The morning journal-courier., 1908-12-11
Finely Sung by New Haven Ora. torio Society at Woolsey
 Hall Last Night.
CHORUS IS GREAT FEATURE
Rosslnl's "stabat Mater" Lacking in Dramatic Fervor-Symphony Or
 Chestra Assists.


 "stabat Mater being sung by the so-
 ciety assisted by the New Haven sym
 phony orchestra
 Flora Novlsslma' Is Horato Par
 ker's masterwork in which the com
 poser. upon q foundation of the best
 traditions of ecclesiastical music, has
 enriched the score in manner beyond
 even the imagination of the early com
 posers for the church. The poem by
 Bernard, q monk of the Abbey of
 Cluny is satire on the degeneracy of Ifs times under title De Contemptu : Mund" From tho opening passages of this satire. describing the glorIes of the heavenly land by somo free trans : positions and omissions, Archbishop French constructed the noble poem : now classed among the seven great medieval hymns The meter of the poem is both quantltative, after the an : cient Roman manner, and also accent ,, ual and rhymed after the modern It might be described as a dactylic hex ameter with two internal rhymes but . the verses are often broken up irFr : three parts From the 5000 lines of Bernards poem, Mrs. Isabella c. Par ker, the composers gifted mother : translated some 200 lines, the English version of Flora Noyssma." As to . the music the body Is that of the early . ages with it's classic purity intact; . but the Earb Is modern, enriched by all . the resources of harmony and instru- mentaton The splendid visor of some . Of its choruses, the a capella chorus 1 an example of pure church polghony which has won the highest praise from the best qualified critics, and the ex- quisIte soprano solo "O Bona Patria arc alone sufficient to mark the musi- cal status Of the composer, The instrumentation Is rich and often ! fascinating the accompaniment to the soprano solo mentioned. being a shin ing example of the possibilities Of mod ern scoring in the matter of delleaeN beauty and refinement,
 "IIora Noysslma" was last heard { here as feature of the bicentennial functions on october 22, 1aO1 It will ! hear repetition, and more often than once in seven years, The soloists last \ night were Mrs. Corinne Ridcr-Kelscy soprano; Mrs. Gertrude Stein Bailey :. mezzo soprano; John Young, tenor , and Frederic Martin, who took the 1. place of pr. Carl Dufft who was ndis = posed, bass
 Mrs. Kelsey, who has recently re- . turned from vocal triumphs abroad !. was in fine voice and received q gem erous welcome. flora NoNissima' sIt. Fx~
 the soprano, especially in the ex- quisite solo 70 bona pairia.' which , Ms Kelsey sang with refined taste, vocal purity and an appreciation of thu poem, She has voice of beaut- ' fn quality in it's entire register and ' shows fine training Mrs Bailey Is ', singer of extended experience and N always sincere in her work She sang with artistic purpose, dignity
 and feeling
 In the solo. "Gens durc Splendida," |" : which tells of the peace of Gods pco- pie after earth's turmoil are ended, Mrs. Bailey expressed the sentiment ', and beauty o( both text and music !, with fine distinction
 Mir Youngs voice lacked sympathy '' and the. emotion and rervor necessary V especially in the "Stabat Mater" as
 the "Cuius Amman requires warmth
 and dramatic feeling He was more - successful in flora Novissima and
 sang the aria 'Urbs syon' in good ' taste.
 v MT Martin sang with dignity. His VI voice was most effective in the middle " and lower register The solo "Spa
 modo yiymr" was sung with sincerity S and finish. The conspicuous feature o of the concert was the chorus. It did S not seem entirely at case in Rossini'a y score and suggested that possibly ', more time had been given to flora Y Novssma, Here the chorus sang X with enthusiasm. good attack and
 vigor
 The chorus is not as large as in
 some years, but in quality of tone it
 Is admirable, The splendid sorority
 of the opening chorus, the vigor an1
 color of "Pars mca" with 4 superb
 climax and the effective contracts, fine .~ cresendos and tremendous force in the 10 climax of the final chorus "t'rbs Syon '' nclfta'' made the principal chorus y work notable.
 t- The capela chorus was not sung D. with the surety necessary to make it F- effective.
 lo Rossini's "Stahat Mater" is a pcrcn. y nlal favorIte. 1t is not church music N1 in the best sense, but Rossini's girt ot 'o melody, his vigorous orchestratiou and 's the general color and brillIancy of the l'' score have made it q favorte both r '" and out of the church.
 '- small wonder 1t is that the mar " who at twenty-seven years of age hal ,s,, written tWenty-Dine operas and who ''' turned to religious music in his latej
 years, should not be able to effacc thu ,n ornate style and dramatic element Q w the operatic field.
 V, Neither solosts nor chorus acniey 'u ed great distinction in the "&taba ',' Mater There was lack of th, VI emotional and dramatic element nee '' essary in the Italian school, and jus
 once did the chorus roach tle lcye = worthy of praise in the Ea, mater ", '' which barring a little uncertain m 1 9 THAT BABY