Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-25
M u S &c
BY HELEN FETTER.

as the players read the yellowed
bits Of paper and sent the chorales
floating down to the festival
crowds clustered beneath the
tower. The view from this tower
is superb and has added value
with the dignity Of the framing
arches.
The members of the trombone
choir include: Charles Beckel
Earl Bruch, Grant Gresham, Fred
Sawyer, William Miller, Spurgeon
Sigley, Andrew Maurer, Russell
Sigley, Harry Miller, Fred Mease,
Matthew Morris, George Sigley,
Richmond Myers and Raymond
Haupert.
At the conclusion Of the next
to last chorale, the choir descends
to the chapel proper and plays
the final chora1e at the back OF
the church. It Is q tradition that,
with the fading of the last note
of this last chorale, DR.. Wolfe
leads his chorus into the flrst note
of the first work given inside the
chapel. This is always particu-
larly dramatic with the Saturday
afternoon session when 1t Is the
brilliant opening phrase Of the
stupendouS "Kyrie" Of the mass
in B Minor" that follows the from
bone choir's last note.
In the opening trombone pro-
gram Friday was listed q chorale
that DR.. Wolfe told the writer was
to be the chorale in the first can
tata to be given in the festival
May 1915, 1891. It was the
chorale "Jesu, Joy Of Mans De-
string" from cantata No. lat.
TT was b particularly rare priv
ilege this year to hear 10 can
tatas, all new to this choir, which
has been singing various OF the
works Of Johann Sebastian Bach
for "a festivals. Next year will
be q very special occasion, for It
will mark q quarter Of O century
of such festivals. This Is the only
place in the United States where
music lovers can hear the COM
plicated and beautiful works Of
this master given in such variety
and given authentic readings. DR..
Wolfe has long been acknowledged
to be b master interpreter Of these
compositions. He draws the great
est variety Of color quality In the
tonal effects from this chorus Of
between 400 and 800 voices. He
achieves fiexibility and infuses
life into what many make dry and
dull. There Is the powerful drama
of the great Mass in B Minor"
that seemed even more impressive
this year than ever before. The
soloistS were all good. Arthur
Racket, q dramatic tenor well
known for operate work In Wash
ington, both with the Chicago and
Washington companies, was espe-
cially good in his reading Of tenor
solos in the mass. This was Mr..
Hackett's first year with the choir.
Esther Dale, soprano, also in her
first appearance with the Bach
Choir, acquitted herself verySwell,
and Charles Trowbridge Tittmann,
Washington's bass, who has been
singing at 80 many of these fes-
rivals that he confesses he has
lost track Of them, showed his
usual powerful tone and anthem
ITCHY Of Interpretation both In the
mass and in solos In the cantatas
given on Friday. Arthur Kraft,
another veteran festival soloist,
also won particular laurels.
The 10 cantatas showed the
contrasting themes and treatment
used by Bach to marked ad-
vantage. DR.. Wolfe had shown
thoughtful discrimination In the
way in which he arranged the
Friday program so as to balance
the cantataS which gave the solo,
lists most opportunity with those
that featured the choral parts.
The contrast in mood also was
Skillfully arranged to best effect.
There is no doubt, however, that
excellent as most Of the SoloistS
were, the festival audience listened
most keenly for the choir on each
appearance and 1t was, quite Just
ly, the choir that was the feature
of each performance. The audi
ence, too, joined in traditional
fashion, standing to the chorales
which closed each cantata.
It was an inspiration to meet
DR.. Wolfe himself Just as he was
going from his car into the back
door of the chapel in the inter-
mission before the end OF the
mass, and grasp the magnetic
right hand that draws great organ
tones or softest pianissimo from
the choir. His blue eyes twinkled
with the nervous alertness that
Is one Of DR.. Wolle's chief charac-
teristics, and his smile was con-
stantly fitting between words as
he talked rapidly, greeting one
after another Of the choir as they
went in to take their places on
the raised tier of seats, or greeting
friends attending the festival.
There were, for this writer at
least, two memorable climaxes Of
perfect music during the festival.
The first came on Friday night,
when, just preceding the last of
the 10 cantatas, the choir sang
very softly, without any accom-
panifnent, the impressive chorale,
"World, Farewell" in memoriam of
James Crosby Brown, formerly on
| the executive committee and d
guarantor.
The other equally beautiful
moment, came in the Anal pas
sages of the "Crucif1xus" in the