The San Francisco call., 1909-10-10
ADAPTS SCORE FOR
THE PASSION PLAY
Rev. Father Huesges Turns His
Talents TO Harmony With
Fine Results
Compositions of Local Priest
Take Rank With Masters
of Sacred Melody
By WALTER ANTHONY

M lHEN the first glimpse is given
NJ tomorrow night at the Coli
w scum OF Americas first passion
play there Will also be afforded
the first opportunity OF hearing music
by Rev. Father Peter Huesges, who.
with Father Josephat Kraus. has been
working night and day to the end that
the passion play shall be not only a
great and impressive spectacle. but also
a presentation OF a deep religious na-
ture.
Father FIuesges has been giving his
entire attention to the music, which
VIII add solemnity and grandeur TO the
tragedy which viii be enacted.
Among the works to be presented
there viii be three from the pen of
Father Huesges-a Magnificat in C: an
arrangement of an old hymn. The Five
Wounds" which has come down TO US
from the sixteenth century and which
Father Huesges VIII garb with a tint
Of modern harmony. and an arrange
ment from the GregOrian chant, Lam
e1tation Of jeremiah"
Uses SIMPLE THEMES
AL Of these works are ecclesiastical
IN form. but fraught with religious
fervor- They are monophonic in char
scter, Father Huesges being a believer
in simplicity of form and directness OF
expression He told me that he had
little sympathy for the Rossini va
rlety Of church music. 1T is much too
theatrical in essence" said he, for dig
nifed presentation in church. However
I am using some selection from Ros-
sinfs -Stabat Mater such as the
'CuJus Animsm.' the broad measures
OF which, while they contradict the
spirit OF the words. viii ut TO de-
gree. I hope, into the broad pictorial
scheme OF the action.
There VIII be more than loo singers
in the choir. and our orchestra has been
carefully selected from the best musi-
clans that We can secure.
The singers viii be massed with the
instrumentahsts at the farther end OF
the hau from the stages on which the
action viii be carried Thus the musi-
cal body viii be behind the hearers. as
is the case in Catholic Choirs.
The musical program which Father
Huesges has arranged VIII be as fol-
lows
MUSICAL PROGRAM
FIRST SIGET-Passion hymn. s.Hosannsh. -
fEounodl; sporanO solo, Jesus Dearest Love Of
Mine" tNirbergerl- sclOist. Mrs. J. PlsSemann;
l1l TONE ellf- u MoLAtL DraE III T. 2AASAttLf :
soioist- D. O'Sulllysns Jerusalem. Jerusalem
j. a.. Stehlei ''Sing 20 the Lord e. Mendels-
Zortholdyl, ''MandaCum do Vubis." from the
60 AIbrechtl: -Tantum Ergo" &C. SantnerD ;
Praise the Lord' A. Wiltbergerl.
SECOND MIGHT '-Iamentstion OF jeremiah -
Hushed and StlI' r. 2 Mueller: barytone solo.
20. Father Mine, ] Humbly Pray" III F. Muei-
.arI. soloisr D. O'Suliivan; 1T Is Our Savior
- Dear III F. MueIler): BARITONE solo. 20.
Mother. II Thou Couldst Divine" fH- F. Muel-
lerl. soloist. .. 0-Suilivan; The Moon Dqh
Hide lis Slvery Light III T. Muelerl; alto
solo with chorus The Night Is Dark aud
Rreary'' II. =. Mueller. soloist. Miss Judith
Rsuschl 20 Bone Jesu' tPalestrinal; duet for
soprano and tenor. Thou Art Wounded. Ny
Savior A. Wutbergerl, soloists, Mrs. J. PLACE
mann and o. Behm.
THIRD EIGHT-Psssion hymn. 20 Sacred
Head" ~. :. Bach); Lamentations Of Jere-
nish.-' arranged by r. Huseges; soprano solo,
'-My People" with chorus n. F. MUELLER. solo
ST. Miss J. Marshall; The Reproaches OF Our
Lord taken from the Roman ritual for soprano
solo and chorus "a. F. Muellerl, soloist Miss L
Marshall; ~Popule Meus. the improperia pal
estrinsl: % beautiful. o Face Divine soprano
so1-sno solo Aiasf Where Shall I Hide Ny
a--s..- IA 2 Efrerfer3 so1oisf Miss l. Mar
SralI- 4.Srahar Mater Joseph Rennerl: ~Agnus
Del" fJoseph Gruber)-
FOURTH NIGET-.-Stabat Mater (Rossini)
tenor solo. "Cujus Amman" (Rossinil bass
solos Pro Peccatis'' (ROssinib. sOlOist. NJ. r.
Hrubanik; 'Inaammatus' lRossinig; sprsno
solo Miss Speetzeu; Ella Mater bass solo,
vrirh chorus 1Rossinil. s0ioiSt. NJ. +. Hrubanik.
..Tenebrse' Or P Hartman Fon der Lan-Hosh-
lruunl soloisrs Miss l. Marshall. D. O'Sullivan.
gradHale. ---Nagnifcat" tP. Huesges); Halle
lujah." grand chorus (Handell-
Lack OF time and the obligations of
his service 10 his fellow men have pre-
vented Father Huesges from making
the music of the passion play as origi-
nal an offering as the words and
action Should opportunity offer, he
saws. he viii enlarge on the original
plan and another time viii present
more Of his own music
HIS TALENT Is NATURAL
Father Huesges received his musical
educa tfon in Germany. and took up the
at and science in all its forms. be-
sides having had the opportunity Of
frequently hearing the greatest Or
chestras and operatic organizations in
the world. He comes OF a musical
family. and the sense for tone and
harmony is, I should say. bred in the
bone.
only one thing viii prevent his de-
veIopment as a composer Of ecclesias-
teal music That is his modesty and
an innate disposition TO shun publicity.
connection with the passion play
Indeed. it is nothing but splendid
labor OF love.
"A OST Of US were surprised last
AN Wednesday night at the Nile club
~ 5inks when Elmer G. Stricklen's
music was presented in connection
with the production at Piedmont park
Of Joseph J. NoeI's poetic and allegori-
cal play. THE Lure of the Desert"
The music had been insufficiently re-
hearsed, and there was none too much
Of unanimity among soioists, choris-
ters and orchestra. in spite OF the Wig
orous directing OF William J. Mccoy,
with whom the composer, Stricken,
has been studying Instrumentation.