New-York tribune., 1908-05-09
F." CHILDREN'S CRUSADE"
Beautiful Performance of Pierne's
Com position in Cincinnati.
by Telegraph 10 The Tribune.

cnildrens night at the festival 1905 but the ar
usttc offering was of a vastly higher order. All
the listeners that could be crowded into the hall
were present, while on the stage besides the regu-
lar choir. massed FIVE hundred pupils from
the public schools. Under the stage, hidden from
view to give dramatic verismiIitude to the second
part OF the canIata- which pictures the singing of
groups Of little crusaders they wander across
the meadows culling flowers and singing happy
songs. were two hundred more
mus, with the solo singers and instrumentalists
added, there were over eleven hundred performers
all controlled by beautiful artistic impulse. harp
ing and hyn1ning the most pathetic of the
historical Incidents traditions which have come
down to US from the Middle Ages. It is, or ought
10 De- quite unnecessary 10 tell the musical readers
OF The Tribune anything about the character
or the unique beauty of Pierne's composition. 1t
was called to the attention of Mr. Van der Stucken
by its performance by the New York Oratorio So
ciety year and half ago. That performance was
'he second or third since the music from the
mind of its creator. Since then It has been given
in Boston by the Cecilia Society and in Chicago by
the Apollo Club 1 heard only one of these per-
formances, but had heard them all I would feel
no temptation to indulge in the cheap device
of comparison.
To-nights performance. not only by reason of its
extraordinary enlistment of forces but also by rea-
son of its superatve excellence is likely to stand
alone among performances Of its kind until an
other festival repeats the work or replaces il by
something Of the same kind To do the latter thing
will not be easy for there are few musical com
positions in existence if any. in which children's
voices are blended with the modern instrumental
apparatus and choir of adults in finished. so
poetcal exqutsitely appealing and compelling a
manner as in The Chidren's Crusade" The re-
hnement Of modern harmony and orchestration is
employed; epical as well dramatic elements are
enlisted The sensibities aesthetic and emotional
faculties addressed with Irresistible eloquence
yet arising from 1t all there is an exhaIaton like
an exquisite perfume Of the nedaeval and mystical
spirit So tmpressively. potently so beautifully
was all this enforced at to-nighr's performance
that no ear could remain deaf 10 it The perform
ance caused a happiness that must to many have
been akin 10 exquisite pain and it's expression was
as the roar Of many waters
Many intelligent wel-wishers of the Cincinnati
lesuvals must have been gratihed at the i'm
portant role in them which Mr..
Stucken assumed their artistic leadership has been
assigned TO the pupils of the public schools. A
generation ago great deal used be said about
the necessity of educating singers the festival
choir and the value of music in the public
10 this end At the festivals of 1873 and 1875 when
the original plan of making the festival meeting
OF the singing societies of the city and the cities
ana towns roundabout followed. the local
school children took active part. To them was
assigned the choral element in afternoon con-
cert, at which they sang patriotic songs and such
music as was TO be found in the books used in the
SCHOOLS Once in 1875, there more am
bilious attempt, the youthful choir being ntrusted
with Mozart's cantats Praise of Friendship
But for this feature of the festivals Mr Theodore
Thomas had little sympathy. and when the new
Music Hall and the institution was lifted
high on the wave of prosperity he cut the
popular feature ThenCeforth il was only when
the soprano ripie'' were needed in the Passion"
music OF Bach that the assistance of a small choir
Of boys was called in. Mr. Van der Stucken is a
musician Of different sympathies and training
His Belgian master. Benoit, has a great fondness
for the musical effects which can be attained by
the employment of children's voices en- nqsse
Early IN his Cincinnati Mr.. Van der Stucken
arranged special concert for the production of his
masters cantata Into the World" in which there
are no solos and all the music is sung by of
children of different ages Two years ago he made
the same work a feature of the first fes-
tval which it fell to his lot to conduct
So great was the artistic well as popular
triumph OF the little choristers that he at once
resolved to enlarge the participation of the public
school children in this festival and give il higher
dignity. Hence the employment Of two hundred
boys voices IN the Bach work last Wednesday
night and the selection OF Pierne's beautiful can
tata which performed to-day. the first
performance of The Chidren's Crusade in Paris
in January, 1905, and the first American perform
ance by the New York OratOro Society, under the
direction of Dr. Frank Damrosch, in December.
1906, the children's choruses numbered two hun
dred. Tonight they numbered seven hundred. What
the artistic training and mental and moral disci-
pine given TO the singers who will form the fes-
tival choir of the festivals which to come how
much it will stimulate interest inspire enthusiasm
and educate the of future festival audiences
may be left 10 the imagination It is enough to
say that in the enlistment Of this element there
is exhibition Of that higher intelligence and
lovelier purpose which II has been qualification |
and a happiness to observe the present meeting
1t Is much be hoped in the interest of musical
culture throughout the country that the Cincinnati
example will be followed wherever music festivals |
are held. The time is ripe for the introduction OF
the feature in the Worcester festival where al |
ready the children loudly knocking at the door
There they are permitted TO sing a cantata
0ast wear it was Gades "Erlkng's Daughter |
with the orchestra at an afternoon rehearsal which
$ & quasi-public function. The plan has its merit
from an educational point of view but it does not
20 far enough. If cultural arguments do not suf- ,
fee to bring about desirable a thing. perhaps |
he Worcester management will give heed TO bust
1855 considerations one audience like that Of to-
night goes far toward saving festival from nnan-
cial shipWreck
To return for a moment more TO those features
II the performance which unique in char
.cter and excellence-the choral Never before, not
wan TWO wears ago, have I observed such an eX-
qualification of child choristers. The seven hun
Ired voices one in precision and variance
rom beginning TO end The trained and seasoned
,rofessonaI men sitting the orchestra might
rsvar or lag but the little ones responded TO MI
yan Der Stucken's beat Ike the magnetic coil TO
he electric current And the quality OF tone was
n the more remarkable because the voices had
,ot heen selected but the music intrusted TO the
,+re pupil body of different schools OF the inter
oeaisae grades The sweet and joyous singing was
sprr 10 tae adult ehoristers, solo singers and
musicians and a performance which LETT no room
nd as little desire TO cavil was the result
rba nrincipaI solo parts were in the hands or
rrs Rider-Kelsey Mrs. Chapman-Goold and Daniel
eddoe of New York; Mrs. Werner-Nest. Of TINS
ity and Dalton Baker. of England AL teI
,orL Was done with such lovely sympathy for the
,t and annreciation OF its character that II pre-
SDirit the chOruSSS
q 'e1 H X