The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-09-29
THE EISTEDDFOD.
SOME DETAILS THAT WILL INTER-
EST THE PUBLIC.
Greatest Musical Festival Ever
Held in the West-The Expense
VIII BE Fully Five Thousand
Dollars.

unparalleled by any other previous
musical festival. First, it is q, Welsh
term, a name pronounced Ice-teth-vod,
the accent falling on the second syl-
liable, the 9Th having the soft sound
as in thee" 1t means in broad
sense a congress of bands and mu-
sicians, sitting in judgment on contest
ants in poetry, music and art" In th1:
case elocution is substituted for art,
and we virtually have a contest in
singing and instrumental music, elocu-
ton, poetry, prose and musical COM
positions. The Eisteddfod has been
from time immemorial to the Welsh
people that the athletic games were to
the Grecians, the arena to the Romans,
the tournament to the Germans, the
bull fights to the Spaniards. The Ger
mans tournament of song. is the near
est approach to it and the only one
compared to il in intellectually, some
thing the Welsh may be pardoned in
being proud of. The present and first
one on an extended scale ever given
west of Chicago, Cat which our taber-
nacle choir won its laurels) is under
the auspices of the Cambrian society
of Utah. Though national in charac-
ter it is d long established custom to
throw the contest open to the world,
and if the Welshman can be beaten
by the Englishman, Scotchman, Scan
dinavian, American or the representa-
tive of any other nationality, it SIM
ply indicates to him that he must
arouse and exert himself to better eff
forts next time.
There will be contestants on this
|; Nv
represented in the mixed population
the gentlemen of color, who will
be credttably represented from the
east. The musical adjudicat tors, or
judges, come all the way from the
Welsh districts of Pennsylvania, where
Eisteddfods are held yearly. This will
insure men capable and thoroughly eX-
perienced in this delicate task. and be-
ing entire strangers are free from bias.
Soloists win be heard at the concerts
from Pennsylvania, Iowa, Colorado and
Utah, and as contestants Montana
sends her noted Butte military band,
Colorado, numerous SoloiSts and a
picked chorus of 125 singers from
Denver, and a smaller chorus from Grip
pie Creek. Idaho sends two choruses,
Wyoming one, and some fine soloists.
Even Chicago is represented by one
contestant in singing, while Utah
meets them cheerfully with two large
choruses of 125 each, one from Salt
Lake and one from Ogden, three male
choruses from Salt Lake and one from
Ogden, eight church choirs in all, one
military band, TWO ladies choruses
and one from Ogden, many quar-
tettes, duets and a host of favorite So
loists, who have never before deigned
to compete for honors. Many others
destined ito shine in the musical field
will be heard here for the first time
and to crown it all Salt Lakes one in
comparable musical organization will
preside at the closing concert
that is the tabernacle choir
with its active membership of 400,
with nearly 500 enrolled. This, to the
visitors at least, will be the crowning
point. OF course, our great organ will
not be permitted to s1umber. Elocution
will be represented by ten bright
aspirants.
Contributions from across the At
lantic even are found among the prose.
poetry and musical compositions, and
also from the shores of the Pacific,
Oregon being we'll represented.
There are the generalities for our
readers as they now stand. A few in
teresting particulars will now be in or
der and OF service.
The cheapest way to take in this
musical and literary feast would be to
purchase a season ticket. which ad-
admits the bearer to each of the three
competitive sessions and concluding
concert. These are sold for the very
low price of 81, while 80 cents is
charged for each session if taken sep
arately. These season tickets are now
on sale at the music and book stores,
and are fast being sold. The first COM
petitive session will commence at 1870
Thursday afternoon the chief attrac-
tons for this session being the mill
tary band contest for $500 and the $500
medal. Butte and Salt Lake contesting.
The Ladies quartettes eight in alb,
the tenor soloists five besD, elocu-
ton THE Bells" five besD, contraIto
soloist Give besD, and ending with the
church choir contest (seven choirs)
representing Utah, Idaho, Wyoming
and Colorado
The second session will begin at 7:31
Thursday night, the chief attractions
being the ladies' chorus contest,
three choruses, of thirty voices EACH
contesting; the male quartette contest,
three parties; the soprano solo con-
test, five best out of fourteen con-
testants. and the male chorus contest;
five parties Of forty voices each.
The third session will. open at 7:30
Friday night, the chief attractions
being the Duet contest, three parties;
the baritone solo contest, seven con-
testants; harp contest, two contestants;
and the culminative point will be
reached in the main choral contest
four choirs each numbering 125 voices,
competing for the $500 prize and medal
with second prize of $1G0 and baton,
Salt Lake with two choirs, Ogden with
one and Denver with one.
For the past few days some doubts
have been cast over the Denver
chorus appearing, owing to some mis-
understanding with railway companies,
but as they are otherwise all prepared
and enthusiastic for the fray it is more
than likely ere this that matters have
been adjusted. If so, they will be
here and give a grand concert on
Wednesday evening.
The fourth session will be a grand
concluding concert on Saturday eve
ing, commencing at o'clock The pro-
gramme is headed by the great taber-
nacle choir, seconded by the leading
musical people present at the Eistedd-
fod
The proceeds will, first of all, be
donated to meet the tremendous ex-
penses, the prizes alone amounting to
about $4,000, while another $1,000 will
be necessary to pay the ex-
penses OF talent employed,
advertising, house expenses and the
thousand and one incidentals to an I'M
dertaling of such magnitude. 1t will
take about $4,000 to clean the Cam
brians, Notwithstanding that nearly, IL
not aH local work has been done with