(From Birmingham)
The BIRMINGHAM STUDIO CHORUS and AUGMENTED ORCHESTRA
Leader,
FRANK CANTELL
Conducted by JOSEPH LEWIS
LILIAN COOPER
(Soprano)
ESTHER COLEMAN
(Contralto)
JOHN ARMSTRONG
(Tenor)
HAROLD WILLIAMS
(Baritone)
I
'HIAWATHA'
(Coleridge-Taylor)
Part 1 : Hiawatha's
Wedding Feast.
Part 2: The Death of Minnehaha
ALTHOUGH
Coleridge-Taylor had produced a number of other works before it, many of which won more than merely respectful interest, it was the appearance of the first part of ' Hiawatha,' in 1898, which spread his fame all over the English speaking world. And as it was his first really impor-
1 taut success, so it has remained the most popular of all his music; in its vivid and yet simple rhythm, its fresh and natural melody, and in the warmth of its orchestral treatment, his music is obviously ideally mated with Longfellow's poem. The ' Wedding Feast' was given alone at first, the second part, ' The Death of Minnehaha,' appearing a year later at a North Staffordshire Festival. Hiawatha's Departure,' which completes the trilogy, was first given by the Royal Choral Society in London in the spring-of 1900. II
' SEMELE'
(Handel)
Selections from the above Secular Oratorio will be sung
HANDEL'S Semele was never quite sure whether it was an opera or an oratorio, and it really matters very little which it is called. It has its strongly dramatic moments, and the music would be in every way as well suited for stage performance as many of his operas, although there is not very much action nor opportunity for spectacular effect. The text was adapted from a book of Congreve's which appeared in 1707, and the first performance of Handel's work was at Covent Garden Theatre in 1744. It was announced as ' Semele, after the manner of an Opera,' and very soon afterwards as ' Semele, after the manner of an oratorio.' It has also been called ' A Dramatic Performance' and one authority describes it as An English Opera, but called an Oratorio.'