Evening star., 1947-12-30
by Alice Eyersmon

The Cathedral Choral Society
raised the standards of choral sing
ing up quite a notch in the pro-
gram given last night IN the Wash
ington Cathedral. 1t was music
that required the daring OF the
director, Paul Galloway, to think OF
producing, and hard work and un-
shakable musicianship on the part
of the singers to present it ntelll-
gently. An audience that crammed
every corner of the ediflce was there
to hear it, drawn also by the tact
that the distinguished composer
Paul Hindemith, would be present
to conduct his own work, Frau
Musica" or, in the English trans
lation, I'm Praise of Music"
Considering that Mr.. Hindemith
was able to make one of his rare
visits to Washington, it was a pity
that not more than one of his tlne
choral works was to be given. 1t
would have been of great interest
to hear others such as his "Das
Marienleben," so appropriate fol
the season, or even The Last Judg-
ment," commissioned for the SYM
postum on Music Criticism held at
Harvard University in May. For it
l. is natural that there would be spe-
cial infections that he could bring
to the Interpretation beyond the
very fine analysis that Mr.. Gala
way had made of I'm Praise OF
Music"
AS it was, Mr.. Hindemith sue
ceeded, in the short time it took to
present his work, in creating real
climax to the program. His personal
vivacity is reflected in his music
and in his conducting. he infused
rhythms and effects with a sharper
outline. In Praise OF Music" be-
longs to the period of his Gebrauch-
smusik, the objective of which was
to make both listeners and per-
formers equally active in partici-
patton. To this end, a lew meas
ures at the beginning and longer
section at the end, required the
audience singing with the Choral
Society. A sheet of this music was
included in all the programs and
Mr.. Hindemith rehearsed the audi
ence, having the choral singers first
sing it to give the idea. The COM
posers music is difficult enough for
an experienced group and not easy
for any whole hearted voicing by a
mixed audience. Although the au-
dience was willing to collaborate,
the effect was not so generous in
sound as the composer would have
wished.
1t Is a beautiful work of its genre.
There is present that sense of COM
pleteness that is so characteristic of
Hindemith's style. 1t is like small
painting where the four sides of its
frame surrounds a wealth of per-
fectly wrought detail. 1t has a soar
ing quality created by the COM
poser's keen instinct for vocal color
and for the preponderance of i'm
portsnce given the text over the
accompaniment. Yet there were
choice DTS Tor the instruments Sucn
as the flute and clarinet duet fol-
lowing Then little birds begin to
sing" What is more striking still
is the vitality of the music which
was realized excellently by the
singers under Mr.. Hindemith's in
spring direction.
A first performance anywhere was
given to Douglas Allanbrook's "Te
Deum" and the composer had come
to Washington to hear it. Strong
ly pointing his effects with percus-
sion instruments and rather
heavy piano tone, he startles by the
transference of the familiar hymn
of liturgical ancestry to modern
idion, sharp and fame-like in its
intensity. To ears accustomed to
a joyous and softer expression of the
song of praise, the insistency of this
music in some ways defeats the
meaning of the text. Mr.. Allan
brook, young as he is, has already
a mastery writing style, vivid ideas