New-York tribune., 1907-10-03
MUSIC.
Fiftieth FestiUal of Worcester
County Musical association.
IBy Telegraph to The Tribune. !

---SNtiS'l
Worcester. Mass. Oct. 2.-Though the first con-
cert of the hftieth festival of the Worcester County
Musical Association was not given until this even
ing. Mechanics Hall had already been crowded to
the doors at two rehearsals The attendance to-
night large the spacious room would
hold. and many sought admission In vain In one
respect. then. these being auspcious Indications II
may already be said that the jubilee will prove to
be truly golden one and the association will start
out its second half-century fresh in hope and
strong in courage.
The concert this evening brought a first perform
TO the work composed for the Jubilee by Fred
erick s. Converse 1t was epical dramatcal
dramatica epical composition for four solo voices.
chorus and orchestra, entitled Job The solo
singers concerned in it were Nine. schumann-
Heink. Daniel Beddoe. Emilio de Gogorza and
Frank CroxtOn. The band fine self-reliant and
capable body. composed of sixty-ive members
of the Boston Orchestra; the chorus numbered close
to four hundred voices. and Mr.. Wallace Goodrich.
who is to close his connection with the association
at the end of this festival owing to increased arts
tic obligations in Boston, conducted.
In the audience among other visiting musicians
of repute sat Mr.. Arthur Mees Of New York. who
is be his successor.
The festival management had hoped to have
In the audience other festival directors of the half
century who still active The oldest and the
of longest service. MIR. Carl Zerrahn who
stood at the conductors desk thirty three years.
held out hopes of his coming. but at the last
chsetts would be too trying. Mr.. Kneisel. the
chestral conductor since 1892, present. OF
course. and so was Mr.. Chadwick. Mr.. Goodrichs
immediate predecessor Hollis Dan. of Ithaca; Mr..
Langley. of Newport Mr.. IOefF1er. of Boston. and
other lesser lights among conductors and
posers gave sympathetic attention TO the launch
ing Of new work by the composer. who has made
the deepest impression of all the younger coterfs
of American writer's.
Description and criticism OF "Job" must be with
hal until
writing. 1t is a work that was conceived by its
composer in serious spirit and obviously with a
purpose TO get out Of the beaten path of oratoro
and cantata- He has succeeded in a considerable
Degree his music proving to be most interesting
as 1t approached the ecclesiastical model which
ne mas sought to consort with a modern dramatic
style or utterance, style more or less Influenced
by the young italian school of opera writer's
Inc work which Is inscribed to Mr.. Goodrich had
evidently received careful and devoted study and
was performed with enthusiasm the part of all
the forces. Mr.. Beddoe ACCOMPLISHED nrodiqIa, ~
valor in singing the trying part of Job in the new
work as well the equally trying part OF the
SOLO tenor in the first part OF THE Dream OF
Gerontlus. with which the concert opened II was
regular tour de force. remarkable achievement
all the more admirable from the fact that his sing
ing was as good as his voice. Only the hawless
art OF Mr. de Gogorsea in the music Of the friend
IN Joo and the priest in The Dream made his
performances equally pleasurable. Nine Schu-
mann-Heink was in superb voice, but her forced
tones and exaggerated pathos grieved the Ju-
diclous
A portion OF the afternoon rehearsal was devoted
10 sort OF supplementary concert by the children
Of the high schools of the city who under the d.
rectlon Of Charles I. Rice and with the help OF
Mrs Ida Johnson. soprano; Miss Helen O'Ciorrnan
contralto; Walter l. Brown. barytone and the or
chestra, gave performance of Gade's tunefuI can
tata The Erl Kings Daughter which was highly
credtable. Especially noteworthy was the fresh
and bright quality of the girls voices. Perform
ances Of works adapted for children's voices have
become a regular feature OF the Cincinnati festi-
walls. and there doubtless many OF the festival
patrons in Worcester who would like TO see the
example set by the Western festival city followed
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