Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-04-27
JOHN BARNES WELLS
WITH ORPHEUS CLUB
Splendid Audience Approves Con-
cIuding Concert of Local Glee
Club at The Playhouse.

The second concert Of the season by
the Orpheus club at The Playhouse
last night was "A gala affair from all
points of view Not alone WAS there
standing room only" on the lower
floor. but the same condition nearly
obtained in the balcony. and the boxes
were also occupied by the Governor and
staff as special guests of honor. The
state flag WAS displayed adjoining the
Governors box and the national colors
shown on She other side of the atage.
The soloist of the evening was John
Barnes Wells. who is "A favorite with
Wilmington audiences. He sang in
conmendable style three "serious'' se-
lections in the first part of the pro
gram. the Handel 'Whereer You
Walk" the pergolese Nina" and the
old English Sailors Life the latter
rolIicking lay requiring much vocal
dexterity As an encore he gave the
song sweet Little Woman of Mine
In the second part he chose five Of
the songs with which he is particularly
successful. If ] were King" Camp
beIl-Tipton which be had to repeat.
"Serenadc" by oley Speaks; In Foun
tain Court" hy I.usaell and two Of his
own compositions. The Little Bird
and "Wishin and tishin" His effec-
tive enuuciation and delivery made
these much reishod 10y the audience.
who demanded two more of the singers
compositions. "Lightnin' Bug" and i
Wish Could 1.-Two n Thousand Years"
besides Apples ON the Lilac Bush II
is seldom that the approval Of an audi
ence is manifested 50 spontaneously and
3ft.Ff ffft tYf+f "A
ponod last night. ard tn" fact IS worth
recording
Tho selections in which the club an
peared included In the Dessert by
protheror. Il heard a Thrush - cad
man. .-rhe Crusaders by Mac Dowcn
and the Vocal combat" and arrange
ment ~ two well known mclodiea'
Rocked IN the Cradle ~ tho Deep. aud
tho "Youm Remcmher Ne' from the
bohemian Ghle by EaIfe Although
this is a hit of musical foollng in rs
origin. along the liocq of harnoniziug
two distinct nclodife and meters. tho
genius of the arranecr Dudley Buck
produces in this particular case u re-
suit that has almost the cachet of an
original composition Originally done
for the brooklyn, = r. Giee club. of
which he was for mans years director.
il ia especially adapted for the usuai
mems chorus. and was On the whole
the best ensemble number ~ the con
cert last night II is invariably the
case that the expansion u such an Or
ganization as the Orpheus Is frauRht
with some peril - the quality Of its
work. unless rigid training and iuces-
SAINT and serious rehearsals Of I'll the
voices that arc 70 take part in the con-
cert are maintained and enforced
While there is abundance of good ma-
tcrial in the Orphcus membership, the
conditions are not the most favorable
for ass iduous grinding" and polishing
especially In the case Of complex and
dclicatciy shaded compositions. The
harmonious blending Of masaed mems
voices in even the simplest ehorales
constitutes the chief charm q such
renderings 10y any except permanent
organization vigorously disciplined an
r.norselcsssy weodcd out ard no slii
on tho part Of even a majority q 9
casual organization can overbalance tn
defect OF even a few If this he present
no devotion on the part of \ leader car
! overcome the handicap
While a carpiug critic might Justly
/ note some flaws in such exactins CON
rosifions as the Mcdowell Crusaders
and the Cadman setting. the rendering
of the Buck arrangement and tht
/ Schubert "Omnipotence" shows tht
lines along which real. although per-
haps less ambitious success may be at
tained
The other club numbers We're fWher
the corn Is Waving" Wake. Miss
Iindy. "Rrfar Rose and Good Eel
lows. by Bullard
The STEADY increase in the number
Of contributing and associate member
/ snip is very encouraging for the future
~ the Orpheus. which vii doubtless
continue under the regime Of the newly
elected president. Dr Julian AdaIr.