Evening star., 1923-12-19
CHRISTMAS EVENTS
ORATOR|O FEATURE
"DaWn in the Desert" to
Have initial Presentation
Tomorrow Night.

Dawn in the Desert" the Christ
mas oratorio by r. Deane Shure. d.
rector of music of the Mount Vernon
Place NJ E. Church South, VIII be
given it's premiere tomorrow night at
pm. at the Mount Vernon Place
Church This performance Will be
followed by one at Keith's Theater
Friday at 1890 for the benefit of the
Florence Crittenton Home, and a third
Friday night at the church.
The Friday performance has the
backing of the Federation of Churches
and will be attended by many prom
inent people, headed by Mrs Calvin
Coolidge, who will occupy a box with
party Of friends.
The oratorio is unique in that il de-
parts from the usual type of Christ
mas music and is entirely oriental in
it's setting. Mr.. Shure has sought to
picture the events leading up to the
coming of Christ and at the time of
his birth in music typical of that
period. He has employed the oriental
scale very largely and some or ms
harmonies and melodies VIII strike a
new note in Christmas music.
Author of OratoriO Text.
Md. a member of the Monnt Vernon
Place Church, wrote the text of the
oratorio, choosing Scripture passages
as his theme.
Rev. DR.. Clovis G. Chappell will read
the Scriptural passages from which
the verse was written. ....' --
The Mount Vernon Chorus of eighty
voices will be assisted by Mrs: j.
M 10
!, Gill Keefer, contralto; W. Arthur Nc
Coy, tenor; B. Louis Goodyear, tenor;
! J. Benton Webb, baritone; Howard p.
Bailey, bass, and Mrs. Frank A. Frost,
organist.
Personnel of Chorus.
The members of the chorus are
Helen Albright, Elma q. Ansel, Kate
Beam, Blanche c. Breeden, Alice
Burgess, Elsie Burgess. Nina Burgess.
Marie p. Barr, Mrs. F. 'Bunshee, ALA
Clary, Vida Glare, Minnie Carr, Mrs.
w. L. Coffman. Sara l.. Cullen. Miss
Florence B: Callahan. Helen Dayton,
zora Dorroh, Frances A. Dunn, Anna
L. Erickson, j. Bell Fisher. Mar
guerite Fisher, Elizabeth Harris,
Nelsine Howell, Frances Hill. Grace
Kanode, Elsie NJ. Keller. Gretchen
i Lord. Mrs. Robert Lang, Mrs. George
Meerdink, Ella Meyer. Mrs. Rossel
Edward Mitchell, Josephine Moore
| field Lucie A. Murray. Glenola Mus
grave, Mrs. Katherine Ritter. Kath-
Matte L. Scales, Mrs. r. Deane Shure,
/ Mrs. J. L. Smith, Myrtle V. Soper
| Cora Sharp, Mrs. Grace Spangler,
Cora Sisson. Mrs. Earle E. Stacy,
Hazel G. Thompson, c. V. Williams,
| Grace Williams, Miriam Hobensack
A Louise Wisdom, Marguerite A. Nc
Carthy, Mrs. j. J. Stalter. Helen Stoy,
| Priscilla Lazenby. f. A. Armbruster,
X. Frank Barr, ]. Bundy, DR.. Clifton
P. Clark. l.. a. Coffman, w. l. Coff-
Gannaway. F. J. Goensch, l. T. Horn,
| Carl F. KuldelI Oscar F. Kul-
dell, Rossel Edward Mitchell. c.
A. Plummer, Rev. M: i, Rippy,
Rhodes. Charles P. Ruby, T. l. Smith,
Dennis T. swihart. F. n. stricklin. W.
Morrison Taylor and ]. 3. Williams.
1 outline Of Program.
The program of the oratorio is as
follows:
PART ONE.
| Prelude, Mrs. Frost; chorus. "Je-
| hova's Warning; duet, 1.-The People
| That Walked in the Shadows" Mrs.
Rice and Mrs. keefer; bass solo and
| quartet, How Fair on the Slopes of
the Mountain" Mrs. Rice, Mrs. Keefer,
Mr.. Coy and Mr.. Bailey; tenor solo,
"Arise, Arise, in Day-Dawning Glory
Mr.. Goodyear; chorus, "a Fruitful
Branch" baritone solo, 1.-THE Valley
Of the Slain," Mr.. Webb.
PART TWO.
Bass solo and male chorus. Desert
March," Mr.. Bailey and Mount Yer
non male chorus; contralto solo, t'The
| Song of Mary Mrs. Keefer; soprano
solo, THE Harps of Heaven" Mrs.
Rice; chorus of women. THE Divine
Lullaby; chorus. How Right on the
Hillsides"; male quartet, Hail,
Heavenly Babe" Mr.. Mccoy, Mr..
Goodyear. Mr.. Webb and Mr.. Bailey;
chorus, worthy Art Thou"
The entire work will be sung from
photostat copies of the original man.
uscript of the composer.
Mr. Shure will direct all three per
! ItVrmancts.