New Britain herald., 1925-03-09
SWEDISH SINGERS
 PLEASE AUDIENCE
Five ChOruses Combine in Con.
 cert--SolOists Applauded

Five Swedish singing societies. with a combined total of more than 125 voices, mounted the stage at the Senior high school auditorium yes- terday afternoon and provided a sonorous ensemble that aroused the audience to a high pitch of enthus- Ism and admiration. Under the baton of Orvar Rosengren of New Haven, the combined chorus at- tackled it's selections with a precis- ion and confidence rarely excelled in choral work heard in this city. The participating choruses were the Arpi sextct of New Britain, the Orphie Drangar Singing society of Springfield, the Norden Singing so- ciety of Bridgeport, the Apollo Singing society of New Haven and the Swedish Cleo club of Hartford. Miss Anna Wollman. soprano, of 1 Springfield. and Miss Elsa NJ. Nort- strom, violinist, of Worcester. con- tributed individual numbers to the program and gave encores. The choruscs did not give ancores be- cause of desire to remain within the stipulated time-limit of the con- cert. The sololsts were highly ap- preciated part of the program. In addition 10 singing in combina- tion. the various participating so- cieties also sang alone, thus giving hearers an opportunity to judge of their comparative excellence. Which was the superior 1t will remain for the audience 10 judge.
 It was the second annual concert of the combined choruses, forming the Connecticut division of the American Union Of Swedish singers.
 As everyone knows. Swedish Americans foster the art of music consistently and with pronounced success. They are good listeners, but also good performers and good singers. There is difference be- tween being merely good listener and being a good performer or sim ger at the same time. To be an appreciative listener is very much worth while; but the ability to par ticipate in the production Of sweet sounds enhances the pleasure of listening enormously. Next to supplying to himself the essen- tials of living, there is noth- ing that a Swedish citizen re- gards so highly as cultivating music, which accounts for the
 astonishing reservoir of talent among citizens of Swedish birth or extraction. A robust, healthy Swed- ist man, favored by nature with a voice, has a penchant to use it In conjunction with his fellows and goes in for 1t with the facility of a duck taking to water.
 What is equally as important, they have energetic and efficient leaders. Where Swedes foregather in any numbers there is certain to be lead CTS who can utilize available talent and create first class singing society In city like New Britain there are organizations of men in greater numbers than the Swedes can get together, but the latter have tho chorus singers and the others have n't-and that tells the story
 The singers yesterday gave of the best in their repertoire. The num- bers calling for the continued cho- ruses were most pleasing: for an audience dearly loves volume of tone, especially when all the other niceties of performance are added. The two most impressive numbers came last. before the national an- them ended the performance. Fol- lowing was the program:
 "Hor Oss Svea" .... Wennerberg "Sveriges Flagga' .......... Alien Combined choruses of the Sing
 CTS Union, directed by Orvar Roscngren. leader-i chief.
 Aria, "Ah Forse Lui' from "Trayia- ta," Verdi.
 Miss Anna Wollmann
 "Neckrosen' .,........... Fr. Apt. Selected, Norden Singing Society of Bridgeport, directed by
 Henry Nyberg
 "stamning" ...,. Petterson-B Berger "Hiartats Saga" ..... w. Astrom