The Washington times., 1921-12-22

The Washington Oratorio Society OF
$50 voices, under it's conductor, Sydney
Lloyd Wrightson, gave 1t on Tuesday
ana Wednesday evenings Of this week
% a free gift to the community, filling
Central High School with two vast au-
diences.
A solo quartet from New York
excellence with four of the leading ora
torio voices Of the country. Judson
House. tenor; Grace Kerns, soprano;
Frieda klink, contaralto, and Fred
Patten. bass. The orchestral back
ground of the oratorio was also splen-
didly given by two Washington mu-
sicians, Harvey Murray. at the organ,
and Claude Robson, at the piano.
The Message.
"The Messiah" is a great spiritual
drama, embracing the glory of crea-
ton, and the tragedy and the tender
ministry that came to the world
through the life of Jesus of Nazareth.
In mighty choral and in most gripping
recitals by solo voices we feel the
drama unfold, its keynote the first
tenor strains, Comfort Ye, My Peo-
pie" its climax the succession Of airs
and chorals that begin with the So
prano,. II Know That My Redeemer
Liveth" and close with the mighty
'Hallelujah Chorus"
To the bass voice is given the role
Of a prophet herald, or so it seemed
with the command, the meaning and
the splendor of voice of Fred Patten.
+, Here was a dramatic imagination with
y power to impress his hearers, MAX
ing a mystery of the Darkness that
covers the earth, from which in grad
ual climax there came the Risen
Lord" building greatly toward the
Light Mr.. Patten is a great artist
and a great singer, with a sincere
feeling for oratorio. His execution in
the vocal passages had meaning al
ways, his voice mirrored the color Of
the words, his sentiment the tender
ness or the fury Of this mighty work,
that reached q profound depth Of
voice.
The Messengers.
The solo voices have each a special
role to interpret. To the tenor is
Hiven the role of comfort, of exhal-
tation and Of deep feeling for this
Man of Sorrow" Judson House has
a rarely lovely tenor voice LOUDLY
pure and free in it's delivery, so that
there was an admirable simplicity in
his message that came as a revela-
ton In the exquisite pathos and SYM
pathy of his Behold and see IL there
be any Sorrow" With the full range
ind power of a dramatic artist his
climax was nobly full voiced.
1t Is the Mother story" that is
given to the contralto, with it's good
tidings, with its deeds of service that
make the blind see. and the Divine
Shepherd feed his flock. Frieda Klink
afr nd Tot tue
with deep rich quality of a true con-
tralto voice. She has done one crafty
Ing hing in giving her phrases with
their poetic import and in voice show
Ing no break in those frequently Chop
ped" measures. Her cadence is the
long musical one, tenderly telling her
story in tone color of meaning, that
was filled with deep feeling and beauty
in the HE was Despised."
Grace kerns, soprano, sang her mes
sage Of hope in purest lyric beauty Of
voice, that has a sweetness and lovely
floating quality, though sometimes a
more dramatic power would have been
more potent. She completed quartet
of artists whom Washington is the
richer for having known. and who have
brought a Christmas message that is
good for us to ponder.
The Great Chorals.
The massive chorus was splendidly
controlled and blended under the force
full baton Of Mr.. Wrightson. Their
singing was clean-cut and fine In in
tonation and color. Their diction re-
markably clear, and there was re-
markable unity that made the words
ring out like single voice in all the
parts.
Rhythmically the great choruses
swayed, impressively and with rever-
snce did they bring several Of the Choir
ules to a close as in The Everlast-
ing Father" of the chorus For Unto
Us a Son 10 Born" and the resonant
close And the Lord" to the clearly
articulated "All We Like Sheep"
II Ia with an effort to expreas the