Church Music Association Public Rehearsal

Beethoven’s Mass in D one of the most interesting features of the forthcoming programme; announcement of today’s rehearsal.

“Yesterday’s first public orchestral rehearsal, C. M. A., was satisfactory. Whole programme executed, the Kyrie excepted. The Mass is prodigious. A good motto for the title page of its score would be ‘Execitur clamorque hominum, clangorque turabum.’ ‘Virum’ would mean ‘of heroes’ or ‘of tenori at afar,’ whereas the alti lead off in the Gloria. They were quite inaudible yesterday—submerged by the tremendous orchestra. The Mass is perhaps a little hyper-orchestrated, anyhow, and our tromboni play with more zeal than distinction. But the effects of orchestra & voice (when the latter recovered from their first fright & warmed up to their work) were amazing. Richard Grant White, to whom the Mass was new, declared it the most marvelous music he ever heard, & ‘the biggest thing out.’”

“The last rehearsal of the Church Music Association was one of unusual brilliancy. The entire building, Steinway Hall, was crowded to excess with many of the most distinguished members of our art, literary and social circles. The orchestra, chorus and solos were also in great force, numbering, we should think, not less than some three hundred performers. Beethoven’s Mass in D was, of course, the principal attraction, and very admirably the vocal and instrumental performers, under the direction of Dr. James Pech, executed their parts. There were also two overtures given—‘Acis and Galatea’and ‘Undine.’ Mrs. Imogene Brown also sang in the music of ‘Lorelei,’ by Mendelssohn. A little more attack and precision in singing her part will make this one of the most agreeable features on the evening of the concert.”