Scan 31
Musical Courier 1901-12-25: Vol 43 Iss 1135, 1901
18 lines. Read by computer on 26 September 2026. Printed page 32. See the scan on archive.org.
1MUSIC IN BROOKLYN.
3Institute Christmas Concert.
5The Children's Christmas concert which the Brooklyn Institute arranged for last Saturday afternoon attracted indeed many more grown up people than it did juniors. Two of the most popular singers, Mrs. Katharine Fisk and Gwilym Miles, appeared in a program that appealed quite as much to older people as to boys and girls. Many of the children of Christendom may love music, but three or four days before Santa Claus Day they are thinking more about dolls and sleighs and the goodies than they are about music. Still it was not the fault of children that more of them were not taken to the concert. The Saturday before a day like Christmas is a busy one for mothers, and considering this the audience which assembled to hear this interesting concert was one of fair size. It is a pity that the committee neglected to decorate the bare stage for such an occasion. At its best, Association Hall is an ugly auditorium, and giving a Christmas concert in a place unadorned with a single tree or holly berry rather emphasized the cheerless character of the place and caused more than one person to comment upon the lack of Christmas cheer. But the two magnetic singers soon changed the depressing atmosphere. Mrs. Fisk was radiant in a gown of Nile green shimmering silk, with cut jet and silver white fringe. To the rows of boys and girls seated near the stage in the centre of the hall the charming singer sang three groups of songs, fourteen altogether, counting one encore, and many of these delighted the older people as well.
7The first group of songs sung by Mrs. Fisk included "The Walking Bell," by Schumann; "Sandmännchen" ("The Little Dustman"), by Brahms; "Noël," by Thomas, and "Butzemann," by Lambert. The songs in the second group were "The Dandelion," by Chadwick; "Little Boy Blue," "Violets" and "An Open Secret," by Woodman. The third list began with "The Minuet," by Fairlamb; then followed two songs by Brewer, "The Little Bird" and "There Was an Old Woman," and then two songs by Jessie Gaynor, "The Discontented Duckling" and "The Gingerbread Man." For an encore, Mrs. Fisk sang Brewer's cradle song, "Rockaby Dearie." The little folks beamed upon the singer, and she in turn smiled at them and enunciated most distinctly the words of the songs intended especially to convey the excitement and surprises attending Christmas. Her voice never seemed sweeter or fresher than it did last Saturday while singing for those fortunate Brooklyn boys and girls.
9Mr. Miles sang only one number for the juveniles, an "Animal Song," by Shelley, in which the singer enumerates the gamut of dumb creatures in Noah's Ark in a most amusing fashion. The remainder of Mr. Miles' solos were familiar Christmas songs, "The Birthday of a King," by Neidlinger; Gounod's "Nazareth," "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear," by Meyer-Helmund, and Adam's "Noël." The last two Mr. Miles sang to harp accompaniment, played by Miss Avice Boxall. Mr. Miles was in good voice, and his resonant baritone and manly style suited well the lofty music by Gounod, Adam and Neidlinger. Miss Boxall played three harp solos, unaccompanied, "Winter," by John Thomas, and two Welsh melodies, "David of the White Rock" and "The Bells of Aberdovey," and particularly pleased the young people with her music. Mrs. Fisk and Mr. Miles closed the concert by singing Arthur Goring Thomas' beautiful duet, "Night Hymn at Sea." Miss Sally Sherwood Betts played the piano accompaniments, and played them sympathetically.
11Poor Brooklyn, like poor Manhattan and dear old London, must endure "The Messiah" during the Christmas season. The Brooklyn performance was given at the Academy of Music last Thursday evening, under the auspices of the Brooklyn Institute. Handel wrote this oratorio in twenty-four days, and it would seem that in one respect a musical composition resembles a literary production—that which is quickest done is hardest to perform. Easy writing makes hard reading; easy composing makes hard singing. It took the poet Thomas Gray seven years to complete his "Elegy in a Country Churchyard," and this immortal poem is one of the easiest to read and remember. Musical Germany naturally prefers Bach to Handel, and that is why perhaps the German critics and musicians generally would walk several miles out of their way to escape hearing "The Messiah." The music for the airs 'Rejoice Greatly' and 'I Know That My Redeemer Liveth' is ridiculous when studied from the standpoint of sacred music, and no matter how well sung, the sublime import of the text cannot be made to fit the florid character of Handel's score. Even that moving aria for the contralto, "He Was Despised," is set in too many notes. But then no one can help this now. It's a hard thing to change the fashion, and so singing societies in English speaking communities will go on singing this threadbare oratorio until the end of time.
13The oratorio in Brooklyn last Thursday night was sung by the Brooklyn Oratorio Society, under the direction of Walter Henry Hall. The soloists were Miss Estelle Liebling, Mrs. Marian van Duyn, Paul Dufault and Whitney Tew. Ellison van Hoose, who was the tenor announced for the performance, was prevented by illness from filling his engagement, and since Mr. Dufault was called upon at the eleventh hour to replace Mr. van Hoose, it would seem unfair to criticise his singing. Miss Liebling continues to surprise her admirers. She is probably the youngest singer who ever sang the soprano solos at a public performance of "The Messiah" in Brooklyn. Her idea of oratorio is correct, as she plainly showed by the broad style of her singing in the two recitatives, "There Were Shepherds," and "The Angel of the Lord." The florid air, "Rejoice Greatly," she sang brilliantly, as was to be expected of her. Mrs. van Duyn's voice has the real oratorio quality, and being a contralto, there is no reason why she should not become one of the leading singers in the country. Her recitatives were beautifully delivered at the performance last Thursday, and into her air, "He Was Despised," she put the moving note of sadness. Although suffering with the grip, Mr. Tew distinguished himself as an oratorio singer. Turning around from the conductor's stand, Mr. Hall asked the indulgence of the audience on behalf of the basso. But for an occasional huskiness there were no apparent shortcomings in the singing of the bass solos. The assisting orchestra, with Gustav Dannreuther as concertmeister, was better than usual. William H. Norton, at the organ, also helped in giving smooth accompaniments. Lastly, too much cannot be said in praise of the choral singing. It was splendid. For the first time the names of the members of the oratorio society were printed upon the house program. The membership list is as follows:
15Soprano.—Miss Florence Allen, Miss L. O. Brown, Miss Ida Brown, Miss A. E. Buck, Miss G. B. Bulkley, Miss Anna B. Boleschka, Miss Katherine E. Blossom, Miss L. Cordts, Mrs. Howard W. Connelly, Miss Dora S. Clark, Miss K. A. Cushman, Miss E. R. Clark, Mrs. J. G. Carine, Miss Susie W. Delp, Mrs. M. E. Decker, Mrs. James L. Eglinton, Miss Pauline J. Emmel, Mrs. T. T. Freeman, Miss Edith Forrester, Miss Sadie G. Greene Miss Augusta Glathe, Miss Mabel M. Gould, Miss G. R. Hoyt, Mrs. Edwin Hulett, Miss A. Hawes, Miss Emma Hutchings, Mrs. E. M. Hancock, Mrs. G. W. Hutchinson, Mrs. Walter Henry Hall, Mrs. G. W. Hoyt, Miss E. H. Hamblet, Miss B. M. Hancock, Mrs. H. J. Humstone Miss Anna J. Jupp, Miss O. Jones, Mrs. M. Knudson Mrs. Hermon B. Keese, Miss Nellie A. Leverich, Mrs C. H. Milham, Mrs. W. J. McKay, Mrs. Mary Mutter Miss E. Mitchell, Mrs. Lillie Michaelis, Mrs. G. Mohrann, Miss E. T. McGrath, Miss Jennie H. O'Bryan Mrs. H. Penwarden, Miss C. Lucy Potter, Mrs. E. S. Pratt, Miss R. S. Pierce, Miss Alice A. H. Rich, Miss Minnie A. Smith, Miss R. E. Smith, Miss Annie P. Smith, Miss C. M. Smith, Miss A. Strype, Miss Christine Stiner, Miss Bertha E. Sibell, Miss R. C. Talmage, Miss Etta L Terwilliger, Miss E. Tomes, Mrs. Augusta M. Thompson Miss Mona Taylor, Mrs. Elizabeth Tuthill, Mrs. George A. Taft, Miss D. E. Tayleure, Mrs. Emma Van, Miss Emma J. Wilson, Mrs. R. Werdermann, Miss Lizzie Winlaw, Miss Minnie D. Wiebe, Mrs. A. A. Warford, Mrs. E. R. Whitney, Mrs. J. M. Walter and Miss E. S. Wescott.
17Alto.—Mrs. H. F. Asbury, Miss B. H. Boleschka, Miss Teresa M. Burnett, Miss V. E. Clark, Mrs. T. B. Cole Miss J. T. Dunville, Miss H. M. Decker, Miss H. E. Diller, Miss Mabel Doxey, Miss Alta L. Foulk, Miss Abbie M. Fowler, Mrs. C. A. Greene, Miss C. I. Goll, Miss Etta Gesner, Miss Mary S. Henderson, Miss Rebecca Lane Hooper, Mrs. A. O. Jones, Mrs. A. T. Johnston, Miss C. E. Ketcham, Miss Louise Kalley, Miss A. B Kohart, Mrs. Charles Lexton, Mrs. Theodore F. Miller, Mrs. L. D. Mapes, Miss H. E. Miller, Mrs. Clara Miller, Mrs. J. G. Gould, Mrs. E. D. Russell, Miss Lena Ryder, Mrs. F. Ressegue, Miss H. A. Richards, Mrs. Lily Scherer, Mrs. E. T. Saake, Miss F. E. Stillson, Miss L. M. Schoenhardt, Miss Lillian G. Thomas, Miss Ella Von
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.