Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-05-27
ORATORIO TONIGHT.
DEBORAH Choral Unions Fourth Annual En-.
tertainment Will be 0ratorio
"St. Paul"

The oratoriO "St. Paul. will be
rendered at the Grand opera house in
DEBORAH by the DEBORAH Choral Union
this Wednesday, evening. The
| chorus consists of 50 voices and the
orchestra of twenty-six members, both
of which have for the past six months
been under the able direction of Prof
Carlo H. Sperati. The Choral Union
has been very fortunate in procuring
as soloists Clara Williams of Minnea-
polls, soprano, Harry E. Phillips of
ST. Paul. basso. and VIM. Barloon
Ross of Chicago. tenor
"St. Paul" the first of Mendels-
sohn's oratorios, was begun in Dus-
seldorf and finished in Leipsic in the
winter of 1885, the composer being
then in his twenty sixth year. He
first applied to Marx to write the
text; but the invitation was declined,
on the ground that the choraIes were
unsuited to the period of the nara
tive Mendelssohn then consulted
with his friends Furst and Schubring,
and the libretto. as it now stands, re-
presents their joint compilation. Its
three principal themes are the mar.
tyrdOm of Saint Stephen, the CONVEX
sion Of Saint Paul, and the apostle S
subsequent career.
The work was written upon a COM
mission given by the Cecilian Verein
Of Frankfort in 1881 but it was not
produced until May 20, 1885, on the
occasion of the Lower Rhine Festival
at Dusseldorf.
PART /.
The prosecuted Christian Church in
Jerusalem prays to the Lord for power
to resist the fury of the Heather. -
Stephen is accused Of blasphemy by
the incensed people, and is brought
before the Council. Being questioned
by the High Priest, he reproves his
judges for the Obstinacy with which
they and their fathers have rejected
the true faith. and resisted the Holy
Ghost. They refuse to hear him, and
insist upon putting him to death. -
Needing not the reproof that Jerusa-
lem had ever killed the Prophets
which had been sent to her, they
shout "Stone him to death" and Ste
phen suffers martyrdOm, praying for
mercy upon his prosecutors. -Devout
men carry him to his burial, with
much lamentation. and utter words of
peace and hope over his grave. Saul,
who is present at the martyrdom, re-
solves to continue his prosecutions of
the Christian Church, and for this
purpose journeys toward Damascus.
A sudden light shines around him,
and he is struck with blindness. "A
voice from Heaven calls upon him to
proclaim the glory of the Lord to the
benighted people, and his companions
lad i'm, kxy< ha sr%o ~
-Thtre he prays, in bitter repentance,
until the Lord sends to him Ananias,
who restores his sight, and confers
upon his divine commission as
Christian preacher. He is baptized,
and breaches in the synagogues; and
the congregation praises the wisdom
and knowledge of God.
PART ii.
Saul, who after his conversion takes
the name of Paul, breaches before the
congregation. Paul and Barnabas are
selected by the Holy Ghost. and sent
as ambassadors to spread knowledge
OF Christianity abroad. The multi.
tude acknowledges them as messengers
who preach the gospel of peace. The
Jews. not believing in the Savior, are
enviOus, and consult how to kill Paul.
But Paul and Barnabas, telling
them that they have rejected the
truth, although they were chosen first
to have the word of the Lord set be-
fore them, turn from them to preach
unto the Gentiles. Paul miraculously
cures cripple at Lystra and the
Gentiles, believing that the gods have
come down from heaven as mortals,
coll tar nd
desire to offer sacrifice to them. But
the Apostles refuse such vain homage;
and Paul endeavors to divert the
minds OF the people from the worship
of false idols to that Of the one living
God. This excites the anger of the
and both Jews and Gen.
tiles accuse him of having spoken
against Jehovah's temple and the holy
law. and raise cry of "Stone him. +"
But the Lord. whose help is ever
nigh unto the faithful, saves him
from persecution. Paul convokes the
elders Of Ephesus. telling them that
he is bound in the spirit to 60 forth
to Jerusalem. and that they will see
his face no more. They weep and
pray; but Paul expresses his readiness
to die for the Lord, and takes his
leave, the elders accompanying him
unto the ship.-It is their comfort
now to be Gods own children. TO
him who has fought a good fight,
and kept well the faith, a crown of
shall be given-ard not
only unto them, the believers sing,
but to all them that love His appear
ing. SO they bless the Lord, and
praise His holy name for ever.
Political Communication.
Rlufftnn La Nav % 1908