Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-01
STRAWBRIDGE CHORUS
IN FINE PRODUCTION
Victory Concert Proves Delight
Both in Its Excellent Singing
and Beautiful Tableaux

The Victory concert Of the Strawhridge
X tlothicr Chorus at the Academy Of Music
last evening proved a delight both to the ear
and the eye and exceedingly beautiful as
well as entertaining. The chorus. under the
baton Of Dr. Herbert i. Tily. showed the
results Of the long and careful training it
has had and displayed hcXibity aud an
accuracy as well Ms beauty of ton" rar" in
any except n highly trained professional
body OF singers.
There were several unusual features of
the program which. though apparently long.
was in reality short aud we'll aud con-
Sstently constructed that the audience never
for Il moment tired Of it. Ont Of fourteen
numbers. thirteen of them 10y the chorus.
three were by local composers. these being
ii. Alexander Matthews. Camille W. Iprk-
wcr aud Doctor Tily himself In addition.
Victor Ilerbert's ''Cnl 10 Freedom was
sung and Doctor TiIy. pcrr"iving the COM
poser in the audience. requested him tu come
on the stag" aud conduct his own rompo-
sition. which he did with much spirit re
spending to an encor" with II "lever little
speech.
Then there were Tia" tableauN viyant.
which were given in manner that riyaled
an instructive and altogether beautiful fea
ture of the evenings program Between
each number Robert H. burhim spoke
Il few words. telling Of the relation of the
forthcoming musical number or tableau to
the history of our country. In fact. the
entire evening WAS devoted To retrospect
Of the nations history in song verse and
tablrau, and each WAS well done that
il is hard TO say which fcatur" was most
enjoyed
The program opened with setting Of
kipling's R""essi"nal. 10y II. Alexander
Matthews. for chorus. tenor solo. organ and
orchestra. The work is we'll constructed in
strict church style and. despite its length.
made very good imprrssion This was
followed by the Indian Love Song of
lieuranre. sung by the chorus with organ
accompaniment and this in turn by the
first cappella chorus of the evening. Drink
to Me Only With Thine Eyes, represent
ing. respectively. tho aboriginal and south
ern Colonial days. The tablcaux. The In
dian and The Wooing Of rorahontas. -
were shown successfully after these num-
berS
The New England contribution to our
civilization was then illustrated hv the sing
ing of the Psalm 100 aud the Puritan YER
sion of "bd Hundred" " given hv the chorus
Ni'i w Suh' NV accompanying tADleHuN
were ''rho Pilgrims and "rhc Puritsns.'
two picturesque and Iifeikc representations.
The Quaker cam" next. with fine tableau
civilian Penn and tho Indians" followed
by n splendid rendition of the The Minuet g"
charming number from Camille w Ieck-
wer'S cantata. THE MisrhiauZs. " given by
the chorus and orchestra. This was followed
by another lovely picture. ''rhe Mnuet :"
Then cam" the Revolution, with two pictures
all
ington. General Washingons March," a
composition popular in the early post Revo-
lu'ionary days. was well played on the
Academy organ by Henry s. FRY as was
possible with the somewhat dubious instru-
ment at his command
The Civil War was next in order with
deep River. negro spiritual. and Root :
Battle Cry of Freedom both sung by the
chorus with fine spirit aud intonation The
tableaux accompanying it were 1.-The Cotton
Field. "Thr Boys of 81 and ''Emancipa
tiOn.
Doctor Tily's '"rc Dcum Iaudamus, for
chorus. orchestra and organ. which came
next is fine composition, which, as a mat
ter of fact. compared very favorably with any
number on tn" program. II is we'll written
for the Voices. of excellent melOdic mat atcrial
and carries out I" Il degree the spirit of the
words. The harmonizatlon is along classic
lines. but is in full keeping with the emo
tional content of tho melodies and the text
As noted on the program. it was Orchpstrated
by Victor Herbert and was received with
great applause by the audience. as it de-
served to be. for il is a most excellent piece
of composition from every standpoint. The
beautiful tableau. "libcrtI Enlightpning the
World. came Immediately at the close. and
after the light went again Doctor Tily
was Obliged TO acknowledge the applause
which his work oVuk kcd.
Then came Mr. Herbert : chorus directed
by the composer. II is Il modern. vigorous
composiion orrhpStratCd so heavily in the
brass and percussion that the voices are often
entirely lost in the riot of sound from these
penetrating instruments. The climax at the
end is good and was given with fine effect
Nav Ebrcy IIotz sang the soprano solo part
with fine tone and volume of voice and was
pcrsonally congratulated by Mr.. Herbert at
the close. This Vas followed by Fay Foster :
song. "Thc Americans Come. and after the
nirture ''Virtory." th" Hymn of Peace and
Good WILL" by Fisher: the tableau "Peace''
and the singing Of tn" Star Spanged Ban
nor closed the entertainment.
Outside of the credit which must go TO
Doctor TiIy aS the moving spirit of the
Struwbridgp & Clothier Chorus for the more
thon highly rrcdtabIe performance, not only