The San Francisco call., 1896-04-16

it performs opera, oratorio and Mormon
hymns. The last named may be very in
teresting in the Tabernacle, but they
seemed dreary and dirge-like in the ears of
gentlles as concert music. The way in
which hymns were rendered showed people
that the choir must be capable of doing ex-
cellent oratorio work and one was tempted
to wonder why the singers had not come
ateld prepared to give oratorios in their
entirety, when their remarkably good rem
dering of the "Traviata" chorus revealed
them in new and unexpected light tor
there is very wide step from the solemn
strains OF Mormon hymn to the tuneful
sparkling music of "La Traviata."
| 1t had been intended TO end the pro-
gramme with the "Halleujah" chorus,
| but the organ ct Metropolitan Temple was
| found to be 80 out OF repair that the con-
| ductor, Evan Stephens, very wisely de-
cided to dispense with its services The
great chorus from THE Messiah" was
| therefore abandoned, and the "Traviata''
chorus substituted in its place. The ac-
| Compartment of piano instead OF the or
gan must have been drawback to the
choir. but it is stated that by tonight the
organ will have been repaired.
| Several of the Mormon hymns were
written by E. Stephens, the conductor OF
the choir. The Mothers Lullaby" which
| the ladies' chorus sang, was by the same
composer. and the ladies kept we'll to-
gether in the number and sang sweetly,
but they were unaccompanied and there
! was tendency to tiatten. A male chorus
! sang La Moths "Breezes of the Night"
| well.
Nellie Bruce Pugsley, the soprano who
! did most work, is possessed of an exqui-
| sitely sweet and flexible liquid soprano
voice, though her selections were not cal
| culated to show off its best qualities. The
| m1serere scene from 'Il Trovatore,' for
instance, demands dramatic soprano, and
| though Miss Pugsley sang the music with
| remarkable sweetness, something in the
style OF the waltz from "Mirella," +" or an
aria for light soprano by Rossini or Bel
llnl would have displayed her unusual yo-
cal powers to better advantage.
| The tenor, George d. Pvper, was very
satisfactory in the "Trovalore." R. G.
Easton, another tenor, sang Annie
! Laurie" with rather an overdose of ex-
| preston; he was heard to much better ad-
! vantage IN the quartet from "Rigoletto," ="
! the other artists in the number being
Miss Edward, Miss Allison and II. S. En-
sign, all of whom sang well. Willard E.
Weihe is satisfactory violinist, though
he was scarcely able to compete with the
technical difficulties of Ernst's "Airs Hon
grols.," As an encore he played ''Ber-
ceuse" by Sauret
To-night's concert promises to be un-
usually interesting on account of the pre-
ponderance of operate music. The pro-
gramme is as follows:
THURSDAY, APRIL 16.
soldiers chorus (Faust). Gounod
Trio :. A,til,a. Choir. va,
MISS idabel Cooper, Thomas s. Ashworth,
ii. =. Ensign
PRISONERS chorus, 1.-THE Glorious Songs of
freedom CBlodwen) ..........-....... Parry
&C Crels ms. was s one OF the contest numbers at
the Sat Lake Eisteddfod, which was at
tended by 10000 people The first prize of
$ooo was awarded this choir)
Choir.
Miss Maud May Babcock.
organ SOLO with chorus wedding music (Lohen-
grim Wagner
Jos j. Daynes and choir.
lenor SOLO, spirit so Fair DoniZetti
George d. Pyper.
Sextet and chorus, Lucia. Donizetti
Meme Druce Pugsley, Bessie Dean Allison,
r. c. Easton, II. s. Ensign, J. D. Spencer
| I. 5. Ashworth and choir.
Nlohn SOLO, Fantasia ppaSsionata". V ieuXtemps
| Willard E. Weihe.
Polonaise and chorus, "Noble Chief (Life to
|
J. j. Daynes (organl and choir.
Contraito solo, The Prophet .MeyerbeeI
Bessie Dean Allison.
! Male chorus THE Sound of War" (Blodwen).
Parry
Gentlemen OF the choir
Soprano solo, 'Ernani" "....................V Verdi
| Lizzie Thomas Edward
HaLelulah chorus" Handel
| Contraltos = Misses Edna Dwyer. Mabel
| Cooper, Ida Pratt. HERNIA Tyler and Eva Mus
SER
Tenors-Messrs. Easton, Pyper, Ashworth and
| S,Wlnters; Mr.. Ensign, barytone.
| Bassos-MessrS. Spencer Peterson and Chris
| topherson, with full choir.