New-York tribune., 1906-05-05
MUSIC.
The Cincinnati Festiual - Fourth
Concert.
ny telegram 20 The Tr,bune.1

tBy Telegraph 20 The Trfbune.I
Cincinnati, May a-The singing of a chorus OF
one thousand children from the public schools OF
the city az the fourth concert OF the seventeenth
biennial music festival this evening not only con-
tributed the most gracious and inspiring feature TO
the AFFAIR, but also served to emphasize the fact
that the Enthusiastically popular element has
stronger representation at this meeting than Il has
ever had.
In 1873 and 1919 the public school children took
part in the festivals but only by singing patriotic
and familiar songs of a simple cast. This evening
the little ones took part in a cantata Of large
dimensions and ambitious design by Benolt. en-
titled Into the World Benoit was Mr.. Van der
stucken's master and once before-nine years ago
he brought It forward at benevolent concert in
the Music Hall, to the great pride and delight OF
parental Cincinnati
But something more than parental pride and de-
light were challenged this evening. The spectacle
of the thousand little ones in gala attire In ft
self inspiring. but IL nothing compared with
their singing. Benoits cantata is written with a
fine sense OF the capacity Of children, their senti
ments and enthusiasms. well their voices and
their musical capabilities. pretty patriotic SEN
timent pervades the work. which, starting with the
utterances of the youngest boys and girls. grows
like the plant life which is used by the poet as a
symbol. Il reaches the youths and maidens who
give voice 70 a more mature sense Of duty TO home
and country.
All the vocal music is huently and gracefully
melodiOus, generally unisonal except when IN the
full chorus it opens out into twO-part harmony.
but all Of it floats buoyantly a swelling flood
from the orchestra, whose voices are chaTmlngly
delineative and uplifting. Naturally Hitting dance
rhythms prevail. but there is a martial chorus in
which the incisive ictus of tho boys singing had
the sharp ring of the rife shot. From beginning
20 end the performance of the children was moth
ing short of marvellous in its precision Of verbal
and tOnal utterance its pretty attention to shading
its avoidance of the shrieking tones into which
children naturally fall and its diction. The last
word is too dignifed a to use in this case The
enunciation of the text though the translation is
frequently Ill fitted to the music. more than
dictanic-it eloquent. The thousand singing
without book, spoke in one voice. impelled by a
single impulse.
The performance opened up Visions rapturous and
radiant, of many future festival choruses. The
children raised their voices again in choral mel
ody in the finale of Mr.. Van der Stuckens PAX
Triumphans" the festival prologue composed for
the Brooklyn Sangerfest of 1900
An interesting If not particularly edtfying. feat
ure of the evening the singing of three songs
by the English composer BoughtOn-the poems OF
Mr.. Kipling-"Fair Is Our Lot "SOng of the
Dead" and "The Price of Admiralty" The first
song is pretty dry and solemn preachment, with
little of either melody or treatment 70 commend It,
There is more character and fine Outgiving of
mood in the second but with all his strainng after
new and characteristic expression in harmony and
Orchestration II was noticeable how gingerly ne
Cor perhaps IL was Mr. FfrangcOn Davies, who sang
the SOngS) avoided the Vlrlle eApAetlNe 4oru Go0'
we ha' paid in full" Mr.. Davies made Of 1t pious
invocation.
Mrs. Rider Kelsey, taking the place Of Mrs
Homer, sang with Verdure CIad,' and won the
admiration of the knowing by the sweet sOundness
Of her voice and STYLE Mr.. Davies and Mr With
erspoon toined their BASES in Handels ",The Lord
Is a Man of War" It was Orotund and sonor-
Gus proclamation but cannot say to my readers,
as Heine did to his in Germany Of the duet for
basses in "I Puritani'' wuen IL was first sung in
q IN i0-
asmuch as they must have heard It for themselves.
H e K