Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-15
MESSIAH GIVEN
FINE RENDITION
Chorus Of $50 Voices Under Direction
y. v. Bergquist Sings Christmas
0ratOrio at Augustana.
soLoIsrs PLEASE IN NUMBERS
Insists Upon Repetition lIallujah
Chorus; Orchestra and Accom-
panists Good support.


stab. was probably never better sung
in Rock Island than last evening
when the Handel Oratorio society Of
Augustana college and representatives
from practically all the Protestant
church choirs OF the three cities, pre-
scented 10 az Augustana gymnasium. j.
Victor Bcrgquist, head Of Augustana
conservatory. directed the chorus As
sisting we're Mrs. Ethel Guestweit
Benedict. soprano Of Chicago; Miss
Aithea Brown, alto Of Moline; Adolf
il. Engstrom. tenor OF ST Peter, Mimi,
aud lyar Sk0ugaard, bassO Of Rock Is
land, and the college orchestra, Al
bert Anker. director, Miss Esther Fry
xeli at the piano and Leroy Carlson
81 the organ.
A large audience OF tri-city people
heard the production and gave it an
enthusiastic reception. and 50 well
was the oratOrio rendered that the
long composition never once dragged
or became uninteresting 10 the hear
ers. The grandeur and beauty Of the
great work grows on the nearer as it
Is listened 10 year after year and 1t
seems particularly fitting that it
Should be sung OF this season Of the
year-the time of the anniversary Of
The birth OF the Christ, the story of
which is so graadly told In the Mes
siah.
The chorus was composed Of $50
voices which were unusually we'll bal
anced and with the splendid arrange
ment Of the auditorium stage were
grouped just right to produce the best
effect The attack was sure, true and
emphatic and the nearer. at once felt
that case taat comes with the certain
ty that the composition is in capable
hands and will be carried through to
q successful finish. Each chorus was
Enthusiastically received and so we'll
was the Halleiujah chorus sung that
,the audience insisted upon a repetition
The work Of the soiOists was OF q
ligh standard and they shared in the
generous appreciation Of the audi
snee. Mrs. Benedict has a voice OF
Wonderful power, sweetness and pur-
ity that seems especially well fitted
FOR oTaterio work and she more than
Sustained her reputation and repeated
her success last year. She has q per-
sonality, too, that well suits the part
that she takes and she at once wins
her hearers TO her. She sang espe-
cially well In the airs, Rejoice Great.
~" and Il Know That My Redeemel
Iiyeth," i'm fact all the numbers anC
fecitatives were splenddily given Miss
Brown took the place rs alto SOLOS
OF Mrs Henry Matthey OF Davenport
who was prevented at the last hour, b,
Illness, from taking the part assigned
n 10 her, With but one rehearsal Mis-
Brown sang the solo numbers ant
with great credit She show
marked improvement over her work o
several years ago and gave a perform
ance last evening that was of a yer,
high order. Her voice IFS full an,
round and mellow and her technic q
good She was heard 90 particular ad
vantage In the airs, He Was Despised
and "He Shall Feed His Flock" MI
Engstr0m. as tenor solOist, was hear
for the first time In this city last eve
ming, and he created o very fav0rabI
= Impression on the first hearing. Iii
voice Is not the anaemic one that on
80 often associates with tenors, but I
full and strong and sure and he a
once pleased. Especially well did h
sing the recitative Comfort We" an
The air Every Valley Shall BE Exali
cd Mr., Skougaard, basso. has som
Of the most difficult passages In tn
composition in his solo work and az
complished them with excellent tech
mic. He has a large voice and dee
and demonstrated his ability TO handl
oratorio singing TO the satisfaction {
every one.
Orchestra Gives Good Support.
A word must be said in appreciate
OF the accompaniment of the orchestr
which organization was augmente
with the addition of but few profe,
sionals and under the direction of NJ
Anker really gave excellent support {
chorus and soloists Me Fryxeu ,
the piano, and Mr.. Carlson al IN
organ are to be congratulated upo
Their display of fine musicanship I
the splendid accompaniment neye
faltering nor failing but always Sun
and true.
Professor Bergquist has Lahore
faithfully in drilling the chorus an
rounding the numbers into perfectic
and the result of his painstaking wor
was apparent last evening His sin,
ers responded instantly to every be;
OF his baton and he is 10 be congratl
lated upon the great success Of Il
production. \
Scattered literally throughout IL
audience were numbers OF bows
khaki who had been invited as speci;
guests of the evening,
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