The Washington times., 1906-11-22
COLERIDGE.TAYLOR
WARMLY RECEIVED
Composer DirectsChoral So
Ciety in THE Atonement''
and "Quadroon Girl"

\ veritable feast Of harmony was the
splendid performance OF 5. Coleridge-
TayIors The Atonement." and THE
Ouadroor GIRL" given last evening by
the S. ColeriGge-Taylor Choral Society,
under the baton OF the Anglo-African
composer himself. who came over from
London 10 conduct this festival Of his
music ia the Metropolitan a. NJ. +.
Church, IN this city. The magnificent
music was heard for the first time in
Washington with orchestra. which added
greatly 10 the laurels which It has al
ready won for It's eminent dramatic
composer. The string section OF the Phil
adclrhia symphony Orchestra made its
first appearance here as accompanies
10 oratorio ana they played the music
and accompanied as skilled artists. and
The music OF Coleridge-Taylor is some
thing of an undertaking for any orches-
ira 10 handle.
The soloists were all familiar "a
Washington audiences which have fire.
quented the concerts Of the Colgrldge-
Taylor Choral Society. They were Mrs
Kataryne Szeenc Mitchell, OF Cleveland
soprano; Miss Lotte Wallace. contraltof
Mrs Helen Bell Cardozo. mezzo So
/ i
baritone. and George I. Holt, OF Des
Moines. tenor. Miss Wallace and Mrs
CardOzO are the only local singers
among them, they being members Of the
chorus.
THE Quadroon Girl" oEened the con-
cert. II consists OF a superb baritone
solo, worthily sung by Mr.. Burleigh,
which shows his finished. dramatic sing
IA
ful arrangement of chorus and orches-
ira. completing an exquisite bit of work,
which was excelIently done.
The Atonement," which has been
heard in this country only In Boston and
Washington, is work which viii, like
the composers "FIiawatha," live long
after him, and go down to posterity. Mr..
Coleridge has mastered the art
of chorus writing and OF orchestration.
the latter being one of the most strik-
ing Of the many virtues of THE Atone
ment."
The orchestra was assisted last even
ing by Miss Mary L. Europe. the gifted
young cOlored pianist THE Atone
ment' gave opportunity for each soloist
10 be heard. but gives the best oppor-
tuutty, like "Hiawatha," to the bari
tone The solos FOR the other parts.
however. what there were of them, were
most beautiful.
The trio for female voices is one OF
such delicious harmony and pathos that
IL viii not soon be forgotten. Mr.. Cole
rldge-Iaylor Is genius IN depicting
hopeless sorrow In harmony. Equally is
he skillful ia the dramatic effects In
fact. he is painter or tone pictures OF
the strongest types. The OninOus. mar
ttal, rhythmical strains OF the music o.
the march TO Calvary are thrilling and
magnificent TO a degree and the work of
lAe chorus IN lhe precision and hearty
response to the magnetic baton OF the
composer-cOnductOr should not be over
looked. Their body and richness Of tone
on the highest notes Is quite remarkable
and seldom 10 he found in any chorus.
The work of 8 Colerldge-TavIor
marks an epoch in modern music com
position, his wealth and wierdness OF
harmonies and his richness of Orches-
Jration being almost a revelation TO
modern writer's
The society will be heard this evening
I'm the same place in a NTH presentation
of the picturesque and superb 'Hiawa-
tha." with the same soloists and the
same orchestra, the composer at the
helm.