The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-12
CHORUS RINGS OUT
PERFECT ACCORD
First Concert of Wednesday Club
Delights Large Audience of
Music Lovers.
BAKER LEADS BIG ORCHESTRA
Among the Stars the Work of
Paul Althouse Stands
Pre-Eminent.
BAKER LEADS BIG ORCHESTRA
BY DOUGLAS GonDoN.

With the brilliant concert oNcred IN
the City Auditorium last night. the
Wednesday, Club opened the music fes.
tival with which 81 celebrates the
twenty-frat year of its existence. and
its coming of age waB greeted. wei.
coined and tumultuouHly npplauded by
nn audience that nlled the bnre steel
rooted building from It's bodecled stage
to It's whitewashcd walls.
And we'll may this festivnl he
signalized by its unqualified succcss
for II marks the real growth or the
most active agent In the artistic de-
yelopihcnt of Richmond from IL moro
or less struggling ana. occasionally,
precarious existence to what seems to
be ali assured and sturdy Independence.
The Wednesday Club Is now adult,
full-grown. Thanks to tho untiring
and fearless efforts OF those who have
guided its destinieB. 1t has reached n
point where there need be no anxiety
is to It's future.
For. while the present officers Of tho
organization have sought diligently TO
eecure tho services of tho greatest
artists In the world of music. In order
to enhance the interest OF its festivals
and to enable them TO present tho
music OF the lnastcrs In the most ar
tistic u7anner-and have succeeded be-
yond the dreams OF those who founded
the little club more 'han twenty years
ngo-thcy have not neg icctcd the pur-
pose for which II was formed.
CHORUS Is RECEIVED
WITH GREAT ENTHUSIASM
Il ie, after oil. In spite OF certain
cavlers. the chorus. the chorus. and
again the chorus. that must he
centuatcd In order to maintain and
constantly elevate n Eeries OF music
festivals as disting gtrshcd from :, period
OF grand opera. And. as grand opera
IL out Of the question under present
physical condition. tho president and
officers Of the club have. with profound
wisdom, insisted upon the growth and
Improvement OF the chorus.
II any proof OF the far-aieh,cd wis
dom OF this policy wcro needed. tho
result OF last nights concert suppli.d
~ In the unbounded enthL3ias,n with
which tho clubs splendid singing ~
Mendelssohn's Hymn OF Praise" VAS
received by the largest and warmest
audience that has ever attended the
opening concert Of any one OF the
clubs twenty-one festivals.
AS was announced. tho Auditorium
was closed TO late Corners as soon aa
The concert began, though tho begin
Ling was delayed for nearly nftcen
minutes In order 10 consider tho in
considerate. So that 4, was $40
when w. Henry Baker. the director cf
The chorus, raped the orchestra TO
attention for the symphony with which
the Hymn OF Praise" is ushered in
FOR timc--for the symphonic in
PRODUCTION Is of considerable length
IL was apparent only that Mr.. Baker
was obtaining excellent results from
'hc hfty men who compose tho sec
ton OF tho Metropolitan Opera Or
.chestra. engaged for the third time by
the manaG cincnt OF the club But 500,
the cantnta proper began, and then H.
became evident that Mr.. Baker had
wrought wonders with his chorus
Producing II volume that made the
ceiling rms again, It produced more
thhn mere volume: II emitted always
tone, sometimes reconant SOM.
times hushed. but always a good and
ihusicianly tone, never mere loud
sound. ""
WORK. OF CHORUS IS
PRECISE AND ACCURATE,
its attack was precise and accu-
rate; Its release Instantaneous. and.
withai. Mr.. Baker succeeded in lifting,
hurrying and swelling It to n for,isst
mo In most rapid tempo, and In stiIl-
Ing, hushing and quetins II to a slow
"hisper-a whisper rounded and of
Hlze. hut still whisper. or tho many
exceptionally wcll-sung passages shat
noouhded last night throughout the
performance OF Mendelssohn's bcauti
iui work, two stand out probably above
'nc!il all: the unaccompanied singing
OF the chorale. Let All Men praisc
.he LORD, when. at tho close of n num-
Der taken very slowly, the orchestr,
came in and proved the chorus to bnrn
remained in tho very centre OF pitch
ahd the fugue, "Ye Nations, Ofror to
the Lord" which the chorus sang with
hre, fcrvor and an apparent exalta-
non that was literally Inspiring
me artists selected for the so,o
nnd pnd's o1i,. IN dhe G,antata were Alma Giuck
that nich,no,, hbunor, IL is painful to record
oil
anna Gluck did not know the "IJvmum nm
1aos 1d praise." ans and that the oratorio stvin
fo., Efu. !ost at one place. and her per
10 iior,manGe ina, &c OF & the whole was perfunctory
the duet. Il Waited for the Iord 5 /" "i'iH ~
}udgmen, could not be formed cxcon'
IN ,h,t so & far as her bit disclosed the fact
mat; .ihnt she is competent and schooIed
PAUL ALTHOUsE
But Pau, SHOWS SHOWS IN s, NEW Light
IN a new light. Last year he sam.
nnd ai,,IaameS cnnei,i In "Aida" with much power
LYNN Of Praise with a simple di"'
n''E, fo,,mod freedom from nnectation. and
Laaltions or the oratorio school MOI
tn sinI ne was stilted or conventional
snye sirna as conventionality was to be dc.
expression. yet with restraint and
MIishod MIN an ehsctiveness that was accom-
rIishcG BY his avoidance of a striving
Tor effect. Since George Uamlin SAM,
ncre years ago, no tenor has been moro
impressive than was Mr.. Althouse last
n,Ent, particularly In tho recurring
Dass?" ~ 'S-'' "ooi
Mr.. Althouse proved himself that
rare artist-an opera singer who can
also sing oratorio music It Will he
remembered. doubtless, that even tho
imagnificent Amato practically failed
mere In the "iora Novissima" And Mr.
Aiithouse it achieved further merit last
night by his very fine singing of the
operatic numbers assigned to him.
ALTHOUSE TRIUMPIIS
IN OPERATIC NUMBERS
The 'Flower Song" aria from Gar
men," he sang with much more OF
warmth and with much less apparent