The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-02-07
4 new CHORUS.
ST. Matthew's Choral Society
Makes its Debut in Farmers
Werk.

1t is to be- Hoped sthatsEt.~. Matthews
Choral Society, which made its first public
appearance last night, win farmers
Christ and His Soldiers, will take its place
among the few permanent musical organiza-
tions in the city. 1t has the main requisites
for success, singers evidently willing to learn
and a director evidently able to teach. Its
benefits may be twofold: upon the public, in
familiarizing the better forms of sacred
music; upon its singers, in the invaluable
training which they will receive. Mr.. F.
Samson Tipson, Mus. Bac.) the director, de-
serves congratulations for what he has done,
and encouragement for what he may do.
Though separate numbers of the work
sung last night at st. Matthew's P. E.
Church have become familiar, the cantata
is given in full with sufficient ~infrequency to
warrant a SIX etch of its development.
THE MUSIC.
The music is set throughout to the words
of familiar church hymns. Beginning with
an introductory chorus. Suffer Little Chill
dren," the first part deals with the life of
Christ, beginning with the prophecy of
Glad Sound" The familiar carols, ''In the
Field with Their Flocks," and a fine setting
of ''Come All Ye Faithful follow. The suf-
ferings and death of christ are ~foreshadowed
in the bass solo, And Did the Son of God"
treated in a reminiscent of Haendel,
and in a stately chorus, Ride on, Ride on in
Majesty" The chorale, "And the People
Stood" and q chorus, Cleft Are the Rocks"
follow. The tenor has q melodious number,
'sWhen | Survey the Wondrous Gross"
After a long organ and orchestral ~interlude,
expressive of sadness and resignation, the
contralto enters with a solo, by Jesus
Grave" By q swift change the soprano
leads in "Jesus Christ is Risen Today" the
chorus responding with "Hallelujah." The
sopranos one solo, sour Blest Redeemer,n
follows, and tine chorale. 'Our Lord As
cended.n The second part opens with a SEN
tence for male voices, "Be Thou Faithful"
and a march for organ and orchestra.
The life of the Christian, which
is represented in its warlike aspect,
begins with a soprano solo with chorus,
"Hark, a Thrilling Voice" and a bass solo
with chorus. The tenor sings a stirring set
ting of 1.-THE King of God Goes Forth to
War; and the horns introduce the chorus,
eSoldiers of Christ, Arise" In this passage
there is a bass solo with chorus, soft in
Danger" Solos for bass and contralto, n
a quartet, express trust n resignation, and
the chorus, "Who Are These Like Stars"
ending in a chorale, concludes the pro-
grarnme.
THE CHORUS.
The chorus is almost entirely composed of
young people-af fact in most respects greatly
in their favor, What is lacking in breadth
and in smoothness, such as one meets with
experienced singers, is made up by the
freshness of the voices. and the purity of
their tone. The most attractive feature Of
the choir is its accurate information. Not
once, not even in "Ride on in Majesty"
there a lapse in pitch.
1t does not shout, preserves excellent
balance, yet can, if necessary, produce a
satisfactory volume of tone, as in "Come
All Ye" and the final chorale. The male
voices are accurate and of good quality.
The choir falls short through a tendency to
drag the time, and through that other al
most ineradicable habit of amateur clubs of
not beginning fair and square on the first
note. But, these and their other faults will
train out in time. The choir did as good
work at the passage "All We Like Sheep"
as at any time during the evening. Evil
IDENTIFY it has not been allowed to slide
through its rehearsalS in a slipShod manner.
II SOLOISTS.
Of the ~soloists, Miss III. e. Phelps, the So
prano, was by far the most successful. Con-
trary to the usual custom of giving the finest
work to the soprano, Farmer gives to this
part one solo and some incidental work,
while the tenor has two effective numbers,
the bass three and the contralto two, Miss
Phelps voice has an extended compass and
great fiexibility. The tone quality is sweet
and pure, and the voice production, if some
what uneven, is easy and natural. A differ
ence OF opinion between organist and soloist
as to the tempo of the first number made it
interesting than the second, the Incl
dental solo to Jesus Christ Is Risen Today"
solo, ..Our BEST Redeemer,n which has
graceful flowing melody, she sang with real
feeling. Indeed, her coloring throughout
was artistic.
Miss M. H. Nicholson, the contralto, sings
best in the lower register, and in the second
number, where she was not obliged to force
her voice, did her best work. Mr.. E.
Blanchard, the tenor, sang "1he Son Of God
forth to War; spiritually and well. The
Of good quality, is absolutely colorless, and
he sings everything the same way. Mr..
Henry Clauson sang a bass solo, And did
The Son of God Appear" and Miss Mark, q
solo, 1.-THE Gate of Heaven
Tours.
1t is to be hoped that this is but the first of
series of choral concerts, under the direction
If the capable conductor.