Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1903-04-20
CHORAL SOCIETY
Has Ended This Years Work
and Disbanded Until Fall.

Farewell Appearance in Sacred Song
Service at the University Sunday
Night-A Tremendous Crowd Gath.
cred TO Listen to the Singing Which
was the best of the Year.
The Choral Society OF the West
Virginia University, under the able
direction of Dean Wrightson, has
become an organization OF which
many large cities would be proud.
Morgantown showed its appreciation
of the Society by the immense au-
dience gathered last night in Com
meneement Hall to hear the Easter
Song Service Every seat was filled
and many of the audience had To
stand.
At 745 the organist, Miss Bray,
began the prelude, The Bridal March
from "Lohengrin" (Wagner.) The
president of the University, DR.. d.
B. Purinton, led the service, and
during the course of the evening
gave a short, thoughtful talk on the
message of Eastertide
The Choral Socity rendered first
the anthem "The Heavens are Tel
ling from Haydn's oratorio, The
Creation. The chorus as well as
the "Hallelujah'' chorus, given later,
had been sung at a previous concert,
but the majority of the audience
present last night had not heard
them. The Society showed the re-
suit of the careful training received,
the time being well kept and the
attack good
The solo parts in THE Heavens
are Telling" were acceptably taken
by Miss Shaw, Mr.. Page and MI.
Barnes
Mr.. Wrightson sang THE Waters
Of Babylon" (Howell) with great
feeling and sympathy. The plaintive
melody of this selection made an
excellent contrast to the triumphant
chords of Mr.. Wrightson's second
song, "Hosanna9 by Granier. One
feels, when listening to Mr.. Wright
son, that his whole soul is in his
art, and this conviction, added to
his willingness to give freely and
graciously of his great talents, have
endeared him to his audiences.
Miss Thomas gave two solos,
Liddle's setting of the hymn - bide
with me" and the solo MY Hope is
in the Everlasting" from Stainer's
cantata, THE Daughter of Jairus."
Her voice, a clear, flexible soprano,
is delight to listen to, and she was
heard to particular advantage in her
second solo, the notes floating out
purely and easily as those of bird.
The Choral Society did excellent
work in their four numbers, showing
the result of their six months train
ing The burden Of the first part OF
the anthem "As it Began to Dawn y
(Martin) falls chiefly on the tenors
and BASES, who made good use of
their opportunity. The beautiful ten
or solo, g Fear Not Ye rendered by
Mr.. Wrightson-gives the motif to
the full chorus. and the anthem closes
with an adaptation of the hymn,
i" Jesus Christ is Risen To-day.
The anthem awake Thou That
Sleepest (Stainer) was sung with
great spirit, and the shading was
noticeably good.
Miss Bray played the 'sOffertoire" OF
Dubois during the collection, and as
postlude a "Festal March" by j.
Baptiste Calkins. She is a finished
and capable performer
A pleasant feature of the service
was the singing of the hymns in which
the congregation heartily Joined.
The service was the last appear
ance Of the Choral Society before dis
banding for the year. Its success il
due to three causes, viz, the enthusi
asm, care and capability of its direct
or, Dean Wrightson, its own persever
ance and hard work, and hardly les,
important, the sympathetic and ia
telligent playing OF its accompanist
Miss Foster.
The service was reverent and in
spring one and 1t is much to be hop
ed that similar ones may be looked
for from time to time.