The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-05-20
Locke's Unreliability Causes the Fail
ure of Indiana's Big Musical Event.
Negotiations with the Damrosch People Fall
Through. and Rubens. Seized as q Last
Straw, Also Falls Down.
One Big Concert, However, Will Be Civ
en- on Next Monday Evening.
Nordicl. Reid and the Big Chorus Will APP
pear with Local Orchestra Under
Mr. Richard Schliewen.

The big Indiana musical festival set for
next week at Tomlinson Hall was declared
OIL at meeting of the directors last night.
but on Monday night grand concert will
be given with Mime. Nordica and Miss
Margaret Reid as the leading soloists. The
abandonment of the festival was the only
remaining course after the development
of yesterday. The directors flooded the
wires with kilograms In an effort To engage
yocalists and an orchestra. but all this was
of no avail. The directors met at the Denison
IN the evening, and. after considering
every possible contingency, were COM
PEELED to abandon the enterprise. The con-
cert arranged for Monday night will, how
ever. furnish an entertainment equal to
any one night of the proposed festival. and
including several of the best features of
them all.
telegram was received yesterday after
noon from Mr.. Reno. the manager of the
Damrosch Orchestra, informing the di-
rectors that it was absolutely impossible to
get the orchestra and soloists to
indianapolis by Monday might. the
cost being no factor in the mat
ter. Shortly afterward l.. NJ. Ruben,
who furnished the soloists for the festival
last year wired the directors that there
was bare possibility of getting Siedps
orchestra and the soloists advertised. The
specific contract price for orchestra and
sololsts he placed at $4,000 net. The di-
rect0rs replied that they would make q
contract at once if the details were salts
factory. Nothing further was heard from
Ruben until IL o'clock last night, when he
sent a message stating that 1t would be a
physical impossbIlity to get the people
here next week. but he intimated that they
might be secured III the festival was
postponed q week. The directors believed
this proposition was too vague and indef-
mite. and. as they had tried all means 10 get
on orchestra, they could not see how wait
of a week would place them in any better
position. A resolution was therefore pro-
posed and carried that the Indiana May
Musical Festival. as advertised, be aban-
doned. The directors, however, thought the
interest in musical matters In the city and
State was great enough TO Justify them In
announcing this grand concert on Monday
night. Various suggestions as to q series
OF concerts were made, but the discussion
was narrowed down to ore big concert
which should have all the features of the
festival that could be obtained. Mime.
NOrdica and Miss Reid talthough the ar
rangements for the latter have not been
definitely madel would have been in them
selves the greatest attractions of the feeti-
val. They Will sing at this concert. and
Prof. Sohliewin and others will be added
to the card of soloists.
The full chorus of 25G voices will sing,
and selections from the works studied for
the festival Will be given. These Include
selections from 'Lohengrin," "Judes!Mac
cab;eus" aud "St. Paul" Mme. Nordica is
under contract to give, two
sing as many. The full pro-
gramme for the evening will be announced
IL the papers tomorrow morning Miss
Reid sings in Chicago tomorrow night, a t
the Women's Congress, and che will reach
Indianapolis the next afternoon.
The liability of the promoters of the
musical festival so far IS quite heavy, and.
as these gentlemen have done so much to
furnish Indianapolis PEOPLE with igh-cless
musical entertainment IL Is only fair to as
sumo that local patriotism and gratitude
will manifest itself at the box office. The
directors Will not let the unfortunate mud
die interfere with the festival of next year.
For the concert on Monday night the prices
have been reduced. aud seats on the 10 yer
floor Will he sold at 81 anc those in the bal
cOny at S1.50. These seats will be placed
on sale at o'clock this afternoon at the
Big Four ticket Office. where at the same
hour money will be refunded on tickets
sold for the various nights of the festival.
large number of complimentary tickets
have been distributed among the country
and city newspapers upon orders from the
advertising COMMITTEES. Ibe numD Der or
these tickets have been noted at the
Big Four ticket, office. The tickets
thus distributed will be exchanged for
tickets to the Monday night concert. but
ON account of the anticipated Saturday
afternoon rush. no exchange of compli-
mentary tickets will be made until Monday
morning.
The rehearsal set for Sundsy night at
TOmlinson Hall has been postponed until
Monday at noon. The chorus is fiaely
drilled, and will be in excellent shape for
Monday night.
The abandonment of the festival was due
entirely to the associations unfortunate re-
lations with Chas. Il. Locke who has fairly
outdons Locke in this instance. The di-
rectors are now fully aware that Locke is
q wholly unreliable man. an Impressario of
meteoric flight. In past years he has un
dertakeD theatrical and operate enter
prises. most of which have ended disas-
trously to him and to those who have been
associated with him. The directors found
that Mr.. Stem had made q contract with
Locke without consulting them. and when
Locke came to Indianapolis and display ed
the contract, the directors were advised
to throw every safeguard around 1t in order
to secure q proper performance of IL. That
the directors were so unfortunate as to be
deceived BY Locke's bland I'D suave man.
ners aud promises is 3 matter of regret.
pOR FREE RATUS