, 1875-12-22
A1lUSEA111NTS. Il

| THE OHhTOHIO CONCERT.
Tho oratnrio nf The Messiah " was gtron last
evening at tho Centenary Methodist Church, In
tho regular eosics n church conceEts 1.t,ler tho
leadership Of Mr.. o. BIackmar. Tho chortsos
woro sivon by The choir Of tho church. ou1arged
10 about 100 voices, md tho colo numbers, ns
| follows: Soprano, 11ts, L. u. Htarkwcatllor !;
alto. a1iss ilolen Mueller, set dowa upon tho
| programmes as "luaking her debut after
conrso Of fonr yeats ssndy in Eu-
| rope; tenor, Mr. NJ. L. Wheeler; aud
| bnst, MIR. ,ramoH Gill. Tho accompan-
nlontB wcsc given exclusively upon tho oIEau. as
which Mr. ". r. D. Matthew'S, tla orghnlat Of
tho church. presided. Tho chorus ranks woro
fllnd nlmout exclusively with young amateurs.
Few. IT any, OF tho old Orhtorio Society, which
rms burned out In tho old First Cong grenalional
Chutrh one winter night, two or thrco renru nso.
appeared among The singers. Tho pieces wero
How, nnll undoubtedly tho majority wcro riuging
"Tlie Moaalah" for tho first time, and, ~ there
MA, al absence OF leading Voices III tho
.s1s pss eoy ad to ,tny. tdopend Upon tS.
thoua up. nnd shnt thor conductor himself 1s
not q victorian leatlur Of oratoro. they certainly
tl'nrlavea a. grcat dost Of ability. aud il they
failed to mako decided points md to bring ont
tho grand old MUSIC with ita proper llghls ana
hhadfs, they ut least showed that they had
learned their music, and aang 1t With conuciot-
AousicRs aud oven enthusiasm, and aleo dis-
played very frosl md c!ear quality Of tonc.
AB m nulatour chorus. thoy aro entitled to great
credit for accomplishing 50 much in 70 ellort
time, and shoir perseSeriug and hard-working
conductor loaeryes credit also for making sn
1ns.cf, out OF his little army. Wo hayo said this
inuclt for tho chorus bccaisse It tenlly deserves
tho praise for It's ntuly md tts eYidont effort 10
do As we'll ns 1t could, md also because ita work
was III cyery respect Superior to that OF tho
soloistp. HRS. Starkweatnor has bright, c!ens,
Ffn
intelligence md skill In oxtrtrottng licrHc!f, In
tho number "Como Unto Him." from nn eni-
bartasstnent cauaod BY tho organist, which might
hayo wrccted loss eelf-rohant singer; but
sllo has evidently had very 1ittlo experience
in orntorio singing. We liavo to be!ioye tho
programme, That Miss Mueller has Just returned
from q four years htldy iii Europe, and, there
fore ne must bo BOT down as professional,
not m @matetr. We rcgrot this all tho moro,
sor' NJ m amateur, her very bad sty!o Of sing
tnE might bo oxcuHod. "a wolt as her method
md sho tnaccuraey OF hor tono 4hero may bo
other lines Of singing in which she may excel.
say TINT her debut wM far from suceess, and
enjoyed the advantage Of foreign study,
who would lsavo filled the part with moro Hutis-
laboring under a acroro thront difficulty or olno
hts method Of singing is bud, us hiH voice
aeomed continually 10 bo struggling against OBJ
zsScles, aud was delivered with difficulty: MI.
N4Hi saHB uis Fui1a III very 6phfteu ahd mt
mated manuer, and gained frequent lloarty ap-
plause-~of which article, by thu way, tho au-
dienoe was very laytBh to all tho performers.
htr. Matthew'S, tho orgauist wns n
liltlo noryous over bis work, which raB
very exactng and laborious, but ho payod
tho accotnpanimentR with excollont good taHte.
Taken as whole, tho performance sna pleas-
ant Indication TINT oratorio nay yet be revived
in Chicago. and that Ms. BIaokman's little army
may provo tho nucloua Of aomc future wall.oF-
EAnlZ8d effort. Tho oEatoe1o will bo repeatcd
no1t Thursday oyoning at tho First Congrega-
tional Church, for tho benefit OF Mr.. T.. z. Whit
toInoro racontly toacher OF music in the public
schools in corporation with Mr.. Dlaokman. Mr.
Whittsmoro, ono Of tho most industrious and
conscientious OF cur home musicians, haH long
boon dobarred from labor by serious aud painful
illness. and We hope on this account that hts
bonoht will be most substantial cue.