The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-16
SCENE WAS
BEAUTIFUL
The Close Last Night Of Rich
mond High School.
"A WHlTE-RoBED CHORUS.
The Sweetest Music Was Rendered.
Fine Address Of Professor Thorn
ton-Diplomas and Certifi-
Gates Awarded.
\ WHlTE-ROBED CHORUS.
The Sweetest Music Was Rendered.
Fine Address of. Professor, Thorn

For tha twenty-ninth time the old High
School of Richmond, around which for SO
many of the city's people cluster fond
memories OF childhood day. has closed
a year Of bright and lasting achieve.
ment-
| In the presence OF brilliant audience
which entirely filled the house. and to the
accompaniment OF sweet music and
sweeter songs the commencement exer-
cises we're held last night in the Academy
of Music. Pit, galleries and boxes We're
crowded. and from start to finish a gem
erous and cordial sympathy with all that
OCCURRED was manifested. A programme
of rare excellence was carried out and
well carried out and through 1t all be-
tween the stage and the audience there
existed an invisible. but ever present
hand of sweet amity." 1t was like TO
great home gathering of the citys people
to witness to triumph and success of
their children.
~ THE BEAUTIFUL CHORUS.
Behind a Gordon of fragrant and oeau-
tiful roses and other choice flowers of
the summer time sat hundred white
robed girls In tho full bloom of youth
and beauty. For a space, perhaps joint
show OF nervousness Indicated passing
before many moments had passed they
caught the homelike atmosphere Of the
place and the awkwardness fell away to
give place to the case and grace natural
to them. Rounds ofapplause greeted them
when the curtain rose. rounds of applause
ushered them out when 1t went down;
and between the beginning and the end
the same unstinted and Well deserved
mead Of praise fell to their lot.
1r,ny feo t,,res tnOIered m rpaIra the
evening one of rare good pleasure. but
none contributed so largely as that which
came first and stayed longest by the
loudly expressed will of the audience,
As the fair host lifted up their fresh
young voices in sweetest song, a thrill
of pride and delight caught all and car
rIed all along with the soaring music.
Nothing more rare than a young g!rl's
voice ana twenty-five and more of them
were there. Through the difficult selec-
tions of a half-dozen operas they sang,
acQutting themselves In such style that
the audience sang lusty chorus OF
applause and demanded of them time and
again moro than the programme con-
tanned. And then they abandoned the
operauo scores and sang the good old
songs OF the South. the perennially fresh
and Inspiring Dixie" and MARYLAND"
At these moments the applause waited not
for the end, but Wore itself into the
charming chorus as it sang itself along,
The High School chorus won a triumph,
indeed
THE OTHER FEATURES.
Whila this was in fact q feature, there
were others almost as pronounced, The
evening opened with orchestral music
and then came an essay, Onward by
Miss Ethel Redwood, one OF the fairest
Of tho young graduates, Flor ring of ap-
plause, which sounded through the house
when she closed, spoke well for her ef-
fort, Similarly received was an Grafton
on "Character." by young Alvin Hutzler
Immediately following came an account
o. "Jimmie Browns Sisters Wedding"
given in a most delightful vein by Miss
Bessie sutton. A choice and beautiful
recitation, .1The Sicillan CaptiYe.' by
Miss laura McCabe, took the house by
storm and made It impossible for Pro,
fessor Thomas to make himself heard
when he desired 20 announce the next
item OF the programme.
TO little Merton Rosenbaum, however,
fell pevhaps the greatest individual trl-
Imph of the evening Merton Is small
and he thought he would he nervous, but
he wasn't Not bit of It. lie got into
IC,ontinued ON Second PaGaA