The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-04-26
4 SPLENDID AUDIENCE

SOciety-A Grand Musical EYent-A Big
 Audience Also for the Matinee.
 This afternoon and evening at the
 Hyperion theater will occur the long
 anticipated performances of "St. Paur'
 to be given by the Gounod society. lThis event Is easily in its way tahe im-
 portant one. unsteady, of the entire
 season. Its preparation has required
 weeks of hard, unremitting devotion
 and study on the part of each one of
 it's 250 or more members of the society,
 the engagement of some of the great
 est oratorio soloists in the world, the
 use of a large and complete orchestra and organ, the whole involving,a a heavy
 outlay of money, much administrative foresight and energy and all in order
 that New Haven may listen to one of the grandest masterpieces in musical literature, certainly noble ambition
 of incalculable educational value, bring ing fame to the city, and worthy the
 strong and hearty support of the entire
 community.
 It is apparent hat this undertaking
 is to be rechoned at It's true worth, as
 a splendid audience in point of culture
 and fashion will assemble tonight 10
 do homage to the great Mendelssohn.
 Everyone will be there, and the boxes Isare all sold
 ! T@ nA L,or T1 xfyht
 create the most interest, the rendition
 of the solos or the performance of the chorus. Curiosity is of course rife as to the handling of some of these choruses, which are accounted the most l difficult in all oratorio music. The ! Gounod society Is making a great test of its ability and endurance. Many of the numbers require stupendous skill and power, others the most careful quartet shading and finish. If the so- ciety sings tonight as well as it did at the last rehearsal it will achieve a great triumph. Few oratorio societies in the country can sing St. Paul and do 1 it we'll
 It goes without saying that such solo ists as Madame Jennie Patrick Walker, Miss Stein and Messrs. Davies and Mills will amply fulfil the expectation aroused by their fame. Mrs. Walker is cut out for a superb oratorio singer. She has a lovely voice. hnpid in qual- ity, and very smooth, yet with suffl- cient power. She is always absolutely sure of herself and her music. The New York Tribune said of her recent performance in the Messiah in New
 
 the greatest pleasure in I Know That My Redeemer Liveth.' She is an ad- pirable artist with voice of fine, pure quality and much taste in expression and phrasing.
 Miss Stein, the contrafto, is new to New Haven, but has won her laureis already at the Worcester and many other prominent festivals. She began her public career with the Emma Juch Opera company in 1892, and sang all of the important contralto roles. Her voice Is of peculiarly sympathetic quail ity, and she is musically sensitive in the highest degree
 The chief honors of the occasion will naturally fall on the two eminent Eng fish artists, Messrs. Ben Davies and Watkins Mills. The latter is one of the leading and most satifaotory of oratorio bassos. He has always been retained in England for the great fes- tivals at Leeds, Birmingham, Glouces- 1 ter Hereford and also at the Royal I Albert hall, Crystal Palace, Richter and other important concerts in London ! MT Mills early training qualified him | for an operatio career, but the con- cert platform being more congenial to 1 his tastes he has refused from time | to time several conducive offers made | to him by impresarios to go upon the | stage. He is familiar with Wagner, and has sung in many important parts l of the composers works in London, | under the conductorship of the fa- nous Dr. Hans Richter. MT. Mills voice is sonorous, rich and of an exten- sive register, thereby enabling him to produce with equal ease the deep organ-like tones or the clarion notes required in St. Paul. Tn appearance he is a typical Englishman, tall, wig orous, cree. Last, but already first in the affections of a New Haven au- dience is MT. Davies, the "inoompara- ble Ben." This famous Welsh singer took everything by storm here last spring with his beautiful tenor voice, sweet and sympathetic, and the sing ular fervor and intelIectuality of his singing. By nature and art MT. Davies stands in the first rank of living song sters, and no one should miss hear ing tonight his wonderful rendering of "Men Brethren and Fathers," and the noble aria "Be Thou Faithful Unto Death" These alone will be worth the price of admission.
 The whole evening indeed will be full of interesting solos and ctorUses, and there is hardly a dun moment in the entire work, and to those who attend it may be said a. delightful surprise is in store for them.
 Mir. Harry B. Jepson will preside at the organ.
 No one can afford to miss the per and it is specially announced that in order to give everyone an op- go the whole rows of seats In the orchestra circle will be put on sale tomorrow morning at $1 each. I This action Is necessitated by the fact that all of the $1 seats in the dress cir- ,le are sold Admission to the family