The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-03-07
EARLHAM'S
ORATORIO
ONE or THE IMPORTANT
EVENTS THAT ARE
BUILDING.
A MUSICAL STANDARD
For Richmond, That Will Make Her
The Enviable Cynosure of
Neighboring Cities.
\ MUSICAL STANDARD

This has been a remarkable year,
musically speaking, for Richmond.
The Musical Club has been sponsor
for some very attractive artist reel
tails. including the concerts by the
Spiering Quartet and by Mr.. Marlen
and others. Schumann-Heink has
Just departed in a blaze Of glory and
now Richmond is looking forward to
two of the most important events OF
all-The May Festival in a couple OF
months and the concert by the Earl
ham Oratorio Society next Thursday
evening. The Importance Of the kind
of work done by the Earlham Chorus
can hardly be overestimated, for
great as it the value of virtuoso
concerts, there Is no stronger test OF
the real musical life of amy city than
the choral or oratorio work done
there
Following the high standard set
last year, by their rendering of Hay
dn's famous oratorio, "The Crea-
tion,'' by a well drilled chorus and
the best soloists obtainable, this So
ciety Will present this year a famous
composition by the same composer,
which is as great musical master
piece In its field, as was "The Crea-
tom In its. Those unacquainted
with the classics of religious music
may have a wrong conception of the
beauty of such music. The fact IS
that most of the great composers put
the best efforts of their lives into
such music, and, while Haydn's I'm
perial Mass can not be called snowy,
throughout and appeals profoundly
and directly to all who love good mu-
sic. This is not confined to the cho-
ruses, but applies to the solo parts
as we'll; it is hard to find in the realm
Of sacred music, oratorio or otherwise
any more beautiful or touching solo
than the "Qui Tollis,'' for the bass.
We understand in this case that the
English words are to be sung. 1t
would be hard to find a production
Of about an hour in length more sat
isfactory TO both singers and audi
ence. The selection from Gounod s
"AIesse Solennelle' IS distinctly diff
ferent in nature, being much more
modern; however it is not the mod
ernity of the overwrought or forid
style, but represents, as we'll as any
composition of the composer. what
Gounod could do. This has been sung
In more than one church in the city
and to hear it with a large chorus
and with a tenor possessing such a
voice as Mr. John Miller of Chicago.
would of itself attract large audi
ence.
The contrast presented in the sec
ond half of the program by Liza Leh-
mann's "In a Persian Garden i.
most marked, and yet, perhaps, few
additions to the program could afford
more delight to an audience. The
moment the first strains Of the incom-
parable "Wake, for the Sun Who
Scatter'd Into Flight" are heard
the audience will be transplanted as
II by magic into another atmosphere,
And for something over half an hour
they will be under such a spell that
1t will take hours and perhaps days
to get away from it. At first hear
ing one waits and waits in expectant
dread, for the first sign of drop in
the music, for the almost inevitable
spots of slightness or dullness, but
waits In vain. 1t stands almost uni
que in its sustained freshness an6
loftiness. 1t is no wonder that # wa,
welcomed in this country, as its an
pearanee a few years ago, with a yer
liable wave Of enthusiasm, and tina
the best artists in the country hav,
We'd with each other in giving It
fitting reading. The spirit of Omar
Fitzgerald (if one may be permitte.
the term) breathes in every note an,