BETHLEHEM, :MUSICAL Or BACH FESTIVAL. Musically, Bethlehem. Pa., is the most remark able town or settlement in the United States. To a great degree it is a Moravian town, having been founded by the Moravian about 1740, and being still under the influence of the policy then inaugurated. In 1780 the settlement had an orchestra, probably the first in America. which fact, together with the strong musical tendency of the liturgy of the Moravian Church, with its realistically religious hymns, undoubtedly led up to the developments of the present day. Early in its church history flutes, horns, viols. and trom bones were permanent factors in the church music. The modern festival is frequently re ferred to as the American musical Oberammer gau. or the American Bayreuth. It resembles the latter in many ways, and particularly in the employment of a quartet of trombones to sum mon the people to the performances, as do the trumpets in the German town. Its resemblance to Oberammergau is in the essentially religious character of the festival, the permeating Protest ant sentiment of which is admirably expressed in the music of Bach. The festival of 1901 was re
markable as being the first time in America in which the Christmas Oratorio had been given in its entirety. Besides this great work were given the Passion according to Saint Matthew and the Mass in B Minor. the latter having been pre sented for the first time in America two years before. J. Frederick Wolle, a pupil of Rheitt berger. and the organist of the Moravian Church, has charge of the music. The choir consists of NO members, with a separate chorus of 100 boys, for the ehorals, and an orchestra of GO instrumentalists. They are all natives of the place, with the exception of the leading vocal and instrumental soloists. The festivals are of a very high character, and it is purposed to con tinue their annual performance.