The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-05-07
SINGERS WERE LAUDED
ORPHEUS CLUB WELL RE-
CEIVED IN MILL CITY
Musical Critic of the Minneap-
oils journal Speaks In
High Praise
From Fridays Daily.
VICTOR NILSSON.


Minneapolis Journal: che Orpheus
club of Mankato last night gave its
first concert In Minneapolis at the
First Baptist church and was greet
ed by large and heartily apprecia-
tive audience. This male chorus Of
about IS voices is an organization In
which Mankato takes pardonable
civic pride and its appearance here
local appreciation of what Is being
done unsteady In other Minnesota
towns, while for the Orpheus club 1t
must serve as a spur to accelerated
progress for the future. Minnesota is
fast getting famous for choral sing
ing of the very best, both by mixed
and male choir.
Yet the Orpheus club did NOT come
here To- mike local d gariizatioEs ioox
to their laurels but to demonstrate
how heartily its members are devot-
ed to the cult Of Polyhymnia. In Mrs.
H. A Patterson the club possesses
musical live wire who vigorously
insists on precision Of attack ana
excellent results in articulation and
phrasing. While the vocal endow-
ment of this ensemble Of male voIces
is by no means exceptional it is
quite satisfactory, yielding a tonal
quality at all times pure, volumin-
GUS and well balanced. In phrasing
and general Interpretation it was felt
that the intelligence Of the club fully
stood behind the initiative Of the
leader. In Mrs. Wilbur D. Taylor the
club has faithful and watchful &C
companist. -
The program in choice and merits
of it's compositions was rather the
weak point. It could boast such gems
as Huhn's "Invictus," Goes Flow
Gently, Sweet Alton" and Gibson's
Immortal Spirit of Song" but near
ly all the rest was made UP Of quite
mediocre compositions besides many
extras with no pretensions at must
cal value. Too many were not choral
compositions, but only more or less
acceptable arrangements for male
voices. The club has the merit Of
almost to the last man singing the
texts from memory. With this &C.
genuine part singing Of intrinsically
lyric nature. "Stars of a Summer
Night" sung extra with much can
dor, was almost the only capella
singing done.
The club gave several numbers
with opportunities Cor its soloists.
Thus DR.. S. N. Weir quite effective
ly sang the barytone solo on "Tor-
eador, Hollah," which, by the way, is
not by Bizet. In Immortal Spirit OF
Song" J. G. Kendall, with sentiment
and taste, sang the solo responses
to the soprano work of Lora Luis.
dorff, while under the Desert Stars"
was a duet with piano accompant-
ment effectively sun by DR.. H. ].
Lloyd, tenor, and G. w. Shoemaker,
barytone.
Miss Lulsdorff, the gifted mezzo
soprano. perhaps not in the best of
vocal disposition, contributed group
of her interesting song interpreta-
tons, succeeding particularly in
Homer's Grieg like "Sing to Me.
Sing" and in one of her extras,
Down In the Forest" by Donald.
Her former townsmen of the choral
club who so courteously greeted their
soloist by rising upon her entrance
must have noticed how the audience
liked best the difficult Cyril Scott
song, 1.-THE Unforeseen" and insisted
upon its repetition. Helen Schmitt
played the Accomplishments for Miss
Lulsdorff.
The Orpheus club will give con-
cert at Mankato theatre on Tuesday
night, May 4.