El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-04-21
SACRED GANTATA
LIKE A PRAYER
The "Seven Last Words of
Christ" Splendidly Sung
BY Big Chorus Choir.

3 solemn, sacred service OF song was
held az the First Presbyterian church
Thursday evening as part Of the
Easter week worship. A union chorus
choir formed from the church choirs OK
the CITY sang The Seven Last Words
OF Christ" arranged by Dubois. in such
an impressive manner that the music
took The form Of sermon in song telling
the tragedy Of Calvary
THE sacred Cantata was given first
during Faster week last year by sim
liar chorus choir under the direction OF
James Graham McNary. II proved TO
be SO fitting FOR the week preceding
Easter that Mr.. McNary and his asso-
ciatcs were requested TO repeat the
concert this year and "The Seven Last
Words Of Christ has become q per-
maneut feature Of Easter week wor-
ship I'm El Paso as it viii be given
each year on Maundy Thursday
seven Last Speeches.
The seven last words are, in reality,
the seven last speeches Of Christ be-
fore his death. These have been woven
into "a great musical theme which tells
OF the solemnity. the suffering anu
finally, the terrible grandeur OF the
scene at the cross The speeches, us
given IN the cautata are: Father for
give them for they know not what they
do;" verify thou shalt be IN par2qlse
today with me-" "see. oh woman. Here
behold thy son beloved" God, my
father. why hast thou forsaken me-
Il am athirst:" father into thy hands
] commend my soul" and lit is finished
Splendid Ensemble Singing.
The ensemble singing OF the chorus
Of 4G voices. under the direction OF ar
McNary was one or the most effective
features OF the sacred concert There
was a repression about the subdued
singing of the big chorus which maze
the numbers sound like massive mu-
steal nraver The solo numbers were
hn tenor
and bass solos being sung by Mrs. ROD
ert j. Holiday. Charles Andrews and
Mathew Lcmen. Their voices blenoeu
perfectly into the theme Of the sacred
story. Mrs. Holidays plaintlVe soprano
was especially pleasing in the solos ana
her rendition of the soprano number
ct the climax OF the cantata was
especially wen sung. To many OF his
audience 10 was Mr.. AndreWss first ap-
nearauce and his high clear tenor
blended well with the chorus choir and
made a fine contrast with the deep bass
OF Mr. Lemen's singing. The organ
score was more than an accompani-
ment 10 the cantata, II was big part
in the theme.
splendid Organ Music.
Mrs James Graham McNary played
the difficult organ music with the same
subdued prayerful effect which marked
her husbands direction Of the chorus
and. when she played the powerful or
gan solo depicting the darkness. tho
earth's trembling ard the rending OF
the veil at the cross she surprised even
her closest friends by her superb work
at the organ.
T The auditorium Of the church was filled
with the audience made up from the
Congregations of the other churches and
from the city at large to whom the sa-
cred concert has become a part Of holy
week. The concert was made possible
by the efforts of Mr. McNary, who or
u-nufyp1 fho choir and secured the solo,
lists Of his own initiative
Members OF Choir.
The members Of the big choir were
as follows:
AIesdames T. A. Barnes. r. W. Newton,
Harry Pateman, a. J.. Keener Parvin
WHITE. G.. H. Lyman. Paul Heermans. f.
q. Emery, Henry Clay Greer, Annibel
De Pew. Disney Smith, W. C. Haden, |
IT. A. Taylor. Charles Andrews, Frank I
Lynch. Kenneth MacCallum, Robert J. !
Holiday, Walter d. Howe, A. III. Gold :
stein. G.. T. Overstreet ". r. Brown. !
Henry pateman; Misses Constance Pate /
man. Grcta Palmer. Edna Elaine Scot
ten. Belle White, Sophia Gilchrist Mar 3
gretta Pratt. Helen DePew; Messrs A. (
r. Earles. Oscar Block. Milton T. Bar
rough, Frank Scotch. George Mayer
Arthur T. Behringer, Louis Coggeshall, ,
W W. Rose. Harry Fraser, Charles An
dreWs. James A. Dick, Matthew IT.
Lemen. Cecil Davis, u. J. Terrence. 3
Kenneth w. AlacCallum. Frederick
George. Billings and Edwin c. Knick I
meyer.