The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-12-08
ST. CHRISTOPHER SUNG.
PROFESSOR PARKER'S GREAT
 DRAMATIC ORATORIO.

Heard Here at wOoIsey Hall Last Night
 for First Time-EnthusIastic Audi
 ence of 3,OOO-PerfectiOn of Choral
 and SOlOist Work.
 Prof. Parker's great dramatic orato- rio ''The Legend of St. Christopher, was splendid presentation last night at Woolsey hall, under the direction of the composer himself. Nothing was lacking. The chorus was letter and note perfect, which is saying good deal. for the vocal score of ''St. Chris topher' is one of extreme difficulty. The soloists fitted well the parts for which they were chosen. and the accompani- ment, or rather the harmonic back ground furnished by the orchestra and organ, were at all times admirable. When to these happy conditions is add ed the stimulus of an audience of near ly 5000 people thoroughly in sympathy with the performers 1t becomes plain why the evening was one of surpass- ing interest.
 ''St. Christopher is a dramatic ora- torio in the fullest sense of the word. Its story of the search of the giant 'Cfferus" for the strongest monarch, his trials, failures and final triumph, too well known to be repeated here, give the composer a rare opportunity for broad dramatic writing which he took advantage of with splendid effect Some one has said that Prof. Parker has no peer in pure choral writing and certainly nothing has ever been heard in this city more beautiful than the un- accompanied hymn in the last act. The chorus sang 1t with deep feeling and in absolute sympathy with the the con- ductor AS a piece of finished choral work it must stand with the best ever done by the New Haven society.
 A contrasting number where bigness and vigor and nobility were dominant was the magnificent Gloria" chorus also in the third act. In this the tone volume from chorus, orchestra and or gan was almost oyerpowering. The organ, in particular, was noticeable in the ensemble. Its great diapasons made foundation on which the whole superstructure of sound, vocal and in strumental, rested. One can hardly imagine these oratorios now without the Newberry organ, with it's splendid resources, or the organ without Prof Harry. B. Jepson, who draws out its best qualities.
 Between these two choruses were oth- CTS sung we'll. less well, perhaps, than ! the two mentioned, but with a fullness of tone, a nicety of phrasing and a sureness which could come only after l long weeks of conscientious work. It is not stretching the truth to say that the New Haven OratoriO society has es | tablished Itself firmly as one of the best | choral bodies in the country.
 Miss Alice Merritt Cochran, the solo soprano, who sang the dual part of ''The Queen; and "The Angel" was | very warmly welcomed. Her voice is clear and f1ute-like and of good power. | Her best number was the lyric solo in the second scene. of the first act, "The Dear Delights of Home and Place." Nicholas Doughty sang the tenor parts of "Ttle King and "The Hermit" Ericsson Bushnell had .he part of 'Of- ferus,' which he created when the ora torio was first given in 1898 in New York, and Harold Luckstone, favorite young singer of the west, was the bar 1 itone. Master Jerom6 Gilbert of New Haven sang the small part of "The | Child" exceedingly well.
 l On the whole. 1t was a performance of unusual merit, and credit to the
 society and It's officers.