thursday 29 July 1937, p.[1]</ref> possibly in an attempt to revive their relationship, and developed a new sideline as soloist at public picnics for denizens of other states living in California.<ref>Earliest notice found: 'Iowans Picnic This Saturday', ''Tulare Daily Advance-Register'' [Tulare, California], 4 March 1937, p.7</ref> A brief rapprochement was apparently reached: in October he and his wife gave a 'Song and Story Evening' at a church in <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth,_California Plymouth]</span>, California, for which a local paper billed them as 'artists, nationally known by platform and radio appearance, [who] have contributed to the happiness of millions by their specialization in the type of religious music that reaches the heart of the masses of American people.'<ref>'Kimseys To Be At Plymouth', ''The Whittier News'' [Whittier, California], Thursday 14 October 1937, p.16</ref>

Lora Orth Kimsey, too, was finding new outlets for her skills, and perhaps fresh confidence. In December 1937, at a meeting of the <span class="plainlinks">[https://martinturnbull.com/2016/01/23/south-ebell-club-building-7101-s-menlo-st-los-angeles-october-2-1930/ South Ebell]</span>, a branch of the prominent <span class="plainlinks">[https://ebellofla.com/club/about/ Los Angeles women's club]</span>, a new group gave its first known performance: the Orth-Kimsey Concertists, surely significantly named.<ref>'Chief Davis Speaks At Ebell', ''The Southwest Wave'' [Los Angeles, California], 10 December 1937, Zones 1-2-3-4, South, p.10, and 'Davis Speaks Today At South Ebell', ibid. Tuesday, 14 December 1937, Zones 1-2-3-4, South, p.4</ref> No details of its members or repertoire were reported either for this event or for a second in January 1938, another picnic for out-of-staters; community singing was promised at the latter, but no song-leader was named.<ref>'Judge To Speak At Illinois Picnic', ''Santa Ana Daily [Evening] Register'' [Santa Ana, California], Thursday 20 January 1938, Final Edition, p.2; 'Illinois Picnic To Be Held Saturday', ''The Wilmington Press'' [Wilmington, California], Friday 21 January 1938, p.3</ref> It was perhaps Howard Wade Kimsey, who joined the Concertists for a church service in Hollywood the following day, when the group's other members were named as Lora Orth Kimsey, 'pianist-organist', and Buda Orth, violin.<ref>'Concertists Will Be Heard at Community Methodist Church; Valley Worship Plans Bared', ''Valley Citizen-News'' [Hollywood, California], Saturday 22 January 1938, [San Fernando] Valley Edition, p.(1)</ref> In Plymouth, two weeks later, the Concertists' vocal soloist was another former member of Tom Noonan's 'radio family', the baritone George Hirose.<ref>'Noted Artists at Plymouth Church', ''The Whittier News'' [Whittier, California], Wednesday 2 February 1938, p.3; 'Plymouth Congregational Church', ibid., Saturday 5 February 1938, p.2, and 'Communion Tomorrow at Plymouth Church', p.5</ref> But in March, Howard Wade Kimsey was back with the group at South Ebell, when it shared the bill with other soloists.<ref>'Local Ebell Entertains Federation Leaders', ''The Southwest Wave'' [Los Angeles, California], Friday 11 March 1938, Zones 1-2-3, p.7 / Zone 4, South, p.9</ref> This was the last occasion on which the Kimseys are known to have performed together, and the Concertists made just one more reported appearance, at a picnic for former Illinois, Texas and Idaho residents, in April,<ref>'Illinois, Texas and Idaho People Plan Picnics Saturday', ''The Pomona Progress-Bulletin'' [Pomona, California], Friday 29 April 1938, Section I, p.7</ref> the last known musical performance by Lora Orth Kimsey. In July 1938, her husband revealed that his wife was 'in a sanitarium [sic] in California to remain a month or two', but did not specify her condition or treatment.<ref>'Local News', ''The Lathrop Optimist'' [Lathrop, Missouri], Thursday 14 July 1938, p.5</ref> The following March, Mrs. Kimsey filed for a divorce;<ref>'Divorce Suits Filed', ''The Los Angeles Times'', Friday 24 March 1939, Part II, p.18</ref> it was granted in October 1939.<ref>'Divorces Granted', ''The Los Angeles Times'', Wednesday 25 October 1939, p.13</ref> The couple is not known to have had any children.

Howard Kimsey left California some time in 1938, and returned to Kansas City.<ref>'Local News', ''The Lathrop Optimist'' [Lathrop, Missouri], Thursday 7 July 1938, p.4</ref> As well as broadcasting and editing the newsletter of the local Elks chapter, he was director of music at a city cemetery.<ref>'Sings Over KCMO', ''The Lathrop Optimist'' [Lathrop, Missouri], Thursday 18 August 1938, p.[1]; 'Howard Wade Kimsey To Direct Church Program', ibid., Thursday 9 March 1939, p.[1]; 'Howard Wade Kimsey Here', ibid., Thursday 28 August 1941, p.[1]</ref> In 1940, he was registered as a 'Salesman Dealer' of 'Parlor Games', living in a hotel in <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson,_Missouri Jackson]</span>, Missouri.<ref>1940 United States Federal Census, accessed via ancestry.com</ref> In late 1941, he was back in New York, serving as Field Secretary of the Rescue Society.<ref>'Three Boro Churches To Note Anniversaries', ''Brooklyn Eagle'', Saturday 11 October 1941, p.8</ref> Within months, he became superintendent of its famous Chinatown Mission, following in the footsteps of Thomas Noonan.<ref>The exact date of his appointment is unclear; by late 1941, he was referred to as the Mission's director, see 'Kimsey Is Guest On WBYN Program', ''Brooklyn Eagle'', Saturday 20 December 1941, p.14; he was reportedly appointed in 1942, see 'Mission Pastor Fans A Six Gun And Bible Too', ''Fort Dodge Messenger and Chronicle'' [Fort Dodge, Iowa], Wednesday 16 November 1949, p.15, and he was certainly in post by early 1943, see 'Mission Superintendent Formerly of Macon', ''Macon Chronicle-Herald'' [Macon, Missouri], Friday 23 April 1943, p.[1]</ref> In 1944, he was ordained,<ref> 'Howard W. Kimsey It [sic] to Be Ordained In Flatbush Church', ''Brooklyn Eagle'', Saturday 8 January 1944, p.4</ref> and was apparently still in post twenty years later.<ref>'Howard Wade Kimsey, superintendent, The Rescue Society [...]', ''Magna Times'' [Magna, Utah], 23 January 1964, p.[8]</ref> He died in Kansas City in 1975.<ref>U.S. Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014, accessed via ancestry.com</ref>

==Later life==
In 1940, the U.S. Federal Census registered Lora Hill, formerly of New York City but now living in Los Angeles, and with no occupation, as the wife of George Hill, an English-born 'artist' employed by a 'picture corporation'.<ref>1940 United States Federal Census, accessed via ancestry.com<br />In 1923, a Petition for Citizenship of the USA had been made by George Stanley Hill, born on 30 May 1893 in Halifax, Yorkshire, United Kingdom, married and a recent immigrant from Canada. Living in Los Angeles, California, Hill was employed as a 'Displayman'. Source: Naturalization Records of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, Central Division (Los Angeles), 1887-1940, accessed via ancestry.com</ref> The couple was not in fact married: only in July 1958 did Lora Jean Orth, of Monrovia, marry George Stanley Hill, in <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino,_California San Bernardino]</span>.<ref><span class="plainlinks">[https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=SBS19580807.1.9&srpos=21 'Vital Records']</span>, ''The San Bernardino Daily Sun'' [San Bernardino, California], Thursday 7 August 1958, p.A-9; California Marriage Index, 1949-1959, accessed via ancestry.com</ref>

Lora Jean Hill, as she was now known, died of breast cancer on 30 April 1967 in a nursing home outside <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarksville,_Arkansas Clarksville]</span>, Arkansas, but she was cremated in Dallas, Texas. This lends weight to a hypothesis that she and her husband had been living in Texas, which cannot currently be verified. No other reliable reports or sources document Lora Jean Hill's later life. No evidence of any musical activity after 1938 has been found; her death certificate gave her occupation as 'Housewife'.<ref>Arkansas State Department of Health Certificate of Death, retrieved from <span class="plainlinks">ancestry.com</span></ref> The Hills are not known to have had children. Mr. Hill died in 1985.<ref>U.S. Social Security Death Index, accessed via ancestry.com</ref>

==Compositions==
No original compositions by Lora Orth Kimsey are known. The few works attributed to her in press notices seem to be variations and/or medleys:

*''Roll Call'', 'Special Arrangement on Piano for Armistice Day'<ref>'Radio News & Programs', ''The Richmond Palladium And Sun-Telegram'' [Richmond, Indiana], Saturday 5 November 1927, p.3; 'Sunday Radio Music', ''The [Brooklyn] Standard Union'', Sunday 6 November 1927, p.12</ref>
*[Title unknown], 'medley of American Folk Songs [with] original improvisations on these old-time favorites'<ref>'Soloists At Bedford "Y" Tomorrow', ''Brooklyn Daily Times'', Saturday 15 January 1927, Wall Street Edition, p.5</ref>

==Repertoire==
Composers and works (not including accompaniments to songs, hymns, bell chime solos etc.) Lora Orth Kimsey is known to have played:

===Piano===
<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_van_Beethoven '''Beethoven''']</span> 'Andante in F' (almost certainly <span class="plainlinks">[http://imslp.org/wiki/Andante_favori,_WoO_57_(Beethoven,_Ludwig_van) ''Andante favori'' WoO 57]</span>)<ref>'Music Students Will Give Recital', ''Drake Daily Delphic'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Wednesday 19 February 1913, p.2</ref>

'''Beethoven''' <span class="plainlinks">[http://imslp.org/wiki/Piano_Sonata_No.14,_Op.27/2_(Beethoven,_Ludwig_van) Piano Sonata in c# minor Op.27 No.2]</span><ref>Ogden, George Frederick 'Music', ''The Register and Leader'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Sunday 12 May 1912, Society and Clubs, Music, Features section, p.43; 'Epworth League Gives Concert At Methodist Church This Evening', ''Rapid City Daily Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota], Friday 14 March 1913, p.8</ref>
*I. Adagio sostenuto<ref>'Amateur Musical Club To Meet Wednesday', ''Drake Daily Delphic'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Saturday 18 January 1913, p.7</ref>

<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric_Chopin '''Chopin''']</span> <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89tudes_(Chopin) Etudes]</span>
*'No.9' (<span class="plainlinks">[http://imslp.org/wiki/%C3%89tudes%2C_Op.10_(Chopin%2C_Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric) Op.10]</span> No.9 in f minor or <span class="plainlinks">[http://imslp.org/wiki/%C3%89tudes%2C_Op.25_(Chopin%2C_Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric) Op.25]</span> No.9 in Gb major)<ref>'Epworth League Gives Concert At Methodist Church This Evening', ''Rapid City Daily Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota], Friday 14 March 1913, p.8</ref>

'''Chopin''' <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nocturnes_(Chopin) Nocturne]</span> (unidentified)<ref>'Music', ''The Register and Leader'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Sunday 15 December 1912, Society and Clubs, Music, Features section, p.8</ref>

'''Chopin''' <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polonaises_(Chopin) Polonaise]</span> (unidentified)<ref>'Music', ''The Register and Leader'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Sunday 15 December 1912, Society and Clubs, Music, Features section, p.8</ref>

<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Debussy '''Debussy''']</span>(?) <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estampes ''Estampes'']</span>(?)
*II. ''La soirée dans Grenade'' ('Evening in Granada') (? - billed, without composer, as 'A Night in Grenada')<ref>'War Camp Service To Give Sunday Concert', ''Arkansas Democrat'' [Little Rock, Arkansas], Friday 29 March 1918, p.14</ref>

'''Drumheller''', Louis A. <span class="plainlinks">[https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/82302877#view-photo=164985767 (1854-1936]</span>) <span class="plainlinks">[http://maurice.bgsu.edu/record=b3018296~S9 ''Listen to the Mocking Bird'', with Variations Op.48]</span><ref>'ME Church Building Fund Recital' (notice), ''The Lathrop Optimist'' [Lathrop, Missouri], Thursday 6 September 1923, p.8</ref>

<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton%C3%ADn_Dvo%C5%99%C3%A1k '''Dvořák''']</span> <span class="plainlinks">[http://imslp.org/wiki/8_Humoresques,_Op.101_(Dvo%C5%99%C3%A1k,_Anton%C3%ADn) ''Humoresques'' Op.101]</span>
*excerpt (not specified)<ref>'Epworth League Gives Concert At Methodist Church This Evening', ''Rapid City Daily Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota], Friday 14 March 1913, p.8</ref>

<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engelbert_Humperdinck_(composer) '''Humperdinck''']</span> <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hansel_and_Gretel_(opera) ''Hänsel und Gretel'']</span>
*arranged '''anon'''. for violin and piano, for performance of opera, apparently complete but possibly abridged; unspecified 'selections' also played as prelude and entr'actes<ref>'Beauty Features Of Hansel And Gretel', ''Deadwood Daily Pioneer-Times'' [Deadwood, South Dakota], Friday 25 April 1913, p.[4]</ref>

<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Liszt '''Liszt''']</span> <span class="plainlinks">[http://imslp.org/wiki/Hungarian_Rhapsody_No.2%2C_S.244%2F2_(Liszt%2C_Franz) Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 in c# minor]</span><ref>'News of Musical Circles of Des Moines and a Glance Outside', ''The Register and Leader'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Sunday 31 March 1912, p.8; 'Epworth League Gives Concert At Methodist Church This Evening', ''Rapid City Daily Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota], Friday 14 March 1913, p.8; Star Theatre 'Tonight The Howard Wade Kimsey Concert Party' (advertisement), ''The Daily Republican'' [Cherryvale, Kansas], Tuesday 9 November 1915, p.[2]; 'The Howard Wade Kimsey Concert Company' (advertisement), ''The Hickman Courier'' [Hickman, Kentucky], Thursday 30 March 1916, p.[11]; [Title unknown], ''Brighton News'' [Brighton, Illinois], date unknown, quoted in 'Miss Lora Orth Pianiste', ''The Bloomfield Vindicator'' [Bloomfield, Missouri], Friday 21 April 1916, p.[4] (NB it is unclear if she was also to play the work in Bloomfield), and 'The Howard Wade Kimsey Concert Party' (advertisement), ''The Kosciusko Herald'' [Kosciusko, Mississippi], Friday 23 March 1917, p.1; 'ME Church Building Fund Recital' (notice), ''The Lathrop Optimist'' [Lathrop, Missouri], Thursday 6 September 1923, p.8</ref>

'''Liszt''' <span class="plainlinks">[http://imslp.org/wiki/Liebestr%C3%A4ume,_S.541_(Liszt,_Franz) ''Liebestraum'']</span> (unspecified)<ref>'Gloria Trumpeters Of WEAF Will Appear At South Amboy Tuesday', ''The Daily Home News'' [New Brunswick, New Jersey], Monday 19 October 1925, p.[9]</ref>

'''Liszt''' Unknown work(s)<ref>'Music Department Fortnightly Club Give Fine Program', ''Rapid City Daily Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota], Thursday 8 May 1913, p.8; 'Praise For Miss Shinn', ''The Olathe Mirror'' [Olathe, Kansas], Thursday 16 March 1916, p.1</ref>

<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moritz_Moszkowski '''Moszkowski''']</span> Waltz in E major (probably <span class="plainlinks">[http://imslp.org/wiki/3_Morceaux%2C_Op.34_(Moszkowski%2C_Moritz) 3 Pieces Op.34]</span> I. Waltz in E major)<ref>'Tonight's Program', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Wednesday 31 December 1924, Section 1, p.6 A; 'Concert and Organ Recital Tomorrow', ''Bergen Evening Call'' [Hackensack, New Jersey], Thursday 18 November 1926, p.16; 'Professionals in Concert for Bible Students', ''Pasadena Evening Post'' [Pasadena, California], Monday, 30 July 1928, p.11</ref>

<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Rachmaninoff '''Rachmaninoff''']</span> Prelude(s) (unidentified)<ref>'Epworth League Gives Concert At Methodist Church This Evening', ''Rapid City Daily Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota], Friday 14 March 1913, p.8; 'Odd Fellows And Rebekahs Hold Impressive Memorial Services For Dead Members', ibid., Thursday 22 May 1913, pp.[1], 2</ref>

'''Riley''', (?) ''Old Oaken Bucket'', variations<ref>'Epworth League Gives Concert At Methodist Church This Evening', ''Rapid City Daily Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota], Friday 14 March 1913, p.8; 'Tonight's Program', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Wednesday 31 December 1924, Section 1, p.6 A<br />NB The latter reference bills this work as 'variation by Riley (Kaillmark)' [sic], confirming that it is based on ''Old Oaken Bucket'', a vocal setting of the poem by <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Woodworth Samuel Woodworth]</span> to a <span class="plainlinks">[http://imslp.org/wiki/Araby%27s_Daughter_(Kiallmark%2C_George) melody]</span> by <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Kiallmark George Kiallmark]</span>, originally setting ''Araby's Daughter'' from ''<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lalla-Rookh Lalla Rookh]</span>'' by <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Moore Thomas Moore]</span>; the work played by Lora Orth was thus similar to another little known work, ''<span class="plainlinks">[http://imslp.org/wiki/The_Old_Oaken_Bucket_(Durkee%2C_C._W.) The Old Oaken Bucket, celebrated variations]</span>'' by one C.W. Durkee. The dialect poet <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Whitcomb_Riley James Whitcomb Riley]</span> had written a parody of Woodworth's poem, see Sorby, Angela ''Schoolroom Poets: Childhood, Performance, and the Place of American Poetry, 1865-1917'', Durham, New Hampshire: University of New Hampshire Press, 2005, p.xl, but the similarity between his name and that of the composer of the work played by Orth seems to be a coincidence</ref>

<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camille_Saint-Sa%C3%ABns '''Saint-Saëns''']</span> <span class="plainlinks">[http://imslp.org/wiki/Piano_Concerto_No.4,_Op.44_(Saint-Sa%C3%ABns,_Camille) Piano Concerto No.4 in c minor Op.44]</span>
*I. Allegro moderato - Andante (almost certainly performed without orchestra)<ref>'Social Calendar for Week', ''The Register and Leader'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Sunday 26 January 1913, Society and Clubs, Music, Features section, p.8</ref>

'''Saint-Saëns''' <span class="plainlinks">[http://imslp.org/wiki/Le_carnaval_des_animaux_(Saint-Sa%C3%ABns,_Camille) ''Carnival of the Animals'']</span>
*XIII. ''The Swan''<ref>'Society', ''Des Moines Evening Tribune'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Saturday 9 December 1911, p.5<br />NB It is not certain that Lora Orth played in the above work; she was the only pianist billed in the published programme but the Des Moines Woman's Orchestra may have had its own pianists</ref>

<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Schumann '''Schumann''', Robert]</span> <span class="plainlinks">[http://imslp.org/wiki/Fantasiest%C3%BCcke%2C_Op.12_(Schumann%2C_Robert) ''Fantasiestücke'' Op.12]</span>
*II. Aufschwung<ref>'ME Church Building Fund Recital' (notice), ''The Lathrop Optimist'' [Lathrop, Missouri], Thursday 6 September 1923, p.8</ref>

'''Schumann''', Robert <span class="plainlinks">[http://imslp.org/wiki/Papillons,_Op.2_(Schumann,_Robert) ''Papillons'' Op.2]</span>
*excerpt(s)(?) (not specified)<ref>The nature and shape of the published programme make it highly likely Orth played only one or more excerpts, not the whole of this long work: 'ME Church Building Fund Recital' (notice), ''The Lathrop Optimist'' [Lathrop, Missouri], Thursday 6 September 1923, p.8</ref>

<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduard_Sch%C3%BCtt '''Schütt''', Eduard]</span> <span class="plainlinks">[http://imslp.org/wiki/Concert_Paraphrases_on_J._Strauss%27s_Waltz_Motifs_(Sch%C3%BCtt,_Eduard) ''Concert Paraphrases on Motifs from Johann Strauss's Waltzes]</span>''
*VII. ''Künstlerleben'' (Artists' Life)<ref>'Society Clubs Music', ''The Register and Leader'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Wednesday 22 May 1912, p.7; 'Society', ''Drake Daily Delphic'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Tuesday 12 November 1912, p.7; 'Epworth League Gives Concert At Methodist Church This Evening', ''Rapid City Daily Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota],Friday 14 March 1913, p.8</ref>

<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyril_Scott '''Scott''', Cyril]</span> ''Lento'' (possibly <span class="plainlinks">[http://imslp.org/wiki/2_Pierrot_Pieces,_Op.35_(Scott,_Cyril) ''Two Pierrot Pieces'' Op.35]</span> I. ''Pierrot triste''. Lento)<ref>'ME Church Building Fund Recital' (notice), ''The Lathrop Optimist'' [Lathrop, Missouri], Thursday 6 September 1923, p.8</ref>

<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bed%C5%99ich_Smetana '''Smetana''']</span> ''<span class="plainlinks">[http://imslp.org/wiki/On_the_Seashore,_JB_1:80_(Smetana,_Bed%C5%99ich) On the Sea Shore, Reminiscence]</span>'' (concert etude)<ref>'Epworth League Gives Concert At Methodist Church This Evening', ''Rapid City Daily Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota], Friday 14 March 1913, p.8</ref>

<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyotr_Ilyich_Tchaikovsky '''Tchaikovsky''']</span> Nocturne (unidentified)<ref>'Society Clubs Music', ''The Register and Leader'' [Des Moines, Iowa], Wednesday 22 May 1912, p.7</ref>

'''Trad.''' <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_in_the_Straw ''Turkey in the Straw'']</span>
*Concert transcription for piano by <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_W._Guion David W. '''Guion''']</span><ref>'ME Church Building Fund Recital' (notice), ''The Lathrop Optimist'' [Lathrop, Missouri], Thursday 6 September 1923, p.8</ref>

===Organ===
'''Note''': Lora Orth Kimsey performed several well-known pieces in versions for organ whose arrangers are not credited; it is possible that some were her own arrangements. No attempt is made below to identify the arrangers.<ref>Arrangements for organ can be <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.bu.edu/phpbin/organ-library/search.php searched for]</span> by the title of the source work on the website of the Organ Library, Boston Chapter, American Guild of Organists</ref>

<span class="plainlinks">[http://composers-classical-music.com/b/BarnardErnestW.htm '''Barnard''', Ernest W.]</span>(?) March (unidentified; possibly ''Nuptial March'' Op.8?)<ref>'Program For Organ Recital This Evening Covers Wide Range', ''Rapid City Daily Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota], Friday 16 May 1913, p.8</ref>

<span class="plainlinks">[https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89douard_Batiste '''Batiste''', Edouard]</span>(?) Postlude in D minor (unidentified)<ref>'Program For Organ Recital This Evening Covers Wide Range', ''Rapid City Daily Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota], Friday 16 May 1913, p.8</ref>

'''Bizet''', Georges Intermezzo (unidentified), arranged '''anon'''.;<ref>'Concert and Organ Recital Tomorrow', ''Bergen Evening Call'' [Hackensack, New Jersey], Thursday 18 November 1926, p.16</ref> either
*<span class="plainlinks">[https://imslp.org/wiki/Carmen_Suite_No.1_(Bizet%2C_Georges) ''Carmen'' Suite No.1]</span>, II. ''Intermezzo'' (Entr'acte before Act III)
*<span class="plainlinks">[https://imslp.org/wiki/L'Arl%C3%A9sienne_(Bizet%2C_Georges) Incidental music]</span> for Alphonse Daudet's play <span class="plainlinks">[https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Arl%C3%A9sienne_(Daudet) ''L'Arlésienne'']</span>, Act II, sc.ii, XVII. ''Intermezzo'' (Minuetto) or
*<span class="plainlinks">[https://imslp.org/wiki/L%27Arl%C3%A9sienne_Suite_No.2_(Bizet,_Georges)''L'Arlésienne'', Suite No.2]</span>, II. ''Intermezzo'' (derived from above)

<span class="plainlinks">[https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaetano_Braga '''Braga''', Gaetano]</span> <span class="plainlinks">[http://imslp.org/wiki/Angel's_Serenade_(Braga%2C_Gaetano) ''La serenata'', Wallachian legend]</span> for voice, cello (or violin ''ad libitum'') and piano, arranged '''anon'''.<ref>'Program For Organ Recital This Evening Covers Wide Range', ''Rapid City Daily Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota], Friday 16 May 1913, p.8</ref>

<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaston_Dethier '''Dethier''', Gaston-Marie]</span> Andante (unidentified; possibly ''Andante Cantabile (Modern)'' or ''Andante Grazioso (Ancient)''?)<ref>'ME Church Building Fund Recital' (notice), ''The Lathrop Optimist'' [Lathrop, Missouri], Thursday 6 September 1923, p.8</ref>

'''Dvořák''', Antonín <span class="plainlinks">[https://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_No.9%2C_Op.95_(Dvo%C5%99%C3%A1k%2C_Anton%C3%ADn) Symphony No.9 in e minor Op.95 'From the New World']</span>
*II. ''Largo'', arranged '''anon'''.

'''Gounod''', Charles ''Romanza''<ref>'Program For Organ Recital This Evening Covers Wide Range', ''Rapid City Daily Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota], Friday 16 May 1913, p.8</ref> (unidentified; possibly
*<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faust_(opera) ''Faust'']</span>, Act IV, sc.i, No.12, romanza 'Si le bonheur à sourire t'invite', arranged '''anon'''.; or
*<span class="plainlinks">[http://gso.gbv.de/DB=2.8/PPNSET?PPN=49245762X ''La Melodia'']</span>, romanza for organ with pedal obligato<ref>On this rare work, see <span class="plainlinks">https://www.charles-gounod.com/vi/oeuvres/instrum/index.htm</span></ref>)

<span class="plainlinks">[http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no99029422.html '''Harding''', Alfred Harry]</span>(?) (1855-1930) Pastorale (unidentified; possibly ''(Christmas) Pastorale'', offertory)<ref>'Program For Organ Recital This Evening Covers Wide Range', ''Rapid City Daily Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota], Friday 16 May 1913, p.8</ref>

<span class="plainlinks">[https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.13171 '''Hofmann''', Heinrich]</span>(?) (1842-1902) Scherzo (unidentified; possibly 6 ''Charakterstücke'' Op.70, III. Scherzo in F)<ref>'Program For Organ Recital This Evening Covers Wide Range', ''Rapid City Daily Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota], Friday 16 May 1913, p.8</ref>

'''Mendelssohn''', Felix <span class="plainlinks">[https://imslp.org/wiki/Athalie,_Op.74_(Mendelssohn,_Felix) Incidental music]</span> for Jean Racine's play <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athalie ''Athalie'']</span> Op.74
*''Kriegsmarsch der Priester'' (War March of the Priests), arranged '''anon'''.<ref>'ME Church Building Fund Recital' (notice), ''The Lathrop Optimist'' [Lathrop, Missouri], Thursday 6 September 1923, p.8; 'Concert and Organ Recital Tomorrow', ''Bergen Evening Call'' [Hackensack, New Jersey], Thursday 18 November 1926, p.16; 'Professionals in Concert for Bible Students', ''Pasadena Evening Post'' [Pasadena, California], Monday, 30 July 1928, p.11</ref>

'''Saint-Saëns''', Camille <span class="plainlinks">[https://imslp.org/wiki/Le_carnaval_des_animaux_(Saint-Sa%C3%ABns%2C_Camille) ''Le Carnaval des Animaux'']</span> (The Carnival of the Animals)
*XIII. ''Le Cygne'' (The Swan), arranged '''anon'''.<ref>'Professionals in Concert for Bible Students', ''Pasadena Evening Post'' [Pasadena, California], Monday, 30 July 1928, p.11</ref>

<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Th%C3%A9odore_Salom%C3%A9 '''Salome''', Théodore]</span> Offertory (unidentified; possibly <span class="plainlinks">[http://imslp.org/wiki/Offertoire%2C_Op.8_(Salom%C3%A9%2C_Th%C3%A9odore) Op.8]</span>?)<ref>'Program For Organ Recital This Evening Covers Wide Range', ''Rapid City Daily Journal'' [Rapid City, South Dakota], Friday 16 May 1913, p.8</ref>

'''Schubert''', Franz <span class="plainlinks">[https://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_No.8,_D.759_(Schubert,_Franz) Symphony No.8 in b minor D.759]</span>
*I. Allegro moderato (unspecified excerpt), arranged '''anon'''.<ref>'Professionals in Concert for Bible Students', ''Pasadena Evening Post'' [Pasadena, California], Monday, 30 July 1928, p.11</ref>

'''Sullivan''', Arthur <span class="plainlinks">[https://imslp.org/wiki/The_Lost_Chord_(Sullivan,_Arthur) ''The Lost Chord'']</span>, arranged '''anon'''.<ref>'Concert and Organ Recital Tomorrow', ''Bergen Evening Call'' [Hackensack, New Jersey], Thursday 18 November 1926, p.16</ref>

==Recordings==
Lora Orth Kimsey is known to have made only one published record:
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 100%"
! style="width: 15%;" | Selection
! style="width: 15%;" | Artists
! style="width: 8%;" | Format
! style="width: 8%;" | Matrix
! style="width: 8%;" | Recorded
! style="width: 10%;" | Location
! style="width: 10%;" | Label cat. no.
! style="width: 3%;" | Country
|-
|Wolf ''Auch kleine Dinge'' (''E'en Little Things'')<br/>''Nimmersatte Liebe'' (''Insatiable Love'')||[[Hager, Mina (mezzo-soprano)|Mina Hager]] (mezzo-soprano),<br/>Lora Orth Kimsey (piano)||12" / 30 cm<br/>lateral disc||<div style="text-align: center;">Ⓦ91735-4</div>||<div style="text-align: center;">12 December 1927</div>||Columbia studio,<br/>New York City(?)||[[Chicago_Gramophone_Society_50019-P,_50020-P|Chicago Gramophone Society 50020-P]]||USA
|-
|Strauss ''Blindenklage'' Op.56 No.2<br/>(''Lament of the Blind'')||[[Hager, Mina (mezzo-soprano)|Mina Hager]] (mezzo-soprano),<br/>Lora Orth Kimsey (piano)||12" / 30 cm<br/>lateral disc||<div style="text-align: center;">Ⓦ91736-4</div>||<div style="text-align: center;">12 December 1927</div>||Columbia studio,<br/>New York City(?)||[[Chicago_Gramophone_Society_50019-P,_50020-P|Chicago Gramophone Society 50020-P]]||USA
|-
|}
Lora Orth Kimsey is credited only on the original Columbia matrix cards,<ref>Columbia matrix cards, Sony Music, New York; discographical information provided by kind courtesy of Michael H. Gray (personal communication, 18 September 2015)<br />Additional discographical information, and scans of disc labels, from copies in the <span class="plainlinks">[http://web.library.yale.edu/music/hsr Yale Collection of Historical Sound Recordings]</span>, Yale University, Newhaven, CT, kindly provided by Andrew Jones of Yale University (personal communication, 10 December 2015)</ref> not on the labels of the above disc, in the Society's <span class="plainlinks">[https://archive.org/stream/PMR_2_4/2_4#page/n26/mode/1up/ announcement]</span>,<ref><span class="plainlinks">[https://archive.org/stream/PMR_2_4/2_4#page/n26/mode/1up 'The Chicago Gramophone Society hereby...']</span> (notice), ''Music Lovers' Phonograph Monthly Review'', Vol.2 No.4, January 1928, p.146</ref> or in the sole known <span class="plainlinks">[https://archive.org/stream/PMR_2_8/2_8#page/n27/mode/1up review]</span>.<ref><span class="plainlinks">[https://archive.org/stream/PMR_2_8/2_8#page/n27/mode/1up 'Special']</span>, ''The Phonograph Monthly Review'', Vol.2 No.8, May 1928, pp.306-15</ref> For more details of this issue, which also included a disc of songs by [[Carpenter, John Alden (piano)|John Alden Carpenter]], likewise sung by [[Hager, Mina (mezzo-soprano)|Mina Hager]] but with the composer at the piano, see the [[Chicago Gramophone Society 50019-P, 50020-P|discographical page]].

Kimsey may have made other records on which she is similarly not credited. It is also possible - if unlikely - that one of her many broadcast performances was recorded off air and has been preserved.

==Images==
Four images of Lora Orth Kimsey have been located to date. One was published in ''Brooklyn Daily Eagle'' in December 1924, to publicize broadcasts by the Brooklyn Radio Federation Quartet, of which she was the pianist.<ref>'Good Singing Is Feature Of Noonday Radio Service', ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', Sunday 7 December 1924, Section C, p.4 C</ref> The second was published in a programme brochure for the Redpath Chautauqua held in <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lima,_Ohio Lima]</span>, Ohio, in July 1926;<ref><span class="plainlinks">[https://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/islandora/object/ui%3Atc_50230 ''Redpath Chautauqua 1926 Lima, Ohio July 17-23'']</span> (brochure), <span class="plainlinks">[https://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/islandora/object/ui%3Atc 'Traveling Culture - Circuit Chautauqua in the Twentieth Century']</span> Digital Collection, Special Collections Dept., University of Iowa Libraries</ref> a <span class="plainlinks">[https://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/islandora/object/ui%3Atc_50230 scan]</span> can be viewed online at the University of Iowa's Iowa Digital Library, in the collection <span class="plainlinks">[https://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/islandora/object/ui%3Atc 'Traveling Culture - Circuit Chautauqua in the Twentieth Century]</span>'. The third was published several times, for instance in the ''Brooklyn Daily Times'' in April 1927,<ref>'Palm Sunday Services In Churches Tomorrow', ''The Brooklyn Daily Times'', Saturday 9 April 1927, p.5</ref> to publicize appearances by the Gloria Trumpeters and Lora Orth Kimsey. The pianist's face is superimposed on a small, full-length photograph of the trumpet quartet; perhaps the latter's agent, manager or publicity service created this image, as Kimsey is not known to have employed such services. The last, a portrait in profile, was printed in a California newspaper in February 1938, in a notice of a forthcoming appearance by the Orth-Kimsey Concertists.<ref>'Noted Artists at Plymouth Church', ''The Whittier News'' [Whittier, California], Wednesday 2 February 1938, p.3</ref>

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Pianists]][[Category:Chicago Gramophone Society]]