Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-01-24
THE ORATORIO SOCIETY.

The establishment of the Oratorio
Society in this city and the work Of
preparing for the first concert of the
society has created an increased inter
est in music, and particularly in ora
tOriO music, among our citizens. Many
remarks are heard regarding the COM
ing concert and much talk is INDUCED
in among the musicians regarding, not
only the Holy City" to be sung by the
society, but regarding other orator
los as well. This is the first oratorio
to be given in Wheeling for about eigh-
teen years, when "The Creation was
sung by a small chorus and local solo
lists. This is the only oratoriO ever
given in this city so far as the Register
is able 10 learn. The present society
is therefore taking a very praisevOrthy
step in arranging concert on such
large scale, and in engaging prominent
sOlosts and orchestra to assist. No
other art appeals to all people as that
of music and no other class of music
is so well liked by all classes as the
great oratorios. In England. the Civ
ing OF the Messiah" at Christmas is
as much a recognized feature Of the
| holidays as the giving of presents and
the preaching of the Christmas ser
mon. In this country. in all the larger
cities. the Messiah" is annually given
about the holiday time. While this
| oratorio is perhaps the best known. it
is only one of the many famous ones.
The great composers especially in the
| seventeenth and eighteenth centuries,
nearly all gave their best efforts to the
( writing of this form Of musical works.
The oratorio. as is well known, is a
musical work for solo voices, chOruses
| and orchestra on a sacred subject. The
text is dramatic in spirit and usually
dramatic in form. II is sung without
action and contains little OF dialogue.
The text deals with heroic or religious
subjects, and not those of everyday
life. Oratorio was in the beginning a
/ part of the religious services OF the
churches, and no doubt grew out OF
the masses of the early church.
The greatest composer Of oratorios
was undoubtedly Handel who was
born February 29d, 1885. For forty
years he wrote operas and miscellan-
eous compositions before he began ora
toriOs. During much of this time he
had his own singers and theatre. His
great oratorios are "SOloman,
Joshua" Judas Maccabeus, Is
rael in Egypt" Esther Deborah,
etc. His greatest work is the Mes
siah." In all his orotorios the prin-
cipal work is done by the chorus and
the solos are most beautiful. This is
largely true of all other oritorios. The
Messiah" that greatest Of all Choir
uses. was written by Handel in fort
night. So sublime is this in its con-
ception, so inspiring and so pathetic,
that without it our world would be
much the looser. Next to Handel
stands Mendelssohn among the COM
posers Of oratoriO His two greatest
works are the Elijah and st. Paul.
Elijah" is perhaps the most sung OF
any excepting the Messiah. 1t was
composed for the English public, and
first produced at the great Birmingham
festival in 1916. under the composers
direction. The event was regarded IN
England as one of the greatest since
the DAYS of Handel His other great
work. st Paul" was written in 1888.
He also wrote the Hymn OF Praise,
a sacred cantata. The Creation by
Haydn. written in 1898. and which cost
the composer three years Of hard work,
is one of the most popular oratorlos.
It is said that Haydn labored on this
work with reverential humility and
never began composing without first
kneeling in prayer. 1t awakened the
highest enthusiasm wherever given
and is still considered one of his great
est works. Two years after Haydn