Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-09
CHORUS FESTIVAL
ACHIEVES TRIUMPH.
Mrs. Hoover Among Large
Audience at Concert at
s Central High.

A group of 90 Washington church
choirs and other choral organizations
combined several hundred voices in the
presentation of the third annual MaSseo
Chorus Festival Concert, under the au-
spices of the Washington Church Music
Council and the District of Columbia
Federation of Music Clubs at Central
High School last night. Mrs Hoover at
tended
The guest conductor was Frederick
Alexander. director of the Conservatory
of Music, at the Michigan State Normal
College. The guest artist was Sylvia
Lent, youthful Washingtonian who IS
firmly established as leading violinlSt.
Miss Lent's appearance alone merited a
capacity audience. AS it was she quite
evidently was granted the personal hon
ors OF the evening as soon as she had
played the first phrase OF her opening
selection. the audience giving eloquent
tribute of motionleSs attention.
Her capacity as a skillful artist with
smoothly balanced control of harmonics,
cnrnmaticS and the intricacies of double
stopping have come to be taken for
granted. Even SO, last night Miss Lent's
bow seemed to show increased adroit-
ness in the sustaining of rich tone color
and her fingers were amazing in their
agility and accuracy. She was excel
George H. Wilson.
Miss Lent'S Numbers.
Miss Lent gave as her regular selec-
tons SammartiniS *Canto AMBROSE, %
rancoeur-KreiSler'S "Cicilienne ct Ri
gaudon" and "Habanera," by Sarasate.
Her encores we're Spanish Serenade,"
by Chaminade, as arranged by KreiSler
and Sarasate'S arrangement of Chopin'S
'Nqcturne in E Flat" The young vio-
linfst hurried to Washington fyom
Plattsburg, where she had just given a
concert.
The National Capital also can show
tustifiable pride in the number of really
fine voices that are receiving obviously
intelligent training as. evidenced by the
performance last night. There was no
old-fashioned shrieking at the. top of
voices for fortissino effects; there were
no dominating solo voices in spite Of
the fact that many Of the city's lead
ing soloistS were singing in the big
ensemble group. Nicely balanced tone
color for all the voices was blended
into admirable effects. mostly cap
pella and frequently pianissimo. The
only really dramtic work which gave
the voices in full volume and with
we'll managed crescendos was Gounod's
BY Babylon's Wave" which was the
little contrast in the other choral num-
bers, most of them having pastel tints
musically, rather than using the full,
strong colors of the voices.
MFR. Alexander proved highly
capable leader with ideas not unlike
those Of. John Finley Williamson of
Dayton, Ohio, in the effects desired
He chose an admirably Shert program
of highly worthy compositions. It YVES
ovyiSn I3a he
ton on the part of local choir and
choral leaders in preparing these works,
for while they showed the unified
color and phrasing necessary under
one dominatn leader, they also showed
thorough preparation.
Boys Win Interest.
The 100 small boys, 8 to IL years of
age, and 20 young yiolinists, who ap-
peared under Josef Kaspsr's guidance
for the Bach Zion Heard Her watch
mems Voices" won the sympathetic in
terest Of the audience. The large chorus
was gracefully and effectively intro
duced in Bach's chorale, GLORY Now
to Thee Be Given" sung blythe church
choirs. The group had been preceded
by a brief address of welcome made by
admirable performance of Bach'S organ
prelude, .tSarabande,@ by Charlotte
Klein, one of Washington's leading or
ganiStS. Miss Klein also proved most
helpful, although completely unobtru-
sive, in the piano part occasionally re-
quired In the choral selections.
The chotrs were particularly good in
Tschaikowsky's Christ When a Child"
and the twelfth century crusaders
women's chorus proved that Brahms
choral numbers can be light and charm
ing rather than heavy and stodgy. They
sang his Love Song" and 'eBarcarolle"
very well indeed. The George Washing
ton University Glee Club gave a group
Of interesting lighter numbers in pol
ished glee club fashion. Vocally the
event of the evening was the final
chorus. which could well have stood
repeating.
The program last night was satisfy
Ing and encouraging. 1t was not
Snowy program, but 1t presented beau
tiful music admirably prepared and
should prove corner stone in the
founding of truly musical National
Capital.
The organizations participating in
clude: hurcheS-Calvary Baptist, CAL
vary M. E.. Epworth M. e. South First
Congregational, First Reformed, Gunton-
Temple Memorial Hamline M. E., KEEL
1dI MeHloIidI LuCHeTdn, Mchenuree M
E.. Mount Pleasant Congregational. st.
Adams Episcopal, st. Andrews Episco-
pal. Takona Park Presbyterian, Trinity
M. E., Vermont Avenue Christian, Yves
ley M. E., Mount Tabor M. p; the
Chaninade Glee Club. choir Of Esther
Chapter, o. e. S.; Elizabeth Somers
GIee Club, George Washington Girls
Giee Club and Mems Glee Club, Rho
Beta Chapter, Mu Phi Epsilon Club
Rubinstein Club. Womenis City Club
Chorus, Gospel Mission class, Organist
Guild Chorus, National Oratorio So
ciety. and the Vienna Music Club.