The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-04-09
THE PEOPLES CHORAL UNION.
Sir Edward Elgar'S CAhtata King OLAF"
sung With Plenty Of VlgOr.

sung With Plenty Of VlBOr.
Sir Edward Elgar's cantata king Olaf
was sung last night at Carnegie Hall by
the Peoples Choral Union under Frank
Damrosch In a manner demanding hearty
praise. The composition was made for
the Staiordshire Festival Of 1895 and there
fore Is older than the same composers
'The Dream OF Gerontius' and THE
Apostles The text is taken partly from
Longfellow's poem and Is arranged by
II. A. Ackworth. The more dramatic
episodes Of the poem are selected for musical
delineation, and the work Is composed for
soprano. tenor and bass s%oloists, chorus
and orchestra, with, Of course, an organ
part.
The music suggests a certain restraint on
the part Of Elgar. There are no evidences
Of a want Of inventive fecundity nor OF
high skill In the %marshalling Of the forces,
but the listener is likely to suspect that the
STAT ordshire chorus was not one OF great
resource and that the composer had to
furnish It with material not too complicated
The massive double choruses and vigorous
part writing Of the later works are not
found in this one, but tonal climaXes are
reached frequently by ponderous passages
In unison or broad and sonorous part con-
struction in the simpler forms.
Here and there Elgar breaks into the free
and eloquent manner Of his subsequent
compositions, but just as often he harks
back to more conv entional methods Of the
English music festival. In nothing is this
more clear than in his adherence TO har-
monte schemes sanctiaed TO the British
public by years OF Handel and Mendel ssohn.
The orchestra, too, shows none OF that
departure in the direction Of Wa gnerian
Illustration found in the other works men
toned.
But the story Of the conversion is eG-
oellently told, and the death OF lronbeard
is writing altogether worthy OF the later
Elgar, though Il is made with lees latitude
Of style. King 0laf's bridal night and
the attempt At his assassination by Gudrun
show real feeling, and the appearance
Of the wrath OF 0din is painted with skill.
The solo parts are m~elodious, but not al
ways popular in style, and one misses the
intense emotional grip OF the Gerontus
music.
The Peoples Choral Union is one Of the
most interesting features Of the musical
life Of this city. II has grown from small
beginnings in the free sight reading classes
to be q choir which challenges general
public admiration. The quality OF tone
Is generally good, though not ideal. but
the spirit OF the singing is 50 vital that many
offences might easily be forgiven, Yet
this il not Necessary. The choir sings
with precision, with unanimlty, with bold
ness and a glorious sorority. In the heavier
mass effects Of last nights music 1t Gang
with inspiring brlliancy.
The solo singers we're Beatrice Fine,
soprano; Daniel Beddoe, tenor, and EDWIN
Evans, bass. Little can be said in favor
OF the last named singer, while the first
was merely acceptable. Mr.. Beddoe sang
with plenty Of tone, and his upper notes
in particular seemed to have gained in
strength, mellowness and certainty. Frank
Damrosch conducted and the Symphony
Society Orchestra gave the instrumental
support.