Weekly Phoenix herald., 1885-02-19
THE CANTATA. .
Rendered by Local Amateurs to
 Crowded House.

# that they should be proud of, ren d dered, as it was, by entirely locs amateur talent, and yet of charac
 ter that challenges professional ar f ter of the music and the play, tn
 chance in the acting for the exFres sion of almost the entire range o
 human passion, from humility tC
 pride, from grief to exultation, iron love to hatred and revenge, with al
 the intervening moods and condi'
 tions of the human mind, serve tc
 make this one of the most abserbin g
 of musical dramas, and these were
 finely brought out last evening by
 the various participants.
 1 Mrs. LUring's queen was very
 queenly and much feeling and ex- pression W ere thrown into her mus
 sic Tn each of the three trying posi-
 tions in which she is placed, where ! she is supp picated by her people to
 intercede with the king in their behalf at the risk of her life, and | finally determines to do so, where
 she enters before the king on his | throne, and when she pointed out
 Haman IS the perfidious one at the banq quet. Mrs. Loring wore mag
 nific ent costumes, first of brocade and velvet and at the banquet an
 elegant ermine robe richly jeweled. Mrs. Pierce, as Zerish, Haman's
 wife, was exceedingly expressive in her acting, espec ially when she ad- vises Haman to build the gallows for Mordecai, and in the second scene of Act. V., where she expresses her sympathy with Haman, in the
 beautiful solo: "Thy galling defeat, alas, we know it all," and then again iH the finale where her deep sorrow on account of the fall and death of Haman is beautifully and tenderly portray ed. Her costume was, like all the others, oriental in make up and most beautiful, being composed
 of brocade silk and crimson velvet with elegant jewelry.
 The prophecies, Miss McIntire, was also most beautifully and appro- priately dressed Tn a costume of brocade silk made up to correspond to the weird character which she so we'll sustained. Her singing was exceptionally powerful in express sion, especially where she breaks in upon the revels of the King and Haman in the solo: "Lol OCT the wicked" which was perhaps the most striking situation of her char acter during the evening, though her acting and voice were noticeable whenever her part came in through out the whole oritorio.
 Mordecai's Sister, by Mrs. Frank Cox, was sustained in most digni- | fled and touching manner and her singing in the solos: ''TO Thee, O | Lord" and "Thou hast been a strength" were two of the most | striking and expressive renditions of | the evening and were sung in g tens der, sympathetic. and trusting man> ner in perfect consonance with tho | occasion of the supplcation in the first instance and the trusting faith in the second, Mrs. Cox also wore a black brocade oriental costume.
 Mir. W. F. McNulty's King Ahas- uerus was well sustained ahd appro> priately costumed, as was the char acter of Haman, by MT. c. ". Miller. The base duett and revel, "A Song of Joy" in the second scene of Act l, afforded scope for lively acting and fiue singing by these two characters, and was well done, perhaps among the best of the evening. The d1gni- fled character of King by Afr. Me- Nulty was finely sustained through out the entire drama, and his sing
  of the emotions and sentiment which so frequently call for expression Haman at first proud and presumpt- uous then finally vanquished and abject was well sustained by MT. Miller throughout; his voice was in good trim and his singing well done.
 MT. Winters as Mordecal took the very naturally, his fine tenor voice was full of expression even though he labors nnder diff guilty not uncommon among singers, m indistinct articulation. The dig nity, the faith, the serenity of the character were we'll sustained, and where he pleads with the Queen for her intercession with the King he lid some good work. MT. Winters nas the faculty of keeping perfect .ime in music, which is an accom- olishment which does not always sbtain among singers.
 Another noticeable and leading character was that of High Priest, oy MT. D. H. Burtis, whose singing was finely executed in most care 'ul manner both as to expression and exact musical requirements.
 The Chorus, with Miss Avery as eader, did thelr work splendidly as lid also the various subordinate characters of Scribe, by MT. Coble; Harbonah, by MT Wright; Cham 5erlain, by MT. Sloan; Herald, by Mr. Johnson; Queens Attendants, by Misses Cox and Wright.
 Last but not least in the execution of their parts, however, were the two