Samson

Discusses difficulties of training a boys’ choir.

Article on the Cecilian Choir and their upcoming presentation of Samson. “It may be mentioned as a curiosity that this will be the first occasion of an entire oratorio being given in this country with boys and men alone [60 boys, 40 men]. It has always been thought necessary to introduce female voices. Dr. Cutler will prove that to be a mistake. He has boys with voices far superior to any female voices.”

Includes performers.

“The Cecilian choir gave the oratorio of Samson for the first time in this hall last evening. The attendance was large in numbers and select as regards appreciation. As in Plymouth church, at the first performance of the oratorio on the preceding Tuesday, Dr. Cutler acted as organist, Mr. George Morgan as conductor, and Messrs. Guilder and Colby as pianists. The choruses were splendidly sung, the voices of the boys keeping perfect time and even phrasing together with distinctness—a rare quality in choristers. Dr. Cutler’s admirable training has evidently brought forth good fruits in the choruses at least. We would commend to some orchestral directors in this city the energetic, sharp, decisive method by which Mr. George Morgan carries the chorus safely through the tortuous fugues and inspires them to give proper expression to each sublime sentence. The son of Manoah sang ‘Total Eclipse,’ that most thrilling of all plaints, in a manner that surprised us, considering his light voice. He sang it, not as if it were a mere collection of notes, with Chinese words in which no one could be interested, but as a heartfelt wail of the stricken giant, with the dramatic expression of untold grief and despair. Mr. J. R. Thomas impressed us very favorably as Manoah. His fine baritone voice gave out every note with clear precision, and executed the difficult passages in the first part of his role with truth and distinctness. In the overture there was a lack of unity between the organ and pianos in point of time. The next oratorio, which will be at once placed in rehearsal, will be Elijah.”

“In the past few months Dr. Cutler, the well-known organist and choir-master, has been carefully and patiently training a large number of boys in singing, with a view of bringing them before the public in oratorios and choral services when they should be sufficiently advanced. The result of his labors—how severe and protracted they were those only know who like him, have attempted the work—is the production of Handel’s oratorio of ‘Samson,’ which was given for the first time last week in Brooklyn, and repeated before a very large audience at Steinway Hall last evening. Whether the selection of this oratorio for the first appearance was wise, is, we think, a grave question. The music in it is exceedingly difficult, many of the solo numbers, particularly in the part of Micah, requiring a greater volume of voice and a longer sustained effort than one can reasonably expect from a boy. However, this was doubtless taken into consideration, for a good deal had been cut out, and the parts thus made as simple as was possible consistently with the musical idea. The work itself is, of course, familiar to all lovers of the grand old music in which Handel so delighted, and which he knew so well how to write. The facility of composition which gave to the world two such works as the ‘Messiah’ and ‘Samson’ which are not excelled by anything Handel ever wrote. We intend now, however, to speak more particularly of the rendition of the work last night. Mr. Simpson was a satisfactory Samson. If he was not great in any particular passage, he at least sang his part carefully and acceptably. We have heard Mr. Thomas to much better advantage on other occasions. The Messenger who was advertised did not appear, and his part was played through by Dr. Cutler. Master Breare, who took the part of Delilah, has a clear soprano voice of considerable power, and shows that he has been well trained. The air, ‘With plaintive notes,’ was beautifully given and deserved an encore. Master Toedt was evidently suffering from a severe cold, and had to be excused from singing the last aria. It would not, therefore, be fair to judge of his capabilities by his performance last evening. The clearest and best trained voice was undoubtedly that of Master Grandin, the principal contralto, who as Micah, did admirably. The part is very difficult, abounding in the intricacies for which Handel is noted. Master Grandin, however, bravely surmounted most of these difficulties, and if on one or two occasions he sang a little false, the general excellence of the rest made up the defect. The choruses were given with a precision and strength that were much to be commended, but the bass seemed too strong in many places for the lighter parts, and several times so overtopped them that the melody was smothered. The well-known chorus ‘The round about the starry throne,’ received and merited an enthusiastic encore. When we have said this we have said all that can justly be said about this choir. We have heard ‘Samson’ given better, and yet it was as well sung last evening as we anticipated, with male voices in all the parts. If it was intended to be a comparison with the soprano and contralto parts taken by women, it was a failure; if, as we believe, it was designed to show how far boys’ voices could be trained, and what good work they could accomplish with systematic and persistent drilling, it was a remarkable exhibition. Nothing can fully make up for the total absence of the female voice in an oratorio, but these boys went as far towards making us forget its absence as we ever heard a boy choir go before. Mr. Morgan conducted the oratorio with his usual skill, and Dr. Cutler presided at the great organ.”

“This most interesting society repeated Handel’s Oratorio of Samson at Steinway Hall last evening to an audience of nearly 2,000 people. Its performance was in every way superior to its first rendering. The choruses were more compact and more spirited; the little singers were more assured, and their voices rang out in the finely sounding hall with splendid effect. The recitatives were considerably cut down, which was an improvement of the finest practical kind, rendering the work shorter and more interesting. The artists assisting, Messrs. Simpson, Thomas and Frost, acquitted themselves well. The performance was a marked success. Dr. H. S. Cutler presided at the organ, and Mr. G. W. Morgan directed.”

See also: Review of same concert in Brooklyn, 11/21/66.