Evening star., 1909-05-01
ANNUAL SPRING FESTIVAL
WESTERN HIGH SCHOOL GIVES
CHORAL DANCE SONGS.
Poetry of Motion as Expressed in
Music Theme Of En-
tertainment.

Poetry OF motion as interviewer with
and expressed through music, according
to a system demonstrated by Mrs Lucia
Gale Barber Of Boston. was the dominat-
ing theme of the annual spring festival of
the Western High School. which opened
last evening in the auditorium of the
school before an audience that filled every
seat and vigorously voiced its approval OF
the performers. Augmenting the pro-
gram. Mrs Barber, herself, was present
by invitation and gave an address on
rhythm and her methods of expression.
Decorated with plants, boughs and flow
ers to represent a wooded glade in spring
time, the stage made q proper setting
for the evenings entertainment, In the
midst of this bower a dance chorus OF
thirty young ladies from the advanced
music classes Of the school, under the
direction OF Miss Aiys E. Bentley, in
structor in music in the schools, sang
and danced songs Of spring.
Chorus Dance Songs.
In long flowing white draperies, recall
ing scenes depicted on old Grecian pot
terry. the singers rendered the numbers
expressive in the music and in the sway
ing, gliding movements of the days of the
budding tree and dashing brook after the
shut-in time of snow and frost. I'm My
Neighbor's Garden by Ethelbert Nevin;
Mendelssohn's 'Spring Song" "Nymphs
sung.
AS its closing number the chorus sang
and danced Rejoice, Rejoice" from the
oratorio THE Messiah" by Handel. The
singers were linked with green garlands.
So successful was this dance song that
the audience insisted upon repetition.
Mrs. Barber talked Of the various forms
of rythm in nature and in music, with inter-
pretations and clear explanation on the
piano and In the classic dance. She told
how rhythm Is shown throughout all ma
ture in rise and fall Of tides, swaying of
ungarnered grain In fields. rustling OF
leaves, bending trees and finally reaches
an harmonic apex In movements of the
human body. Mrs. Barber gave practical
pictures in illustration.
Interpretation Of Music.
Showing "the sequence of motion
throughout the human body" she inter-
preted Beaumont's ''Berceuse." She ex-
planned the poetic motions descriptive Of
a varied lot of musical moods, which in
cluded the "Spring Song by Gounod;
"Andante' and Largo" by Chopin;
Morning Mood from Grieg's persian
Fire Worshipers' Ode to the Sum-" and
the Passing of the Exiles" by Brounoff.
After the program refreshments were
served by the young ladies of the school.
Miss Bentley and her pupils, as we'll as
Mrs. Barber, were the recipients of con-
gratulations for their clever efforts.
The scenery and decorations were ar
ranged under the direction of Miss Gull
laume and Miss Chester. All the accom-
paniments were played by Miss Sallie T.
fo}n yxyin 40
peated this evening.
Following are the young ladies in the
chorus: Elizabeth Arms. Vera Clemes,
Florida Clevenger. Dorothy Cobb. Freida
Cobb. Ruth Cobb, Jean Crawford. Eliza
bet Day, Grace Forsythe. Helen Hen
drick, Ada Hinzen, Eleanor Hough, Mae
Howard, Dorothy Leduc, Dorothy Mer-
Ram, Harriet Morsell, Isabel Murphy,
Josephine Nelson, Josephine Newell.
Ruth Rice, Ethel Richards. Marie Rich
ardson, Josephine Stambaugh, Rather
inc Silliman, Mamie Sheehy, Hilda Ul-
rickson. Annie Wilkins. Marjorie Wilson.