The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-24
MUSIC:


be the reading o. Willard Pattens latest
work, THE Footstones of a Nation for
which the text has been written by
George Emil Bertrand: It will be given
in Commercial club Wednesday evening.
Mr.. Patten has won place in the nu-
steal world and his great oratorio 'Isaiah"
will be remembered by all who
have heard it. Its success has been far
more than a. local one and large orders
from all over the country keep coming in
for copies of the work. 1t is only recent
| ly that Mr.. Patten prepared revised edi-
| ton which more nearly satisfies himself.
Two years ago a group of his friends
| gathered for a reading Of the first of a
series of compositions, which he has in
mind on the history of America. Mr.. Pat
ten is intensely patriotic and his patriot
ism has found voice through his music.
| His last work. the second of this patriotic
| series, Mr.. Patten calls a lyrical medita-
ton and it more nearly satisfies the COM
poser than anything he has done 1t Is
not a dramatic composition although 1t
has strains which are strongly dramatic
! in feeling.
| The story of the music and of the poem
| is that Of thu beginning of the nation.
The prologue will be sung by Frederick
Fayram and is full Of wonder and awe as
Of one who can scarcely understand how
sprung from the little band of Pilgrims.
In the second motif one hears the creak-
ing of the masts and the whistling of the
wind through the rigging. chorus OF
the Pilgrims is followed by the Pilgrim
| prayer, a wonderful expression of faith
and trust, which will be sung by, Alvin
| Davies, the tenor. The landing Of the
Pilgrims is expressed by the chorus and a
soprano aria to be sung by Miss Clara
Williams. The building of the habitations
introduces new note. The bewildermen1
and uncertainty have gone and in theil
place is heroism and strength, the col
onists have their homes which they will
defend even against the strange enemy
the like Of which has never been seen >fr
; the mother country, the Indian. There il
a wonderfully beautiful tribute to the Pill
grim mothers which will be sung by Aus
tin Williams An interesting incident i
connected with this solo. In his last com
position Mr.. Patten wrote an aria LEA,
:. Columbia in which he prophesied that tn
white race would encircle the globe witt
its power. That was four years ago an,
. within two years his prophesy came tru
and In this tribute to the Pilgrim mother
he sounds the praises Of the women who's
i sons are to be lords of the earth
= |, The chorus expressing the rigid observ
- ance and influence of the Puritan Sab
bath shows what that day of rest all
prayer did for the settlers and its strang
power over the Indian who feels that hi
. Manitou is not as powerful the white
mans God. The Indian recitative wi
be sung by Alfred Wylie and has a not
=. of deep sorrow. dignity and resignation
!. A weird strain is emblematic of tn
. . dark days of Salem in which the closin
= thought is full Of forgiveness for wha
4 was inevitable. The aria which follow:
h land will be sung by Miss Alberta Fisher
a | is full of peace, promise and hope i
Iiwhich intonca1y ms tio
$ struck in a line against the tryant Eng
: land for exacting tribute Of her children
The final number is grand, swirlin
chorus, overlooking with praise to tn
power which has made this a nation.
The whole composition is full {
? strength and feeling and while it ma
Inot be dramatic it-appeals to one in a wa
(which only the dramatic can. do. TIL
: soloists will be assisted in the reading b
:, a double. quartet of singers from the dif
. ferent choirs. w. s.. Marshall and Mis-
RI Gertrude Sprague will be accompanies.
. Mr.. Pattens has invited a group OF pro
. fessional musicians to hear his compost
! ton. At his. last reading he had wit
him a number of his friends but no pre-
: fessiona1 musicians This time he l1a
. asked the latter and as the Commerce.
: club is not a hall the number. has neces
: sarily had to be: limited. SIS
An important event of the winter fc
music lovers will be the unique entertain
n ment to be given by Mrs. Charles V
t Rhodes of Chicago Feb. Z in the New Cen