Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-02-05
THE CHORAL UNION CONCERT.

lultus
The long-looked-for concert of the Brat
tleboro Choral union has come and gone.
but in the memory Of the fortunate listen
ers II will abide for many a day.
The large chorus is substantially the
same as last year, but with the introduce
ton OF some young fresh voices it seemed
last evening more virle and responsive to
the baton of the conductor than then. The
past three months of intense application to
the difficult works of Mendeissohn and
Rossini have proved testing time and
some, who felt sure of themselves in the
tuneful work of The Holy City" (ast
glven), have folded their tents like the
Arabs, and silently stolen away" to be
tound IN the audience rather than among
the performers. The introduction of the
orchestra was great inspiration to the en-
tire performance, and it is much to the
credit of Brattleboro that so effective an
organization could be secured with so little
rehearsing prior to the concert. We trust
that the public will appreciate the generous
spirit which TO so large an extent prevailed
among our players as well as our singers,
leading as it did to virtually gratuitous
presentation of the beautiful works of last
evenings concert. The engagement OF
Mr. LAWN was an act of temerity, it
seemed, for the financial encouragement at
the 96 concert was hardly adequate TO
warrant such increased expense, but the
original determination of this young and
vigorous body that Brattleboro should have
the best was well reciprocated by the gen.
erous sale of seats. 1t was by no means
an Uncle Toms cabin" or a "Hogan's al
ley audience either in numbers or per-
sonnet, but thoroughly apprecative one,
nevertheless.
But to the concert itself, and first 1.-THE
Hymn of Praise" The opening number.
"All men, all things, all that has life and
breath, sing to the Lord" was the keynote
TO Mendelssohn's work. Reverent, melodi-
Gus, praiseful and Astounding in tender
ness, it is delight from beginning to end.
Following this full chorus came the semi
chorus of women's voices, accompanying
Miss Allen in the solo, Praise thou the
Lord, o, my spirit" The duet, "My song
shall Away be thy mercy" by Mrs. Hub
bard and Mr.. LAWN, was charmngly rem
dered and positively uplifting in spirit and
manner. The recitative, for tenor, was
delivered impressively and led up to the
air, HE couDteth all your SORROWS" which
In turn was responded TO by the chorus,
'All ye that cried unto the Lord" which,
Tor piano effect and smoothness, was per
haps the best illustration of the evening
Faces frightened as the familiar strains of
the beautiful duet, 81 waited for the Lord"
were heard. Mrs. Hubbard and Miss
Gregg sang the duet most alphabetically,
and II is safe TO say that Brattleboro never
heard rendering Of this beautiful number
That approached theirs, supported as it was
by the wonderful orchestration and the
piano effects of the chorus.
The most intensely dramatic number in
the work is the air and recitative for tenor,
The sorrows of death" etc., and Mr..
Lawns rendering was in keenest sympa-
thy. The cry, "Watchman, will the night
soon pass?' and the response, Though
the morning will come, the night will come
also" and again the entreaty, "Watch-
man, will the night soon pass?" oft re-
peated, and finally the reply, "The night is
departing, the day is approaching" first in
solo, and then followed Immediately by
all the tenors and BASES, taking up the
same theme, leading into a marvellously
difficult fugue movement for full chorus
all these combined TO arouse the entire au-
dience and led them to follow with keenest
interest the intricate mazes of this chorus.
and when finally it emerges into the for
tisslmo unison passage for tenors AMI
passes, followed by sopranos and contraltos
IN repetition, and then all together repeat
the noble strain, THE night is departing.
the day is approaching" it was well that
the judgment of the conductor led TO the
closing OF this wonderful work right then
and there for the soul could contain no
more.
With brief intermission the Stabat Mater
was then taken up. There is nothing in
common between these two works, and in
the presentation of two such widely differ.
ing compositions the Union has shown its
versatility as well as its virility. As far as
the chorus part of this composition is con- |
cerned 1t does not embody any especial diff |
hculties. Its effectiveness lies largely in |
the rendering, in the colorng,-and the |
light and shade" were well brought into |
view last evening. The first number, "Stabat |
Mater dolorosA," is most tender in its treat. |
ment and, introducing as it does the re- |
sponsive renderings of chorus and quartet.
ana then the short tenor solo, it is well cal |
culated TO secure and rivet the closest atten- !
ton of the hearer. The rendering of the en- |
tire composition was, of course, in the orig-
nal Latin, but the tasteful libretto programs.
enabled all to follow it very readily. The
hymn itself is very beautiful and tender in
It's conception and well bears the study of
those familiar with the tongue. 1t was
however, thoughtful to place upon the Ii
Orettos brief, but fairly comprehensive re-
view of the hymn, for the benefit of those
not thus familiar. All were waiting. per
haps little impatiently, for the "Cuius
and, from the opening note. the
interest, the attention. the enthusiasm, in
creased until with the closing bars il seemed
as though the audience would 90 wild.
Mr. Lawn, surely, has never been heard
here in any selection so well suited TO
MS peculiar and mastery powers, and there
was not, as in the case of so many. an ar
)itrary treatment of the vocal score, -there
vas no need, and his d in alt was clear
md electrifying in the extreme.
Owing to the length of the program no
,ncores had received recognition up TO this
lime, although there was substantial and
Ipprecative demand for repet tions during
he rendering of The Hymn of Praise"
3ut no conductor, be he never so deter
mined, could resist the enthusiastic and
ustained insistance at this point 1t would
eem that one rendition was sufficiently ex-
citing upon the singer, but Mr.. LAWN
promptly signifed his willingness to repeat.
nd with the opening bars oy the orchestra
he audience subsidized into delicious ex-
'ectancy. And again the same applause
ignided the complete captivation of the
udience by the second rendering of this
ocal classic.
Following this number came ''Pro pecca-
Is" by Mr.. Miller, and We feel safe in saw
lg that its strains, like the "Cuius ami
man," will linger 10 G in memory. A
eautiful meditation most reverently rem
cred. While il did not afford the same