The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1913-05-16
he s0l0lsts Far Surpass Ex.
pectatlOls Of All
DlcretorCsBp SpIendldly Con.
ducts The Great CheFss
All The !.,!!t|!l||' Members !|''' Showing ewing A
Walderful Proficiency
(ex 4. W. eewdsn)


Last night the frst Mount Vernon
May Festival opened splendidly, in the
rendition Of "Sir Oluf" q cantata by
the we'll known composer Harriet
Ware, and the Vision of Sir Launfal"
by Charles Wakefield Cadman, the
young composer Of Pittsburg. These
works were given by the splendid
chorus under the capable direction Of
Mr.. william NJ. Coup. Mr.. Coup has
devoted much time and effort In
building up the excellent chorus and
the organization has shown itself to
be Of great value to the community
both from an educational and esthetic
standpoint. Mount Vernon may we'll
feel proud of the body Of singers as
they appeared last evening and Of
their director Mr.. Coup.
4 No more beautiful work would have
been chosen than the Cantata "Sir
Oluf" for the opening Of Mount Yer.
mons First May Festival. The work
is scored for choruses Of women's
voices with baritone and soprano soil.
The foundation Of all musical festi.
walls IL good chorus, and the Mount
Vernon chorus f0lflred expectations.
This body Of fresh voices not only
sang with excellent tone quality and
musical understanding, but also with
perfection Of ensemble and degree
of precision we'll nigh faultless The
beautiful choruses in "Sir Oluf' were
sung in a manner which was truly
inspiring.
The soloists who assisted in this
work were Margaret Berry Miller OF
New York, soprano, and Douglass Pow
ell, the famous English baritone. AL
though the soprano part was compare.
lively small, Mrs. Miller's voice was
admirably suited to the demands OF
the work and she sang the solos allot-
ed to her with good taste and in a
musicianly manner displaying lyric
soprano voice of remarkably beautiful
quality.
In Douglass Powell, to whom the
greater part of the solo work was por-
toned, the audience heard a baritone
of world wide reputation whose famil-
iarity with musical literature enabled
him to give to these solos an authori'
tative and highly satisfactory rendi-
ton. Mr.. Powell's voice Is one OF
the resonant quality. His tones were
clear and his enumeration was delight
full. One Of the most beautiful parts
Of the work was the singing Of Mr..
Powell with the choral obligato.
The second part Of the program was
devoted to Cadman's "vision Of Sir
Launfal", a musical setting to the
poem by James Russell Lowell. The
work is scored for male voices and
with solos for tenor and baritone. The
solo parts were taken by Mr.. John
Hoffman, tenor. and Mr.. Powell. The
p work opens with beautiful introduc
ton for organ which gave the audi
encc splendid opportunity to heal
the exquisite tone quality Of the orgar
under the guiding hand of Mrs. Wilbur
T. Mills Of Columbus. The introduc
tion leads to prologue in the form
of beautiful tenor solo which MT
Hoffman rendered In a mastery man
ner. The work Is divided into two
parts, summer and winter, part ont
opening with sturdy chorus which
the men under Mr. Coup's direction
gave In virile manner. The work wa
most interesting throughout and wa
given a thoroughly satisfying rendl
ton. The male chorus Is remarkabi
we'll balanced. The voices blend 81
cellently and the men sing with Or
ish and precision.
Mr.. Powell was again heard to az
vantage In the solos throughout tn
work and he and Mr.. Hoffman wer
highly appreciated.
Both In this and In "Sir Oluf' tn
splendid accompaniments Of Mr.
Millard McIntire gave excellent sui
4 port to the chorusss and solos. Mr.
McIntire has proven herself 70 be on