The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-05-12
ARTISTS SCORE
Big TRIUMPH.
On Opening Night Of May
Festival
With Rendition IOf Samson
And DeIilah
Difficult Roles Have Powerful
interpretations
By AIthOuSe, Miss Lyon, Matt
land And Mccall
SpGFfy A Hit---ChOFus Under
Coup Greatest Ever
SperFy A Hit..,ChOrus Under
Coup Greatest Ever

Samson, abandoned and infamed
with irresistible passion; Delilah, the
purring, guileful enchantress; the
high priest of Dagon, resolute, self
convinced Abimelech, the martyr to
his faithful defense of Jehovah; the
old Hebrew, clear of vision and full
of warning against the acknowledge
ment of Dagon as the true God-all
of these were portrayed so vividly in
the production of the opera, Samson
and Delilah, on the opening night of
the May festival at the Presbyterian
church Tuesday that none could not
but wonder why scenery is ever used
to form background for dramatic
effects, while the chorus under the
perennially able direction of William
M. Coup was a revelation and thrilled
the audience with pride at it's smooth,
unified rendition of even the most
difficult portions of the opera.
Althouse the wonderful, Althouse
the sublime, gave to the role of Sam
son a lasting Interpretation. The en-
thralled lover, vainly attempting to
break asunder the letters binding
him to his seducer, his weak and pow
erless yielding, his betrayal and his
mighty but uncanny vengeance stood
out before the audience as solidly as
though Althouse were actually acting
out these scenes with the skill of an
exceptional tragedian, instead of
merely using his extremely express
i've voice.
The various moods of Samson, car
oiled through the lips of Althouse,
were thoroughly evident. The slight
est change in decision, the most
minute yielding, an infinitesimal re-
sistance, all of these and many more
came to the audience in the music as
rendered by Althouse. His supreme
powers of Interpretation more than
enthused those in attendance, while
his true, clear tenor notes aroused all
who appreciate the finer qualities of
the human voice. His coming to this
city has indeed proved a supreme
achievement on the part of the asso-
citation.
None the less effective was Miss
Elsa Hershberg Lyon who made her
first public appearance in this city
Tuesday night in the part of Delilah.
Miss Lyon has sung at several private
musicales here, while the guest of
Mrs. w. E. Mccormick, and her large
Mt. Vernon following was attested by
the presentation to her Tuesday even
ing of a mammoth bouquet of roses,
Immediately following her stirring
dramatic number with Mr.. Althouse.
Miss Lyons assumption OF the
character of Delilah, with it's very
difficult and intricate music, more
than tested her exquisite contralto
voice on account of its demand for
high singing that many sopranos
would fain avoid. Miss Lyon has rem
dered several portions of Samson and
Delilah in this city before, particular
" the beautiful aria through which
she passes so delightfully."-, but never
has she made such profound effect
upon her auditors as Tuesday even
ing.
Her character seemed to fit the
role of Delilah exactly and, in the in
tensely dramatic scene with Althouse,
she made herself as the enchantress
constantly maintain mastery over her
subjugated prey. Her devotion to the
cause of her people and the false god,
Dagon, was ever before the audience,
while her final, effective cursing of
Samson was superb. The ambitions,
the aims and the wiles of Delilah
were constantly held before the au-
dience by. Miss Lyon which, from re-
marks at the conclusion of the opera,