The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-03-29
SPLENDID HARMONY
IN THE RENDITION
OF "ROSE MAIDEN"

Did Remarkably Clever Work with
Difficult Selection, While Large Au-
dience Gave Complete Approval.
Spaulding high school singers in a cho
rus numbering l75 voices were assisted
by four soloists in giving a fawless rem
dition of the cantata, "The Rose Maid
en- before large audience in the opera
house last evening, the occasion being
one of two musicales TO be concluded
this evening under the direction OF Miss
Josephine +. Hovey, supervisor of music
in the schools Of Barre. Praise unstint.
ing for the meritorious concert last even.
ing is shared alike by the students, the
chorus director, Miss Hovey and Miss
Hester M. Cove, contralto, Miss Gladys
| Tupper, soprano, Louis II. Baine, tenor,
Harry r. Dane, baritone, and Miss
Blanche Russell, an assistant musical di.
rector in the public schools, who acted
ereditably as the accompanist. Much of
the success of the business direction of
the two concerts is due to the efforts of
| Hudson Beattie, manager, and Theron
Morse, treasurer of the glee club, who
have shown considerable executive abil
| ity along that line.
"The Rose Maiden" by Frederick II.
Cowen. is a cantata in which the singers
must address themselves with vigor to
the task of truly emphasizing its real
merits. That the chorus and soloists APP
peared to excellent advantage in the
piece was evidenced by the very friendly
reception accorded them by the audience,
Undoubtedly it is the most ambitious
piece of chorus work ever attempted by
the musical department in the city
schools and its presentation under par
ticularly pleasing circumstances may be
regarded as an achievement of no mean
significance.
II is simple story told in song. but
with expression and feeling. The queen
of the flower fairies, weary of a life OF
unbroken calm. prays of the newly re- |
turned spring thathe will bestow upon !
her also the gift of love that he bestows i
upon man. He warns her of the risk |
she runs. but finally yields to her en-
treaties by changing her while she sleeps I
into the form Of beautiful girl. Under
the name of Roseblossom. she wanders
through the world to find the love that |
she seeks, and meets with a girl who.
having been betrayed and deserted by
her lover, loses her senses and dies brok
en-hearted But. undeterred from her
search Roseblossom becomes the wife of
a forester, with whom she lives for a
time in such perfect happiness she can
not survive his death. The elves bewail
the fate of their queen, and curse love
as fatal to peace and happiness.
The chorus was heard in FIVE parts Of
the eantata, each time with increasing
applause A section OF the high school
orchestra assisted Miss Russell in the
opening overture and in The next number
the chorus made its fFst effort. 10 many
II those among the auditors who have
1ut hazy conception of what is being
accomplished in the musical department, !
he chorus work was a revelation. it
lang with spirit and always with "A fine
egard for harmony. Alone. il justified
he work involved in organizing and $
raining a large company Of singers. /.
fost Of the recitative Introductory de !
-olved upon Mr. Baine, whose fine tenor G
oice was heard to advantage in solo and !
rio parts. His contribution to the can '
alta was wholly sustaining Miss Gladys
upper was happy in singing the soprano d
arts and her clear Interpretation was Il
otent factor in the success of the con t
art. Miss Hester NJ Cove, a Barre girl t
Tho is engaged as a musical supervisor St
4 the schools of Lancaster, n. H., sang r.
efore many local people for the first |
me No more satisfactory assignment Il
)r the contralto parts could have been ri
lade Miss Gove's artistry has the v
Iarks OF sincerity and last evening she fl
ing in splendid voice. Harry r. Dane, o
he baritone, was the soul of melody in
is solo parts and the audience was quick
, appreciate his intelligent singing in
lies that were manifestly difficult. =
Arrangement of the chorus was made y
ith due regard for details and a fine !,
,ectacle the students made as the cur ~
in disclosed its proportions. In the "
st part the girls chorus was alone in ID "a
Ipporting the tenor, Just before the =
Irtain went down. the audience arose ="
masse at the display of the national -
lors and in a burst of patriotism fol- =
wed the baton of the director in sing Se
q the first verse of America" ~
To night the children in the graded on
hools W., be seen and heard in a va pr
,tion of folk dances and songs and if 10
G fine flavor of youthful voices to be lh'
ted in last evenings presentation is "h
eserved in its simplicity, an audience ie'
at promises to crowd the opera house
the doors viii have no reason for with pr
lding its approval. -. =.