The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-05-12
Big City Auditorium Packed to
Witness Twenty-hrst Com
cert Of Wednesday Club
Highly Appreciative.
Nine. Gluck Again
Idol of Richmonders
Miss Kline and Althouse Called
Time and Again by Encores.
Club Chorus Shows Won
derful Improvement Over
Former Years.

Promptly al e:40 last nigh: not $50
as stated on the program], the twenty
.frst anndsl music festl"al Of the We'd
nesday club was ushered In aefnre
large and brilliant audience, which
packed the Audit rum to the doors.
~ pFetentious program was oHered
opening with Menfelss"nn's Hymn ~
Praise rendered by the wednesday
club chorus, the Metropolitan opera
House orchestra. led by w. Henry
Baker. with Nine. Alma Chuck. Miss
Olive Kline. sopranos. and Paul Al.
thouse. tenor, as soloists
The prelude TO the Hymn OF Praise"
Is SO long. taStng nearly thirty min
lutes, and the music theme varying 50
little, that, Judging from the restless
ness OF the audience and the incessanI
talking during It's rendering, it seems
that Ii would have been better To
close the concert with this number
However, when the chorus started IN
on their WORK, the result of their long
and arduous rehearsags under Mr..
Bakers direction were clearly shown.
for never in the writer's ken has the
chorus attacked with such precision.
sung with such volume and held thu
sustained passages sa we'll, 1t seems
to make up This year IN quality Its loss
IN quantity from last year.
Mime Chuck and Miss Kline wers
not beard 10 advantage In the Hymn
of Praise. the music not sufting the
voice Of the former. being too low. and
the latter having only a few passages
TO sing Mr.. Paul AIthouss. by his
splendid work III the solos for the
tenor, and his duet with Mime. Giuck
whetted our appetites for his better
work 10 come ir the second half.
The opening and closing hunters.
after intermi ssion. was allotted to the
Niei ropGlitan Opera House orchestra,
under the mastery guidance OF Rfcn-
ard llagernan, who Is the most COM
lsetsnf director ever seen here with the
"Wednesday club He literally draws
the music from his men and their in
struments. In the Hungarian Rhap-
sody No. t." by List. the orchestra
was superb. especially fascinating. be-
ing the flute. clarinet and harp ouli-
cato The closing number, Pomp
.and Circumstances" march by Eigar.
was rendered in fine martial time. the
horn and drum effect being especially
well brought cut. Seldom. IL ever.
too. has such splendid string t,nes
been heard mere in any orchestra
For her solo numbers Mr-s. Gluck
gave first the Aria "Bionduia' from
',Seraglla." by Mozart. and in re-
Spouse TO a stupendous encore. gave
Now Hear Me, Gentle Lark with
flute obligato. which she rendered
most beautifully. and was wildly
called back To sing Jocelgus' Lullaby
in French. on her next appearance
she sang delightfully."- the Aria .tCasta
Diva" from Norma. by Bellini, and
never has it been so we'll rendered
here Her phraising and dictfon were
perfect In response to rapturous APP
plaifse she graciously returned with
I'm My Little Gray Home in the
West" While this magnetic artistic
was in much better voice when she
appeared here two years ago. 1t is
doubtful IL any selection could have
t,leased the Richmond people moro.
i \