Popular Concert

“The popular concert at Association Hall, attracted to that place, yesterday, the usual numerous and semi-juvenile audience. The programme was a less worthy one than usual. Miss Julia Gaylord was the soprano, her fresh voice being heard in Bevignani’s ‘La Tiorja,’ and in Millard’s ‘Waiting,’ both of which songs were sung with a correctness and ease warranting the encores. Mrs. Howard Paul was the contralto. The effect of Mrs. Paul’s singing is habitually to surprise and delight, but its impression yesterday, in the tenor recitative and air ‘Comfort ye my people,’ from Handel’s ‘Messiah,’ was limited to a not very pleasant sense of  astonishment. The voice was harsh and slightly tremulous, and the execution marked neither by facility nor fervor. In the Scotch air ‘Bonnie Dundee,’ and in ‘Jeannette and Jeannot’ Mrs. Paul was listened to with more satisfaction, though it should be said that the oratorio-aria previously interpreted had to be repeated. The instrumental music was supplied by Mr. and Mrs. Guzman and by Mr. A. L. Mora. Mr. Guzman is a pianist of ordinary merit, and, therefore, quite unequal to the task of executing fitly any of Gottschalk’s works. Mrs. Guzman only took part with her husband in the recitation of a duet, in which some digital ground and lofty tumbling by Mr. Guzman excited a curiosity akin to that which might have been produced by an acrobatic performance, and which it was sought to gratify by the same means. Mr. Mora’s genuine taste and skill were exhibited conspicuously in the closing piece of the entertainment, embracing a morceau from Schumann’s Opus 56, and an offertory by Battiste. The three remaining organ compositions were of the imitative kind made familiar by our early experience, but claiming immunity from farther notice by the news that a great orchestra, under the direction of Mr. F. Eben, will commence furnishing the orchestral music for these concerts in a fortnight hence.”

“The series of Saturday concerts at the Hall of the Young Men’s Christian Association may now be considered a permanent feature of our musical entertainments. Over a dozen concerts have been given, and they have all attracted large audiences, composed chiefly of young ladies and the satellites of the opposite sex who are naturally attracted by them. They form an indulgent and kindly audience, rather apt to sacrifice judgment to good humor and to demand an encore for every feature of the programme, whether it deserves it or not; but such auditors are always the most gratifying to a performer.

“Last Saturday the concert was varied and interesting. Mrs. Howard Paul sang in excellent style several ballads, and essayed, in the tenor register of her voice, the recitative ‘Comfort Ye’ and the aria ‘Every Valley,’ from Handel’s ‘Messiah.’ She sang them better than most tenor singer could, but it is evident that she has not made oratorio a study. Mrs. Paul has great versatility, and is one of the most attractive singers now in the country.

“Miss Julia Gaylord also sang at this concert, in good amateur style. Mr. and Mrs. Guzman played some duets for two pianos with unerring accuracy, the gentleman flinging up his hands to the height of his head at every chord, thereby greatly imperiling the integrity of his fine Roman nose. Mr. Antonio Morra [sic] played a few separate selections on the organ and was tumultuously applauded.”