Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-26

clear, and happy children were making the
moss on an old wall blossom. like q whole con-
serva tory, with paper fowers. The Rue de Is
Fontaine has everything; lines of streaming
pennons on poles, Christmas trees, garlands. a
whole procession of arches and evergreen de-
81 gns and strings of lanterns drawn in zig-zeB
lines back and forth the whole length of the
street. This street is not only giddy beyond
telling, and rather amusing, and remarkably
picturesque, but it is poetic as well.
From evergreen harps and shields, and an
shors swung in the middle of the way, are
verses OF welcome TO the musicians poetic ex-
hortations TO 'trombones and clarionets
bugles and trumpets,' morallzing on the
beauty of combat of harmony the only COM
bat possible to republics; which last is fine
sentimen, but hardly supper, ed by facts. In
the midst of all these. is little naive person.
atty, they call me the Rue de Ia Fantaine,
but one never drinks water here" This re-
yeals the cause of la Fontaine's especial efforts
at decoration.
Il has been eight years since Geneva has had a
like fete but il is evident that she has done this
kind of thing before, and not only understands
how to array herself for it. but how TO manage a
vast number Of people. This time the city has
invited the bands and choral unions Of Europe
TO come and
COMPETE FOR GOLD MEDALS.
One hundred and forty ban IS responded to the
invitation, and nifty nine choral unions, making
900 musicians. The great majority are from
France; some from Vienna, from Italy, and
many from Switzerland. The Jury contains
many celebrated French composers, among
others, Saint Saens. Nobody who has not eX
perienced it knows how jolly it is to be in a
tOWp with lib DTaSS DanuS. All cav FRIDAY tney
were arriving, and there were continual sounds of
advancing and retreating music, as one after
another marched across the bridge from the
station up TO the place of reception and then off
to their quarters beds have been put up in
every conceivable corner to accommodate them.
Ali the time the crowd on the street was be-
coming thicker. / have not spoken of the fine
show in the shop windows, but Of course every
Genevese merchant had made the best display
possible, aud the windows full of
KNAMELED AND JEwELRD WATCHES,
terry were most AT ractve. It was about this
time, TOO, that street vendors of medals and
favors and chenille monkeys in French and Gen.
evese colors appeared, aud the crowd began to
decorate themselves thetew tn. At night well
coming concert was given by the Genevese mu-
sicians in their theater, which is said
TO be one of the prettiest in Europe.
Then Saturday morning at O'Clock
the contest began. and Geneva was treated to
twenty-seven different concerts all at the same
time, but in twenty seven different places. All
the parks and public buildings, even the
burbs were iull of music, and playing bands
were marching hither and thither to their con-
cert grounds. Admittance, one franc. The
bands and chorals were divided into many
sections; each had its jury. its concert place,
and its first and second prizes. This trial was
for reading at sight, and was more interesting
and amusing than enjoyable.
THE AFTERNOON
was the trial of execution, and out of the TWEEN
ty-seven concerts we chose one of chorus singing
st the theater. These choral unions interest us
especially, for we do not have them in America
towns choral union Of men seems to be quite 8
matter of course, and these frequently are made
up of workingmen, as the names of the unions
indicate. This appeals to US the right kind OF
workingmans league, for what amusement
could be more refining or uplifting
than that of singing in concert,
thereby learning harmony and obediencef
The fifty or hundred men composing one of
these finely trained choruses, when they are
singing, lean forward in the intense copcentra-
ton OF thought upon the conductor; they seem
to yield themselves in utter obedience and he
plays upon them as on many keys of an Or
effect. There can be no thought of personal
success; the success of the whole is that of each
and this depends upon
ABSOLUTE UNITY
no voice above another voice, and upon iustau-,
taneous obedience to the same thought The
effect is as the many varied tones of one instru-
ment, but how much more capable Of deep
feeling, of delicate shades of expression is this
orchestra Of human voices. each with will to
work for the same end, than any mechanic al in
strument OF wind or string, The possibilities of
choral music seem unlimited, and it surely
should be granted possible, because the most
natural and the most unlimited in power of ex
ecu,ion. Men working in unity for the perfect
expression of the same beautiful idea is tyne
of heaven.
Much of the choral music so finely rendered
seemed to me unworthy of the effort spent upcn
it, as for instance, the limitation of storm on
The sea shore-the long swell snd roar OF the
pillows, the whistling Of the wind. mingled. of
course. with more or less OF melody. also imsni-
tations of the hanging accompaniment of stringed
instruments. 1t was remarkably well done, but
the initiative il surely not the 'hiahest aim Of