Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1896-11-15
TIE 0RAT0RIO SOCIETY.
An Organization Deserving Of All
Encouragement.
A Popular and Meritorious Work
Now Being Observation-Disclosures
Men Interested-What Has Been
Accomplished Elsewhere in This
Direction.

The Wheeling Oratorio Society,
which meets each Monday evening at
Egerter Hall, is now fully organized
] and actively at work They are re-
hearsing The Holy City," by Gaul, one
Of the most popular of all oratorios.
The plans Of the society, which now
includes over one hundred members,
are such as TO deserve a full measure
! OF success. They include giving at
least two standard oratOriOs each year,
in the months OF January and May.
Eminent soloists will be engaged for
the leading parts, and the city orches-
ira, augmented by players from other
cities, will assist. The plans cOntem-
plate the giving of oratOrios on scale
worthy of the city of Wheeling, and
there is no reason that the plans should
not be successfully carried out. Twelve
OF Wheeling's most prominent business
men have consented to act as an adj
visory committee, and the officers
chosen have all had experience in this
kind of work The financial part will
be looked after with care, and the per-
fOrmances will be on a scale which Will
be most satisfactory to those attending.
To those unfamiliar with the possible
tiles in this direction it may be inter-
esting to indicate something of the
work done by other similar societies.
One in particular is fair example.
In Ann Arbor, Mich, city of less
than fifteen thousand inhabitants, there
is a Choral Union consisting Of three
hundred and fifty voices. Five regu-
lar concerts are given during the sea-
son, and in May, d great May Festival
of five additional concerts, the price to
all being only three dollars At these
concerts are heard such artists as
Paderewski, Sieveking, Jonas, NOrdica,
Klafsky. Katherine BloodgOod, Ysaye,
violinist, as well as Caesar Thomas,
Rivarde, Max Heinrich, the Boston
Symphony Orchestra, the Thomas Or
chestra, and the best musical talent Of
both hemispheres At the May Festi-
val last year, there was an attendance
of over sixteen thousand people at the
five performances, an average of over
three thousand at each performance.
Every we'll known oratOriO has been
given there, including The Damna-
ton of Faust" of the most difficult
compositions for chorus. All OF this
has been accomplished in a city of less
than fifteen thousand inhabitants.
Cincinnati has made herself famous
by her May Festivals as has also
Worcester, Mass, while oratorio socie-
ties are found in almost every city OF
any Importance in the Eastern and Mid
die States. Wheeling has never been
behind in anything which has advanced
her interests or given pleasure TO her
citizens. In the organization Of the
Wheeling OratOrio Society she is again
showing her desire to keep her place
among the leading cities of our coun-
try. We understand that on Monday
evening the membership will be closed
for the first concert, and all those who
wish to join the chorus must be at
Egerter Hall on that evening. 1t is
probable that the first concert will be
given with a chorus of about one hun
bred and fifty voices.