The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-09-26
PRAISE FOR MR.. PARKER.
How the American Composer Was Re-
eeived In Worcester, Eng.


ceived In Worcester, Eng.
Horatio William Parker, radiant with
his splendid success at the three
choirs" festival at Worcester, Eng,
walked into Mechanics hall yesterday
afternoon and Mr.. Chadwick left the
conductors desk to welcome him. Mr..
Parker returned from England Sunday
and came straight to Worcester for the
purpose of going over the score of
King Trojan with the orchestra. 81
have not seen this book for years" he
remarked as he fingered the manuscript
score of his earliest important work
When he took his seat in the conduc-
tors chair, however, he was perfectly
at ease, though the sudden applause
stopped him for moment
Mr.. Parker is enthusiastic over his
visit to England. Apparently the whole
city Of Worcester including the historic
cathedral, was his while he was there.
1.-THE old Worcester festival is much
more of civic function than yours,
he said to The Spy representative, 'and
the people of the town make much more
of it socially" According to Mr. Par
ker, the mayor, arrayed in the scarlet
robes and heavy gold necklace of his
Office, followed by the important civic
formed halberdiers, opens the festival
and gives it official sanction, while the
nobility are on hand to add the prestige
of their patronage. The old Worcester
festival Is a picturesque as well as mu-
sicai affair, and Mr.. Parker staid
through 1t all.
THE chorus singing was as good as
the very best in America" said Mr.
Parker He explained that as the three
hundred voices are chosen from the
cities Of Gloucester, Worcester and
Hereford, there are exceptional advan-
tages for getting good singers. Further
more, the choir of each city is trained
separately and just before the festival
the three ohoirs are combined and re-
hearsed as one. The orchestra is larg-
er than ours, probably numbering 80 or
100 musicians, drawn from London and
the provinces. They are nearly all Eng
lishmen, instead of Germans, French
men or Austrians, as with us, and Mr..
Parker paid a high compliment to their
ability. There are four days of solid
rehearsal before the festival a part of
the time being spent with the soloists
in London. Work begins at 10 a. m. and
continues till p. M, and only the last
rehearsal Is public.
1.-THE audiences are immense, for all
concerts save one are given in the great
cathedral. Not less than 5000 people
attended the performance of 'Hora No
vissiIna,' and according to the newspa-
per accounts, the enthusiasm was pro-
portionate to the crowd" Mr.. Parker
was highly co1nplimented by the critics,
and indeed there was no small distinc-
ton in the fact that "Hora Novissifna"
is the first American choral compost
ton to be honored with a place in an
English festival
The large attendance might lead some
to infer that the price of tickets is low,
but the contrary is the truth. A season
ticket with a good seat costs 31s gulneas
or about SlS.25, which is considerably
more than the cost of season tickets
here, even with the average premium
added Single concert tickets cost Is
shillings or about 1915. 1t may seem
English festivals have money to burn,
but a perusal of English newspapers
Will show that even at the prices quot
ed, the festivals over there often end in
a financial deficit. Mr.. Parker consid-
erately made no allusion to this fact.
The cast for "Hora Novissirna" in
cluded Nine. Albani, now 4s years of
age, but still in excellent form for ora
torio work: Ada Crossiey, the Austral-
ian contralto: Plunket- Greeve and Ed
ward Lloyd. Mr.. Parker said they were
a fine quartet and the whole perform
ance was excellent He had no words
strong enough to describe the warmth
of English hospitality. He left this
country about August i and has but
just returned, SO his trip lasted about
six weeks.