Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-07-21
JOHN GEORGE HARRIS.
" cdncsdn. c,nh-n con,pnr,.,n.

the president of the Wcdno sday Club.
"a his recent annual report, flvors
= more commodious ana modern audi
forum for concerts and public meet
inSS. I" these require ments should
be added accessibility. The present
auditorium is, beyond quest on. too far
removed FROM the hotel and business
- ction of The city. u condition which
mus; strike with particular force thu
trans cut cnnCo;tgocrS who makes his
rrst attempt IL ioCat. the building.
Hu; property values considered. en-
i,,rrcmcnt and renovation only may he
feasible. relocaII being deferred until
a later day.
Mir Corey also recommended an inn
Irovcment @; the chorus remnrkinS
tlIui 4; should he the strongest feature
Of Che club and that IL should, lille
wise. hc the greatest choral orraniZa-
ton ever seen in The South. Thc term
greatest - open to misrepresentation
Mere size wilI not establish the We'd
nosday club IN this Niable pos ,tiun.
nor Will an indscriminatc gath ring
i'm of new members. Wedding out MAY
bc as essential as adding to. There
should he no suspicion that any mcm-
D,rs of The chorus are mere seat -occu-
piers. Members should he added for
rcaN singing on lily and for earnest
ness Of purpose.
In this connection. a parable! may he
and the Bethlehem Bach choir. OF
bethlehem. Pennsylvania. which has
been termed by Henry r. I'iuck n
recognized musical authority. the
best choir IN the United states" The
l:ach choir gave its nrst concert in
public as the bethlehem Choral Union
in March. 1883. with a miscellaneous
program. |, is significant that the
first part OF its program Was made up
OF English songs and rlc.s The see
oud part comprised selections from
Iiaydn's Creation" Il was not until
l>S>. ave years later. that its first COM
pl.te Bach program was given when
~ Johns Passion music WAS given
Tor the hrst time in America, 1t Is
FOR its singing of the compositions Of
Bach that it's reputation has been
made The Bach Choir has since de-
voted itself exclusively to the pre-
scmting Of the works OF that COM
poser
The nrsi real Bach Festival took
pace IN 1900. with eighty voices in the
chorus, smaller number than the
Wednesday club has ever had It IS
worthy Of remark that Bach in his OWE,
choir seldom had more than twelve TO
( sixteen voices. Tho growth Of the
bethlehem Bach Choir has been grad
ual: eighty members la 1900, u. mem
bers i'm iru5: the IplN chorus. however,
had gvcW!. 10 2i9 members, rcnarkablv
we'll constituted and with pArticular
attention 10 The balance OF parts: for
example. II had first soprano, forty
three second soprano. thirty-thrce;
his, alto, thirty-sevcn. second alto.
,hitty-ninc: first tenor, nineteen: Sec
ond tenor, twenjy-onc first bass.
twruty-siN; second base, thirty-onc.
The Bach choir is community
chorus 80 per cent OF its singers live
iu bethlehem. the rcmaindc, in ad-
yacent towns and cities. The ono clc-
mcut not local is III, orchestra II is
stated that 700 persons have a. vary
ing periods sung with the choir. which
now includes some veterans Of the
earliest days
Tho authorities i'm the Bethlehem
Bach Choir arc contcnjcd with chorus
Of 80 singers. Nor arc all OF them
cultivated singers singers with
trained voices are no, necessary to
make good chorus pr Wolfe de-
clares he is delighted to have choir
members with only fair voices or even
poor voices, If they possess earnest
ness and spirit There arc no require
mcnts as TO sigh, singing ability" The
above quoted portions are from Ray
mond Walters fascinating descriptive
sketch Of the Bethlehem Bach Choir.
which is well worth a reading by every
ono Interested in the Wednesday Club.
The local "Wednesday club can real