The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-23
CHORUS IN FINE TRIM
FIRST REHEARSAL HELD LAST
NIGHT IN ToMLINsoN HALL.
Some Changes I'm Seating the Menu
bers-Triumphs Of the Soloists
at Cincinnati.

The first rehearsal of the chorus at Tom
linson Hall for the May festival this season
was held last evening. Each member Of
the chorus had the privilege of inviting
three friends in to listen Those who went
expecting TO hear the festival were dis
appointed, for the solos were all sung by
Mr.. Arens, he constituting the artists by
filling in their parts with his voice for
soprano, alto. tenor or bass. as the occasion
required. There were frequent consulta-
lions. ordinations Degrading the chorus.
not Mr.. Arens' voice. from the audience.
which pretty well filled the outside seats on
tho different aisles. Wasn't that fine."
came after a well-sustaned bit of singing
in unison. The skill Of the chorus In hold
ing a tone to its perfect pitch throughout
several measures is one of the fine points
in the singing. Another excellent feature
which shows the training of the voices is
the attack. There are very few times when
there is the least hesitation in the attack
by single voice. II the voices were the
parts Of one great machine operated by a
single motor there could not be more pre-
cision. The wave of sound begins all at
once, and does not grow as the voices are
added. unless that is the form in which the
composition is written. The acceleration
and crescendos are artisticaliy done.
There was not perfection in the rehearsal
for there were outward circumstances
which made this impossible. The seating
of the members of the chorus. which
has been in an irregular semi-circle at
High School Hall for several months, was
abandoned for regular rows CT seats. Last
year the conductor was at a disadvantage
in having a preponderance of heavy voices
directly in front of him, and he could not
hear the chorus and control the balance Of
voices. This time the parts are more equal
~ divided, and instead of fifteen twenty
the only ones to be heard, there Is an equal
division OF eight voices of each part in a
row. The sopranos are at the left of the
stage, as the audience views them, and
the altos are at the right with the fenors
and basSos In the center. In consequence
of changes to make the seating more near
ly even there has been considerable change
OF the positions of different members over
that or last year. The purity of tone which
has been brought out by this practice of
weeks Is an Improvement over last year.
when 1t was thought that 1t would be diff
cult to make the chorus work better. The
members OF the chorus are very nearly the
same people, with few exceptions, that sang
last season. They have had the experience
Of the chorus work year after year, and
they better understand what is required of
them and are better able to do 1t. When
II is considered that each part is sung as
one voice, with the added volume created
by numbers. ii is known. what a chorus
ought to be. There cannot be the danger
Of a poor bit of chorus work in the whole
festival. The works chosen are, in the first
place, shorter as whole than the others
which have been given in former years.
They are all melodious. Every one is in
teresting both in text and composition. The
parts have become perfectly familiar to the
individuals of the chorus, and altogether
words music and singers shave become
happily blended. ~
There Is very little choice in the pro
gramnes Of the three evenings, as far as
the choruseS are concerned. 1t is doubtful
II better distribution of what the chorus
has undertaken to sing could be made for
three concerts than has been made for this
festival.