The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-03-17
Mendelssohn's Elijah" Presented Last
Evening Under the Auspices
Of the Monday Music
Club.
AUDIENCE APPRECIATIvE
Highest Praise Due to the Conductor,
the Accompanies, the Chorus, the
Orchestra and the
sololsts.

Elijah, at the Westminster Presby-
terrain church last evening, was like
an impressive religious service, in
which Jew and gentle, Catholic and
protestant-men of all creeds and doc
trines were unified In worship.
The presentation of this oratorlo
was characterized primarily by rever-
ence, and it was heard reverently by
an audience that crowded the auditor
ium and the gallery of the church. The
one inconsistent sound was the con-
ventional applause, with which the
audience was generous.
William r. Bentley, the director,
was the mind making homogeneous
the forces Of chorus, organ, orchestra
and soloists, rnolding a beautiful
whole Of the many parts, and to his
interchangeable efforts was due large
part of the success of this, the most
pretentious event, unsteady, OF the
year
Under his leadership, the chorus,
although composed for the most part
of unframed voices, did work of mark
ed excellence. The diminnendo to
silence in the chorus Before Him
Upon Your Faces FALL and the cres-
cendo of I'VE Will Have no Other
Gods Before Thee" were notable ex-
amples Of his perfect control. No
choral part was more beautiful, nor
more beautifully rendered than Help,
Help Now Thy Servant, Lord"
John Winter Thompson made a
whole orchestra out of the organ,
rich, full bass, and all the essential
wind instruments, thus supplementing
the string orchestra, all OF the mem
bers Of which were from Galesburg.
with the exception of Mrs. Elinor
Marder and DR.. John Marsh, 'cellist.
Only an organist and conductor with
full mutual understanding and har-
mony Of mind could work together SO
well as have Mr.. Thompson and Mr..
Pentley, last evening, and at previous
performances in Keokuk. The string
orchestra, too, though small, was eff
fective, and it's accomplishment to
Have to Go With Thee" was espec-
tally fine.
OF the solosists, Mr.. Middleton s
part was most taxing, and all of it
vas sung beautifully and with reserve.
Those who have heard him here be.
fore noted a growing dramatic quality
In his singing. and an increasing
lower in his full vibrant voice. He
was always fully adequate, whether in
the expression of Elijah's Indignation,
In the recitation Eye have followed af.
ter Baalim," or in the tender rev
erence OF the familiar air, Lord God
OF Abraham, Isaac and Israel" or in
the pathos of ut is Enough 0 Lord.
1his oratorio makes great demands
upon the bass soloist, and Keokull is
convinced that no one could meet
them more completely than did Mr.
Middleton.
Much was expected Of Mrs. Lucille
Tewksbury, who was heard for the
first time in Keokuk. in this oratorio !;
and there was not the least disappoint
ment Her voice is silvery, yelvety
soprano, with every note beautiful in
wide range, and with an appealing
quality of the brand that assures her
success in oratorio.
Her voice seemed to grow in power
and effectiveness during the even
ing, and the air BE Not Afraid won
an ovation.
William Glare Hall of Chicago
sang well the tenor parts, his high
tones being remarkably pure and
resonant. The beautiful and we'll
known air, IF With all Your Hearts
We Truly Seek NJ 7" was notably well
sung. Alice May Carley of Gales
burg. gave satisfaction as the con
tralto soloist. Her rendition of oh
Rest in the Lord was most sympa-
thetic, the clear enunciation OF the
text supplementing the beauty of her