The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-10

days In the town. Picture first the old
square stone church. standing on corner
on the side OF hill. the narrow end OF the
edifice facing the street, The leveNng OF
the street In front OF 1t has cut away the
ground so that the church Is situated OH an
elevation some eight feet above the side.
walk. a stone wall combining the ground
OF the lawn. Broad flights Of steps on both
sides lead from the street level up to the
entrances. One long side Of the building
runs up a side street. The other side faces
narrow roadway leading TO the buryinE
ground in the rear. and there Is an alley
along the other end. 90 that the building
stands clear on all four sides. The rising
Of the ground makes the upper end level
with the street The building is plain
and severe in it's rectangular lines. tn.
white belfry towers abov In old fashioned
simplicity.
Beyond the church lies the burytng
ground. the most solemnly beautiful place
of the kind one can conceive. There are
no monuments, no carved headstones
Over each grave lies fat slab, with tn.
name and particulars of the dead inscribed
upon It, The dead are buried In sections
according TO their choirs-the single people
here, the married there. Among the graves
run broad walks. II it is desired 70 give
special prominence to q dead person. he
is buried in the centre OF walk Over
head grand old trees spread their protect.
ing branches. Under their boughs muir
muir the gentle winds Of heaven. For the
rest the peace Of immortality broods upon
this place.
Go into the church the day before the
festival while rehearsal Is in progress.
A square. pale audience chamber you find,
with the austere pulpit at one end and
gallery. choir and organ loft at the other.
Straight baoked pews run across the cham
Der In rigid rows. But this church ia an
ideal place for a Bach festival 1t is sweet
with the moods Of an ancient and simple
piety, and its atmosphere will re-create for
you your conception Of the 81, Thomas and
st. Nicholas churches of Leipsic. which
knew Bach In tho flesh. Scattered about
among the pews you will see score OF
women engaged In sewing, for work never
ceases In this Morsvian church, whils two
or three men will drop in and listen for
time with bent heads and grave faces
The rich polyphony Of Bach floats upon the
air like benson from the past II breathes
the thought Of that religion which makes
the Moravians what they are.
The next day Is the first Of the festival
The announcement Of the hour OF the con-
cert 10 made by the playing Of choraie
BY the trombone choir in the belfry Of the
church. The majestic harmonies hoat
down to the earth like the call OF the mueIxn
from the Oriental minaret. People ~
ill.,. ~ In, mar
the women in fllmy gowns and barehesded'
It 10 like a day at Baireuth. Au move
toward the church. There you dnd the
congregation sitting as at church eer0ce
with backs to the choir gallery. where a.
semble the chorus and orchestra, the con-
ductor and the soloists. On the pulpit
platform are seats facing the gallery. The
performance begins. Mr.. Wolfe plays The
chords for the recitatives on . piano II"
conducts with his hands, having no time 70
pick UP and lay down baton. His orches-
ira, mostly amateurs, with few probes
sonals to play the rarer parts-the oboee
and the olarinets-is filled with enthusiasm
But the central power is the chorus
which has rehearsed four times week fot
4 year. And when the chorales are reAcne"
which arc scattered through these worSe
Of Bach, the audience arises and. facing
around toward the gallery, joins IN singing
them. just "a congregations did in the ola
St. Thomas Church Of Leipsic. And their
Is no applause. soloists do not r'ss ana
bow. Choruses are not repeated In answc
to the impenous demand OF delightca
public. All Ia conducted a. 1t was In baehV
day, a. II IL wore 4 service Of the ohurch'
and you feel that for once In your ffe you
arc hearing these things in Some such man
ner a. their creator intended them 70 oe
heard. For two hours. beginning et
o'clock In tie afternoon. you dt and hsasn
to Bach. Than you 50 homo to dtns~