St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-05-07
THE CHORAL UNION.
Its Value to the Community and the Support
Its Coming Festival Should Receive from
the Public.


Two years ago the Choral union was
organized to give an impetus to the
musical interests Of St. Johnsbury. The
members have been those who felt in
clined to spend some of their time and
money for the sake OF the drill and chorus
singing, and the acquaintance with good
standards of musical composition. All OF
the expenses incident to such an organ
ization have been met by those who have
received it's benefits. No entertainments
have been given to raise money, nor has
the public been called upon in any other
way. 1t has been like school which the
students maintain by their tuition fees.
But the Choral union has achieved
some results in musical study which are
of value to others. 1t would like to place
these results within the reach OF all who
might enjoy them. AS an organization
it is sufficiently strong to venture to
invite musical artists of unusual power
to make their contributions also to the
general enjoyment of our people. In
other words it will undertake to do what
it did last year-to prepare for the people
of ST. Johnsbury series OF concerts,
varied and instructive, and which pos
sess one feature, at least, impossible
under other circumstances, namely,
chorus singing to orchestral accompan-
ment.
1t is good for a community to turn its
thoughts to music once year. Those
who are engaged in preparing the coming
musical festival are workingin the public
interest. Officially they represent the
Choral union, but in larger sense they
represent the part ofthe community who
seek to maintain its higher life. The
musical organizations, like the fraternal,
charitable, religious and intellectual
organizations, foster the higher side of
life and must always be maintained by
the sacrifice OF the lower. The musical fes.
tivalis offered to the public for the public
good. Its expenses will be betrayed by
those who partake of its benefits. Its
benefits are so obvious that it is reason
able to expect that the committees in
charge nave rightly guaged the public
interest. Those who attended last
years festival will remember that the
audiences reached their greatest size at
the last performance, when Gade's
Crusaders" was rendered with such
thrilling effect. The present festival will
begin with Gade's "Erl Kings Daugh-
ter" similar work. and end with
Haydn's famous Creation"
AS the chorus will in its renderings
seek to build its success on the summit of
its previous success, so he audiences at
the very beginning of this festival should
equal their greatest size Of last year To
induce this interest in the earlier work
OF the festival, and to measure if possible
the entire strength of St. Johnsbury's
musical sentiment, canvass is being
made for he sale OF season tickets.
We bcspeak for the canvassers cor
dial response from the public, whose
patronage they solicit The high excel
lence OF this years festival is based on
the popular appreciation of last years.
This will be the guiding principle for
future years. II you believe that the
festival is good thing Tor st. Johns
bury, take season ticket.