Large Audience Greeted Bispham

First of the Choral Union Concerts for Season

AN EVENING OF SONG

Given by the Favorite Vocalist Every Number Received With Enthusiasm

What Eugene Field has done with the poem, David Bispham has done with the song. He has put heart into it and made the simplest words express that subtle sympathy strong and tender and sweet as life. At the opening concert of the Choral Union series Friday, a large audience received David Bispham with all enthusiasm for an old favorite. He had not changed. It was the same Bispham who stood before the people and sang Handel's "Masce al Bosco," from "Ezio". It was the Bispham of "Lake Lamond," who sang "Caro mio ben," pleading with passion and tenderness, "dearest believe". "The lass with the delicate air," was gay and rollicksome. There was in it a ripple of laughter, a staccato fun making , that died out in the "Adelaide" sung in the German, and was partly resurrected again in the "Ballad of the Harper," who quaffed off the wine with a song of cheer; but the thanks of the Harper were forgotten in the Minnelied, Brahm's Love song, sweet and joyous as "the buds of May". With this satisfaction still within you, Bispham began his masterpiece, Meyerbeer's Monk. Like prayer in a desolate place it poured forth agony, beseechings, then resignation to the will of the Father. In holy mass, while the censers swing, a soul wrestled, agonized, triumphed- then was lost, while sweet and low and solemn, chanted the cathedral mass and the perfume of the censer rose above the prayer:

"Holy Father, be near me, 

And in mercy deign to hear me,

Yet, O Lord, Thy will be done."

This was received with such appreciation by the audience that David Bispham sang as encore, the old favorite "Edward". 

"Heimliche Erforderung," "Ich trage meine Minne," "Allerseelen," and "Caecilia," by Strauss, all were enthusiastically received as the sweet, dream music of a great master. "Dost thou to thy flowers go?" and "Auch Kleine Dinge" by Hugo Wolf, concluded the German songs, and "The Sands of Dee" by Kingsley, stirred in the hearts of the people that throb of pathos caused by 

"A tress o' golden hair,

A drowned maiden's hair,

Above the nets at sea."

"O that we two were maying," "sat dreaming," "lay sleeping," as written by Kingsley and set to music by Gounod, had in it all the joyful yearning of one who desires. And the joy deepened to a prayer which rose triumphant, and calmed into contentment as of one who had entered into his rest. "When stars are in the quiet skies" told all the old-new story of love, which abruptly changed to "Eldorado" with its galloping measure and the weirdness of Poe. 

"Over the mountains, down the valley, the mountains of the moon, the valley of the shadow, ride, boldly ride". This quickened its pace into a jig, and Burns' "Killiekrankie" was sung and repeated to the cheering audience who could not have enough. 

"Auf Wiedersehen," set to music by Max Bendix, was like the echo of some far away dream after the Killiekrankie. But the Pirate's Song rang like a finale embodying the spirit of Stephenson who wrote it, Gilbert who set it to music, and Bispham who sang it, the triune triumph of a triune master. 

The for the people who could not let him go, he sang "They're hanging Danny Deever in the morning", and taking by the hand the man who had accompanied him, Harold O. Smith, together they bowed their good night to the cheering crowd.