Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-29
HEAR GREAT CHORUS
Kommers Held by Students
From the University of Vienna.
VISITORS ARE WELCOMED
Commissioner Rudolph Extends
Greetings on Behalf Of the City.
PRESENTATION OF GOLD KEY
Twenty-Four German Societies Rep
resented in Meeting Last Evening
at the New willard.
VISITORS ARE WELCOMED
PRESENTATION OF GOLD KEY

1t is not often accorded an American
city to witness the sight which Washing
ton relished for its own last night wher
the ballroom of the New Willard became
for few hours jolly little Vienna, with
everything there to furnish the correc,
local color. The Viennese waltzes, the
jaunty caps Of Viennese students, the
singing. the gala flags Of dozens Of Ger.
man associations and the complete lack OF
English conversation characterized the
climax of the greeting which the city
gave to the 200 students OF the "gesang-
verein' OF the University OF Vienna, now
touring the United States. The youne
men reached Washington yesterday morn
ing. toured the city In whirlwind fashion,
saw the Capitol. sang at the Congress
sional Library, held their ''kommers" last
this morning.
Wonderful Singing.
The real business Of last evening was
found in the songs which these two hun
dred young fellows poured out in easy
melody. They sang standing. with their
velvet caps stuck on their heads at most
impossible angles.
A leader. standing on a chair in the
midst Of a great crowd, seemed to con-
troll the great chorus as II he had been
playing q huge organ. With q shrur and
a heaye Of his Viennese shoulders he
would draw out the crescendo OF those
old German songs, which grow 80 great
in harmony that 1t takes a real old Ger
man baronial hall with all its great space
TO hold 1t all. The singing was called
wonderful and remarkable and cast a
smell on the thousand men and women
who were there In the ballroom to hear
II. At the close OF each chorus there
would be deafening applause.
They sang unaccompanied. In the hal.
cony the members Of the Marine Band,
Who had been playing music of A hands
across-the-sea order all evening. stood
nm and leaned forward to catch the whole
harmony OF TINS great chorus. Lieut..
this and he listened as IL he had never
haard music before. With the chorus IVA q
prof. Or. Raimund Talatschka. intro
duced as one Of the greatest baritones of
ESIrope. He sang several solo parts to
r,hich the two hundred students san@ the
chorus.
Students Welcomed In Song.
Prior to the singing there was. of
course. the formality of greeting the
vounp students and presenting them with
,,.roentos of their visit. There Wa. .l.o
a welcoming song by the Washington
sasnvarhund. the music being written for
this occasion by Prof. Hammer. ana
a.a,.otad 70 the visiting students. The
.,,d.rt, for the most part wore Main
h,ooi evening clothes, set or WITH ar
Co.'S s,onai ribbon running diaronaiiv
across the white shirt front. but the four
Chief officers of the ''bund'' were pic
turssque to the ext W5Iss t The young men
in we9s srs tucked
mart OF their equipment. for they wore
and carried swords OF swashbuckler type
until they looked for pr all the world IKE
ness ,o ou. were Herr Kun.ted Drss,
dent OF the student body, Erich Heiisr.
first chargirter; Otta Borsckra, second