The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-25
MUSICAL SEASON CLOSES
WITH BRIEF MAY FESTIVAL
indianapolis Oratorio Society
Gives Two Concerts in Rob
ertS Park Church.
WORK OF THE CHORUS

The musical season in Indanapolis-one
of the best that this city has ever known
was virtually closed yesterday with the
brief May festival given at Roberts Park
Church by the indianapolis Oratorio So
ciety Two concerts were given and both
were productive of much enjoyment. The
matinee performance attracted an audi
ence of fair size. made up mostly of wom-
en-, and at the evening performance the
church was comfortably filled.
Edward Taylor, the director of the Ora
torio Society, is deserving OF great credit
for the able manner in which he has
trained his chorus singers. A wonderful
improvement was noticeable at yesterdays
concerts over the work of the chorus at
the Messiah performance given at Tom
linson Hall last February for the benefit of
the Flower Mission. At that time the
big mixed chorus gave decided promise of
becoming capable vocal organization and,
under Mr.. Taylors careful and conscien-
tious conductorship. this promise has been
fulfilled. The weakness of the chorus at
present is in the tenor department. The
voices seem TO be there, but the men are
afraid TO let them out. The ensemble sing
ing yesterday was excellent and at both
afternoon and evening performances
| brought forth enthusiastic demonstrations
of approval from the audiences.
The orchestra, composed of many of the
| city's best musicians, did praiseworthy
work and contributed largely toward the
success of the programme To Miss Carrie
| Hyatt, too, a vote of thanks is due as this
admirable musician, who has time and
again shown her great ability during the
past season, was tireless in lending her aid
| TO the cause" dividing her attention be-
| tween the organ and the piano and playing
| both instruments equally well.
| The soloists of the concert were all In
diana women. Jeanette OrlOpp the vio-
/ linist, Josephine Bremmerman Edmunds,
| the soprano, and Florence Atkins, the con-
tralto are residents of Indianapolis. and
Nine: BRIDGE Blye, although she is now
billed as a Chicago pianist, is really
! Hoosier product, her home being in Kent
land, Ind; where that other celebrity,
George AIDE, came from. The entire fes-
/ fair.
| the ever-inspiring chorus, THE Heavens Are
| Telling, from THE Creation" and this
| magnificent composition was given with fine
| ensemble effect, although as before men
toned, the passages dependent upon the
| tenors were not rendered with the right
! amount of authority. A much better per-
Torrance was the chorus number. 20
| Gladstone Light" from Sullivan's Golden
| Legend sung with organ accompaniment,
and the chorus, Worthy of the Lamb"
| from The Messiah" was also we'll inter-
| preted. The best work of the chorus, how
| ever, was done in Noyes's THE Village
| Blacksmith" this fine musical setting of
Longfellow's poem being admirably pre-
| scented, despite the fact that it was given
| without the piano passages. The orchestra,
| Miss Hyatt at the organ. and Mrs. Ed
| munds in the soprano solo portions, were
Ian instrumental In making this number a
| noteworthy one.
Madame BRIDGE Blye appeared twice on
the programme. She is a gifted pianist. al
| ways played with ripely developed, artistic
| powers and with great technical skill The
| only criticism to be offered in regard TO her
| selections at the matinee concert is that
| they lack variety, and did not afford her
! opportunity TO show her versatility. She
played Schumann's romanza in sharp
ChOpin's fantaisie impromptu. a Brahms
| intermeZZo, a composition by Henselt and,
| by special request, Weber'S familiar "Invi-
tation TO the Dance" arranged by Tansig.
Miss Florence Atkins, who has become
| her share on the programme-'In Blossom
| Time" by Needham; Allah, by Chadwick
and a beautiful number by Grammar. Miss
| Atkins's appearance on the concert plat
form is all that could be desired; her facial
| expression and poise were in perfect sym
| pathy with every song that she rendered.
| Her voice is a satisfying contralto of en-
| viable range and sweetness, over which she
| has splendid control. She evidently enjoys
her work as she always sings with the
sense and grace that belongs only to the ar
| fist.
Since completing her studies in Europe
| Jeanette Orlopp, the Indianapolis violinist,
has appeared but seldom before home audi
| ences and she greeted with hearty ap-
| plause she made her way TO the edge of
the platform with her violin held under
her arm She performed as her pro-
| grammed selection Saint-Saens's difficult
! "Rondo Cappriccioso," and then gave as
| an encore. Wilhelmj's beautiful ''Romanz -
of her hearers her tone being full of beauty
| and warmth and her technique brilliant.
| The pleasure of hearing her play was
| greatly enhanced by the quiet dignity of
| her style-a style that adds a pronounced
grace to the art which she chooses to
| represent
Mrs. Edmunds is among the best-known
| of Indianapolis sopranos, but her voice is
| heard none too often in local entertain
| ments. She sang Schuberts Lied der
| Mignon" and The Swiss Girls Lament"
| in a delightful manner, her phrasing being
| artistic and her enunciation perfect Her
voice was fresh and powerful in tone, and
its flexibility was displayed in a charming
| way.
THE EVENING PROGRAMME
In some respects the evening programme
was much the better of the two, although
the early portion of the concert was all but
ruined by an unlooked-for counter attrac-
ton in the way of a bicycle parade The
first chorus, Unfold. Ye Portals from
THE Redemption" had just been sung in
| Splflteu style, ana MHle Dye was DIT the
piano engaged in rendering her initial num-
Der. delicate Schumann piece. when the
cyclists passed by on the smooth asphalt
outside. blowing horns. ringing bells, whis-
| Ting through their teeth like Irish banshees
and yelling like devils in purgatory. The
procession must have been three miles in
length judging by the time il took the noisy
crowd TO pass Roberts Park Church. Mime.
Blye stuck 10 the keyboard desperately for
a while and then gave up with a smile of
painful resignation and waited, at least.
for the fellow with the biggest horn TO
either fade away in the distance or else fall
of his wheel and break his neck he so
richly deserved 10 do The pianist played
three selections-the last two being Grieg S
Princess and the ''Tarantella Neapoli-
tana" of List. and again proved her right
10 be considered a thorough artist Later in
the programme she again appeared and
gave splendid reading OF Tschaikowski'
''Dornroeschen.
Miss Orlopp scored what was undoubtedly
the greatest individual triumph of the fes-
4 uval with her excellent rendition of Louis