The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-31
FESTIVAL Of MUSIC
Began Last Night With Ora
torio Messiah"
TWO THOUSAND PEOPLE
Hear the Singers at the Audi
forum.

| Deserved success IN every detail met the
| interchangeable workers who have made it
possible for Wichita to hold a May
/ Musical Festival which, as a permanent
institution, win be a yearly event of i'm
portance to music lovers and welcome
attraction for musical people all over the
state.
The Musical Festival opened last night
with the production of The Messiah, -
Handlers grand oratorio at the Audito
rum. a fine and enthusiastic audience Of
several thousand were present to witness
the rendition of this difficult masterpiece,
interpreted by some of the best oratorio
artists in America, in conjunction with
| the largest chorus ever gotten together in
| Wichita for any universal event. The
| solos, choruses, orchestra and everything
was excellent and no one had any cause
TO regret having attended the first night
| of the grand Musical Festival
| The music of The Messiah" as all
musicians know. is one of the most diff
ficult of oratorios, and while containing
! sublime music it lacks much of the har-
| mony and exquisite melody that charac-
| terizes Hayden's THE Creation" which
will be produced at the Auditorium on
Thursday night. Those who liked last
nights music vii, simply be charmed with
the music Of THE Creation
Miss Jessie Clark and Colonel Toler both
deserve congratulations for their success
in the production. Miss Clark, as director,
| e.
| perseverance, hard work, energy and the
subsequent rendition of the oratorio last
| night The chorus work was very fine.
| The phrasing. enunciation and the tenn
| pos of the chorus were especially good.
| Never has a chorus been heard in Wichita
! which numbers so many well-known sing
! ers of ability. The musicians of Wichita
! have shown the right spirit this time in
! doing all they could to make the festival
| a success. It is needless to say that The
! Messiah" of this year. compared to last
| years work, is a marvellous improvement
! The solo artists who participated in last
| nights work are all well-known oratorio
| singers and they have all sung in the
! leading oratorio societies in America
| Madam Genevra tombstone Bishop, as so
| prano. is known al over the United States
| as an artist in this line and her singing
| last night was delightful. She sings with
| a finish and ease only found in profess
| SIGNALS of the highest standard and Wich-
| tia patrons of the festival enjoy a rare
| treat in having the opportunity 10 hear
| her. Her rendition last night of 81 know
! that my Redeemer liveth' was grand and
was the best number that she sang. The
audience accorded her three encores upon
this one number
/ The bass Mr. Charles w Clark was
revelation to Wichita singers From the
/ first number to the last he was grand.
| Such power, depth of feeling and the Won
| derful ease with which ne sang the most
/ difficult passages was almost wonderful,
/ and Mr. Clark may note the fact that he
made a decided hit in Wichita last night.
His singing is almost marvellous 1t Is
worth the price of admission to hear
! solo by this artist.
Miss Myrtle Marie White the contralto,
| sang herself into the graces and hearts of
| the audience. Each succeeding song was
/ better than the preceding one. Her rendi-
/ ton of He shall feed His flock ETC.
/ and He was despised and rejected Of
men. etc" were sung with so much feel
] lu@- me phi dSliS anu SutA PEI AtNt tliSA4-
citation that she was accorded merited and
/ continued applause. Miss White IS an art
/ 1T
! The tenor Mr.. Thomas Stanley Davies.
/ sang delightfully."-, although laboring un-
/ der the great disadvantage Of a very con-
/ gested throat. The indulgence Of the
! audience was asked for him, but notwith-
/ standing this he sang the tenor passages
with such ease and clearness that there
was no doubt in the minds of the audience
/ that he is a very fine singer, with beau
! tiful voice He was also enthusiastically
/ applauded and encored.
/ These artists will give a concert tonight
/ at the Crawford Grand.
All the music last night was good, and
! al showed good work and careful train
/ ing The orchestra Of weII-known Wichita
! musicians played unusually well and the
! effect of the whole was heightened by
/ their excellent work. The Pastoral
/ Symphony by the orchestra was exquisite
/ and very artistic and their work. together
/ with the grand ensemble Of chorus and
s0loists rendering the sublime "Haiielu-
! jah' chorus was truly inspiring.
The piano accompan.st. Miss Gertrude
/ r. Calhoun, has been with the chorus as
| such ever since its organization nearly
! two years ago Besides TO small reput1-
ton as a piano solo.st, which Is BY TO
/ means confined 70 the immediate district
I surrounding Wichita. She has proven her
/ self not only in her work before an audi
/ ence. but in the practice OF the chorus
: At no time has she ever d=viated from
the unti-irg ard total devotion 20 the
work 1T hand and ne result j. evident.
+ No one who has nor been n actual con-
tact with work ~ ms kind can conceive +
I II the work involved. and few knowing q
Z would re willing 20 make the attempt
( The members Il The chorus arc rs fol-
I lows:
Sopraros-Auua Cook. Mrs. C. 7 FuI,sr I
FIoy ". Tracy. Mrs z , Jewo;;. MI
sred Fare. Ruth 3IcCaU. Ethel Brseze {
Mauds Spencer. Eva DiU. Margaret SaEe. 1
Mrs B-@se- Cora SAKE. Ms. Murray.
Sau.e SAKE. Lulu Sheppard. Hrs Hart
man Lizzie Dickinson Mrs Sawyer. FIlda {
+ Scaulle-herger. Daisy FAIRIES. Della $
John. E-he. ROBBINS. Mrs T. Inbodsa. (
Della Bsyz. Grace A HI Florence S1lli- /
van. L=s5a y M5'z. Fo5e Stanley. Anra {
( Caa=e 2f-s Harry 8eCIuuz Mr. p II
Bentley. Es-aar Chase. sfrs 2. Higs.uson. Z
Nauds = kslaer. Mrs. David Smytas. /
Sie51ae Hamilton MaheI AeEiahsa. Nay {
Ray- 2l-s. Dillon stella I.g1.ey. Mar = +
WszE1aer. Emily Gallagher.
Al,as-2grs sln5a. Winnie Il7v~lzns. +
Naya Bzsz. Catalina y sso1. olive En.ea- f
inzo- Emilia E5szansz. AlbsrtIae BIS
szntz Maute I-shs DoHEe Bays. FztEs
Pa-rost Sirs 4. 2 1isrsa. Berth@ $50 F