New-York tribune., 1908-01-21
ENGLISH PAGEANTS.
Signs of Ouerproduction Douer
and Winchester.
London, January II.

m
ers and was stage manager and master of the
pageant So successful was this historical fete
that he was readily induced TO conduct another
pageant at Warwick, with salary of 1900
and a percentage of the gate money guaranteed
and this was followed by a third last year at
Bury ST Edmunds, which was the most beau
t:ful and effective of the series. The popularity
Of these pageants invited limitations in other
historical towns Rorsey celebrated last June
the completion Of z circuit of a thousand years
OF tradition and authentic history. and in place
Of the one-man show, with unity Of design and
direction. there was combination Of talents.
with canon and vicar TO supply dialogue and
lyrics. with the abbey organist TO compose the
music, with local designers of costumes and
metal work and with Mr.. z. R Benson to re-
hearse the actors and to stage manage the spec
Iacle. At Oxford there was a similar pageant
under the direction OF a large consultative COM
mtttee with Mr. Frank Lascelles as the master,
coached by stage managers as efficient and ex-
perienced Mr. Beerbohm Tree. Mr.. Arthur
Bourchier and AIr. H B. Irving; and al St.
Adams there another town show under
local direction. All these pageants were
picturesque and impressive. and were witnessed
by immense crowds. but they lacked the sim
plicity and unity of Mr.. Parker's spectacles. AS
responsibility for them was shared by large
committees and preparations for them were
hurried. there was decline Of artistic quality.
charities and public enterprises goes all the
year round. Money has TO be raised on a large
scale for hospitals, orphanage benevolent so
cieties, church restoratons and charitable
undertakings of all kinds. and the services of
titled and wealthy patrons are constantly in de-
rnand for banquets. hazaars. concerts, theatri-
Gals and other functions for providing ways and
means for financing public undertakings Natu-
rally the pageant has been seized upon new
resource for obtaining money for hospitals and
other philanthropic purposes in a country where /
the levies of direct taxation are steadily increas-
ing and the tolls at Somerset House for inherit
ing estates are already runous At Winchester
where private subscriptions have been exhausted /
in underpinning the choir and portions Of the
transepts of a cathedral built upon treacher- /
Gus bog, pageant has been planned for the |
last week in June for the benefit OF the restora-
tion fund in order that the work OF saving the |
transepts and the nave may go on. In London T
general committee has been formed for organ
iz1ng q metropolitan pageant during the
Tner on behalf Of King Edwards Hospital Fund. |
Mr. Benson has been chosen as master Of the (
Winchester pageant. and the general arrange /
1nents adopted at Romsey Will 5e repeated, with /
larger accommodations for spectators twice as /
many performances and less wasteful expenGi- /
lures. In London Mr.. Frank Lasceues will be /
the master, and the plan OF opera ticns followed
at Oxford viii be carried out on d larger scale. /
with ten thousand performers and seats for |
twelve thousand spectators at each production, !
and with the Cooperation Of the principal .
artists. musicians and actor-nanagers. With /
these two money making enterprises already in /
progress and with additional pageants AT Dover /
and other ancient towns in the kingdom, there /
is practical evidence OF the establishment OF I
new form of public entertainment which is
highly reInunerative and. incidentally. artistic !
and educational
The Dover folk-play 10 be enacted on the alb |
hey or college grounds during the last week OF |
July will be without doubt the most homogene-
Gus and delightful Of these summer shows. |
Nr Parker. the inventor of the modern |
pageant, VIII be the master and VIII supervise |
every detail. from the preparation OF the book /
Of the play 70 the designing OF the costumes and |
the drilling Of masses Of performers. The castle /
grounds, with the Roman pharos and the Oldest /
Saxon church in the kingdom, would be ideal /
site for a pageant in which the coast fortress. |
sea power and close relations with France are |
dominating themes; but Mr.. Parker and the
local committees have preferred the college |
grounds. with the early English gateway and /
the ruins Of the Benedictine abbey-an open air /
theatre similar 10 the at Bury St Edmunds. /
There viii be stage space for narrative chorus |
Of eighty knights Of the Round Table, a large /
mixed chorus, an orchestra Of one hundred mu- /
scians and two thousand performers, and there |
VIII be seats for FIVE thousand spectators The /
story Of Dover viii open with King Arthurs /
victory Mordred after tribute has been de- /
manded by the Romans; there will be submis-
Sion 70 William the Conqueror without igno-
Ininious surrender; the priory. in ruins. will
be founded: King John will punish the hermit, |
Feter OF Pomfret and abase himself before the /
Papal legate: the barons will rise and Hubert |
de Burgh viii hold them at bay, and found the |
Gafson Dieu for poor pilgrims when he has leis- |
ure for charity; ship viii be built TO resist for
eign attack Edward l will return from the
crusades with Queen Eleanor: Edward III will |
ride by in triumph; Henry V will be the ardent /
wooer Of shakespeare's Kate; Henry VIII viii !
come in state with Anne Boleyn and Mary |
Tudor and Charles V will set foot on land for |
the festivities the Field OF the Cloth Of Gold;
Warden OF the Cinque Ports viii be installed, |
and Charles will welcome his bride, Henrietta |
Maria, at sweet sixteen. when she comes with /
her French courtiers and graceful cancers.
With professions. dances and ceaseess vivacity /
and movement II viii be merry rout, WIN /
more comedy than tragedy; and with Mr. James /
Rhoades TO weave the strands of the story to-
gether in his lyrics there will be consistent |
design; and with q scene written by a French |
poet and enacted by artists from Calais ana |
Paris there VIII be a final illustration Of the |
entente cordiale.
The theatre for the winchester pageant next |
June-and the American bishops attending the |
Pan-Anglican Congress will be in time for 1t |
can be reached from the cathedral by kings
gate and College street. beyond the wardens |
house. It is on the edge OF the water meads |
sloping toward the sluggish Itchen, where VOL
vesey palace is IN ruin. This was the Norman |
palace built by Bishop Henri de Blois during |
the twelfth century, and so sumptuous was IL III |
It's best estate that the Empress Matlida was |
entertained there and subsequently the En- |