The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1914-04-09
THE CANTATA,
QUEEN ESTHER
Great Crowd Monday Night at Opera.
House Brilliant and Thrilling Sue
6 cess-M Miss Laura Duvall rs Con-
ductress Acquits Herself With
Great Honor.

The Queen Esther Cantata given by
home talent Monday night under the
auspices of the Epworth League of the
Ohio St. Methodist Episcopal Church
and directed by Miss Laura .Bernadette
Duvall, has gone into tradition as a
magnificent success. The house was
filled to its utmost capacity. The rain
poured in torrents all afternoon and
night, yet there was $50 paid admis-
sions. The large audience of appreci-
alive people was more than pleased
with the unique and gorgeous produc-
ton. 1t was an unrivaled home talent
effort.
Miss Selma Gench was Queen Esther
and by her charming naturalness, mod
esty and sweet singing won the hearts
and applause of ALL
The Queens maids of honor were
Linda Nix, Gladys Atkeson, Marie Fisk,
Jessie Nix, BERTHE Silvers, Doris Wy
att, Mrs. G. A. Sleeth and Margaret
/
selves splendidly.
Harry Holloway was King Ahasuerus.
The part as written demands basso
voice of unusual depth and power. Mr..
Holloway sang the part in praisworthy
style, and gave dramatic Interpretation
to his work, all of which was highly
pleasing. The Kings guards We're w.
E. Talbot, Claude S. Handy, J. W.
Holloway, who together with F. l..
Gench, who filled the place of Scribe
with much credit, sang male quartet
arrangements at different points in this
historic musical narrative.
The Kings Premier, Haman, was l..
G. Bynum, who received we'll earned
applause. Humans wife. Zeresh, was
represented by Miss Goldie Newsome,
whose voice possess unusual sweetness.
A duet sung by these two outstanding
characters was one of the events of the
evening. Mary Katherine Relnheimer
was the child of Hannah and Zeresh. A.
r. Fox, Armand Duvall, Leslie Duvall
and Theodore Pharis were greatly ap-
preciated as the friends of Hannah.
Robert Leigh Murray of Kansas City,
who sang the part of Mordecai the Jew,
has a beautiful tenor voice of wide
range and rare sweetness. Mr.. Muir
ray brought distinction to the program
in Which he bore such highly impor
tant part. j, W. Holloway, c. A. A..
Sleeth, Elliott Walker, Edward Green
up, Verne Holloway. and Donald Phar-
Is were the friends of Mordecai. Their
singing was of high order, and was
warmly aRplauded. The sister of Nor
decai was Miss Stella Talbot. Canta-
ia patrons made the exceedingly pleas
ant discovery that Miss Talbot, who
also sang the part of the Prophecies,
is possessed of a lyric soprano voice of
unusual strength and briliancy
The Median princess was Edna Clarke,
and Mrs. A. R. Fox was the Persian
princess. All admired their effective
costumes, graceful action and sweet
singing.
The part of High Priest was sung by
Donald Pharis, who also represented
the character Illegal. He brought to
his work careful preparation and a
voice of good quality. Elliott Walker
as the beggar was a veritabe seer, do
ing his part in a highly efficient man
ner.
The Queens pages, Ladine Culver
and Miriam Hess, and the Kings pages,
Edward ley and Carl Nix. did their re-
spective parts particularly well. The
singing of the Jewish and Persian cho-
ruses was excellent. Too much could
scarcely be said of the children's cho-
rus. 1t should be mentioned that the
name of Master Clarice Talbot was
omitted from the list of children's
names in the program. For this omis-
sion the regret Of the management is
no less than that of the little gentle
man who did his part with the grace
and obedience that was shown by all
the children of the chorus: Mrs. E.
S. Clarke assisted Miss DuyalI in train
ing children and adults for the marches, !
the proper execution of which, was
nothing short of real tribute to Miss I
Duvall and Mrs. Clarke.
The tableau in which a beautiful Ara
bian horse appeared will never be for
gotten. The scene was splendidly
unique and elected spontaneous and re-
peated applause.
David Snow, as Herald, and Roy
Bartlett, as Harbonah, distinguished
themselves in their respective charac-
ters. The piano accompanied, Mr.. Vir-
gil Thompson of Kansas City was all
that could be desired. Overtures and
were played by the Butler
Club, our popular young mu-
aicians m fainipU their formor hiuh