The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1884-04-19
QUEEN ESTHER.
A NEW CAST IN THE PRIN-
CIPAL CHARACTERS.
Miss Merritt as Queen-Mr. VIM
Burkley as NEOrdccai-An EX-
cellent Performance on
Tuesday Evening.

cellent Performance on
Tuesday Evening.
1t is no unusual thing in the cities for
play or an opera to have a run of many
weeks, and often the same persons wit
ness it night after night. Some have lad
runs of enc and even two hundred nights
with fell l,nlses An the time. There are
very few If indeed any cities. with p
the.t:9 C"ing population large enough to
furnish new audiences each evening for
hundred OF more performances, so that
it is evident that the same persons at
tend over and over again. The music of
good opera cannot be fully appreciated
OF enjoyed by hearing it once or even
half dozen times. We have heard some
Of the operas of the great masters in
music repeated number Of times and
they We're Just fresh and pleasing the
last time as the first. Good music does
not grow stale from being often repeated.
The music Of 'ilome, Sweet Home" is
just as pleasant and inspiring to day as
it was the first day it was sung.
So it was to u.s. with the music of the
Oratoria of Esther ON Tuesday evening
last. We enjoyed it fnlly rs much as
though we had never heard it before; in
deed. We think we enjoyed it more. as We
had become acquainted with the dialogue
of the piece. and we were not at 4 los,
when the singers were indistinct in their
pronunciation, as they frequently are.
To say that the Oralorio was we'll rem
dered is putting it quite mild. 1t was
most excellently rendered in every par
ticular, from the Queen down to the most
! unimportant character. No one doubted
but that Miss Lizzie !. Merritt would do
justice to tie character of Queen, but
she far surpassed the expectations of her
most sanquine friends.
OF Miss Annie J. Smiths "Zersh'' it
is unnecessary t. say word. She sus-
tains the rart perfectly.
New faces appt aled in the parts of the
| Prophecies and Mordecai's Sister. The
fist vas taken by Miss Mabe McNeal
and the Latter by Miss Annie {. Pierson.
Better selections coulI not possibly have
been made IL either case Miss McNeal
has All excellent voice; clear sweet and
strong, and size entered fully into the
spirit of the character, making it one of
the best of the whole. In Miss Pierson
as NoIdecai : Sister we met with most
decided though pleasant surprise. We
had never heard this young lady sing and
were not LED to expect to find in her more
than an ordinarily good voice; but, as we
remarked before. when we heard her we
were positively surprised that there was
a Young lady in or community possess
ing such rare voice and yet SO little
known. Her voice is remarkably sweet
and strong and she >iugs with perfect
ease. it apparently requiring no effort
| whatever 20 reach the highest notes We
are of the opinion that with proper cult
walton her voice could be made one of
Iarest excellence.
The Maid Of lInnor ;rayer was sung
| by Miss Li22le Hutton. ia her usual adj
mirable manner. She has a very sweet
voice, reculia:l, adapted to this class of
| music.
Misses tlisia Scot: and Emily Miller,
! Che Latter a icw lace, which we over
looked in RAINING the changes in the cas,)
| Ieres'ii : Attendants, are also entitled TO
notice for the pleasing manner in which
they sang and acted their parts. Indeed
all the characters We're .iudiciousy cast
and admirably acted
| Among the male characters there were
also a number If changes from the orgi-
nal cast. The characters of King, IIa-
man, High Priest and IIagci by Messrs.
Davis. Warner, Terrell atd IIurn. re-
spectively, were as OF old and were all
excellently flied. Nordecai was this
time personated by Mr.. W. W. Burkley,
| who executed this difficult part most re-
markedly well. Mr.. Burklcy has an ex-
cel!ent tenor voice, ?md we are of the
opinion that Prof. Wyatt very rarely finds
d gentleman who fills .hi$ character as
! thoroughly as ne did. Mr.. L. +. Tag
CART assumed two characters, Herald aud
ilarh"nai!. and filled them both admir-
ably.
During the evening Miss Oracle Todd
| daughter OF Rev K. W. Todd of North
! East. au interesting iittt miss of about
| live years, sang selection entitled "Tl e
Swiss Toy t;:rl il . lrnal kably efficient
manner for one "f her age. She spoke
plainly. every wu,d being audible and
initiated the actions i Il gill offering
| toys for sale AS she sang. This little bit
of extra, not on the programme. was one
of the most icr">5;ag Of the evening.
The following vas t}!c full cast: Queen,
! Miss Lizzie !. Merritt: Queens Attend
ants. Misses Carrie Hal! and Lizzie Giles;
! Ieresh, Miss Anl.ie !. Smith: Zeresh's
| Attendants, Misses Clara Scott aud En-
| lily Miller; Zereah's Child Little" Mol
lie Crouch; Prophecies, Miss Mabel Nc
| Neal: MorJacai'> :; Sister, Miss Annie G..
Pierson; Angel. Miss Florence +. Hall;
Maid OF Honor. Miss Lizzie Hutton;
| Queen Maids, Misses Josie Mahan and
Celeste Bowers; Queens Pages, Misses
Lncy Ltzenberg aud Lizzie Alexander;
| King, john y. Davis: Hannah, n. K
! Warncl Moriecal, WV. Rurkley; High
| Priest, ". VI. Terrell: Hagei. Harry c.
| lurn; Scribe w. ID. Bennett: Herald, +.
| +. faggacJ; Harhouah. Z. +. Taggart;
Guards, i. u. Dunbar, Il. b. Dunbar,
L. +. Strickland and f. J. Canaan; Kings
! Pages, Masters Enoch NJ Purnell and
| Herbert iitZenberg. Pianist, Mr. A. A.
Scott, Or@aniS!, Miss Loag; Drummer,
! Harry Marshbauk.
| The celebrated Stieff piano used was
| furnished by John Wilkinson, agent, Elk
| ton, and will be sold at Il reduced price, |
The C!ongh & Warren organ was furn-
ished by John VI. Terrell. agent, Elkton. |
The audience vas not a large one, the |
house no: being more than three fourths |
full. There We're several causes to bring |
about this state Of affairs. First, the |
evening was q dark and damp one. and |