Page:The history of Mendelssohn's oratorio 'Elijah'.djvu/64

 HISTORY OF MENDELSSOHN'S '• ELIJAH.'

��when compared with the amounts paid to the solo vocalists.

The choral rehearsals were conducted by Mr. James Stimpson, the chorus-master of the Festival. It was not until after the middle of June, only two months before the Festival, that Mr. Stimpson received the first instalment of the chorus parts. Although these were printed (all the rest of the oratorio was sung and played from MS. copies), the deciphering of them was no. easy matter, owing to the many alterations — black, red, and blue ink being freely used to indicate the alterations and re-altera- tions in the parts. Mr. John Bragg, who sang tenor in the chorus in 1846 and at several Festivals since, relates the following incident in connection with the first rehearsal of " Thanks be to God." Mr. Bragg says : " At the passage beginning * But the Lord,' which was an entirely new one to choralists, Mr. Stimpson rapped his desk and asked for the separate voice parts one after another. He then compared them with his own MS. copy of the score, and, being evidently puzzled, said 'Well, gentlemen, the voice parts are right, and we must sing it so.' And so it was sung," adds the veteran Mr, Bragg, "then and ever after; and one of the greatest gems in the work shone out for the first time. Great was the enthusiasm of the chorus when they had completed the passage and realised the full effect of this masterly modulation."

Mr. Stimpson had a most arduous task in prepar- ing the choruses in the limited time at his disposal. As late as August 3, twenty-three days before the ( 4(3 )

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