The sun., 1917-09-14
"We're Coming" Is Reply to
French Plea as Crowds
in Park Cheer.
COMMUNITY FETE HELD
Lights About Lake Win Adj
mirati0n-MayOr Praises
Patriotic Plan.
France calls you -
Were coming"
France calls you -

France calls you
Were comink!'
To the tune of "Old Black Joe" this
antiphony fioated out over the trees and
lawns Of Central Park at Seventy second
street last night. And it was the thou
sand voices of the Community Chorus
under the cleaning varcolored lights
on the upper side Of the lake that gave
the message from bleeding France, but
II was the ringing tones OF thousand
soldiers of the Twenty-third, marched
down from Van Cortlandt Park with
Lieut.. Col. Lieman at their head and
grouped around the Bethesda Fountain
Just below on the other side Of the lake,
that sounded the answer and the
promise,
The boys in khaki were easily the
feature OF last nights song festival. the
second to be held by the Community
Chorus in Central Park. The great
throngs that gathered on the shores Of
the lake admired the lights those beau
tiful lights In ali the colors of the
spectrum and innumerable geometric
designs. arranged by Claude Bragdon to
express the various musical notes. and
strung through the park for a radius of
more than a mile They liked the sing
ing OF the voices of Conductor Harry
Barnhart's vast choir. and they re-
rponded timidly TO his invitation to
| Join in with the better known songs.
| They clapped when his Honor Mayor
| Mitchell arrived half an hour late. and
| listened with interest, those who could
hear, to the Mayors ringing declaration
that occasions like this were a hearten-
| ing proof of the sound patriotism Of the
| city of New York. in spite Of the
sporadic instances of sedltious soap
| box oratory" But II was the soldiers
! who captured the hearts Of the shad-
! owy ma sses of people sitting and stand
| ing on rocks and greensward in every
direction under the fickering lights.
Soldiers Sing Well.
They heard the soldiers before they
saw them. "CSood-by, Broadway. Hello.
| France !" came the chanting voices from
under the tunnel at Seventy-second
street as the army came marching on.
And then as they grouped themselves
around the fountain "Tlpperary" and
| America and Hip. Hip, Hooray!"
rang out to the music Of the military
band, for 1t was not time for the Com
munity Chorus concert to begin. and the
boys In khaki could let their spirits have
full sway. Finally they put everybody
| In rollicking mood with Pack Up
and then Conductor Barnhart mounted
his stand under the cleaning futuristic
lanterns of purple and green and yellow
and every other color under the sun,
and the soldiers quieted down, and the
chorus sang america" and then the
orchestra OF seventy pieces played
"Wotan's Farewell and the Magic
Fire Scene from Die Walkure." and
the concert was on.
4 Mr.
the launch waited half an hour at the
boathonse landing to convey him to the
music stand before he arrived 1t took
him half way across and then. its prog
ress being too slow for the ardent young
Mayor, he signalled n police boat,
hoped into II and had himself rowei
the rest of the way. This inronspicuoue
method was the cause OF his arrival be-
ing almost lost in a volume OF sound
for Conductor Barnhart had Sust raised
his baton to start off the orchestra and
chorus in the "Aleluia Amen" OF Gaul's
oratorio of the Holy City" as the row.
boat slipped up to the landing.
The Mayor Arrives.
"Mr Barnhart." beloved Max Nor.
genthau. Jr.. from the launch back in
1.-THE middle OF the lake, the Mayor
comes :"
Where" Mr. Barnhart beloved back
Hes at the landing" screamed Mr
Morganthau, making megaphone q
his hands
Mr. Barnhart looked down. up ant
III around, evidently thought some one wa
i kidding him, and waved his arms FOR tn
"Alleluia amen" to begin. For th'
Mayor and his policemen were com
J pletely absorbed in trying TO make
: landing without wettinG tho moeccab
$ attire OF his Honor. and the shadow
hid them But Mr.. Bragdon and Scou
Q Master Gross, both on the launch save'
the day. They Joined their whoops T.
Mr.. Morganthau's below and the trt
1 managed to convey to the chorus leade
2 that Mr., Mitchell was under his nose
1 Mr.. Barnhart recovered himself in
, stantly.
, Soldiers, :" he roared in that voice a
4 his which surely could be heard Il
q France II he really tried to hail tina
h country. "sing over There for IN
| Mayor" And they did with a will be
n | fore Mr. Mitchell made his speech.