New-York tribune., 1907-10-05
MUSICAL FESTIVAL ENDS
Fftieth annual Worcester affair
a Success.
a Success.
TBy Telegraph 10 rhe rrihnna I

Worcester Mass. Oct 1.-TWO programmes pre-
senting music of a high order. dignihed vet varied
and for the greater part appealing 10 the popular
as well the cultivated taste were performed AT
the closing concerts OF the ftieth festival Of the
Worcester County Musical Association to-day The
afternoon scheme brought forward three orches-
trail numbers namely Beethoven's Eighth SYM
phony Claude De Bussy's Afternoon of a Faun''
and Chabrier's Spanish Rhapsody. familiar music
all OF II. 10 the visitors from New York and Bos-
ton, where orchestral concerts are matters OF
weekly occurrence during the musical season and
interesting TO those visitors only It gave a
taste OF the quality OF Mr.. Kneisel as an orches-
trail conductor and OF the festival band Both
manifestations thoroughly enjoyable De
Bussy's fantastic piece being given with all the
flmy delcacy and dreamy color that It demands
OF the two solo features. one was a novelty in
America, and, indeed a composition which had
only two previous performances in London. This
was a pianoforte concerto in D minor by Arthur
Hinton, an English composer which played,
so far the solo instrument is concerned. by the
composers wife, who for professional purposes has
retained her maiden name Katherine Goodson.
The concerto is less show piece which
says undisputed and familiar things in a charm
ing way without making a profound impression,
though there are many things in II which are high
ly creditable to Mr.. Hinton's muslcianship. After
hearing It twice at rehearsals I found 1t more in
teresting at the concert than 1t had appeared be-
FORE and particularly interested by the 1uency
and ingenuity of the free fantasia portion of the
finals, q daShing piece or braVurn Inere are IOur
movements though the third is brief and serves
as an extended introduction the finals. 1t Is IN
the manner OF a moody Morse folksong, and Its
color largely contributed by the English horn. Is
finely preserved. The second movement Is
scherzo which harks back TO Mendelssohn fairy
folk and has a fascinating waltz movement in the
second portion. which stands In the formal scheme
a trio. Miss Goodson played the scintillant
music with amazing dash and brilliancy, and her
husband took his share Of credit for the fndubt-
table success achieved. Evan Williams sang Lend
Me Your Aid" from Gounod's Queen Of Sheba-"
He has sung II often before but never with greater
abandon power and charm. II was altogether a
thing apart, and took the hearers quite of their
feet. Their demonstrations OF gratitude and de-
light marked the climax OF the festival enthusiasm
In Difference to an old tradition which used to
vex the souls Of the fearful critics, the evening
concert was announced artists night, but the
programme q wide departure from the old
1t was devoted wholly TO Wagner. The orchestra
played the overture 10 The Flying Dutchman'
and the overture and Bacchanale from. Tam
hauser'' with hidden chorus OF sirens Mrs
Rider Kelsey sang Ehsabeth's entrance air. and
Mr.. de Gogorza the song to the evening star from
the same opera The orchestra played the wei
known concert arrangement OF excerpts from
"Segfried" and die G6tterdammerung' made by
Hans Richter. and Nine. Schumann~Heink sang
the address Of Waltraute TO Brunhilde in the last
Of the Nibelungen dramas This was the hrst
part Of the programme. which was conducted by
Mr.. Kneisel. During the rest OF the evening ex-
cerpts from THE Meistersinger' were heard. the
chorus taking part under the direction OF MI
Goodrich. There were the chorals from the first
act Sachs's nonologue from the third act. sung
by Mr. Croxton; the quintet. sung by Mrs Rider
Kelsey Nine. Schumann-Heink. George Hamlin,
Frank Ormsby and Mr.. Croxton Sachss conclud-
ing address, sung by Renald Werrenrath (an in
terpolated number) and the familiar concert piece
made up OF the dance OF apprentices. the process
sion OF master singers. the choral greeting to
Sachs the prize song CAIr. Harnln) and the finals
A tremendous audience was IN attendance. the
enthusiasm was at white heat and the festival
closed with a blaze Of glory equal TO that which
used TO be seen when a dozen artists rode their
horses and wore their best gowns for the delecta-
,,o, or ,ba fest,va audience H E K.