The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-22
CHURCH CHORAL SOCIETY.
AN OLD ORGANIZATION BROUGHT
TO LIFE AGAIN.

r.. First Concert at st. Bartholomew
Church Yexterday-F1rst Performance
In America OF Edward Elgar's short
Oratorto "The Light OF Life"
There are many reasons why lovers OF
.acred music should be glad that the Church
Choral Society, which used to give com
mendable performances, has been revived
Tbis organization came into existence In
1880 and carried on its work for something
over ak years. The difficulties which
had stood in the way Of success from the
yery outset then prevailed and after con-
oerts in which easy and popular COM
nositions were offered because they were
iesa difficult to learn, the society quietly
sank out Of sight. 1t was not possible 70
Give a sufficiently large enough number
of concerts to keep the chorus In training
and Il was not practicable 10 secure enough
rebearsals to warrant the study OF formid-
able music.
This was q pity for the Church Choral
Society supplied a real need. IL aimed
at the presentation amid sacred surrouno-
ines Of sacred music in the larger forms not
generally used in churches. IL purposeo
TO give such compositions as the capeiia
works Of the Netherlands masters ana the
cantatas OF Bach. II even essayed
oratorioe. The task was not an easy one
and In the circumstances ideal performance
was out OF reach. But the society had in
Richard Henry Warren an enthusiastic
Young conductor. who was willing to sacri-
fee himself in the cause OF sacred music
ne laid 10 his credit some interesting pro-
auctions, such as that OF Dvorak's
Requiem.
He has succeeded now in recognizing
the society with substantial support, and
no homes to maintain it. The first concert
was given Yesterday afternoon at st. Bar
tbolomew's Church, Madison avenue and
Eortv-fourth street, and was largely at
tended. The programme consisted OF the
nrelude TO aParsifal.' Bach's cantata,
sRide With U.s." the Faster hymn, Christ
"a Risen" congregational. Edward Elgars
short oratorio, THE Light OF Life. and
Bach's organ fugue in 9 minor. Fer the
performances OF these works Mr.. Warren
had assembled the newly-formed chorus
az the society, Mrs. Theodore Toedt, so
nrano: Gertrude May Stein, contralto; Leo
fisherman. tenor; John H. Dufiey. barytone;
W. c. Macfarlane. orgonist ana an orchestra
of sufficient size. .
The musical interest Of the afternoon
centred in the EgaI GomP0s ah;s o, Wa,ct
II Ia not one Of his latest works, for its
on,is number il 20, while that OF the great
sOream Of Gerontius' In %. The Light OF
Life il, OF course. q sacred oratorlo, the
words being taken from the ocrlptures'
with rhymed additions, by the Rev, +.
Camel Cure. The oratorio was produced at
the Worcester England) music festival OF
1899. Mr.. Elgar has lived musical ages
since that time.
Mr.. Cure has put into oratorio form OF
the Bach tyne, using narrator, the story
OF the blind man whom Christ anointed
with CLAW and bade to wash In the pool OF
Sloan, The blind man In tenor and tho
p,rrator. by way Of variety is contraito.
: The words Of Jesus are, according TO time
honored custom. uttered by barytohe,
and there is a soprano part foI the mother
Of the blind man. The orchestral INTRO
duction contains much that Is Characters
tic Of the later Elgar in 30 far as instru-
mentation and development are concerned,
but the ideas remind one OF the saccharine
oratorios OF Gounod. and some times OF the
bestrummed intermezzo Of the unfortu-
nate MascaRni Nevertheless this intro
duction arousee expectations which the
work itself does not fulfil.
The best portions OF the oratorio are TO
be found in the solo parts. For example,
the soprano solo Be Not Extreme, Oh
Lord, has a certain amount OF dramatic
power, and is picturesque In musical die
ton, while the nonologue OF the blind man
spirit Thou didst pass before mine eyes
Is an excellent piece OF arioso, closing with
a passage Of genuine beauty.
For the rest II can only be said that Mr..
Elgar has done the obvious thing in an
obvious manner. His chorus expresses
it's sentiments in q manner practised by
choruses from the time Of Haydn. but In a
more modern idiom. There Is hardly
trace OF the fine polyphonic skill to be
found in tho Dream Of Gerontius' and
i is all good English festival music, and It
could not have shocked the reverend
brothers OF Worcester in the least.
The chorus, IL must be confessed, sang
rather timidly: and no wonder. Its MEM
selyea heard throigh the denae veil of