The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-04
IMPOSING SIGHT.
Seven Hundred School hiIdren
Unite in Singing America.
Great Chorus Heard at the
Musical Festival.
PRONOUNCED SUCCESS
Twenty-Five Hundred People
Attend the Concert.
Mr.. Barnhart's Recital Also a
Pleasing Event.
Great Symphony Orchestra This
Afternoon and Tonight.

Seven hundred school children
black, white and intervening shades
singing America 1t was an inspiring
sight-and not such a bad sound. at
that-and IT brought the Monday
evening concert of the Musical festi-
val to an end with a flourish. Some
body in the front part of the parquette
nistooS America for the Star Spanged
Panner. or else he was a bloomin'
Britisher. and recognized the air Of
God Save the King. for he rose to his
feet and everybody else sprang up, too.
This was due not altogether to patriot
Ism. however, but rather to the usual
+~ramble incidental to the closing
Aumber of any program In Topeka
We have, as concert-goers, two bad
habits: we insist upon encores to ev-
cry number until the last: this We
rudely interrupt and distrub by strain
ing after our hats and into our wraps
In a mad rush to escape.
The first fault, however. was not ap-
parent last night and it may be we are
learning discretion in the matter of
encores. Every number was warmly
received but only the best, Mr.. Rich
ard Czerwonky's group of violin solos,
was applauded persistently enough to
demand en- encore. Mr.. Czerwonky is
talented young player whose per-
formance last night was characterized
by breadth, richness and fullness OF
tone. briiliancy, color. poetry and sem
timent. He gave exquisitely a Ro-
nance of Svendsen's. Dvorak's HUI
nloreslSe. and a composition of his
own. Fantasia de la Amerique. Every
foreign musician seems to write an
American Fantasie, and it can not be
said that Mr.. Czerwonky's was so diff
ferent from others we have heard
built on the melodies of the familiar
folk songs and national airs But Mr..
Czerwonky's performance was we'll
worth whiIe-ulmost in itself and
alone justifying the musical festival
Miss Esther May Plumb. the other
soloist, has a rich contralto voice
which showed to some extent the ef-
fects of cold last night She sang
three charming songs. Rose In the
Bud, by Foster. Lidgey's Roundelay
and Bohm's Thine with evident an
probation Of their rhythmic, lyric
and emotional qualities. Her enun-
citation was excellent and her method
pleasing and If her voice lacked a lit
tie I'm color and f1exibility, it was
Doubtless due to her physical condi-
ton.
Chorus Made a Hit
The chorus. under the direction of
Miss Mildred Hazelrigg, teacher of
music in the public schools, was the
real hit of the evening, and to see so
many bright. clean. interesting, we'll
behaved girls and boys together. was
itself, worth the price of a season
ticket. One marveled how Miss Haz-
elrfgg. mere slip of girl, was ever
able to restrain the exuberance OF so
much youth, good spirits and bouyant
health, in rehearsal.
They were all perfect cherbus last
night. but you know it must have been
different when they were practicing
Seven hundred girls and boys makes
quite a bunch, but it was a bunch to
be proud of. If there were anv
their young hopefuls in that chorus
last night they ought to be ashamed
of themselves. Seven hundred girls
and boys on the stage ought to mean
at least / 400 fond parents or other
loving kin folks in the audience AS
a matter of fact, if you didn't see that
chorus you missed the finest sight in
Topeka in many a day. Seven hun
dred happy, healthy girls and boys
makes a grander sight than a
regiment of soldiers headed by brass
band-gives a grander thrill. shivers
down the spine, Jumps in the throat.
tears in the eyes, and all that sort of
boys-the former in white frocks and
hair ribbons. the latter not uncon-
scious of clean collars. manicured
nails, best suits and new neckties II
frightens you to think of the poten-
gasp at the thought of your share in
the responsibility of this vigorous
young America.
And how did they sing? Bully!
Simply bully, OF course the girls. the
blatant sex, always. sometimes over
whelmed the boys with the volume of
their voices, but this was only at mo-
ments. and the boys made up in quail
fly what they lacked in quantity 1t
was a splendid childrens chorus.
They sang with intelligence. with vim
and accuracy. The chorus was. on
the whole. we'll balanced and the Sc
1ections showed excellent taste AMI
Judgment. There was the Pilgrim s
Chorus from Tannhauser. the Sol
songs like Annie Laurie Suanee River
and Loves Old Sweet Song. A new
song Kansas. by Humphrey Jones
struck the patriotic note and was wei
received. The composer himself cor
Quoted in this number which the
chorus gave without notes. The pro-
gram closed with America. Miss
Berenice Fuller was at the piano and
Mr.. w. F. Roehr at the organ for the
chorus numbers and Mr.. Aft Klingen-
berg played the accompaniments for
Mr.. Czerwonky and Miss Plumb. Mr..
Roehr played two organ numbers
which were well received the Tam
hauser March and q Serenata of VOL
etenholm's.
Audience Was Large.
About twenty five hundred people
heard the evening concert and for the
matinee, which opened the festival
the first floor of the Auditorium was
comfortably filed. The feature of the
afternoon program was a lecture song
tenor. of New York city Mr. Barn
hart Is getting a consfdera bIe Kansas