Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-08-14
THE MENNERCHOR.
OPENING OF THE GREAT rEsTIyA

Welcoming rho Singers to Lancastor -ke-
heareal and 6rasd Concert-ExcoIlsns
Music and lnlmeuse crowds.
As the INTELLIGENCER went to press
Monday afternoon, the several societies
in the great festival were
gathering in the new M4unerchor hall,
where the societies from abroad were to
be formally welcomed to Lancaster.
The large auditorium was filed with
members and guests, aud was even more
attractive than when We described it Mon
day. ROhrer, the florist, had been at
work and placed in the room several fine
specimens Of his beautiful art. An ex-
quisite Tyre, composed of brilliant cut
flowers and standing upon floral pedes-
tai two or three feet in height, occupied a
space ON the front centre of the stage. Iu
a niche to the right of the stage was
placed large floral harp and above it
hung large ball of beautiful flowers and
ornamental grasses. In a niche to the
left of the stage was placed large floral
star and above it was hung a floral ball
like that in tho right hand niche.
Hanging over the froct of the gallery
were nearly dozen flags aud banners be.
longing to the visiting societies, some of
them being elegantly embroidered in the
finest needle work.
An opening chorus was sung by the
Lancaster M8nnerchOr, numbering about
25 voices, with full orchestral accompani
ment by the M8nnerchOr orchestra com
prising 80 Instruments. The music was
admirably rendered and warmly encOred.
MIR. Henry Wolf, chairman of the com
mittee of arrangements, then introduced
to the audience MIR. Henry Gerhard, presi
dent of the Lancaster MBnnerchor, who,
in brief speech, in German, welcomed
the singing societies to the festival in the
following words, as translated:
"HOnored guests and singers welcome
you all in the name of the Lancaster MBu
nerchor, yes, you are heartily welcome,
every one of you, to this our 25th anniver.
sary and dedication of our new hall.
"Singers, the Lancaster MBnnerchor to
day tegins the celebration of festival
which is of more than an ordinary nature,
and the presence of such worthy societies
as yours, l assure you, affords US great
pleasure. Singers brethren, We will do
our utmost to make your short visit to our
festival as pleasant as possible.
"Dear friends, we have had the pleasure
siOns. Others are strangers and unknown
to us, but we are certain that you will not
be strangers in our midst very long. and l
assure you you will soon feel as if you
were in your own family circle, for
Where the German tongue Is spoken,
And where German songs art sung,
There Is the singers home"
"Singers, brethren You must not OK.
pect so very elaborate a festival of US, such
as you may have probably visited in large
cities, ana you should also not expect us
to be able to render as much. But will
assure you of one thing, and that is this
When you shall have returned to your
homes you will truly say, Little Lancas
ter contains true German hearts and true
German societies which do not stand far
back in the progress which German music
and German song has made in this
country And once more, in the name
of the Lancaster M8nnerchor, be heartily
welcome"
Mr.. Wolf next introduced W. U. He J.
sci, esq. Following is brief abstract of
his remarks
"Gentlemen Of the Visiting Societies, Ladies and
Gentlemen:
In the absence of the chief magistrate OF
our city, his honor, Mayor MacGoDigle,
am requested by him to explain to you
that only the peremptory orders of his
physician, that he should seek relaxation
from the cIcises Of his official duties
outside the city, prevents his presence here
to-day and am hidden by him, in his
name, for this municipality, on behalf OF
its citizens and of the Lancaster Manner-
chOr to welcome you to this city and to
the festivities with which one of its oldest,
most respectable and useful societies cele.
brates the twenty fifth anniversary of its
existence and dedicates to the object Of
its organization this beautiful building.
You will find Lancaster full of objects OF
interest to the stranger within it's gates.
You will recognize on every hand evidence
that the English settler was here first, and
left his impress on the names of its
streets, but you will also discover that
after him came the German and that he
came to stay. And not only in the city,
but upon The whole of this beautiful sur
rounding country, which we hold it no
idle boast to call the garden spot of tho
land, you will see the signs of German
industry and German thrift. But better
than its material prosperity or wealth OF
product or richness Of cultivation, is the
German spirit which has been implanted
here, and which the German carries with
him wherever he goes.
1t may be allowed me to speak with
more freedom of the organization in whose
celebration you are here to participate
than one of it's own members. The history
of its twenty five years existence and con.
tinuing prosperity are part of the history
of this community, of which it has every
reason to be proud. As social and mu
sical organization it has exemplified the
spirit which breathed through the lines Of
the gallant Koorner when he sang:
Wo ist des saenger's vaterIand7
Wo edler Geister funken spruehten
WO KraenZe fur das SchOene bluehten
WO starke HerZen freudig gluehten
Fur ales Heilege entbrannt.
This is the spirit of German song, of
German life and of German philosophy,
which is why wherever the German life
presses it coDquers and abides.
Impressed and inspired with it, Lancas
ter's people gladly welcome to day the
Seugerbunden to the SBngerfest. We
bid you welcome GesaDg Vereine, Germa-
mia, Harmonic and Teutonia, Liederkranz,
MBnnerchOr and S8ngerbund, we bid you
thrice welcome welcome to our city, vel
come to this hall, welcome to our homes,
welcome to our hearts,"
The above is a mere abstract of Mr..
Hensel's speech, which elected repeated
applause, the hall ringing with it as he
made the quotation from Koerner, and it
being renewed and long continued after he
had made the perOratiOn in German.
Mr.. G. F. Rees, of Millersville, the Ger
man orator and poet was next introduced
and recited a German dedicatOry poem
written expressly for the OCCASION II ia
great applause.