New-York tribune., 1900-05-09

resenatve Of choral culture IN Cincinnati and had
formed the nucleus OF the festival choruses ir
1873 1875 and 1878. being disrupted for the purpose.
At first the effect seemed admirable but It soon
turned out that the choir could not be kept at
work two years for the sake of weeks festival.
The stimulus of performance which the old
ciety concerts had brought wanting, Then
the experiment Of giving a choral concert in
the of year tried but the extra concerts
proved unremunerative and dropped Mean
while the choir degenerated not only in numbers
but in quality. There s97 singers in 1873 CAT
in 1885, 657 in 1882 Gle in 1884 494 in 1886 453 in 1885,
4o9 in 1890 and $50 in 1892. all who familiar
with volunteer choirs VIII know this falling off in
numbers not the worst feature Of the decay.
Until 1888 difficulty found in the womens
voices II the tenors and BASES that went to
pieces. AS rule the BASES outnumbered the ten
ors two TO one, but the tenors down the scale
in the following wofuI manner: IO8 in 1875 Us in
1873 81 in 1880 81 in 1882 81 in 1854 SO in 1886 SO in
1883 IS in 1850 and 80 in 1892 In 1894 when the ebb
at its lowest and public enthusiasm had
reached the point that called for pillory for The
Tribune's correspondent the figures looked better.
for there were Il tenors in choir Of 47S voices.
sc of 4o5 1885. and 81 Of 43s in 1855 But
in 1894 the full choir sang only the last night in
Berlozs "Requiem." for which occasion men sing
ers were brought from Dayton and hired from the
Apollo Club. The policy OF thus trengthening the
volunteer body by the employment Of mercenaries
(not unknown English festivals has pre-
vailed since and has yielded the good results
likely 70 have upon the future of the festivals
would be a Hkeier subject for discussion If It
pretty obvious from the attitude of the festival
management toward Mr.. Thomas that their life is
closely bound up with his artistic activity
was Meeager's with the billet OF wood which his
mother snatched from the fire.
But I must get back 10 to-night's performance
The work was Mendelssohns oratorio, st Paul"
First nights never the most popular at the Gin
cinnau Festivals. st. PauI' had been given twice
previously. The bright particular star Of the solo
constella ton. Nine. Sembrich. had part in the
performance. The skies had been lowering all day
and the weather-timid had good for staying
at home, yet the audience came within a few hun
dred Of filing the auditorium
In that circumstance is an augury for brilliant
financial and social success. All the odtme glad
spoke of the CHEEKY faces and pretty
gowns Of the audience and the warm enthusiasm
which greeted all the good things Of the evening
These things account for much Of the unique In
terest which the Cincinnati Festivals excite. Re
move them and you have concerts like those of the
New-York Oratorio and the Boston Handel and
Haydn societies. with their artistic values raised
g higher power.
New-York few weeks ago heard a choral per
formance OF much greater artistic value, when the
Musical Art Society and a chorus Of 500 voices
from tho PEOPLES Chora! Union echoed each other
across Carnegie Hall in the wonderful 'Improperia"
of Palestrina. NeEYork. a small fraction of II,
Will hear much sensational effect in a few
days. when 5000 voices will sing HandeTs Sam
hibited tonight, but the many who heard the first
concert and the few who shall hear the second
Chere is little left in Carnegie Hall after 5000
singers and orchestra have been provided with
places did shall do with idea that
hearing such music IS participation in pretty
social function. Therein lies one Of the great and
significant differences between these biennial West
ern meetings and our annual choral concerts.
OF the orchestra 7 shall have ample opportunity
20 speak hereafter. The solo singers tonight were
Mrs Hiseem-De Moss, Nine. Schumann-Heink Ben
Davies, David Bispham and Louis Ehrgott. The
first and the last of them local lights and
since Mrs. Hissem-De Moss is soon to go 10 New
York TO take the position OF solo soprano IN the
quartet, a word must be said Of her A SYM
pathetic parsonage. a voice at lovely in quail
tty, flexible and penetrating. that seems the
fruit Of musicianly instincts-these the merits
exhibited by the young this evening.
Circumstances compel brevty in the report
the others. will extended comment be expected
where singers well known Nine.
Schumann-Henk, Mr.. Davies and Mr.. Bispham,
but II would be failure in duty not TO say that
our operate contralto sang But the Lord is mind
ful OF His own" in that reverberated through
the house like the voice Of a wondrous organ. and
that she surprised the knowing by the dignity and
nobility of style which she disclosed and the solo
gIories reached their climax in Mr.. Davies's all
compelling eIoquence in BE thou faithful unto
death" H z. K.