Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-25

SreaI SCeel WOIkS CLldo cuB
i gest the tunnels of O feet OF
ships In a busy harbor. On the
hills above nestle the buildings Of
Lehigh University. Between these
hills and the valley, perched or
the gentlest and lowest slope OF
the university campus, Is Packer
Memorial Chapel. It Is in this OLD
Moravian Church of Bethlehem
Pa, where the Bach Choir pre-
sents its world-famous festivals.
The little chapel holds her
slender shoulders proudly erect
clad as they. are, In heavy ivy
The primnesEof their sharp lines
Is softened both by the ivy and
the panels of blazing jewels that
the stained-glass windows provide
during the evening sessions. 1t is
no wonder that each year the
number of music pilgrims to Beth
lehem grows larger, and the
chosen 1900 who pack every
Granny in the little chapel for
each session have q companion
group of several hundred more
who stand close around the doors
and sit in masses on the steps and
along the outside walls to hear the
music.
Every hotel in the town is filled
with guests and many of the
homes are opened to accommodate
visitors. It is a gala occasion,
this festival, and the streets are
crowded with high-powered cars
of the many distinguished persons
who come from every State in the
Union, and even from Europe, to
attend these festivals. Probably
the outstanding lion Of the occa-
sion this year, at the festival held
last week end-aside, Of course,
from DR.. Wolfe and his amazing
choir-was Ossip Gabrilowitsch,
conductor of the Detroit SYM
phony Orchestra and for several
seasons a guest conductor Of the
Philadelphia Symphony Orches-
ira. Mr.. Gabrilowitsch held his
own particular court on the cam
pus between sessions.
There is genuine atmosphere"
as the artists call 1t, to Bethlehem
and everything connected with
the Bach Festival. There is ru-
NOR of efforts to acquire a larger
auditorium to accommodate the
additional hundreds who would
gladly 60 to Bethlehem II there
were q chance of getting seats to
hear the festival. Such an audi
forum doubtless would replace
the ifnprovised seats on benches
and folding chairs that augment
the none too comfortable pews in
the present chapel, with COM
fortably upholstered seats. Such
an auditorium also might lessen
considerably the annual deficit
caused by the present discrepancy
between funds raised from the
present seating capacity and those
required to pay the 80 men in the
orchestra, who come from Phila-
delphia for the festival; the solo,
lists and other incidental expenses.
AS 1t Is, the guarantors have quite
a problem. This year the particu-
lar patron who has previously
made it possible, financially, to
have a public rehearsal with the
orchestra, did not make the usual
provision. AS q result, there was
no such rehearsal and there were
moments when things did not CO.
ordinate as smoothly between Or
chestra and choir as has been no
ticed on previous occasions. 1t
seems a pity to have all these
things so dependent upon gener-
Gus individuals when an organiZa-
ton such as the Bach Choir has
so completely established itself as
a thoroughly artistic and valuable
music asset to the country itself.
It certainly merits the organized
support that 1t Is seeking. Every
member of the choir gives his or
her services. For months in adj
vance the choir meets and de-
votes one or more evenings q week
to rehearsals. Such cheerful sac
rifces on the part of the choir in
vites even national cooperation.
AL conditions this year seemed
particularly favorable for q
successful festival. The weather
OF the first day, Friday, was q bit
gloomy, but ever so often the sun
Sfniled through and there was no
rain. Saturday the weather was
perfect. This year no parking of
cars was allowed within the uni
versity grounds, so guests passed
through the iron grilled gates up
to the campus to stand or sit
about on the grass, while the
trombone choir played the usual
four or five chorales preceding the
opening of each session.
1t was an unusual privilege to
the writer of this column, this
year, to be invited to ascend, with
the trombonists the ITS rickety,
winding steps into the tower OF
Packer Memorial Church and
stand In the shelter of the rough
wall between two of the beauti-
fully simple Gothic arches and
watch the choir as they played
There were the tiny soprano
trombones, the longer tenor in
struments and the very long bass
ones. Some were silver and others
gilded. Nearly every one Of them
was engraved with a name and
date. This trombone choir is the
outstanding tradition of Beth
lehem. From the days of the
founding of this community by
Count Won Zinzindorf, there hat
been a trombone choir to perform
on all important occasions for the
Moravian Church. This year wai
unusual in that the full choir Of
II members was present for thu
festival. Six of these men repre-.
.nx& H. Aftto cauara fio,, ~ that,