New-York tribune., 1901-10-20
A GREEK HYMN.
no0iCA- FEATURES OF THE YALE b.
CENTENNIAL-AN INTERESTING Ey
PERTINENT BY PROFESSORS
GOODELL AND PARKER
THE FESTIVAL ODE


the exercises, while joyous and suitably spectac-
ular. shall yet be essentially dignifed and
productive OF valuable influences To-day's ex-
ercises Will conclude with an organ recital by
Professors S. s. Sanford and Harry Benjamin
'ePson- On Tuesday afternoon the Gounod
Society, the New-Haven Symphony Orchestra
and a quartet Of solo singers will perform Pro-
lessor Parkers oratoro. "Hora Novissima" at
the Hyperion Theatre, and in the evening col
lese songs viii resound from thousands Of
throats in the campus and amphitheatre The
commemorative exercises Wednesday fore
noon will be envened with orchestral and
choral music the principal feature of which will
be festival hymn in Greek, written and COM
posed for the occasion 10y. Professors Thomas
Dwight Goodell and Horatio William Parker; In
the afternoon there will be a concert in the
Hyperion Theatre by the Boston symphony Or
chestra, under the direction of MI. Gericke. with
solos sung by Mime. Ternna- This certainly
Is a dignifed scheme and will impress upon the
visitors and all who read about the festival the
fact that Yale takes a lofty view Of the value
Of music a agency Of culture When Heidel-
berg University celebrated its five hundredth
anniversary IN 1856, The Tribune's musical pill
grim who journeyed to the famous old town to
report the musical features of the jubilee was
forced TO make the mournful confession that
music had played a very insignificant role in
the festivities. There was much singing OF
Students songs by day and night, and deal OF
d7eadfully cacophonous playing by brass bands,
but only two features of the musical programme
had artistic dignity and neither OF these was
comparable with the Yale programme They
were a concert of the combined Bach Verein
and the Akademische Gesongverein. at which
classical compositions and ode by the con-
ductor. Philip Wolfrum. performed, and
a-fO nee of words
Victor Won Scheffel music by Vincenz Lachner,
at the ceremony Of welcome 10 the festival
guests. The tone OF the ode festive in the
popular sense, but the music was commonplace
and seemed to be designed for prima vista
singing with brass band accompaniment Tie
ode sung at the concert an ambitious out
ineffective setting of Kopstock's ''Das crosse
Hallelujah'
Yale's attitude toward music has been beauti-
,ul and dignifed since the chair was lifted
into importance and the department Of music
virtually established by the appointment of Pro-
fessors Parker and Sanford in 1890. AT the
commencement exercises of that year an ode
written by Mr. Edmund Clarence Stedman, and
composed by Professor Parker, was performed
Two years later Mr.. George w chad"lch VINO
was honored with degree, contributed a set
ting of the old church hymn "Ecce jam noctis
tenlatur urnbra," to the commencement eXer-
cisas- and every wear since there mas Deen goou
music from the students choir and the New
Haven symphony Orchestra with which, 1T may
be said. Mr. Morris Steinert endowed the city
Rut all these efforts will be ecpsed TINS week
bv the concert of the Boston symphony or-
cbestra the performance of Professor Parker S
,nasterpiece "Hora Novissima, which mas
made a triumphant journey to England, ana the
r,roduction of the new Greek festival hymn
This work which has been published by u
ccbirrner with an English translation by the
ooponoser's mother, is an extremely interesting
evneriment which, Judge by perusal OF the
rrinted mage merely, may be counted upon TO
make q profound impression on the sympathetic
audience that will listen to it on wednesday,
II is an experiment not because the authors are
no,,ices i'm their respective departments but be-
c.,,sa they have attempted for modern purposes
and with modern agencies to reproduce the
spiri, and to some extent also the Dody OF the
antiaue choral art How effectively TINS mas
taen done can better be told after a hearing OF
the work but a description Of what the printed
mage discloses may help to an understanding OF
the authors purposes. Professors Goodell ana
Parker have obviously labored with a common
aim The poet had material to work with Whlch
has come down through the ages with It's beauty
unirnpaired; the musician had less TO suloe MIN
and WAS compelled TO employ modern agencies
Of bIt far il possible me-