Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-22
STORY IS TOLD TO MUSIC
Bethlehem Birth IL Them. Of Omaha Church
OhoiIs.
SACRED cANTATA At FIRST METHODIST
Draws = Crowd Greater Than the EdI-
fee Can AccommodRte-Musical
offerings at some other
Churches.

Inc Dlrtn OF the BABE OF Betnlenem was
the inspiration Of nearly every church
choir and congregation in Omaha, as else
where, yesterday and contributed the theme
Of many a story sweetly told. The solo
lists Of all churches we're prepared with
extraordinary offerings and their support
had been drilled, apparently, with even
more care than that which usually pre-
cedes the Christmas Sunday.
The most pretentious of the offerings was
that at the First Methodist church, where
a sacred ~cantata, THE Coming Of the
King" was Jung in the evening. AS for
the cantata itself, 1t will be quite enough
to say that 1t is among the very best of
Dudley Bucks marvellous pieces Of descrip-
tive music writing. II tells more plainly
than could printed description the senti-
ments supposed to have surrounded and an
t~icipated the event of the manger.
Choirs Distinguish Themselves.
In the rendition given It last night the
~soloists met expectations and the choirs
more than met them. II any one feature is
to be praised more than another It must
be the delicate and subtle blending that
made possible such rich and rounded har-
mony as marked the contributions Of these
choirs, mems and women's alike.
The church was so crowded from the pull
pit to the stairs back Of the balcony that
standing room was at an absolute pre-
MUM, hundreds being turned away, and
Rev. e. Combie Smith, pastor of the
church, improved the opportunity to en-
phasize what the Christ's birth meant and
still means to the Christian world, saying
by way Of introduction Of the cantata: at
needed a chorus OF the angel voices to pro-
claim to the world the birth Of the true
King, and tonight we seize upon the echo
of that refrain to proclaim It anew"
Cantata in Detail.
The cantata opened with Mr.. Kelly's
organ solo. Noel itself suggestive of
the natal event. Mrs. Kelly, soprano,
sang THE Prophecy" The full choir and
Mrs. Kelly and Mrs. Ely, contralto. sang
THE Advent" THE Annunciation" was In
solos by Miss McCabe, alto, and Mr.. Nc
Creary, enor. The male choir traced THE
Caravan of the Magi" across the desert.
OF the events on 1.-THE Plains Of Bethle-
hem" account was given by the women's
choir, Mr.. McCreary and the full choir.
THE Shepherds Departure was an elab-
crate number, requiring bass choir, male
choir, mezzo-soprano choir and full choir.
THE Virgins Lullaby" a particularly rich
number, was sung by Mrs. Ely. Mr.. Stein.
basso, and the male choir told of Jealous
King Herod, his order to slaughter the in
fants, and Of the Magi. 1.-The Alteration"
was sung by Mrs. Kelly, a semi-choir and
the full choir. The blending and the har-
mony we're nowhere more perfect than in
this. "Adeste Fideles" was the finale. To
the last note the great crowd remained and
the attention given was a very pretty
compliment to the musicians.
where InstrumentaIists Prevailed.
The congregation Of the First Christian
church, holding services at 1915 Harvey
street, was given a program in the morn
ing in which the instrumentalists figured
rather more conspicuously than did the
vocalists. Mr.. Bronson Shadduck played
a. violin solo the intermezzo from Mas
cagni's "Cavalleria Rusticaha," with Herr
Calm accompanying hin on the cello, and
later rendering a cello solo. In the even
ing, Mr.. Ed f. Pickering sang The Dream
Of Bethlehem" The congregation particle
pated in the program to the extent Of a
number Of hymns.
At the Westminster Presbyterian church
in the morning Mrs. Drake carried the
soprano leads and Mr.. EVE. Gray sang
Nazareth which was to have been given
in the evening. AS a pleasing and somez
what novel feature the choir chanted the
Holy, Holy, Holy" in the vestry before
entering the loft. Miss Lyman contributed
pleasingly on the organ.
The morning service at the First Bap-
fist was accompanied by a musical pro-
gram upon which many compliments were
passed, the most praised number being the
anthem. Neidlinger's Birthday Of a King"
sung by Mrs. w. w. Sherman, Mrs. George
Van orman, Mr.. Leon Felgar and Mr.. A.
Lansing. Mrs. Van ,Orman was substituting
for Mrs. Hitchcock, the regular leader, who
is i'll. In the morning Mrs. Sherman sang
Gastaldon's The Christmas Song" and at
night Mr.. Neon Felgar sang.
MendeIssohn Psalm.
The music at Kountze Memorial church,
always good, was given an additional charm
Sunday evening by the full choir's rendi-
ton OF Mendelssohn's Forty second
Psalm Miss Edith Foley was the soloist.
At 4 o'clock in the afternoon the First
Congregational church was quite filled by
an audience attracted by the announce
ment Of a special song service. Most COM