Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-11
CHORUS WORK To
Be CONTINUED HERE
No Christmas Festival This Year,
But New Years Sing
as Usual.


The sing last night at the High
Shool auditorium was both enjoyable
and profitable. Leader Harry Barnhart
put the singers through their PAGES on
iNfy Mary and so on up to "Halleluiah"
and 'fHoly City" the hall was fairly
well filed, considering the season.
An intermission gave the opportunity
for reports; Mrs. Warner, on behalf
of the ''Kaffee Klatch" committee no.
tifving of postponement until after
holidays of the contemplated affair,
and Richard Reese, as treasurer of finances.
Seven thousand and one hundred dollars
has been contributed, of which amount
S1,SOO came from chorus and popular
collections. The expenditures for the
services of leaders and pianists, music,
maintenance, advertising, postage, will
exhaust the funds by the end of the year.
MIR. Reese expressed the feeling of those
interested, that the chorus will become
self-s,Istaining, as the interest grows,
and urged members to get their friends
to JOIN.
There will be a rehearsal as usual
next Tuesday evening, but none on
Christmas eve, the oath. On New Years
eve, the 3lst, it will be a ''sing, in
stead of rehearsal
BARNHART TO REMAIN.
Harry Barnhart is not going con tour"
as has been stated, but will be on deck,
as usual after New Years with the pos
sible exception of skipping week, now
and then; all this being conditional on
the popular support, for it is gradually
dawning on Wilmington that Barnhart
Is not merely man but movement of
inspiration, through music, to service, =
as he put it at the committee conference
Yesterday afternoon, the effects OF which
were seen In the evening, IN the efhclent
seating of the crowd, for one thing.
EFFECT OF CHORUS WORK.
Illustrating the effect that is exerted
bv the Community Chorus idea is the
following correspondence:
New. York, Dec. 6. 1918.
Mr.. John b. Bird, Secretary Wilmington
Community Chorus, Wilmington, Del.
Nv Dear Mr. Bird: Enclosed Is copy
of letter that | just received from
Hebrew boy, who is a member OF the New
York Community Chorus, and is now,
as YOU see, convalescing IN hospital IN
France.
1t is very interesting and significant
to see how the singing of the big fine music
has made a very lasting impression OF
this bov, not because he Is musical, but
because he has learned the value OF the
eternal text of life. -
| thought perhaps. il would he inter-
esting to publish this in one Of the Will
mington papers as a Community Chorus
Testimonial.
Very sincerely yours,
Nellie NJ Shannon,
For ii. H. Barnhart.
Convalescent Camp No. !, A. P. O. No.1SO
NV Dear Mr. Harry Barnhart and
Members Of the Chorus: Months have
passed since | attended the last rehearsal
of the Messiah the evening before | en-
tered the service. Since that night my
travels have been far and experiences
MANY. ] am now recupeTatlng at the
above camp where came after being dis
charged from the hospital from the effects
of poison gas. but / am happy TO say that
/ am getting on splendldly. Through all
osIr travels the spirit of the Choru s has
been a source Of great consolation 10 me.
Often in the darker hours | would ind
myself softly singing He Shall Lead HIS
Flock" and the calm beauty of the words
and music were wonderfully healing.
Many a time during these many months
have | wondered If the Chorus and folks
at home realized the wonder, beauty and
the Messiah and the Creation" Now
that the day is drawing near for the close
Of this great strife, do the teachings stand
clearly before me. When peace shall
once more reign it viii be "a New Created
World" with Peace on earth good will
toward men, and ''The Glory Of God
Shall be Revealed In all Its power. i
spend many happy hours going oyer the
"AfessIah" and the Creation" which is
deeply imbeddedin my memory. Coming
down TO lighter works. we lads are begin
ming TO think Of our home coming. That
simple song When Johnny Comes Mar
ching Home Again" will take on a new
meaning with rouslng ''Hurrah' that
will echo over all our great land.
One evening, while under cover OF a
deep forest before moving to the front In
inkv darkness Is a night that will live long
IN nv memory. From every corner Of
that deep and dark forest came the
strains of our beautiful folk songs, and
when they al joined IN with "Ientlng
Tonight" /" well IT was stupendous Around
midnight we started our trip that In few
hours led to the lines. One thing ] am
happy TO tell the Chorus is that the songs
our bows sang were all our real songs such
as We have always sung. Please transmit
to the Chorus my best wishes and greetings
and may the wonderful work continue
1t has certainly carried me through many
long dark hours. May they sing greater
message this Christmastide than ever
before My one wish when return is to
hear again the Messiah and Creation for
1t will be a New Created World" With
nv sincere greetings TO our Great Leader
and Chorus Always with you and the
Chorus In spirit.
Irving Wertheim,
Corp. Infantry T. S. A.