Submitted by Rich Amole. Blogfinger reporter and historian.
Editor’s Note: Felix Mendelssohn was born into a famous Jewish-German family. His father converted to become a Lutheran, so Felix, the composer, was raised as a Christian. This oratorio, composed in 1846, was performed in Ocean Grove’s Great Auditorium in August, on a Saturday night in 1914, just a few weeks after the start of World War I and nearly 100 years ago today. “Elijah,” which is in two parts and takes about two hours to perform, is based on the story of the prophet Elijah as told in the Old Testament.
But this was not the first time that “Elijah” had been performed in the GA. Ted Aanensen sent us a page from a Philadelphia music newspaper which speaks of a performance in the GA dated 1905.
The program above does not mention the Hope-Jones organ which had been built and installed in 1907, but it probably was used in this 1914 concert. Since it was only 7 years old, perhaps programs back then did not highlight “the famous Hope-Jones organ” as they do today.
I can’t tell who was conducting this performance, but it was probably Tali Esen Morgan, the renowned music director in OG, who had that post from 1901-1918.
—-Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
Here is a small portion of Mendelssohn’s Elijah by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra recorded in Temple Square: “He, watching over Israel, slumbers not.”