Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-09-16
IRRIGATION ODE;
ITS FINE MUSIC.
Author Of Words aud Composer Of
Score Given an Ovation by
The Congress.
THE CHOIR'S SPLENDID WORK.
Characterization of the Composition
And Some of its More Striking
Features,

The grand musical event Of the con-
gress occurred yesterday. After reading
the message from President Roosevelt
Senator Clark, president OF the con-
gress, announced the performance OF
the prize ode to irrigation, the words
written by Mrs. Gilbert McClurg Of
Colorado Springs and the musical score
by Prof. ]. j. Mcclellan, organlst OF
the Salt Lake Tabernacle. The an
nouncement was received by prolonged
way TO the stand, with Prof. Mcclellan
the accompanist Conductor Ballantyne
raised the baton. and the Ogden Tab
ernaole choir arose. The audience walt
the accompanlst took his seat at the
piano and began the prelude.
The quartet was composed Of Miss
Lucia Ferrin, soprano; Mrs. Bessie
Dean Allison, contralto; Charlton Fer
rim, tenor; Willard Bowman, bass.
There were 200 voices In the choir.
The score OF the ode opens with
prelude written for piano, representing
the desert and its dreariness; and the
soprano begins with a recitative, "Oh
desert land This Is rendered in largo
tempo and then begins the soprano aria
which IL followed by the chorus, Life
OF sky and sand awakening to prey
when all s done" This Is followed by
a tenor solo, THE march of the races"
representing the Pueblo Indians, the
tenor being Joined by the soprano In
the refrain, For the rains that the
summer butterflies wing down" and
the plano accompanying with a ford
movement. The chorus then sings,
The waste reclaims the ribboned rills,"
the strongest chorus In the ode, and
the soprano again takes up the theme,
AS the stars DER pass the fields of
sky The piano accompaniment is ar
peggio and represents the harp. The
chorus concludes this number with
"The golden corn hides the crimson
stains" the score being in chords, trip
let movement, lending good support to
the voices.
MOST POPULAR SOLO.
Now occurs the most popular solo In
the ode, The Pioneers" given by the
tenor. The refrain Is taken up by
mixed quartet, which In turn is follow
ed by the full chorus, giving the same
theme. five tones lower. The finale OF
this chorus, THE land of the long
promised people, is thrilling elf
max, which moduates into tender
pianissimo at the close. The last Sec
ton Of the ode is entitled, The Irri-
gated region" 1T contains the tender
est solo and chorus of the work. The
soprano sings;
THE land of homes for the homeless
or shepherded flocks and herds.
The land where the green walled thickets
Are choral with songs Of hJrds,
Where over the ancient burrows
silver streamlets are redrawn,
Where slopes once arid lie teeming
win wealth OF vine and corn
At the close of this aria the soprano
reaches her greatest climax. Then the
chorus takes up the beautiful refrain;
I'm the garden grows the Tree of life
Where Edens rivers run;
Land OF the well loved people
Nurtured by water and sun
The soprano, the alto and the tenor
conclude with a telling trio, in a joy
full mood, the theme being "Oh, Glor-
ious Land" and then comes the final
choral Creator In the Morn, When
Starry Worlds Were Born to Worship
Thee" sung to the air of America"