The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-11-30
ARION CLUBS
CONCERT A
SUCCESS

II was the orchestra that was the I'm
pressive feature OF last nights produc-
tion Of THE Damnation OF Faust" by the
Arion Club,
This was the inaugural Of the clubs
silver anniversary. Infantry hall was
filled up with a friendly audience.
The sololsts we're Miss Millicent Bren-
nan, soprano (Marguerite); Mr.. r. F.
Johnson. tenor (FausD: Mr. Herbert
Witherspoon, bass (Mephistophoies); Mr.
A. j. Harpin. bass (Brander).
The soloists gave a highly satisfactory
rendering OF the familiar music. Mr.
Johnson especially grew in favor with the
audience as his work developed He sang
with fine sentiment expressing with
marked efficiency the shadings and values
that Berlloz. a past master comparable
perhaps only 10 the mighty Wagner.
paints I'm his score Equally successful
was Mr.. wrrherspoon, whose Mephlstoph-
oles proved a delightful devil to the audi
ence. marked as IL was by ample ex-
preston and capital abandon. To-
gether these two singers gave a stirring
performance. quite the equal Of the best
that Conductor Jordan's singers have ever
afforded from time 10 time.
The chorus-well, every season the
Arion chorus grows I'm musical efficiency.
Losing nothing OF youthful fire and en-
thusasm-we refer. of course. to the
chorus as a working ensemble and not TO
the individual membership-the Arion
voice Is become, with the succeeding sea
sons, more and more mellow. more and
more mobile, capable OF expressing with
unaffected ease every sentiment and
shade OF the music set before it--smooth
and well nigh faultless as TO technique
and splendidly authoritative i'm it's work
all the way through After the summer
holiday 1t was a new pleasure and an
aboundlng satisfaction 10 note the re-
sponse II gave. like one single. massive.
splendidly equipped and thoroughly
trained voice, To Conductor Jordan's
baton.
We have before noted that feature Of
the plan and scope of DIR. Jordans work
with the Arion wherein the production
of particular selection is given to its
full value In all it's component parts.
loists, orchestra and chorus and each I'm
it's due proportion as may be demanded
I'm the individual instance. For several
seasons past he has not regarded the
chorus as necessarily..he whole thing but
has selected works for production where
I'm the Arion singers were. at best. only
an important accessory. Perhaps nothing
of his audiences shows this purpose Of
broadening the field Of usefulness Of the
club as a strong influence I'm local musical
entertainment education and culture
than the Berlioz Faust" The instru-
mental feature is by all odds the main
feature, not alone because II contributes
large share of the composition but be-
cause OF the wealth. elaborateness and
unsurpassed distinction Of the orchestra
tion And so last evening DR. Jordan
provided an orchestra concert that of
Itself to quote from the play bills. was
worth the whole price OF admission. The
numbers that fell To the instrumentalsts
alone fairly took the audience off their
feet. they were so splendidly rendered by
the aggregation that DR. Jordan had
brought together. while IN the same way
both chorus and soloists enjoyed the full
benefits OF an accompaniment that was
splendidly adequate and indeed. always
n competitor for the honors that fell to
the voices.