The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-31
The BACH FESTIVAL
FILLS BETHLEHEM
Tenth in Series Of Perform
ances by the Iehigh
Valley Singers.
ST. JOHN PASSION SUNG
n, w. J.

THE ttIIn fbtr1 itSttNN NJ btNnlt1tTns
pa. came to its conclusion on Saturday
evening. A special EFFORT had been put
forth this year TO arouse fresh interest
"A these artistic activities OF the seat
Of steel industry and not without graft
oyltg results. The interest in the fes-
,iyal was sufficiently large and wide
.pread to attract hearers from seven
cen states. New York city was repre-
s,nted by David and Clara Names.
Mrs. Frank Damrosch and Miss Dam
rosch. Mrs. Annie Nathan Meyer, DR..
LYMAN Abbott and Mrs. Abbott and
others. Packer Memorial Church, the
chapel Of Lehigh University. was filled
10 its capacity Of 1900 and the attitude
Of the audiences betokened n deep in
terest In the music and Its presentation.
Since 1900 the town OF Bethlehem has
been famous for its interpretations OF
the greater works of Sebastian Bach.
The history of the city's musical activ!-
ties has often been told. hut IL may
serve the purpose of this moment to re-
mind the reader that the place was
founded in iIil by M~oravians, that
flutes. viols and horns began 10 be used
IN church services in 1913 and that in
1850 Bethlehem had an orchestra. The
famous trombone choir which from the
church tower sounds the calls to the
BACH ntIltI ilt0Itb WAS OTEanlEtO IN
ifi5. Bach was still alive. Mozart
Rad not been born. Haydn's FIRST sym
phony was yet fourteen years in the
future. But the Moravian hymn tune.
blood brother to the Chorale OF Bach.
was heard in Bethlehem.
First Festival I'm 1900.
Tho frs, Bach festival took place in
the Moravian Church In 1900. II "a a
festival Of one day. hut 1t rose to the
dignity Of an event. for in II the great
u minor mass was performed for the
frst time in the United States. In 1901
a festival OF three days was given and
In this the Christmas oratorio was sung
for the first lime In its entirety In this
country.
In 1905 the series of festivals came 10
an end. II Is unnecessary now to give
a detailed account of the various causes
which led to this! but DR.. J. T.. Wolfe.
orKanist Of the Moravian Church and
conductor of the festivals, went to CALI
fornia. where he organized other festival
entertainments at Berkeley. He re-
turned to Bethlehem In 1912. Lehigh
University now took up the support OF
the discontinued festivals and Charles
NJ. Schwab. one of the trustees OF Ie-
high. began 10 devote much of his per-
senal energies to helping the good aus
In the past three years two day festivals
have been given and the Bach Choir OF
Bethlehem has resumed its important
place In the world OF music.
Between 1901 and 1905 the fate OF the
festivals seemed to have been sealed.
Celebrity placed its curse upon the en-
terprise and too much was attempted.
what had possessed all the deep SINGER
lily OF a pious service assumed the pose
OF a ceremonial function designed to cell
citrate Bethlehem and Wolfe rather thar
the immortal cantor of the Thomas
School OF LEIPZIG. The interruption OF
the series worked for good. Tn vault
ing OF ambition was stopped and a GER
tain desirable humility In the presence
Oh the august spirit OF the father OF
moTern music began 10 manifest itself.
The programme of the festival lust
ended was as follows Friday afternoon,
The Passion According to st. John. par,
/; Secoad Brandenburg concerto. Sec
ond movement: the sacred cantata
"schlage doch'gewuenschet Stunde' for
eontralto solo, and several chorales,
some for the chorus only and some for
the entire congregation. In the eve
hing the second part of the passion oc-
cupled the entire session. on Saturday
the Is minor mass was given from the
beginning through the Kyrie and Gloria
In the afternoon and in the evening from
the Credo to the end. The solo singers
IN the Friday sessions were Mrs. Marie
zimmerman, soprano Mrs. Florence
milford Hunt, contralto; Nicolas Douty
tenor, and Louis Kreidler. barytone. The
minor solos in the Passion were suns
hv members OF the choir. In the mass
the soloists were Mary Hissem de Moss
soprano Gertrude Stein Bailey, con-
tralto; Nicolas Douty. tenor. and Henry
Scott, bass. The instrumental players
were selected from the ranks OF the
Philadelphia Orchestra and. of course
Or. Wolfe conducted.
Choral-s In Church Tower.
Previous TO each session the Bethle-
hem trombone choir played Bach
c~horales in the tower of the church
"hle the visitors stood under the trees
OF the beautiful Lehigh campus and
.s'ened. When these sonorous old chant
ings o, the spirit OF the Reformation
We're ended the audience passed into the
ohurch, The arrangements were all
admirably planned. Access to the en-
trance FOR carriages and automobiles
was ample and perfectly policed. Lehigt
Students performed the duties of usher'
enic.ently and the concerts begai
promptly, Naturally no applause was
Permitted Silence reigned in the body
o. the church and the majestic con
oep''ons Of Bach unfolded themselves In
helr perfect and unbroken continuity,
The -. John Passion. which was thu
ohlri feature ~ this tenth festival. was
sung Tn B-thls.em in April, 1908, in
series % concerts which proved to be
me highest night OF the conductors u N
wise amhlton. In that season a Bacf
cFo!e was given. II consisted of three
FESTIVALS, one at Christmas. one in Len
ana still another for Easter and Ascen'
t'on, Even the Bach enthusiasm oI
bethIehcm could not carry such a
burden. \ rest OF seven years was
needed 10 enable the city to he SUM-
r'enIy recuperated to enjoy the greaI
substance of Bach music nationally.
Few music lovers have heard Bach'f
~ lohn version 81 the Passion Bach
plunged his reverent spirit deep i'm thu
study II he Apostles stories of Christi
suffering and death. but some measure
o. uncertainty prevails about his com
POSITIONS. When the music lover con
td'rs the fact that the ST. Matthew
Passion sank into oblivion after IL
NtNi performance in the Old Thomas
'hur'h In Ieipsic. for which Bach wrote
W INC ordinary course OF his duties al
o'RiNlst and choirmaster, and that Il
r'hldl'ed unknown TIL Mendelssohn dis
covered It's supreme importance n re-
introduced It to the world a century
s,ter It's composition. he Ia not aston
hhed that there are no definite records
ot some OF the other versions which
were composed for other churches. The
~ Mark Passion Ia lost except a few
numbers, which were used as parts OF
other compositions. The Passion &C,
.ofding 10 81. Luke. which IL In Bach,
nahwritlng, Is OF doubtful origin. Somt
btfn dltlnrittaa haliaua N IN Ia a ennx