The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-12-09
EXCELLENT MELOPOIA.
Flute Playing By a Lady-Mr.
Bushnell's Basso-Hymn of
the Nuns.

The first of the present series OF Melo-
poia concerts passed off last night at the
First Baptist Church with the customary
outdoor accompaniment of rain, mist
and mud. Within, there was a general
air of festivity. The audience certainly
did not find itself crowded, which was
all the more reason why it should assume
that d-raw1ng-room atmosphere for which
Melopoia events are noted. Here and
there one might see d man, but in nine
cases out of ten be was a husband or a
fiance. The masculine contingent was
certainly scattered.
One might notice a decided change in
the appearance of the company that
entered fifteen minutes late. aud ranged
themselves before the customary back
ground of;palms and portieres. More than
IL of the accustomed faces were absent.
and in their stead. those which though
new to their present position have be-
come well-known on the amateur concert
stage OF the city. There were Miss Buia
Caswell, Miss Elsie Dixon, Miss Mamie
Dickinson. Miss Isabel Ferris, Miss Jessie
Fenner, Miss Frances E.. Hicks. Miss
Lille Scott. Mrs. L. A. Reinhard and
Mrs. j. H. Gilmore. in addition to those
who remained from last season, the
whole number being an increase of four
voices.
BROOK N FLUTE.
R~heinberger's glee '"rhe Mountain
Brook" Of which nothing extraordinary
could, or need be said, opened the pro-
gramme. Then Miss May Lyle Smith,
one of the ~soloists of the evening, was in
troduced by Mr.. Baier. Her instrument
is one we seldom hear played by a
woman, or indeed in solos by onyone-
the flute. Ever since .Pallas Athene-or
was it some other divinity s-tried to play
81. 4.,to o-I ~arva IL ~ hoaon0o & r 1,av r
her mouth out OF shape, women have let
his instrument severely alone, and its
possibilities, in their hands at least, have
remained to some degree undeveIoped.
Nine-tenths OF the audience that
awaited Miss Smith were In The same
attitude toward a lutist that DR.. johnson
was to the dog that walked on two feet,
mot that he does it well, but that he does
it at all. is the wonder, sir" That Miss
Smith could, in the face of such an opin-
ion, fairly force her audience TO accept
her work as an artistic success. whether
for a woman or a man, is ths best tribute
to her talent. She appeared in three
selections, a Reverie of Terschak, and a
Barcarolle and Papilion of KohIer. the
latter repeated in response to a recall.
The reputation OF Mr.. Ericsson Bush
nell, bass. is already too well established
to need mention. His voice is of the
quality which suggests oratorio, and is at
its best with a background OF majestic
chords. Tours setting for Longfeilow's
Singers" gave him his finest oppor-
tunity, especially at the passage begin
ming "a gray old man, the third and
last" His first number, She alone
charmeth my Sadness" recitative and
aria by Gounod, was not so we'll adapted
to his peculiarly rich and mellow tone.
MI. Bushnell consented to answer a re-
call, although suffering from a severe
cold which gave him some trouble in the
upper register.
HYMN OF THE NUNS.
The grand effort of the evening was
Jesen's "Hymn of the Nuns" whose
general scope and purport have already
been explained in these columns. Beyond