The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-09-18

the performance Of their formidable rivals Berg
mann's b0tOn fell, and the harmony burst forth,
vibrant, pure exquisitely shaded and accented.
The tenor was particularly fine; the enunciation
of the words was perfect. The performance was
distinctly the best of the evening, thus far and
at its close tempest of applause greeted the
popular society and Its accomplished conductor.
The Arions retired well pleased. Only the acute
ears of the four prize judges had detected the
slightest flaw in their beautiful performance.
The men Of the Liederkranz, standing in the rear
of the stage, listened intently and gained hope
from what they heard They resolved anew to
beat the Arions.
The New York Schiller-bund came next, sing
ing Fr. OttO's 80 Love and Grace" then the
Philadelphia Slaennerchor followed with 90 A
Merry Song in the Forest" And now came the
turn OF the Liederkranz of New York. mo-
ment that was to decide whether this veteran
society should win new laurels or lose its old
supremacy. Ii presented n solid front Of seventy
singers. Its prize song Frei's a. Vie kan
die Liebe,' - How came Lover" This is sur
passingly fine composition; and the Liederkranz
Society sung it in their best style. No other
piece upon the programme equaled it in intrinsic
merit; il is of those varied, intricate, beau
tiful songs that German composers only can write,
and that require the highest skill and the most
careful leadership for their proper performance.
IL was sung spleudidly; the second bases, for
which the LiederkTanz is specially noted, came
out grandly and the song was rendered as well,
probably, "a any chorus has ever been sung in
the United States. It's effect upon the audience
was electrical; the applause was tumultuous,
and the Arions began to fear that they had hoped
too much for themselves. The Liedcrkranz sing
ers LETT the stage in quite a blaze of glory. But
no decision was to be rendered till Wednesday.
The Judges were all Baltimore musicians. The
Baltimore societies. entertainers of the societies
from abroad, did not compete for the prizes. In
making up their decision they had to pass judg-
ment upon the following points: l, the compara-
tive merits OF the different songs performed; 2,
the size Of the chorus; 3, the difficulty OF the
piece; 4, its newness (sinee it is less creditabe
to sing an old song well than q new one); 5, the
actual merit Of the performance ut the time OF
competition. IL is thus quite a complicated piece
of business to pass scientific Judgment upon
the merits Of a score of choruses.
The concert great success. On Tuesday
night followed another, in which the entire force
Of musical societies took part. The full number
advertised, 1000, did not appear upon the stage;
but those that were there were realiy skillful
singers of long experience; and the performances,
not merely as to pureness Of tone, and accuracy
and spirit OF execution, but even to mere
quantity and mass of sound, need fear no COM
parison with no American performance certainly
not with the Boston Jubilee, OF which, owing to
the great size of the building in which the con-
certs were given, the music did not sound half so
loud rs the Boston people expected.
On Wednesday great picnic was given at
Schuetzen Park, in the suburbs of the city.
Fifteen or twenty thousand people were on the
ground there were speeches, music, dancing.
lunching, Iager-bier, and an unlimited amount of
that genial joviality which the Germans know SO
well how to enjoy. '' IL il the German says a
Just observer, - who strikes the happy medium,
and who is hilarious without being indecent
whose draughts, though deep, do not overflow
the bulwarks OF manhood; whose poetry, love,
and song, possess the freshness and exuberance of
nature, with nothing Of childish insignifcance."
At4P. VI. the drums announced that the awards
OF prizes were about to take place. a great
crowd surrounded the judges stand; and it was
duly announced that the Liederkranz of New
York had taken the first prize, the second falling
to the Junger MaennerchOr OF Philadelphia.
The prizes of the second class were given to the
Hpbokcn Quartette Club (3l singcrs) and to the
Washington Saengcrbund (s4 singers).
This result, however, had leaked out during
the day, and was already pretty well known in
advance. The successful societies at once re-
doubled their jollities, while the Arions, ever
goo.i-humored and funny, even in defeat, or
ganized o mock mourning procession, draped their
conductor, Carl Bcrgmann. in Grape, and marched
OF the ground, bearing willow branches in their
hands, amid great applause, and a miniature
piano, hung with black and borne upon bier.
a final picnic, this day, completes the pleasant
anniversary of the Saengerbund.
CALAnUs.