New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-28
MUSIC-THE DRAMA.
A PEOPLES CHOIR.

Tho singing classes founded three years al
,brough the efforts OF Mr.. Frank Damrosch for the
education and practice Of the working people Of
New-York in choral music, signalized the closs
NJ their third season OF work by concert given
last evening in Carnegie Music Hall. The chorus
was made I'D OF three divisions-the peoples Choral
Union. consisting OF those members who have been
singing in the classes since their foundation tia
advanced class which began year later, and the
elementary classes. OF one seasons experience. The
three divisions made up chorus or 100 MEMBERS
whose interest has been fixed and sustained by In.
,eIIigent and progressive methods or instruction.
and whose enthusiasm and devotion have attained
resuIs that are OF much significance In the eyes
of those who see In the practice or choral music
among the masses OF the people an important
means of culture and intellectual uplifting. Three
wears ago, 1t is safe 10 say, the knowledge OF mu'
sic possessed by the members OF this great body
was practically nil. Within that time the most
advanced among their number have attained
skill In the reading OF music and In the knowledgs
of musical expression that has put "ithlh the'
reach compositions that belong to the word grea'
heritage OF choral music. In fact, there has oce1
opened to large class OF people an UNKNOWN or, g.
least. an unfamiliar realm. The importance o!
such a new element in the musical lie OF TINS
metropolis is to be judged only at its true i'm
nortance in the course of time. Meanwhile tners
il a potent stimulus at work that Whatever ia
final results cannot fail to be an important ano
ennobling influence in the lives OF those 70 whom
IL has come
The principal numbers Of the programme ias!
evening were Mendessohns "Lauda Sion and Max
pr,cb's cantata Fair Ellen for the Choral
Union and the class with soil and orchestral ths
chorale from the third act OF Die Meis'ersmse''
for the Choral Union and the advanced CLASS tne
Welsh national melody, Men Of Harech' ior 'ns
elementary classes and Professor h. W. farkers
harmonlzation OF America" for the whole oody o.
tpar
Mrs. Baron Anderson and Messrs. Franklin Millel
and Ericsson F. Bushnell. Mr.. Miller sang IN Ma
tive Worth" from THE Creation Mrs Anderson,
"Oh. Rest in the Lord" from Elijah and Mlss
Hike EliZabeths aria from ! ahuiIiuse'' IA "1N'
ton to their parts in the choral worhs. y, s,,oo-.
To accommodate the vast aggregat;on OF 1 sIn9ers
To- be extended 80 that the additional platform oc
cuyied one-fourh Of the space usually "youpasD "
,he audience on the main floor The boxes aho
galleries were filled with listeners. and sad spiIis
OF enjoyment and appreciation wa nanest o ne 49,,
stage and I'M the audience-room, when reacnei lt5
climax when a superb floral offering was placed
below Mr.. Damrosch's desk after the performance
% Snn an artistic point of View the concert sus
estod an line of thought seldom invited by the
two more ambitious selections Was lo1 Inn ~ ~
Society but 1t nevertheless suiIed ~ Puu n ers
singers to A test that could not De eai.su hled.l
In four respects the most exacting demands were
fully met-n precision. business OF il,o"ds.oii
Of enuncato9 and balance was 81 cPb af
ma nifest was in the want Of dynamic modulaton.
Nearly everything was sung on an even pane OF
loudness and all the climaxes Oh ex.
nression which were reached were achieved
BY the devices OF the composers ana me
use made o. the orchestra, which. though sman.
still managed to assert itself throughout the eVen-
ing The quality OF OF the choir. that OF tne
choral MON and advanced classes as well as that
OF the elementary classes is markedly different from
that o. the ordinary American choral society. me
women's voices singulary juvenile. OCCASION
ally this youthful freshness IS OF charming effect,
but as a rule II suggested the metallic shrlness
which is characteristic OF the singing OF our public.
school children. The defect Is one that time VIII
cure but IL would be a pity II time were also 70
bring the Choral Union TO the level OF the older
societies in respect OF the numerical relation or
the different voices One might look in vain
through the United States for an amateur choir
I'm which the tenor and bass voices. especially the
former. are so well represented in proportion as in
these popular classes The lack OF maturity though
noticeable. is not so marked in the mems voices
as In the women's. and at times last night II wae
a real refreshment 10 hear the sonorous ana
homogeneous body OF tone given out by the tenora
There many ways in which the Peoples sing
ing Glasses may work for the Advancement OF the
general choral culture OF the city. as well as the
education and refinement OF the singers but none
OF them compares In promise with the opportunity
offered by these classes for the recruiting OF tho
VIGOROUSLY weak tenor chors OF the regular or
ganizations That the training which the classes
receive is real and not imaginary was demonstrated
by the difference between the singing OF the ele-
mentary and advanced classes