Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-04-13

continued from First Pagc.)
with which instrumental players have
met tne efforts of local directors to
lead them; and. therefore. the spirit
OF accord that they manifested last
night in their subordination to w.
Henry Baker. the accomplished d.
rector Of the club. was infinitely more
than merely refreshing.
DIFFICULT TO SPEAK roo
HIGHI.f OF WORK OF CHORUS
OF the work OF the chorus and hence
OF Mr.. Baker. IL would be dimcult to
speak too highly. Given months OF
preparation for this particular work.
the Requiem" and years OF study. both
OF the voice and OF music, II was TO
be cxpccted--the public had n right to
eSpcct-that the soloists engaged for
the concert should sing well. They did
Stag we'll. most of them. and fuller
mention will be made of them. But
the performance OF the chorus last
night was far more than an accomplish
ment--it was distinct and notable
achievement
Although verdrs Requiem" adheres
strictly to the .nissal text, and was sun
posed. is supposed. to have been written
Tor use as mass for the dead IL is in
mat opera masters most dramatic and
colorful style. Passages of much In
tricacy abound throughout There 10
melody for II may be stated without
Intentional fippancy. Verdi could hard
~ have written page without melody
But II was written at about the same
uine that Aida was produced. when
the dramatic doubtless Dredominnted in
the composers mind. and difficult in
tervals. phrases OF uncommon accent
passages calling into employment all
the resources Of the singers ranee-all
combine to make the "Requienr' one of
"a 4. -
me hardest works TO master that the
cluh nas ever attempted
CHORUS SINGS SOFT PASSAGES
WITH GENUINE BEAUTY OF TONE
But master it it did. and the result
was literally inspiring. Not only did
the chorus. comparatively small though
IL was IN Understandable less
than 80 voices-attack and release
with remarkable precision, rendered
doubly remarkable by the fact that,
though attack and release are only a
matter of counting. the matter Of count
Ing eighth and sixteenth notes is not
all In she days work for amateur sing
ers. hut II sang soft passages with
genuine beauty of tone. And, more
than that 1t proved that it could sing
page after paee without accompani-
ment and still remain on pitch-a
thinS that many an opera and concert
singer is unable to do.
II divided itself into double choir
and sang fugue that would trouble
many professional organization. II
managed to soar above the whole
power OF the orchestra ut times. though
AT other times, 1t must be confessed il
was almost notwithstanding, il would
seem, to the weakness of all the divi-
sions as compared with the soprano
choir. which choir in itself was natural
~ insufficient to carry tones low in the
scale through the volume OF sound of
the orchestra playing forte.
Ana, when 1t sang with the soloists
as 1t did again and again. Mr.. Baker
was enabled TO make 1t sing with them.
not against them or over them. hut
with them. Rarely has anything finer
in chorus singing been heard in Rich
mond than the work of the "Wednesday
Club choir in the closing measures Of
the Liberia Me" to mention only one of
dozen notable bits.
MUSIC SELECTED WAS
Thrilling AND IMPRESSIVE
1t is quite impossible to take up the
work as whole, or even in part, ex-
cept to say that no oratorio. no cantata.
no service. nor any opera-and it par
takes OF the nature Of all of them
, could we'll contain within like limited
bounds more thrilling. more impressive
or more beautiful passages. Little of it
rs churchlike to our ears, attnncd as
they are to music less glowing, less dra-
matte. yet all Of it might we'll have been
inspired.
or the four soloists. Florence Hinkle,
the soprano, and Mildred Potter, the
contralto, quite outshone Dan Beddoe.
the tenor. and Herbert Witherspoon, the
bass. Miss Hinkle. though concert
and oratorio singer-of high renown, 1t
is true-sang with the utmost fervor
and with striking effectiveness what is
typical dramatic soprano role. Though
she rose to the heights above the treble
clef with the greatest ease. singing sew
eral high C's that would have sufficed
an Aida In power and force, she dis