The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-06-06
THE FESTIVAL OPENS
Whitney and Thursby Both
Storm the Town.
STEPHENS SUPERB CHORUS
The First Night is a Grand Success, and the
Best is Yet to Come-This After
noon and Evening,

The First Night is Grand Success, and the
Best is Yet to Come-This After
noon and Evening,
The second yearly festival of the Choral
is now on, and the first of the three musical
chapters that make it up is tale that is
told-a song that has been sung.
And glorious chapter of song it was. II
embodied all the difference between the
term concert and the term musical festival.
III was not only a monster occasion OF har-
mony, but it was union and exchange OF
thought between the brightest OF all the
home talent that could be passed together
and two of the foremost singers our coun-
Try has produced.
THE AUDIENCE
that came out TO share at the festival was
noble one, large, handsome, representa-
tive. All the reserve portions Of the house,
the dollar seats, were gone by o'clock.
There were about 2, 400 of these seats, and
there were probably 1000 people who paid
the admission rate and took the side seats.
1t was an audience that looked much larger
than Ii was: those inexperienced in taOer-
of 5000 or 5000 people. If the receipts
count I'd s., 500, the Choral directors will
feel amply satisfied.
Elaborate prepaf atoms had been made
on the part of the society and the owners
of the house to make all the surroundings
worthy of the event. The number of electric
lights in the body Of the house had been
increased, though owing to some hitch,
two of the large lights failed to work. The
1ncandescent arches on each side OF the
organ and the red, white and blue star be-
tween the domes OF the instrument were
turned on at a cue and round OF applause
and buzz of admiration went up from the
audience at the brilliant effect. The west
end of the building was dazzling blaze OF
light, Tore powerful than the glare of
thousand footlights.
THE CHORUS.
No combination of lights ever shone upon
q more beautiful spectacle than that which
was Illuminated by the arches and the cleo
trlc star last evening. 1t took twenty
minutes to seat the singers, and
no lovelier siget could be imagined. The
800 ladies, without half dozen exceptions,
were attired in white or very light colored
dresses, and in every head dress, or on
every shoulder or bosom, were clustered
wreaths, boQuets or garlands Of flowers
huge bank Of roses the spectacle resem-
but pleasing contrast was the great bunch
of black coated and white shirted tenors
and basses clustered on the north end-and
IL was not in looks alone that the chorus
excelled; in lungs they were not q whit
lacking. While we are on the subject of
the chorus, we may say that we consider
them the feature OF the festival-not even
excepting the imported stars. The only fault
with last nights concert was that there
was so little Of the chorus heard. Four
numbers should have been given them in
stead of two, though this omission will be
repaired this afternoon and evening.
THE CONCERT.
The concert opened with an organ solo
by Professor Radcliffe, which was dore in
his best vain, and warmly applauded.
Then Prof. Stephens stepped out and was
given the recognition he deserved. The
chorus, Hail Bright Abode,' from
Tanhauser, went with an immense swing, |
and had a great reception. II was noble
effort and should have been repeated.
WHITNEY.
The storm of enthusiasm awoke in earn |
est when Whitney's first number was |
reached. As the great singers stalwart |
form and massive head appeared in the |
aisle below the chorus, the audience and |
the singers Joined in great salvo of greet
ing to which he replied first by bowling |
deeply tc the beautiful background of sing
ers and then to the audience. His noble
song, The Two Grenadiers," was sung
with the great breadth and depth of tone
and clearness o. enunciatlon that have
made Whitney world famous. Hearing
him render a song is hearing a musical
story; not word is missed, not syllable 1
last night was lost even TO the listener in
the remotesr part of the vast auditorium.
AS he concluded, the applause and cries OF
Bravo, bravo" 'GoodI Repeat" and
Eirn raf or
ing. He came back and bowed
his acknowledgements and was handed a
beautiful basket Of flowers by Mr.. Ste
phens. The calls continuing, he came out
once more and gave his grandly moving
song, "Who Tresds the Path of Duty"
from Mozart's 'Magic Flute'' AS he
ended on full, resonant E fiat, the en-
thusiasm broke forth again and reigned tu-
mulruously for some moments.
THURsBY
came fifth on the programme with the
charming and familiar Thou Charming
Bird last heard here by the lamented Alb 1
bott II is piece that demands a flute &C
compartment, and a very capable performer
was found at the last moment in Mr..
Pickett, soloist in the fort band, who lent
the song very good support. Thursby re- l.
again and again made her acknowledgements.
Time has dealt very kindly with her since
she stood on the same spot and sang before
many of the same people fourteen
years ago. She did not look five ,
years older, and her voice rose
beautifully true, clear and brilliant
OF course, ii is not youthful as it was
then, but il is as flexible and full as ever,
and the bird-like trills of the song were
exauisitely rendered, while the nigh L
low D-the extremes touched in the song
were clear and true as ever. She was
stormily recalled and sang the same thing :
over again. very graciousiy bringing the
futist TO the front with her. Thursby
looked as winning and bright as ever, and
had all the old charm OF manner that used
to be so taking with an audience. She was
attired in a dress said TO have cost 5000 /,
canary colored satin, with heavily jeweled :
braided front and elaborate gold fringe; it
was full train, and decolette out and out
Her hair was worn in a simple Grecian {
knot Her second song, the old but ever
favorite ''Mignon PolonGise," was bril-
liantly rendered. and again being encored, !
she gave the popular Scotch ballad [
somebody"
One of the genuine gems and big hits of g
the night was the Lucia" sextette by Miss !.
SNYDER, Miss Pratt, Mr. Easton, Mr. Py-
per. Mr. Goddard and Mr.. Spencer. with /
the full chorus in support. This beautiful {
selection had been done often in Salt Lake z
but never before, not even when Mapleson 9
sang it with Gerster on the lead. has il 6
been beard with such chorus 70 support b
II. The six voices harmoniZed and blended :
.harmingly and when the final great chord /
was heard with Miss Snyder on high ID fiat {
and the chorus on a grand forte swell. the s
,nnlorse that greeted IL WAS as hearty as i