The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-04-26
AR|0N CLUBS
CLOSING
CONCERT

One OF the largest audiences that ever
greeted the Arion club was in attendance
at Infantry hall last evening to wit
ness the first production in this city of
Sir Edward Cigars musical setting OF
Cardinal Newman's poem. The Dream
OF Gerontius." At least that is the
modest way the program announced the
concert. Ii was a delightful and i'm
pressive two hours or more OF music that
those present enjoyed Music IL was In
its highest and most worthy phases.
Solemn in theme and yet at moments
sweet and eXquisitely tender, with a
pathos that left no desire OF loveliness
unfulhlled.
The magnificent chorus of last evening
made an impression that will long be
remembered. Those who missed hearing
the concert certainly missed a treat OF
beauty that would never have been for
gotten.
"The Dream of Gerontius.' as set to
music by Elgar is OF the oratorio style.
Competent critics have pronounced it the
only work OF the last GO years to be
compared at all with Mendelssohn's
Elijah" The view OF the after life
taken In the poem is that Of n temporary
place of punishment In the piece are
beautiful lines fun OF high Christian hope
and or clear justice and high love. 1t
is great poem as well as a deeply re-
lgious testimonial OF the earnest and
high faith of one of the greatest men
of the England of the ninteenth century.
To adequately express all the lowell
ness OF the poem and all its high asplra-
tions required that the musicians faith
be equal to that OF the poet. Sir Ed
ward Elgar is a devoted Roman Cath
olic and no man seems ever TO have
better understood how to treat a deli
cate subject aptly as he has done In
the very terror of his subject and all
that faith and justice tell and require he
let's ever move the spirit OF hope and
the potency OF repentance. All the beau
ties of imagination. OF love OF harmony,
so sweetly told. are brought to our un-
derstanding, and the audience last night
sat spcll-bound during the great and
earnest performance.
Though the words OF the poem are
grand the music goes far beyond them.
Few details are given OF the incidents
beyond the veil still the wonder and the
awe indescribable OF Dante in the pres
ence Of the Most High are brought home.
for harmony being or the uncorrupted
essence like the light leads us up TO the
very throne OF God. Never has orches-
ira heen called on TO do greater or high
er work To Roman Catholic IL would
suggest some master OF tho organ at the
very moment of the elevation playing
an invocation, but that is not allow
able.
Still words fail TO describe Sir Cigars
work. All the glory and worth Of the
past he has taken, and hy freer. modern
ways made even more delightful. To
have heard. and but briefly and imper-
fectly understood somewhat Of the great
beauty that this musician has described,
is TO have experienced one OF the great
compensations that Gerontius experienced
just beyond the great curtain that sep
arates the known from the unknowable
pr Jordan last evening had TO assist
him and his chorus. the Boston SYM
phony, Mr.. Arthur ". Ryder organist.
and semi-chorus OF specially invited
singers that included Mrs Frank Street
or. Miss Baker Miss Dobson~Miss Brown,
Miss Ames. Miss Smith, Miss johnson. |
Miss Northrup. Miss Burdick. Miss
Proctor Howard Carpenter. A. l.. Kim
ball. Mr.. Jenkins, Mr.. Williams. Mr..
Ward. Mr. Wood. Mr. Simmons and Mr.
Pollard.
IL seems hardly necessary TO say that
with so noble work the members OF the |
orchestra were thoroughly in sympathy. |
and the delightful but difficult, music |
found at its hands an Interpretation I'm |
which love. harmony and purity formed |
an exquisite trinity.
The ATion chorus needs no praise, |
while it. perhaps. hesitatcd FOR n second |
or two here and there. yet its full rich |
ness. strength and sweetness made the |
beautiful music delightfully."- full OF life. |
one can hardly imagine a worther task |
than the study and attention required ana |
given in the many musical gems with |
which tho score abounds The choir OF |
the Angelicals have one number Of great |