New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-10-01
WORCESTER FESTIVAL
arthur Mees Justifes His Selection
as Conductor.
[By Telegraph 70 The tribunal


Worcester. Mass. Sept. 3O.-Under circumstances
which promise pleasurable and profitable meet
ing, the Worcester County Musical Association
began the second half hundred Of It's annual
festivals in Mechanics Hall here this evening.
There 8 pretty prelude the opening concert
the afternoon rehearsaIs. when some three
four hundred pupils Of the public schools held
little festival of their own singing a number Of
songs, with orchestral accompaniment. but Of that
more detailed mention shall be made presently.
The fftteth festival last year left the festival
folk in pretty glow Of enthusiasm, from which
good things were expected TO accrue to the inst-
tuition, though it does not seem TO have been ex-
pected that the same measure of financial success
would be reached
There was. Of course an aIIuring charm about
hftieth anniversary which could not be carried
over to ifty-frst There w6s also change IN
the choral conductorship and that had 10 be set
down experiment by the public even after
q Unwonted. enthusiasm the part OF the choris-
ters themselves during the preparatory meetings
had given proof that a fortunate choice had been
made in the selection of Mr. Arthur dees. 1t may
bel speak with postiveness here. not nav
ing asked the confidence of the programme com
mttee-that this change had something 10 DO with
the fact that the hfty-flrst festival win be less
choral festival than any of its predecessors. II
ought have been more, for Mr. Mees has an
extraordinary faculty OF enlisting and holding the
interest chorus singers and am told that there
has been no such attendance ana Willingness 70
work for years as the choir has shown this year
The fact remains, however. that to the lovers OF
the true festival idea the programme this year IL
disappointing must, indeed, seem utterly grlev-
Gus to the old patrons whose memories 90 back 70
the time when the cultivation of sacred music was
the chief purpose Of the festivals and the conven-
lions which preceded them Only Two choral WORKS
are in the scheme Of the week, and neither or them
is a sacred oratorio Tonight Saint-Saeuss sam
son and Delilah' an opera. albeit one that IL
more effective as q concert piece than in a stage
garb Was performed tomorrow night VIII De given
up to Edward Cigars "Caractacus a Seculai
cantata. saint-saens's opera had already been
given four times, and therefore, its preparation
ought TO have been an easy matter. 1t seems
therefore, that despite the peculiar capaolhty OF
Mr.. Mees somebody thought It wise 10 speuu d
year on the cantata the success OF which VIII re-
main problematical until the performance to-moF-
row night To make up for this me orchestrd'
7ea lures of the two afternoon concerts and the
evening concert of Friday are OF an unusual order,
most of the music being new to the resuVa'
schemes, and therefore new to the Worcester pup
lie Since Worcester takes ali its music OF t4I7
kind in festival week. there may be propr1ety III
this but Music is not likely To- be paIalaOlS
TO all fer it music largely of the cerebral KIM
ana makes little appeal TO the simple tastes anu
emotions Of people who are now 100 Ol@se -
enjoy the classics. However, this IS matter LOr
later report.
The performance of Samson and Deilah' this
evening was P high plane Of excellence Lhe-T
being teufold more 10 admire in the singing OF me
soloists and choir than there 10 depore IN the
perfunctory work OF the orchestra ms l. @4
old trouble which viii never be remedied untI TIE
orchestra. made up as il always Is by cunning 1
Of the Boston symphony organization, comes pre-
-o-e4 For ali the work except that which II must
Derfcrua in association with the choir ana IIe coi
ductor has time to weld the two FACTORS 'oe $50
perfectIv after technical perfection, balance Oh 'O
and eloquence IN expression nave NeeI-
IT, so1o singers tonight were Nine Louise f1oIei'
who sang with a ripe lusciousness OF zone 111a W.
wond-ously aIIuring in the seducHVe ii0S -
ilah: Daniel Beddoe Emilio de GogoIza anu -
arfo- Martina fine combination OF aF'lsls' u "'-
- ,-,si( vas so familiar that they could sing
Nth cor,pete abandon the sentiment viii iIe
a care for the printed page -.
Worcester has for some years SHOWN < =, =
make her school children active participants III lile
Ios,ras of t--sttvaI week. It has not YET IeaTleo
how TO give this highly valuable element IN POP 1
musical culture the lovely significance ina 49,
70 the chudren's performances IN the Ol1oil
festivals touching which 7 had much TO say IN NY
renorts from that city last May Last year anu
-, to-day the children were given half an houF
,r so TO sing at a rehearsal IN CllclhIaIl 'i4Ie9
times as many school children take part III 'i'0
large works Of festival scheme Not only are l'los
+17e tnducted into what should be the principe Oh
the meetings the feature of which must be recruit
a from, their ranks il years TO come but they
contribute a large quota 10 the aTtsuc acL4e'e-
rnents and widen the scope o the I7su'aI pI"-
granme. ,. ,
,,,g children with their fresh. seraphic voices are
s17nIoved while here the choir is made up Of boys
and girls approaching maturity. The girls choF
today was scarcely distinguishable from the
-,a,,z contingent Of the regular festival choir,
While the boys voices had neither the charm OF
childhood nor theacharacter OF manhood. what
was admirable was the precision and Wholeheafted
ness of the singing under the direction OF MI
Charles 7 Rice but much Of the music was IN
9Th, Most Of Il was OF the kind which pub
fishers gather into books to sell to school boards
and which must have questionable influence on the
formation of musical taste. The songs sung were
.'Uncrowned Kings" by harvey "ofInIilsIon
roor,f.. THE Barefoot Bay by Clayton Johns;
,,rba lake" by Franz Abt; June" by P. A
schneider; Concord Hymn" by Edward Bailey
Rt-,a The Flag" by Henry K Hadley, and The
pilgrims Chorus" from Wagner's ''TannhauseT.
II. E Z.