Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-05-10
OMAHA AUDIENCE
sings FOR KELLY
Mendelssohn Choir Director
Gets His Community Sing.
ing With Enthusiasm.
CONCERT ONE TRIUMPH
By HENRIETTA M. REEFS.

ny HENRIETTA M. KEGS.
Do Omaha people like community
singing?
Ask any one who was present at the
Mendelssohn Choir popular concert
Tuesday and see what kind of an
answer you will get. For the big
audience in the Boyd theater took to
its first taste OF community singing
with welcome and an enthusiasm
which left no doubt in the minds of
the curious as to whether or not the
folks were enjoying it. In contrast to
the half hearted way in which con-
gregational singing is usually done,
the volume, vitality, and responsive
ness Of the singing was amazing.
Mr.. Kelly is the embodiment of
enthusiasm, and under his baton, the
few who at first could not find their
voices, soon joined in, and helped
everybody else make the entire hall
resound with really stirring strains of
patriotic music, or the lovely planta-
ton melodies or we'll loved folk songs.
Choir Excels Its Record.
But the community singing was
only part Of the Joys, for FIRST the
choir and Mr.. Isac Van Grove
presented an interesting program. 1t
seems almost superfuous to say any
thing more about the work OF the
Mendelssohn Choir in these columns.
They have set for themselves high
standard, and for nine seasons and
through twenty-one concerts have
maintained it. Their enunciation,
phrasing, finish and ensemble were the
regular Mendelssohn Choir brand,
and there is the same assurance in
both the technical and Interpretive
parts of the work which always testi-
fes to the skill of Mr.. Kelly as a con-
ductor, and teacher, for the choir
could not accomplish the subtle eff
fects which are theirs without having
been thoroughly taught how and why
they should do them.
Wonders Of Tone Shading.
In the "Pedlar's Song" from Shake.
speare's winters Tale" by C. Lee
Williams, for instance, there were five
distinct shades of tone one after the
other in the opening male chorus,
which were carefully brought out not
once but each time the music de-
manded, and there was a lightness
and buoyance about the whole in
depreciation which reminded one of
a string choir, with solo effects in the
bass viols. None of this interpreta-
tive discrimination just happened. 1t
has been taught and understood and
then untiringly worked out by the
conductor and choir.
And this is only one illustration.
Each Part Delight.
The program was divided into three
parts, each part preceded by a few
notes on the chimes and soft lighting
effects. Parts and II each contained
two groups by the choir and a group
Of piano numbers by Mr.. Van Grove.
The numbers sung by the choir were,
as usual, selected with careful judg-
ment, several of them being repeated
from among the popular numbers of
previous concerts. Among them were
"Emer's Lament for CuchulaiH," ar
rangenieffts of lovely old English and
Irish airs, a delightfully."- descriptive
song called "The Nights" by Chal-
linor, picturing nights of Summer
Autumn, Winter and SPRING; "Dig Ny
Crave" six-part negro spiritual by
Burleigh, and the massive and impress
sive eight-part setting of Pslam XIII,
by Mendelssohn, and few charming
encores, of course. Mother O Mine"
by H. T.. Bur1eigh, by the mems
voices, and FAIRY Lullaby" by Mrs.
H. H. A. Beach, for women's voices,