Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-06-12
ORATORIO is GREAT
Eight Annual Concert of Decorah
Choral Union an Unqualified
Success.
soLOIsTs ARE EXCELLENT.
Opera House, Packed to the Limit,
Hears Prof. Sperati's Wonder
full Organization Give "Elijah''
With Great Delight.

Prof. Carlo A. Sperati and his De-
corah Choral Union scored another
unqualified success in the rendition
of Mendelssohn'S great oratorio Eli
jah" at the Grand opera house last
night, the closing musical event of
the years work at Luther College
and with the city musical forces. 1t
was undoubtedly the greatest musi-
cal triumph in the history of the
city and the immense audience which
filled the theatre and left standing
room almost at a premium, was
charmed and delighted with it from
beginning to end, as was evidenced
by the prolonged and repeated ap-
plause and the fact that many peo-
pie stood throughout the entire con-
cert and listened to the enhancing
music, needless of physical fatigue.
We have so often written of Prof.
Sperati and his remarkable talent
that we can add but little at this
time. To his inherent musical tall
ent, his untiring energy and force,
his capacity for hard work and his
unusual business ability, we owe the
fact that Decorah has within a few
years become the musical center Of
all northern Iowa, city which is no.
ted for it's musical attainments for
hundreds of miles in every direction.
The magnificent chorus of one hun
dred voices, trained to remarkable
degree of excellence through months
of rehearsing, sang the choruses as
they have never been sung here be-
fore. In perfect accord with Prof.
Sperati's baton, their voices harmon
izing with tire splendid orchestra of
twenty pieces, responding to his in
expected ease and grace, was like a
great pipe organ, and the audience
was amazed and charmed with it all.
The soloists were delight to ev-
eryone. They were all from Chica-
go, and it is the general opinion that
DEBORAH has never before heard a
quartette that could equal them. Mrs.
Mabel Sharp Herdien, soprano, has
a beautiful clear voice of rare quail
ity, which she handles with remark
able ease and grace; Mrs. Frederica
Gerhardt Downing, contralto, charm
ed the audience with her sweet, full
contralto voice, so splendidly train
ed; Mr. Elias Bredin, lyric tenor, held
them spellbound as they listened to
LIS NlCdl, swell lCnOi, iuQ GA
quisite Interpretation of his scores;
while Mr.. Marion Green, basso, a
Decorah boy, was heard with much
pleasure by old and new friends. His
voice is peculiarly adapted to the role
of Elijah" and his success in the
musical field may be judged from the
fact that he has appeared as soloist
on occasions similar to last night
throughout the United States and
Canada over eighty times since the
first of the year.
The whole was a great musical
triumph, rare treat to the music
lovers of this vicinity, who by their
attendance and appreciation shown
last night, have demonstrated that
Decorah is decidedly a musical CITY,
Prof. Sperati and the Decorah Choir
al Union is to be congratulated upon
his success with this organization
and the indebtedness of the city to
him for what he has accomplished
along musical lines is acknowledged
by every citizen.