Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-08-20
FROM ERL
Monthly Rhetorical Exereises-First
Grand COneerI of b Musical I'm
ION.

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ion.
Especial Correspondence of the Cleveland Leader.
OBERLIN, August II, 1866.
The Monthly Rhetorical exercises for Au-
gust were presented this afternoon. The
audience were not as large as the exercises
merited, owing to the fact that, coming as
they do at a tire when the people have
been ~satiated with previous anniversaries,
but yet too early to have in any degree
the crowd of new Corners who throng tho
anniversaries a little later. The order Of
exercises was as follows;
MUSIC. PRAYER. MUSIC.
FRESHMEN =
War and its effects Edwin G. StieDel.
Ancient snd Modern Eloquence-
IS. Van Antwerp.
The Charter Oak l.. Van FOssun.
MUSIC.
SoPHoMoREs:-
The Ornamental vs.. the Useful
Frank S. Tiffany.
Three Kinds Of Verbs Ralph J. Winters.
VIM. W. wOrdmansso.
MUSIC.
JENIORs:-
Who Owns America p r.. I. Gross.
Our Friends Miss -. heed.
II bby Riding John W. Tyler.
MUsIo-BENEnICTIOS.
The exercises were all good. Among
those that attracted the most attention was
the practical and energetically delivered
Grafton of Nj. Tyler, whose earnestness will
always, if necessary, cover a multitude of
sins. of the music, a college sOng-"When
first I saw a sheepskin was most ap-
plauded.
The first grand Concert of the Oberlin
Musical Union came of this evening. But
few of your readers need information as 10
what the Union is. 1t is a body of trained
singers numbering about two hundred. This
is its seventh season, and its concerts have
always been of a high character and uni
formly successful. For the past year it has
been under the direction of Professor Geo.
W. Steele, and its improvement has been
the best proof of the benefit it has received
from his training. As the second concert next
Wednesday evening will be reported at
length in your columns, it will only be ne
cessary at present to speak in general terms
of the performance. The solo performers
were Miss Emma White, Miss Emile
Kleinschmidt, and Messrs, W. II. and G,
W. Morgan. With the exception of Miss
White, all these singers had already APP
peared before an Oberlin audience, and had
their various merits recognized. Miss
Whites appearance was most successful.
The ease and grace with which she sang
were only to be eQualled by the delivery Of
her expression. But the pieces which de-
serve the most notice at present were the
motette from Psalm LXXXVI, "BOw down
thine ear, o God" The trait which
makes this peculiarly interesting is the fact
that it is a work of our home talent, being
composed by the President of the Conserya-
tory of Music, Prof. John P. Morgan. The
fact Of the author having grown up among
us, is enough to give It a high degree of in
terest to our people. But the intrinsic merit
of tho piece is of itself quite high, and bet
ter Judges than the writer have expressed
the same opinion Of fit. Of course anything
like a critical review of it would be impOs-
sible, and perhaps even the attempt tc
describe it will prove abOrtive. But still we
will attempt it. The motette commence
with q legato movement, for the en-
treaty, "Bow down thine ear, o Lord,
which extends over a large part Of
the work, including the quartette for male
v~oiees-"Give ear, 0 Lord" etc. The sol
emn expression of invocation which is con-
tanned in these lines has an appropriate
depth of expression, which heightens the
effect of the outburst-"I will praise thee
0 Lord my God"-which develops into 6
fugue movement, continuing with powerful
effect throughout the remainder of the mo-
tette. OF course any such description al
this must be unsatisfactory in the extreme
The work is not one which can be under
stood or appreciated on the first or second
hearing. On the contr airy, when first heard
its effect is slight or unpleasing. But wher
it is heard again, and attention is given tt
the c~onsonance of the music with the words
of the Psalm, then its power begins to BIZ
apparent, and continues N study TO in,
crease and develop. It is a work of q high
class, and one of which Oberlin may vel
be proud.
Commencement begins to come upon u:
in earnest. The trains are beginning to be
crowded, and also on our streets faces, some
familiar, being of Alumni, who crafty thus
their fondness for Alma Mater, and other
strange and new, begin to appear. Welcome
and pleasure 10 them all. GERI.
- on- N-rv An VIZ, Tho