Morning journal and courier., 1894-02-13
THE eouroD SOCIETY.

Excellent Rehearsal Last Evening
 Ben Davies, the Great English Tenor,
 to Make His American Debut in This
 City-Miss Lillian Blauvelt, an E6-
 cellent Sopfano, and MT. Erlcsson
 Bushnell. the Well-Known Bass,
 Will Also Sing-comments of the
 Critics.
 Despite the stormy weather Harmonic hall was crowded with spectators last even- ing, who witnessed the sixth rehearsal of the Gounod society. The chorus did some excellent work last evening, and the spir- ited manner in which "Worthy Is the Lamb" and the tAmsns" were rendered was highly spoken of by all present. The soloists for the ''Messish," which will be produced on March IS at the Hyperion, were announced last evening, and the en- terprise which the Gounod society has shown in past years in securing the best soloists for their concerts has been ex- celled this year. The soloists so far en- gagged are Miss Lillian Blsuvelt, soprano; Miss Mary Louise Clary, alto; MT. Pen Davies, tenor, and MT. Ericsson Bushnell, tenor.
 Miss Lillian Blauvelt, who will sing the colo soprano parts, has never been heard in this city before. She is the youngest of the American prima donnss who have achieved triumphs abroad. When still [ young girl she bscame ths solo soprano al Plymouth church. She soon left this DO sition and went to Paris to study and from there toured all about the larger cities ol | Europe. While in Paris Miss Blauvelt sang for all the great French composers Ambrose Thomas, Gouuod, Massenet and 1 Delibes. Besides being gifted with 1e marksble beauty she possesses rich | sympathetic, dramatic soprano voice of sical critic of the New York Tribune, sayl that she is now beyond oavil one of the most attractive singers on the concert stage, equally sympathetic in voice, man ! ner and appearance
 Miss Clary, who will sing the contrslte parts, has be gifted by nature with thu | most imposing contrslto voice hat has beer heard since the days of Annie Louise Cary whose place the .operatic stage has not ye been able to fill. Mics Clary sings withou uncommon difficulty from flat below the clef to fat above. Ths registers of hel voice are perfectly capitalized, ard her exc ' ! The power and quality of her voice is re l markahle. It is one of those large, heavy 1 bodied contraltos which come along only 1 occasionally.
 | Ths New Haven public have another great treat in store for them, which hal been prepared by the untiring and enter 1 prisiDR efforts of the Gounod society The tenor secured for the "Messiah is MT. Ben Davise, an Englishman His fame had no sooner reached this con tinent when the utmost efforts were usea by the society to secure Mr. Davies. Afte snAsnsivs oablegramipg and ndoorrespondene Mr. Davies was secured. Owing to tn date of the production of the "Messiah he will be compelled to sail from England
 hree weeks before he intended, and will the Hyperion stage on March 13 He is
 genuine tenor-thnt is, one coubinip
 purity of voice and method-is nowadsy such a rara avis that his advent her is awaited with no little ez pectancy and curiosity. Mir. Davie is one of the few British-born artists tha
 have received a royal command to sing 6 court; he has besn honored with tbi precious mark of favor by her msjest Queen Victoria, no less than th1es times
 His voice is dramatic in quality, yet swee ! ana 9J mp6b06GlC WltnAi. lO sQOrL Dy nd
 ture and art combined, he stands in tn front rank of living songsters MT. Me
 Heinrich, the we'll known basso, says c
 MT. Davies that he is fast taking the plsc
 of the famous English tenor, Mir Llyod
 and in hts opinion, is Llyod's equal if ne
 his superior.
 MT. Ericsson Bushnell is too we'll know
 in this city to need much introduction
 But there are very few of us who know whs
 a finished artist we have eau to be prou
 of now. He has been faithful worke
 and now stands in the front rank of basse
 in this country. The "Messish" has b. @
 MT. Bushne]ls forte lately, having rel
 dered the solo bass parts in it eleve
 times in the last month. His voice is ric
 and rotund and his singing ia earnest an
 honest in the conception of his role. E
 has created the greatest Jurors whenev'
 he has sung, and thers is no doubt that
 packed house will grret MT. Bushnell whe
 he appears in this city.
 The chorus will be assisted by an orche
 tra composed If the best artists Boston ca H Il