New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-22
THE WORCESTER FESTIVAL
GoUEoD's "REDEMPTIoN" SUNG AT TIM
FIRST CONCERT.
LESS EMPHASIS THAN USUAL LAID OK THE core
ATTRACTIONS AND MORE on THE CHORAL
WORK OF TIE WEEK.


[BY rELEG RAPH TO THE rRlBuyE1
Worcester Mass. Sept, 2l.-The first concert a
the fortieth annual festival of The Worcester
County Musical Association vas given to-nigb, in
Mechanics Hall The week Is to be full of mn.
sic. the corresponding week has been for doc.
AIDES Worcester people begin the festival ON
Monday. when the first rehearsals arc held for
they are a thrifty as well as enthusiastic FOLK ana
wart to hear as much mIsc possible during tho
only period Of the year when the treat Is offered
them. The alienation OF fifty-one weeks of must.
cal famine wiki week OF plenty but ,oo
much has been deplorcd by observers who are con.
cerned about .he musical culture Of this and all
other communities. but the Worcester habit has
become fixed and will yield 10 threats or en-.
treaties.
Tie weather is fire, and the artistic promises
held out by the festival generous. but appre-
tensions rife which seem 10 be directly trace
able the ixity of Worcester habits with regard
the festivals. one OF these habits is TO TO the
Thursday evening concert and make great ado
over the solo performers who are brought forward
in special parade on artists night Often and
often in years gone by it has been grievous 10
serve that the weakest feature Of the festival had
the most potent charm for the people. The evil re-
suit OF the habit showed itself in The policy of the
management. policy which sacrificed the highest
ends Of a choral festival to the so,ost fad. This
year the prompt1gs Of a loftier ambition have dis
closed themselves musical scheme which +
marked By propricty and dignity has been set up.
and though Thursday evening has been set apart
as usual for exploitation Of the solo performers.
less stress has been laid upon the performance
than upon the purpose 20 give worthy performances
to the things which ought to be the real business
OF a choral festival. Capable artists have been en-
gagged but there has been no concentration OF in
terest in a single star who was bound 10 carry or
the bulk of the receipts And now II is feared that
the financial results will show falling OF IN popu-
lar interest. II would be pity for the festival X
hon
a greater pity for the people of Worcester, who
ought to have been made genuinely and sincerely
musical by the forty years training which they
have enjoyed one thing is certain-the critics who
are in attendance on the festival, VINO have
watched the institution some of them for moro
than a decade are expecting to be able to say that
this meeting will mark a decided advance over iis
predecessors and have hailed the new spirit with
enthusiasm OF course. Il is better 10 please the
people than the critics but there is no reason why
all should not be made happy
The work performed at the opening concert this
evening was Gounods Redemption" which formed
a feature Of the festival OF 1856 The choir is to b
heard besides. in II. W. Parker's "Hora Noyis.
sima," Loring Thomas's The Swan and the Sky.
lark" and Sant-Saens's Samson and DslLah,"
which may be said to belong to the Worcester reper-
to!re Mr. Terrain Is again the conductor, with
Franz Kneisel assistant The band is composed
OF half hundred members Of the Boston Symphony
Orchestra the choir OF four hundred voices.
The solo singers who sang tonight were Mrs.
Eleanore Meredith and Miss Marguerite Hall, So
prano: Mrs Katherine Boodgood Mr.. George Ham.
lin tenor: Mr. John c. Dempsey. BARITONE, and Mr..
George Ellsworth Holmes. bass. The tenor and bass
hail from Chicago, the others from New-York,
where their abilities are sufficiently Wei known
TO make detailed comment upon their performance
unnecessary. 50 far as general excellence In thi5
department was concerned. the palm was easy
borne off by Mr.. Hamn, VINO has voice or me,
manly timbre. which he uses with GOOD TASTE ana
whose musical instincts are evidently OF the pest.
one OF the most delightful features OF MS SINGING IS
the unyarying purity OF mis- intonatlon. had mrs.
Meredith and Mrs. B.oodgo0d SHOWN themselves
equally impeccabe in this respect II would not nave
happened. IL did. that the gu. tet IN the mrs,
part OF the oratorlo beginning Beside the Cross Re-
naming was the least satisfactory performances
OF the evening Mr.. Holmes is. perhaps little too
free in the use OF open tones 10 make an tne eIefs
some hat in his delivery Of the words.
but stress ogga scRFcdsy 10 W wa1d reoa,
a rare genius In musical defamation 10 save per-
Torrance Of Gounod's narratons from the charge
German passions In many respects. and those wno
can recall Bach's Passion According 70 81,
Matthew" will remember how difficult IL Is TO Zee?
an audience Interested in the gospel story IS tc.i
in secco recitatvo by the SOLO tenor but there Is
more dramatic forcefuness in one recital by Bach:
evangelist than in all the sentmen,azed talk OF
Gounod's two narrators. ,.
The festival orchestra Is capa3!e put, natulaly
enough the want OF sufficient practice was as
closed in It's playing. Here il one OF the crying l.,
fecs not only Of the Worcester festival, but OF al
the oratorio performances IN America II y n9t
enough that the choir knows what Is expected OF It
and the band Is quick and correct at reading thes
should be an ample number OF general rehearsAls.
blend and the composers purpose be made whoV
There was most gracious freshness in the tone
OF the choir this evening and II not all the power
that might have been expected az least oet'es
quality and more perfect balance than at some OK
the previous festivals which have attended, 90
'''0 = II. 4. K