The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-04-26
TH7S YEARS. Festival
+. A DECIDED SUCCESS.
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teenth centuries famous iii the history
of choral music In twenty-three days
Handel, the great master of oratorio, or
his kind the greatest OF all tone
painters, fashioned upon the loftiest = ana INC
most sublime of themes this composition
that is inperishable and that will live
as long as mankind's higher nature SUR
wives. y
AZ has been said by one distinguished
authority oratoriois a much higher form
nc inlsi I, #nrt than OPERA fhch L Pi'-
breaches nearest To it. IN orera, SO Ss
thi, vi fer in effect. ;:i.; singli 8 ma
h, elton, enabling many pers ms WHO can
sing and who cannot act, ana VICE Neis'''
TO pass themselves off as respectn pie pei
formers. But4in oratorio action Is LOT
hidden. There is absolutely no action.
Everything hinges upon the orchestral
invention and combination and the Gull
ture srci intelligence of the solo1sts ana ana
chorus upon which everything in the way
Of emotion and dramatic effect depends.
Unless this be borne In mind II is i1nPos-
slble fully to appreciate TO its fullest ex-
tent work such as was attempted last
night In Richmond. The strain upon
the singers. upon whose performance Inc
Judgment on the concert as whole Is
and II is therefore with all the more APP
precintion that the audience sat last
night and listened and applauded.
The Singers,
The singers were, the soloists, MISS
Anita Rio, soprano; Miss FLORENCE Mul-
ford contralto; Mr.. Holmes Cowper,
tenor, and Mr.. Frederick Martin, basso.
Much regret was expressed that Mrs.
Bertha Gushing Child, an old favorite.
could not be present. When Mrs. Child
sang here last her husband was the ac-
companist. Two week later, lle was
dead. The famous alto wrote that she
had not the heart to sing asnin alone
where before her husband was with her
The announcement caused y slight touch
of sadness to many who remembered
Mrs Child with pleasure. Her part was
taken by Miss milford. %
5#In.,hc Judgment OF the 5writerthe most
remarkable feature of the programme, in
kyiew Of the almost iEsurmOuntable OBJ
staclcs that stood In tho path OF tic
creo tur and conductor or n chorus of
voices. hitherto changes to3Soneg another,
was The work OF the chorus OF perhal1S
,SD ,ersons Among the faces that rose
I'm tlc-s behind the orchestra and the
soloists were many fnmilinrFto the audi
cnre ana This fact aroused the immediate
"
known minister's were among the num-
her 4. Mr.. George r, Ciarkns, who con-
quoted the chorus as we'll as the entire
performances is due all praise Tor his
splendid and perfect training OF the sing
ers. The chorus received unstinted APP
.pliuse and WHOM II closed the evening
with the glorious Hallelujah chorus the
crowd in accordance with an old ana
atino honored custom. arose en- masse ana
stood until 1t was finished,
Ii is no dctraction from the merit or
.he soloists to say that Miss Anita Rio.
tie soprano. was the shining star OF the
Iour. Ais four were excellent, but IN
nv Judgment she WAS best beyond AZ
doubt. Her notes We're pure and clear'
soft and sweet, and whenever she arose
it was the signal for the most PERFECT
silence in the house, She was applauded
libcrally
Perhaps the most notable reception
was given to The basso, Mr., Frederick
Martin. who aroused storm OF enth'l'
sasm by his splendid work TOO mueh
cannot be said Of the fine, rcnarkahiS
fine singing of the basso, who was inc
favorlte of the evening IN certain
sense. The tenor was also fne Mr.
Holmes Cowper, whose low notes we're