Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-12-12
HOUSE At
PASSION PLAY
LAST NIGHT
Rev. Dr.. Riley PIeases Large
Audience at EIkS' Theater
With Brilliant Interpretation
of Greatest Tragedy,

For more than two hours last night
Ia thousand representative people Of
~Albuuuerque sat IN the Elks' theater
and listened to the story of the Pas
sion Play, as enacted every ten years
by the simple, unworldly peasants
at Oberammergau, thousands OF miles
across the sea. The story was told
in SOM story n with Photographic
slides taken in Oberammergau. The
teller Of the story was Rev. Dr. Riley
OF Boston. The young poet-priest
told It brilliantly and eloquently, with
magnetic force, in beautiful English,
Interestingly and entertainingly. AL
though a man of forty years, DR.. Riley
appears on the stage to be not more
than thirty years old. BY his wonder
full magnetism and the splendid rendi-
ton of the vocal ana Instrumental Sc
lections by the chorus. the audience
was kept practically s%pellbound
| throughout the entire program.
THE greatest tragedy of the ages"
was depicted last night probably in a
more realistic manner than ever be-
fore i'm Albuquerque. DR.. Riley took
his audience to Oberammergau, in the
rugged Tyrolean country and graph
ically told the story Of the cross. In
a pleasing voice and in pure n Sc
lect English, which flowed like a rap
id mountain stream, Or. Riley review
ed every important part of the great
tragedy from the betrayal of Judas
until the crucifixion and resurrec-
ton. The force of vindictiveness dis
played as DIR. Riley told of the kiss
Of Judas which betrayed Christ to his
prosecutors, was really terrible, while
his tribute to the Virgin Mary as she
stood at the foot of the cross, looking
In agony on the face of her crucified
son. was splendid in its pathos and
~gentleness.
Altogether DIR. Riley's lecture on
the Passion Play was a splendid sue
cess and a genuine treat 10 every one
present. And q very important fac
tor I'm the success of the lecture was
the splendid work Of the chorus which
assisted in the Interpretation of the
different scenes and slides. The solo
work Is worthy OF special mention, al
though it would be difficult TO criti-
CHE each individual number ana a.
Justice To- every one who participated
in the program. All members of the
chorus entered into the spirit of the.
occasion and did really brilliant work.
The opening chorus, 'Wacht Am
Rhein. with Mrs. Roy Mcdonald as
soloist. was finely rendered. Mrs. G.
A. Frank delighted her audience with
solo. "In0ammatus Et Ascensus,
being perhaps her best effort al
though her spelnidid voice showed TO
even better advantage in Gounod's
ave Maria" This beautiful classic
was rendered az the pathetic scene in
the when Or. Riley described
the taking down of the body of jesus
from the cross. "The Psalms" WIS
beautifully sung by Mr.. Andrews ard
Thou Knowest Lord" was %pnthetia-
nIfv and sNeetlV done hv Mrs. Miller.
Mr.. Milholland Of Baltimore. Md,
made p pleasing impression with his
rendition Of calvary his deep bass
voice being heard TO much advantage
in the selection. Tho Rosary. 10y
Mrs. Robert Smart. with words COM
posed and arranged by Rev Or. Z
Riley. WAS delightfully."- interpreted.
Mrs. Smart sang the beautiful selec- !
ton with a meaning and "A knowledge
and entered into the spirit of the
All in all the musical program