The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-06-28
THE FALL OF BABYLON
Something About The Dramatic OratQriO That
Will Be Seen at rockingham.
IT Will EXENPLIfY HISTORY

IT Will EXENPLIFY HISTORY
Preparations for the Production Have
entaied an Immense Amount of
Labor-ThoseW Who viii Assume the
Leading Roles-Names of the Mem
bers of the Sacred Music Society.
Everything Ready for Tonight.
One Of the most ambitious efforts on
the part of local musicians will be the
production of the dramatic oratorio,
The Fall of Babylon" by the Sacred
Music society at the rockingham
theater tonight and tomorrow night
For weeks the hundreds who will par
ticipste in it have been drilled with
unwearying patience by Tullla. Morgan,
The conductor. and John 4. Watkins,
who assumes one of the leading roles.
Their task has been u monumental
one which only those who have watched
the rehearsals or participated in them,
can appreciate.
Their efforts have been crowned with
success, however, az the work OF the
different choruses on the stage OF the
rockingham theater will demonstrate.
1t WAS necessary not only to impart to
the members Of the chOruses, as we'll
as the principles. proper conception
OF the work, but to give instructions i'll
acting, for the oratorio is intensely
dramatic. With the principals no
trouble whatever waa found. They are
all fine voCalsts. who hav0 repeatedly
appeared before tho public and know
what 10 required Of them.
DRILLING THE CHoRUsEs.
With the mem bers of the chorus the
task was much more difficult. 1t Is
the first public appearances on stage,
for many of them and they had to be
taught not only the words aud music,
the proper phrssing but also had to be
schooled in lifting expression Of face as
well al of voice. An idea of acting
aud grouping to achieve artistic stags
fleets had also to be impaired. j.
Frank Selgal was in charge Of drilling
the cAorUuses for the marches which
was no iucousiderable task.
The Fall Of Babylon" has to do
with the events that occurred ut the
close of Bslshazzar's brief reign in the
year 5S9 B. c., at the time whsn this
Jews had been captives for seventy
years. These jewish captives had
their own lucal rulers. or governors,
and enlivened the feasts of the heather
captors with their muaic and song. At
this time Cyrus, King Of Persia, had
been for years bessiging Babylon with
no immediate prospect OF success
Nabomdas father Of Bslshazzar, was
King of Babylon, but, with his army.
had left the city to fight the Persians,
placing his impetuous and unholy son,
Belshazzar, on the throne with
Nitocrls, the queen mother, as CO.
regent in his absence.
THE FEAST OF BELsHAZzAR.
The annual festival in honor Of the
Babylon deities had come aud BelShaz-
Ear had determined to give feast sur
passing anything of the kind prior
thereto. The high noon of the feast
came. All hearts were bounding, all
spirits joyous. The king descended
from his throne. drank in the most
public manner, and then impiousIy
called for the holy vessels robbed from
the temple at Jerusalem by his grand
father. NebuchRdnezzar. This sacr-
lege was regarded as the worst of
crimes; but inaamed by wine the king
would not be restrained. Then, over
against the seven branched candle.
stick from the temple. appeared the
fingers Of a mysterious hand that wrote
strange words upon the wall which
none could rsad.
The revelry was hushed. THE cup
fell from the kings hand His knees
smote together. His glaring eyeballs
are fixed on the wall before him, as be-
holding some horror from which they
could not turn away. A thrill of ter
ror pierces through every soul, and
shrieks Of alarm are mingled with cries
to Baal, and the king loudly COM
mands that the AstroloQers, or Magi,
be brought to read the wrlling. The
Magi, of whom Daniel was once made
chief, were counsellors OF the sover
eign, administrators of justice, and
educators OF the heir apparent to the
throne. None could occupy the throne
who were not so trained by the Magi
1t was the proper name for priest
among the Persians. They worshipped
fire and water Baal was their God.
Their priests we're conversant with the
secrets Of nature, spirits, genii and
angels" Such were the men whom
the king summoned. They came, but
were dumb.
DANIEL is CALLED UPON,
Daniel, formerly high at the court
under Nebuchadnezzar, in the new
regime had gone into obscurity. per-
haps sharing the bitter fate Of his dss-
pissed and prosecuted fellow exiles,
watching and waiting for the day when
the Lord should have mercy on his
people and restore Israel to the land of
their fathers. 1t was over thirty years
since Daniel had stood before Nebu-
chadnezzar. He was now ninety years
old, and so long had been his obscurity
that Belshazzar had forgotten him: but
the virtuous and regal Nitocris remem.
bers him and suggests that he be
called. He came and declared the
hidden meaning to be that the king is
weighed in the balance and found
wanting, and that the kingdom is di-
ylded and given to the Medes and Per.
sians. The promised reward is at once
given to Daniel who was made third
ruler of the kingdom. which was the
highest Office in Belshazzar's gift, he
himself being second ruler.
While this was transpiring at the
palace Zarubbabel had found his way
to tbs camp of Cyrus; between whom
the opinion is ventursd that sacret
and serviceable league existed, and
Cyrus was thus kept informed of all
that passed in the city. Acting by the
command Of God, through IN angel,
and by the advice of Zerubbabel, Cyrus
marched into the city by way of the
river gates, burst into the palace with
o band Of Persians aud slew Belshazzar
on the scene of his impions rsvelry.
Soon afterwDrd led nv y rnhhobal