Evening star., 1927-05-25
I M u SIC
SAMUEL GAINES CONDUCTS.

The idea or presenting guest con-
ductors. especially composers who also
have the gift and training that make
q good conductor, seems to be spread
ing in Washington. AT the Willard
Hotel last night Samuel Richards
Gaines, American composer who has
been especially associated with choral
. conducting and is most noted for his
writings for chorus, was guest con-
ductor of the Rubinstein Club at the
final concert of the season. The large
ballroom of the hotel was filled to
capacity, quite the largest audience
that has gathered for one of these
concerts for many moons. Never, I'M
less in its riiuch-taiked-of earlier
days" has this organization appeared
TO such fine effect as last night. With
the exception of the first group, the
evening both musically and from
conductorial point of view was Mr..
Gaines.
In this first group. which was con-
Quoted by Mr.. Robson. the numbers
included 20 Memorable" by the Rev.
DIR. Abel l.. Gabert. former head of
the ecclesiastical musical department
OF Catholic University, now organist
and director of the Grenoble Cathe.
dral. France; Sing We of Love-" by
local musical activities and director of
the Rubinstein Club 1915-16. and
Rose Baby" with words by Jessica
Tabler Benham, formerly active, now
an associate member of the club, and
the music written by Arthur Tregina,
formerly a member of the Marine
Band.
The guest soloist of the evening
was Herman Fakler, a young Wash
ington baritone. who not only has
fine quality of voice and good enuni-
cation, but seems to have captured
the real art of singing a song. He
seemed at his best last night in
Grieg's Itch Liebe Dich," the beau
tiful Coleridge- Taylor Life and
Death" Robinson's arrangement of
Water Boy" and the works by two
American composers, Florence Tur-
ner- -Maley's, "1'll Follow YOU" and
John Prindle Scotts Romeo in
Georgia"
The remainder of the evening was
Mr.. Gaines, as has been noted, and
he made the most of it. 1t was
amazing to find what this man, who
has not been in Washington for
more than 80 years, could do with
long established choral group in two
rshearsais. The audience last night
found Mr.. Gaines the possessor of
an enthusiastic, magnetic personality,
an unusually able interpreter of his
own works and a conductor of that
high grade of ability that only
combination of native talent and
years of experience, with an increas-
tf1gly broad and understanding out
look on life, can give.
The Rubinsteir Club here has pre-
scented Mr.. Gaines "Seraphic Song"
based on the familiar Rubinstein's
"Kammenoi Ostrow," before, but 1t
sang it last night. The well bal
ailced parts for the middle voice, of
which Mr.. Gaines himself spoke with
such emphasis on giving body and
color to the whole, was brought out
and the shading of tone was subtle.
The soloist. Edith White, who has
rich genuine contralto quality of
voice, phrased her part artistically.
Arsenic Ralon played the violin
obligato with feeling, and both his in
strument and the piano, played by
Pauline Knoeller, were merged into
the whole tonal picture. 1t was a fine
performance.
Even more interesting were the
choral effects Mr.. Gaines obtained in
his group of four, songs, written in
folk song style. The long sustained
finale of the Norwegian EARLY Vio-
lets" was done in clean, well built
style. The Scottish "Heatherbloom
and Heatherglade," with its gay, ty-
pical tempo and melody, was sung
with lightness, compele blending of