Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-08-28
THE TABERNACLE CHOIR.
It's Pilgrimage 10 tho Worlds Fair
and lis Victory,
Tho Memorable Joursey BrEun on.
Tear AEs To-day, How tue Grsst
Prize Was Won


An ardent admlfef Of the Salt LAX
Tabernacle choir writes TO the NEW
as follows, under date Of today, on nj
event that every Utonian looks bael
upon and remembers with feelings OIL
pride and satisfactioni
On Tuesday afternoon, ons year ago
today, Aug %, our Tabernacle oboii
left Salt Lake CITY on their unparAlel.
led and highly successful Journey u
enter n competition against any body
Of singers In the world who chose &.
enter the atens; nnI their chief com.
peillors were 10 bs the Welsh, who had
for At least twenty years established
themselves Vt London NJ champions
uneToollel an choral work.
II seems like dream, yet Il real
when we thllk OF the scene NJ the
depot one year ago this afternoon,
Thousands " enthusiastic friends, Of
every cfred, Cr0wding theentife length
Of the traln with one happy wish In
their heartt-GOd speed 10 the
termCd-and crown them with
success, everybody proudly called
them "Our choir" even then, aud
hopes ran high Tor It's suooe,s a. n
winner, but this hope was born rather
OF enthutiasm perhaps than reason.
There was one at least on board that
train, wnils perfectly composed ami
resigned NJ 10 the result, had counted
over and over the odds against him.
With less than ont-hal' our little city,
population TO select 25J singers from
tior ours was church choir Of one
denomination, ana the many splendid
voices outside Of this were not at hls
disposal), with only ten weeks Of
special preparation on tho difiioult
ch0rusos 10 be- rendered, ~ no decision
TO have them 40 had been reached
earlier Voices whose various nation.
alities made them charaotetisticaliy
different 10 be- Assimllated a. much a.
possibls--iho whole, himself Included,
with no experience whatever ln con.
trtuug for prizes, 10 enter at once a
WORLDS contest and against choir.
whose members aud leaders were
mostly Of ono nationality, aud whose
lilo business ana pleasure had been
musical contests, who he'd con.
tested on some OF these very |
selections more tuan once, aud who |
bad over years special preparation
or this event.
Added 10 this was the fact that only
wo pianos we're ~ be the Acc1mpani.
mont homethiog customary TO the
'tner oh ifs but most unusual g. ours
Who were ~ accustomed 20 the great
'rgan. All these disadvantage he
'ould not forget while hundreds VI on.
hutinntlu ifiendr wrung hia hands Into
illstefs, his consolation came chitilg
n unwAvofing faith In the suocess of
lis concerts, In this his singers hal
never Jailed, and he knew where be
stood anu what good ihu favorable i'm.
preston made would u loo, on tue
he aud his chOir was fel-
letenting. Then Whatever the RESULT
Dt the contest, there was the unhraTI
VI ueat 10 $50 OF hls beloved Hlngefs ia
he trip aud the Fair Itself, N defeat
'ame. This satisfaction would balance
'galnst the humiliation caused by dis
appointed friends who hoped against
pssOn.
Well, away they npod with cheers,
'GJod byes," God bless you,n ringing
y their ears. Their entrance into ,
Wyoming wa, welcomed with music.
overs, fruits and cheers from the
God people Of Evanston and Rock
priugs. Denver, while making no
uulic demonstration, on their arrival
feeted them at the concert In suoh
umbore that hundreds could not
ain ndmlttancs into the elegant
huroh. Fun Of humility aud prayer
n their hearts ior HucoeiH they took
heir places before an audience
rlendly, but with evident curiosity
n many c1uutenAnce, which the
Inst "HossnnAhn eliminated, placing
vident, deep satisfaction on every
ACC which the thundefous appliance
ven could not express more unmh.
Akaoly that the Victory was won 40
NJ an the entertainments went. Not.
difficulties afislng such
= \ constant change Of seating nrmnRe.
lent In various halls some OF which
'ero very peTplexing, disAfranging
he order OF seating, placing the chair
n level 10Of, ETC., which .,Ould make
almost impossible 10 see or huar 80 as
, do harmonious work. Yet Kansas
lily and 81. Louis only added 10 tho
lccess begun at Denver. GA arriving 4
I Chicago they found some Of then 9
AAtern competitors there already, but /
nth kindly greetings. On hearing q
no chorus ofthelr sOng at an enter. [
ainmont, some Salt LRkers were At \
nee sAnguine Of sur choiT's slccrs., I
iut the change In climate was l
llencing many Of our best voices
nd later II was found they /
ad engaged the two chlirs that /
we're over from South Wales 10 /