New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-09-23
atty to the nominee" It s intimated by Tzs Naerow~
Tunes that the report that General Curtis intended -
run for the Assembly Independent candidate u IN
THE WORCESTER FESTIVAL.
PERFORMANCES OF THE OPENING DAY.
MERITS OF THE CHORUS AND THE soLoIsTs-FiNAys
CIAL SUCCESS ASSURED.

MERITS OF THE CHORUS AND THE sOLoIsTs-FfNAys
CIAL SUCCESS ASSURED.
fBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE1
WORCESTER, Mass, Sept. 22.-The twenty
eighth annual festival or the Worcester County Musical
Association began in Mechanics Hall this afternoon d
will be continued till Friday night, with two concerts
daily, producing enough music one would think TO give
the people hereabouts intellectual and emotional dys-
pepsa for the of the season. But the festival is the
great event of the for this adjoining coun
ties 1t not only provides tho only opportunities which
the enthusiastic chorsers have to exhibit their grfs
and a.tanments but also gives the public their only
high class musical entertainments and all to have
got to the alienation famine IL they
have not actually acquired hiking for IL
It seems inconsistent with the philosophy which
measures the kcenness OF pleasure by the degree
of pain which 1t mtigates The Board Of Government
although they have spent more money this year than
before except in 1882 whom the ASSOCIATION cee
brsted its twenty fifth anniversary somewhat extraya
gantly and suffered in pocket consequence, already
their way clear handsome addition to the snug
fund left in their treasury last and tho financial
skies being all SERENE there is dscord In the festive
feeling to which Worcester has surrendered itself.
Artistlcally the festival promises well. also, and for
the lovers of choral music there is pleasure in the
reflection that with O slight modification Of
tho trivial solo features In tho concerts and q
corresponding development Of the choral, the Wor
festivals will range themselves In PURPOSE
II not scope and accomplishment, with the great
Cincinnati blennisls and the venerable Handel and
Haydn Socetys triennlas. As yet to an outsider the
festivals present the aspect Of ordinary OF
miscellaneous concerts compressed into week This
seems TO be the product Of tradition which runs
through various phases of choral development In New
England such the perpatetc country singing school
teacher the institute and the annual convention, and
has recently eliminated in "a compacty organized and
C,,nA
tradition naturally begets conservatism but the Worces
ter people are wide awake and unless present signs art
deceptive the broad and dIgnfed festival idea will soon
be exemplhed IL musical gatherings andth
people from all New will make pilgrmagct
20 Orcester to hear tho masterpieces OF chesl music
performed grander scale than their local organza'
tons Offer Even Boston may eone to 1t In tne tot
the Handel and Haydn is in such bad way financially
that its managers have not dared to plan more than
three concerts for the coming season.
both tue strength and the weakness OF the Worcester
system. Tho chorus was utilized In both Ia the after
evening, ia Henry Smarps irImsIio cantata, The
Bride OF Dunkerron" Ita body 80 good as to inspire
q wish that an energetic reform mlght De hhder,
taken to make 1t better. There are 800
voices of which two-thrds come from worcester and
the other third from towns IL seems
and willing, but insufficient drill is manItestng
a tqrdness of attack and there Is less attention TO
quality than quantity tone. The singing Of HANDLES
music good In the broad and PLAIN effects 6ut de-
hcient IN expression and the difficult Amen dill not
escape the charge of being shaky aud sloyeny or the
finer effects, sdCh shading ana distinct ennnedt0D,
apparent. AZ IN MOST 8ncIlCdn CHolIsf lNo
praise 10 the altos for lovely aud harmonious
3ody OF tone. The sopranos arc INFERIOR In DON
&astle' trough Saad ma ths teSos sadly dc
rcleut in uumbers-a national defect though IL Il SAID
that better results obtained In the SOUTH Mr. Terri
hairs decisive followed faithfully except, as IN
the instance mentioned, when want Oh familiarity WIFI
The orchestra Is excellent composed OF Boston
musicians. but not large enough to bring out the best
effects OF flanders music, in which the old master n
agined a body OF Instrumental in all respects
norou. as that which comes from the singers 49,
..,,rh ogfs Rel
Metcaf and Frederick Archer OF New York. and George
W. want. an agreeable tenor of Boston. 1rs. Cola
semele," which was once Miss Gary's war
hSr hart In the Jbate better than her
Mr. Metcalr sang Schumann's Two Grenadleis. plano
forte ace1paament win cue 1rsaI b a1 ~ &
Marseiaise" All music lovers know the song and can
vigorous marching steps in tue accompaniment whleh
resulted ballad, given a. an encore enphaszea .no
weak side OF the festival but not so much as MI
Archer's performance OF LemmeD's storm fantasia
n vas an Exhibition OF Mr. Arcners worst sde hs
had challenged honest praise by an admirable perform,
OF Iulmants first orsan - nphohy. when NC na
reduce 10 its rst form as solo because the orcheS
trail parts had miscarref. o..
in tho evening the chorus came out fully $50 strong
Improved There noticeable here strong dlspostlOt
to credit it with being che best ehor IN NeWEnsand
but II Calls short, not only Of tne Clhclhnai feStNa.
chorus 5ut OF the Brooklyn, Philharmonic and tha
OratUro Society OF New-Yor. to say nothing OK tina
chorus Society OF last year Some OF the choruses In
SmarUs oanIata given with hue erect, nut even
slight difficulty usually caused stunning; FIne
work was gwen at last years Iestvai ana
proved so pleasing that IL was repeated tnt
wear Il was written for the BrminGham Festival OF
1864 and was then pronounced ny MI davidson ot
he TiDes ondonl, the best dramatic cahtia tnat uas
come from an English pen. The story Oh when IL IS
founded Is OF the Cndine order, mortal ana sea maiden
falling In love aud suffering IN consequence auu a Sho
conoser treated In the Menielssohnan manner me
music has many heautics the INSTRUMENTS being handled
with notable dcilc4cy and heIuty thFonEhout ana INC
scoto /, full dainty descriptive devices, when arg
none the less beautiful because they are obvious, anu
perhaps the less admirable because tnSy suGsgh
pf,nal sources OF beauty But an audience WIN
an annette sturiiCr than that here wOuld DC APT W
dm H. seniimcntulity cOyng. The solo parts
We're i'm the hands OF Miss Juch George J. Parker anu
A r. StOllard Miss JuCh found the music nicely
niod to her voice and sang in style and Nr
stodard did his part tcnsly bat Mr. Parker wass s
disappointment His cnunciatOn was lndlstnct ah9 us
v,cr hal mel her the sIivy the pure quality OF Mr.
Wnnts Abnlt 500 persons heard the afternoon con
cert and /, 500 that IN the evening.