St. Paul daily globe., 1889-05-24
NOT A SEAT TO SPARE.
Standing. Room Only at the Public
School Pupils Concert.

School Pupils Concert.
Standing room only
Such was the effect produced at the
Peoples church last night by the con-
cert of the public school children. Fully
5000 people, including the children,
were present, and from the way they
applauded it was apparent they all had
friends among the performers. The
children occupied all the space in which
the organ is to be placed, large part
of the gallery and about half the seats
under the side galleries. AS each
schools turn came the pupils filed upon
the platform, keeping step to marches
played on the piano. The drilling had
evidently been under the charge of
some one who knew what he was about,
as the marching was done with precis-
ion, no time being lost either on enter
ing or leaving the stage. The singing
was very good throughout, and taking
into consideration the size of the chO-
ruses, was executed with precision, while
the volume of sound was very fair.
Perhaps the best singing was done by
the Lincoln school In No. IA, "Lightly
My Bark" by Minard. The popcorn
SOng' by the Hancock primary chorus
caused great delight, while 1.-The Man
in the Moon." by Jefferson primary
chorus, was very amusing. The plat
form was filled with little girls all
dressed as witches, who sang very pref
tily. The calisthenics by the girls of
Jackson school were remarkably well
fOrmity and precision prevailed, and the
young ladies demonstrated that should
they ever need to perform in the corps
de ballet they have the groundwork
thoroughly drilled into them. The
opening chorus by the united pupils,
1000 in number, was we'll rendered. but
not so well as the concluding number.
The Soldiers Chorus" lacked volume,
while ITO Thee. o Country" was sung
with vim enough to make the roof
ring. The most original feature of
the whole entertainment was the
"Humanophone" by eight little tots
from Jefferson. The idea of this was
evidently born from the advertising
bills of Dockstader's minstrels. A large
board with a scale on it was erected.
The notes were cut out of the board,
behind which stood the children, their
little faces Just filling the holes. Each
one sang single note, and number of
simple airs were sung with really good
effect. The boys of Jefferson primary,
dressed as little soldiers. gave very
pretty medley by MollOy in excellent
style and were accorded quite an ova-
ton. The A9dean club, bevy of
young ladies just budding into woman
hood, sang two chOruses with moderate
ly good effect. They were not particu-
larly we'll selected the choruses, not the
girls), and in consequence were not re-
ceived with as much enthusiasm as
they would have been had they been
more calculated to suit the popular ear.
Some of the girls sang remarkably
we'll, two especially, contralto and
soprano, being distinguishable for the
quality of their voices. The only fail
nre was made by the boys chorus.
There were some of the lads who had
execrable voices, being just at that
age when boys voice is undergoing
change, which renders it unfit for sing
ing. They did not know their parts.
either, and had to be stopped in the
middle of the chorus. Several other
times they deserved to have been
stopped, singing out of time and out of
tune. The children who live in the
outskirts were brought to and from the
church in buses. and as they returned
home they made night hideous with
their loud shouting and singing, The
songs were not well selected, being all
of the same character, and the enter
tainment became very tedious from the
samey nature of the choruses, any of
which was good as unit. Still the
children enjoyed themselves, and their
parents seemed to appreciate their
efforts. The same programme with
few slight variations will be given to-
night. "e-