The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-10-25
TO THE HONOR OF WALES
Its Representatives in Music Give
an Excellent Concert in Has
brOuck Hall.


There was only one unpleasant feature
about the coucert given by the Welsh
Ladies' Choir at Hasbrouck Hall last
| night-that it was q farewell concert.
One hears sucn music as this but seldom,
and once heard, wishes to hear again.
The opening was delayed. from the Ill
ness of Mrs. Clara Novello Davies. unit
her father, the veteran conductor. took
the baton. He Is over eighty years OF
! age. and LOOKS u wholesome sixty. The
| choir began with the March of the Men
| OF Harlech." Nov there be some people
who say that music has no definite value
in expressing ideas. In this case. not one
| out Of ten present knew who the Meu of
| Hariech were or what they were march
| ing to, yet there was more patriotism in
| the audience after the last
verse than one > sees every day.
The girls sing with earnestn ness
| and force, not noise. They produces an
effect of volume without hurting the
ears. They have excellent balance, deli
| cacy in shading, accuracy in attacks and
absolute fidelity to pitch. The audience
| could rave listened TO much more OF the
choir. which gave but four selections.
| one OF which was Il jolly Welsh folk song.
"Clychau Aberdyf,b which Is. being iu-
terpreted, THE Bells OF Aberdyf-" The
| browning effort was Lasssn's Song OF
the Spanish GypsY." II was strange to
see. these Keltish maids, from their
faces SO evidently OF the ancient
northern st0Ge' singing ,Se re Roma psse
nations, and singing it well. though it
came by art more b by nature. Mrs.
| Davies came on the stage during the
singing, and conducted the racial OF this
number, much to It's advantage. Sne Is a
poetic conductor rather than a classic.
| and keeps her choir well In hand, esPeci-
ally in the fluctuations OF the passage,
"Whirling ~Tambonrine. l Swing Thee-m
was substituted. Protect Us Through
the Coming Night"
OF all the s~oleists, Miss Emily Francis
/ of Peparsh, Cardiff. must be
easily first, She substituted for her pro-
gramme number, "Poor Wandering
| One" whose best point is its laughing
ca6enzas. Recalled. she sang Sir julius
Benediot's eger-beautiful BIRD That
Came In Spring." This was the best SOLO
light, but wonderfully flexible; with all
the freshness of youth, but brought TO q
high state of cultivation. 80 hign Indeed
that one lost sight of the iptricacies OF
the song from the ease in which IL was
sung. There Is In her voice a certain
bird-like c%risDness q yivacity that
charmed no less than it amazed.
Next to Miss Francis comes Miss Annie
Jenkins, who sang a Welsh air, "Gyda
Wawr'-"With the Dawn" Her voice
passes Miss Francis In richoess and
volume, while it has a particular tender
| Quality in the upper register. The air is
Of heartbreaktng sadness, the opening
strain being identical with the old Ger
man song, "The Jewish Maiden" Miss
Dot Prossar aud Miss Bessie Evans were
evidently favorites with the audience.
The first, q conGralto. has q voice OF such
richness, 80 free from blatancy, that ~
Is a pity she sings poTtdmento In
ond nuf nj aAnann MnIinVfl
"Darby and joan" was applauded even
between tbe verses, and brought out ION
the Zuyder Zee" as a recall. Miss Evans,
also a %contralio. sang Tostl's Goodbye.
Summerr' Her voice is excellent. but in
tn Is number she varied the tempo so pres
cipitately and seemingly without JUST
cause, and that it marred the rendition.
Her recall piece, Roeckel's Husbands"
was hawless. Miss Evans sang again
with Miss jenkins In Parker's duo IN
the Dusk OF the twilight"
Miss Gertrude Drink water Is one of the
most versatile OF the company, her selec-
tions ranging from an arrangement OF
the everlasting "Intermezzo" from Cav
s~lleria'' to 'Estudia ntina." Her voice is
a mezzo of more than usual power and
color. 1t was she who sang with Miss
May John in the ''Quis est Homo" from
Stabat Mater. 1t was iudlsputably the
best duo of the evening, although one
might question whether they sang it
lurgo, according to directions. The per-
fecG blending of the voices and the ease
with which they were used was especially
TO be noticed IN the long cnromatic
passages. and in the tritls at the close.
Miss May John sang alone u descriptive
song with the refrain "Ora Pro Nobis.''
one of those cheerful tales of orphans
dying In snow storms that make one won-
der what on earth they were begun for
Miss John redeemed 1t by her voice. which
is refreshingly sweet. but a trlf1, headY.
Miss Beatrice Edwards. daughter of the
Welsh composer. sang Bishops always
charming IBID Ne DISCOURSE" The
choir of forty.two was selected from a
chorus OF 200 voices. This one can ap.
preclate after hearing them sing, Tina
this opportunity was the last In America
was. as said. the only draWb,ek to the
evening.