Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-12-29
HANDEL MESSIAH
FINELY RENDERED
Community Chorus Assisted by
Orphcus Club. New York Solo
lists and Orchestra.

~ great WAS the success OF yesterday
afternoon 5 performance at The Playhouse
of liandels Christmas oratorio, The
Messiah that plans for similar festival
NJ Easter, when Haydn's Creation
viii he offered were announced by officials
of the Wilmington Community Chorus.
They also stated that there will be no
rehearsal this evening, on account OF Harry
BarnhaIt having to conduct the Christ
mas concert IN Buffalo on that evening.
From the musical and popular stand
point. Yesterdays Messiah WAS by far
the most noteworthy performance of this
classic composition that has ever been
gwen il this city. The Community
Chorus WAS augmented for the occasion
bv number of voices from the Orpheus
Club In all, three hundred singers
were maSscd on The Playhouse stage,
special tiers of seats rising toward the
back having been constructed by tom-
munitv' efforts, starting IN on SATURDAY
Just before midnight. The rise OF the
curtain shortly after $50 disclosed inc
women, garbcd in white at the front, the
men at the back with Conductor harry
Farfhart, pianist, Fred Natson ana thc
string orchestra Of half a dozen pieces IN
,l, ,cnter The space IN front OF the
toothrhts WAS banked with holly and pine
b,,pchcs IN which strings of miniature
,a,,,.tr,r bulbs. red white and blue, were
cutwIned
b,le shepherds Watched Their Flooks
bv Night WAS the opening selection of
tie Chrlstmas carols, sung by the chorus,
afel which the lights were lowered while
thr orchestra intoncd the opening strains
+, thc r,-itatIvc for tenor Comfort Ye
n, r,opic, and the ARA Every Valley.
'Ih. .aiosst. Henry W. Bastaw, of New
A.te has voice and method well fitting
I'm rr the role, and hls rendering WAS
Vers elective.
ihe chorus, which had during the
SEM darkness donned slips Of a mystic al
b.. .hadc over their other garments.
fol we'd with the two fugal numbers,
Md the Glory of the Lord, and Unto
laa Cmld Is Born. IN which the long and
sever practise of the last three months
w:y- shown to have produced excellent
results.
The special added feature of pagcantry
wa~ introduced at tins point, to the music
81 thc Pastoral symphony, in the person
III twenty stately white robed maidCns
with rainbow tnted scarves and head
dresses. who filed IN from the wings,
after two men IN shepherds costume had
llctt the candles on two standards st
rither side. They stood while the reader
TOOK her stand and read from the scroll
,hc scripture account of the Nativity
rhc vhte-robcd singer Miss Gertrude
Aud then began the celebrated rccit8tivc
There Wcrr Shepherds Abiding follow
,d b, tho other numbers Of the part The
professional nlaidcns IN the meantime
had dispersed among tho audience, col
lcctng the offering. which WAS deposited
In the baskets on their return from the
quest, IN = simulated mangcr at the front
az the stage
The soprano solo, II Know That NV
Rcdesmer Ldvpth" Was here introduced
and was sung with much distinction by
Miss Gertrude Aud, Of New York. This
was followed by the chorus numbers,
The kingdom Of This World. " Worthy |
" the Lamb, and the "HaGfulah,
tona fashion While they remained I
standing, the chorus sang 'Adeste Fdclcs
and joy IN the World. the curtain
coming down on the latter selection.
The music and the ceremonial held the /
rapt attention Of the crowded house during /
Shc hour and a quarter II occupied, And /
was very much impressed with the per /
formance. which was admitted TO be the I
most complete ever gwen N Wilmington.
4 souvenir program, Of fifty-six pages,
with portraits Of the soloists and officers, I
was distributed at the door, and contained 4
the Names OF the chorus members snd
the Egyptian Girls, as well as the I
contributors 70 the fund.
The costume effects and properties
were provided by the cooperation Of the
Buffalo Community Chorus. The de-
tails 81 the production were looked after
hv various committees. and the fact that
tins was done hv the membership entirely
shows that the community spirit leaven
s working on the Wilmington material. I