El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-10-29
CANTATA "ATHALLE'' WELL
PRESENTED BY ST. CLEMENTS MUSICIANS


/ w of 16 pieces, an organ and two
! w pianos, the vested choir of st.
! Clements Episcopal church, under the
direction of choirmaster NJ. H. Lemen,
/ Tuesday night gave Mendelssohn's can
tata "Athalie' before a large audience
! in the parish house. The choir was as
| sisted by Mrs. Jeanette Poole White,
reader; her part in the cantata was i'm
/ portant. much of the reading being
! unsteady accompanied. AS n matter of
fact, "Athalie" is not really a cantata
/ at all, but the music is incidental music
! written for Racine's drama, just as
| Mendelssohn wrote incidental music for
/ Shakspere's Midsummer Nights
! Dream" MendelssOhn wrote the score
I for "Athalie" expecting that the drama
would have an elaborate stage produc-
! ton.
The cantata as a whole is seldom
| heard nowadays But it was interest
! ing to see the audience, straighten UP
and attend with fresh pleasure when
| the orchestra began the splendid War
march of the priests" This number is
an old friend, familiar to almost every
! one through hearing it often played as
/ a separate number in concerts, or as
an organ number in churches, or as
/ march music. This march was often
used in an earlier day to accompany
| the stately dances of the period. The
/ orchestra Tuesday night played it with
much spirit, and the muted episode was
very lovely.
While the cantata does not rank
| with the composers major works, it
I has many fine passages. The rhythm
/ of some OF the chOruseS and solo num-
I bers is highly expressive of the spirit
\ of the drama Some Of the music is so
| sprightly that If it did not have at
/ tached to it the name of a soealled
| classical composer, the moi polloI
1 r,-rn.- III an =
| heartily seize upon it for dance music
\ and the movies. Let the second cavalry
/ band take some of this "Athalie" music
| and play it with a little extra BOOM
| chang, and the crowd would go wild.
| The entertainment Tuesday night was
| certainly not dull to anybody. 1t COM
prised half a dozen choral numbers,
4 dozen solos, two duos and three trioS,
| besides the orchestral prelude and war
/ march, and the readings. The perform
| ance was short, but the music was Sus-
tanned almost every moment, so that
| the evening was full enough.
OF particular nOteWOrthineSS among
| the special numbers were the duo by
Mrs. Roland Gilchrist and Miss Julia
/ Coldwell, and the solo by J. Malcolm
! Davis, in the second part, and the trio
/ in the fourth part by Mrs. Gilcnrist,
Miss COldwen and Mrs. H C. Greer. Not
I only are these numbers in themselves
| among the musical gems Of the suite,
/ but as sung Tuesday night they helped
| to demonstrate that FL PaSO possesses
| singers capable of difficult OratOriO
work by reason of their spirited inter-
probation, clear enunciation and sus-
! tanned control
I other singers of special parts, all of
/ whom are deserving OF appreciative
mention, were Mrs. NJ. H Lemen, Miss
Constance Pateman, Miss Walker Nc
/ Clellan and Miss Gertrude Yale
The orchestra was practically i'm
4 proviSed for the occasion It contained
many individual players of skill and
[ experience, and some of its work
| showed careful preparation, notably
\ the march, and some of the chOruSeS.
There was considerable raggedness in
| the accomplishments and incidental mu-
| sic, doubtless due to inability to bring
( the instrumental musicians together Of
J ten enough for thorough rehearsal with
J the vocalists. Another performance
would certainly show much improve
/ ment
The work Of the chorus was good
with one exception: the attack was
| hesitant, apparently due to a lack of
| familiarity with the leads and the in
strumental parts. In the later numbers
! the chorus gained confidence in itself
and its ensemble improved; the tenor
and cOntralto sections should be con-
siderably enlarged More care for a
sure and even attack, delicate or
strong as the music may require, will
very greatly improve the choral work
A few extra rehearsals with orchestra
would give the chorus complete con-
fidence to seize and hold its own
The orchestra as well as the singing
I choir wore the churchly vesture, and
| the effect was one of dignity, beauty,
and sentimental appeal The work OF
/ all participants showed exceeding
! earnestness, and the general effect was
most pleasing. There were no pauses,
! everything went smoothly, the music
l was intelligently presented, and the
/ concert was a definite contribution to
/ FL PasO's musical experience. One Won
/ derS whether the same cantata might
not well be repeated in the near future
! for the benefit of those who were IN
! able to hear it the first time.
There will be other cantatas during
| the season by the choir
| Besides those already mentioned. the
members of the choir are Mrs c. NJ.
I Mrs. 3. N. c. Williams, Misses Maize
/ Cole Edna Scotch, katherine NIuseI-
I white, Hazel Wilbanks. Anna Lee RiX,
\ A. Louise Dietrich, Lille Cole, Helen
| Muselwhite, Gertrude Leighton, Lois
| BrOyles, and Carrie Seldom; B. NJ. G.
/ Williams, Talley Brown, c. NJ Lyman,
/ NJ. H. MacCallum, J. W. Leighton, Tai
J JONI, Clare G. Ruby, Roland Gilchrist.
| Russell r. ROkahr, James Curtis, Ed
/ D. Hodge OTganist, Kenneth ". Mac
! Callum; accompanies (piano), Mrs. ].
I J. Pearce. Edwin c. Knickmeyer.
The orchestra was made up Of the
| following: Flute, Wallace Thew; clari-
net. A V. Lemen; cOrnet, J. G. Miller,
\ s. A. Vaughan: trombone, c. H. Arm
strong; double bass. A A. Monteabaro;
| violin. Mrs. Y. L Bean, Miss Marjorie
/ Livesley, Miss Sammie Livesley. Har-
old D. WoOlley, Talley Brown, George
Mead, T. P. Scarborough, Emil Silber-
! ~ - III