THE PIERIAN CONCERT.

WE congratulate the Pierian Sodality on their excellent concert in Lyceum Hall last Tuesday evening. The selections were, as a rule, played with rare fidelity and - spirit, and when we compare the poor success of last year with the triumph of this, we feel that too much praise cannot be given to the patience, skill, and good taste of Mr. Deane, the leader. The absence of the Glee Club was severely felt, though the orchestral parts of the programme were agreeably supplemented by the duet and solos of Messrs. Babcock and Morse.

In the first piece by the orchestra, Suppes "Pique Dame," there was a slight stiffness and apathy noticeable; but in the progress of the evening this fault gradually wore away, until in the last piece, a galop, from Parlow, the orchestra displayed a fervor and verve which, totally unexpected, was an agreeable surprise to the audience.

Of the orchestral pieces, the March from Mendelssohn, at the beginning of the second part, was in our opinion by far the best. The peculiarly calm, finished, and classical style of the author was rendered in a style which showed careful practice and artistic appreciation on the part of the orchestra; but to Jungmann's "Heimweh" we cannot conscientiously say justice was adequately done. The rich sweet chords of Fesca's trio for piano, violin, and 'cello by Messrs. Deane, Taussig, and Apthorp were happily expressed, though more practice would undoubtedly be followed by greater proficiency.

Mr. Gorman's rendering of Rossini's fantasia from La Gazza Ladra was graceful, light, and airy, and in perfect keeping with the supposed mischievous, mocking character of the subject. He was warmly encored. But the finest individual effort of the evening was Mr. Russak's piano solo, "Regoletto," from Liszt. In answer to an encore he played Mill's "Murmuring Fountain." How far one's judgment may be biassed by outside motives is of course hard to say, but we thought at the time, and have found no cause to change our mind since, that Mr. Russak's playing was irreproachable both in mechanical execution and in fidelity of expression. The first piece of Mr. Babcock was an air, "Who treads the Path of Glory?" from Mozart's "Magic Flute." It was a piece which fully displayed the sonorous richness of his matchless voice, and at the same time the wretched insufficiency of Lyceum Hall for such a piece. In response to an encore he sang Millard's "Grand Old Ocean" in a manner which can only be imagined by those who have heard him before, and which we fear to attempt to describe lest we be accused of too open adulation. Mr. Morse's two songs, "Embarrassment," by Abt, and, in response to an encore, J. K. Paine's "Matin Song," were sung with clearness, sweetness, and at times true pathos, though a captious critic would have desired to see a little more life and energy.

As can be seen, with possibly the exception of the last piece, all these selections were severely classic, such as Thomas might have put on his own programme. But to do such music perfect justice requires more time, labor, and exclusiveness of devotion on the part of the orchestra than men in college can well afford to spend. Wouldn't it be better then for amateurs to have less of the classic and a little more of a lighter school?

M.