Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-04-03
REAL TREAT BY
PAULIST SINGERS.
FIR. Firms Boy Chorister Give A
Remarkable Concert In
Springfeld.


Springfield.
Writing for the Springfield, tMass)
Union. Ernest Newton Bagg has the
following TO say of the Paulist Choir
istres. who gave a concert there ond
who will give one here in Bladen St.
Armory on Saturday night, April 8:
II will always be a delightful men,
ory to the large and very enthusiastic
audience there last night that Father
William Joseph Finn brought to
Springfield. his beautifully-traine
Paulist Choiristers This eagerly
awaited concert was surely the refine
ment of minsterlsy; for all the sing
ers seemed imbued with the spirit OF
poesy as well as music. and when ac-
compaied at all it was by the modern
equivalent of the traditional harp
or al least the combinations of the
Auditorium organ most nearly repre-
senting it.
Almost no other musical attraction
could have brought out such a large
Lenten crowd of music lovers as that
of last night Not since the Russian
Cathedral lads were here, just two
years ago, has such an important
visiting body of choristers sung in the
Auditorium The Paulist concert was
of more varied character than that
given by the singers from the Ca
thedral of ST. Nicholas.
Then. a more stolid and smaller
group hymned and chanted a somber
liturgical program of the often pom
derous music of the Greco-Russian
church. Last night FIR Firms schol-
arly and always absolute control of
his remarkable tonal forces, just as
complete as that of the Muscovite
leader GorokhOff, seemed far more
benign and cheerfully inspiring. Such
results as he repeatedly secured, for
example, in the stately Russian num-
Der, Praise the Lord" with the truly
wonderful tolling effect of its rising
crecsendo, could mainly be accounted
for in one way-a wise appreciation
of boy nature as well as a just judg-
ment OF its capabilities To get such
results a musician must be rather
more than less a born diplomat, as
well as conductor.
In marked contrast to the red,
black and white vestments of the
Russian choir were the neat cadet
gray uniforms of the Paulists. The
dignity of the soldiery priest with
the baton was an instant reinsurance
of pOise 10 the lads, who, boy-fash-
ion, tumbled somewhat uncerimoni-
ously in their seats. All the world
loves a boy; and these lost nothing
of the respect of their auditors by
proving themselves real boys between
songs. Their leader was shrewd
enough not to keep them under con-
slant restraint. When he raised his
baton for silence, that was another
matter. From then until the end of a
song, they were wholly lost in its in
depreciation; and singing as finished
as theirs one does not often hear
anywhere. Some of the songs were
unaccOmpanied; for others FIR. Finn
himself played the Auditorium organ
effectively. 1t must be recorded here
that his own "Alleluia," which had
to be repeated, was one of the par
ticular gems of an extraordinary rich
program.
In the front rank of those who
watched with almost hypnotic con-
centratiOn the eloquent fingers of FIR.
Firms left hand were two little fell
lows who later stepped from their
choir seats and covered themselves
with glory. William FROST first sang
with astonishing taste and legato
that would be creditable in a sea-
sOntd singer of Oratorio, the obligato
to the quaint old Thee Ships" carol.
FIR. Firms arrangement of the haunt
ing strains of Listen to the Mocking
Bird" was evidently written for the
other boy soloist, Master Hallisey for
that vest-pOcket black-haired soprano
gave an exhibition Of true. sweet.
modulated singing that was almost
unbelievable, with a sustained tone
that no soprano. lad or lady, has ever
equalled here. 1t would be interest
ing to hear him in other solo work
and it is significant that throughout
this tour requests for return pro
grams to include these two singers
have been numerous and insistent.
The choir stood at salute when sing
ing La Marseillaise" and our own
national anthem, led by FIR. Finn at
the organ. Parnell Egan sang the
horid tenor part in Theodore Dubois
Thou Today Shalt Be With Me In
Paradise" English Words and later
andel-like song with excellent eff
feet Frank NJ. DufOrd sang for va
riety's sake two basso solos, There's
a Happy Time Coming When The
Boys Come Home" and out on the
Deep a dash of the rare sprightli-
ness was afforded by the repeated
song The Deil's Ava" in which one
feature was some rarely demoniacal
laughter by a singer in the bass sec
ton. The Paulist Choiristers netter.
as they richly deserve to. a good sum.
the amount of which could not be as
certained last night, for the commend
able cause of restoring DESTROYED
homes in Northern France.