The Portland daily press., 1897-05-25
Maine Musical Festival Outgrewn
Other Maine Cities.
CHORUS WILL CONSIST OF AT
LEAST 2, 500 VOICES.

1
citation Last Night-The Haydns Are
Working to Bring the Festival Here
What Prof. Chapman Saws.
Prof William R. Chapman, the must
cal organizer and director, met with the
Haydn Association last evening in
Kotzschmar hall and conducted one of
the largest rehearsals that this organiza-
ton has ever held. Over 300 of the best
singers in Portland were present and for
nearly two hours Prof Chapman held
this large gathering completely enthralled
by his magnetic conducting The asso-
citation which is known everywhere as
one of the best singing organizations in
this part Of the country, sang as it never
sang before, and at the end of the re-
hearsal, Prof. Chapman told a RFESS
reporter that in his opinion this chorus
was the best;he had yet listened to in the
State of Maine.
Afterwards in speaking of the Maine
Musical Festival which has been @ga-
nized in this state by Prof. Chapman
and which is to be held sometime in Oc-
| tober, this gentleman said that the festi-
val has entirely outgrown it's original
plan.
| When the idea Of holding state musi-
cal festival was first conceived by Prof
Chapman, it was believed that it would
be possible to organize in Maine chorus
OF 800 voices. So great has been the en-
thusiasm aroused by Prof. Chapman in
this state that at the present time fully
25OO singers are rehearsing in various
parts of the state, from Bethel, near
the western border, to the extreme east
ern part of Maine. In every large town
and city choruses have been organized
and all are hard at work preparing for the
great festival, which, when it is held,
Will mark an epoch in the history of mu-
| sic in America as well as in Maine "A
| chorus of $500 people, perfectly trained
and schooled, is what Prof Chapman S
original idea has developed into, and the
| great question which now confronts the
promoters of this gigantic scheme is
where the festival can be held so that
all of these singers may be assembled
under one roof, with space enough left in
the same building to accommodate the
hundreds Of people who will rush from all
parts of the country to hear them sing
The festival has fairly outgrown Lew
iston where it was at first proposed to
hold it, because that city has neither the
hotel accommodations nor a building
large enough to admit of such an enor-
mi Sc, Ii
have the festival held there, but unfortu-
nately Bangor is so far removed from the
centre Of population in Maine and is SO
poorly equipped for handling such big
| crowds as this musical gathering will
bring out that it will be impossible to
hold the festival in that city. Where is
it to be held? There is only one answer
to this question and that will readily
occur to the reader Portland might &C
commodate this vast assemblage Of the
most cultured and refined people in
Maine, giving them ample hotel accom-
modations and building in which the
festival might be held without much
difficulty. Portland will then be looked
to by the immense chorus to throw open
her doors and bid them welcome
But this question has not yet been an
swered by the promoters of the enterprise
and it will probably be some time yet
before the place of holding the festival
will be decided upon. President John B.
Coyle and Prof. Kotzschmar of the Hay
DIN association are naturally very anxious
that this festival should be held here and
to secure it the Haydn association will
use their best endeavors. 1t would mean
great deal to Portland to have this fes-
tival held here. Fully 10000 people might
be expected to come here to listen to the
singing of the largest chorus of trained
singers, with q special orchestra from New
York and such well-known singers as
Nordica, Lillian Blauvelt, DR. Carl Duff,
Evan Williams, Gwylim Miles and many
of lesser note. 1t would mean thousands
OF dollars to Portland and it would Ger
talnly be the greatest advertisement that
this city has ever had. To secure this
festival for Portland where alone it can
be held and where it must be held if it is
TO be carried out on it's original lines,
many Of the prominent citizens of this
city are now using their influence. Prof.
Chapman will today, at the request of
Mr.. J. B. Coyle and others, call upon
Mayor Randall at the City building and
explain the matter to him. Just what
steps will be taken after this is not
known, but that the public of Portland
will meet the idea of holding the big fes-
tival here with enthusiasm there is no
doubt.
Prof. Chapman was seen last night at
the Congress Square hotel and asked
what the plans of the promoters of the
Maine Festival were and what in all
probability they would decide upon.
He said that he was not in position to
answer this question at the present He
said that at the request of some gentle
men in Portland he had visited the au-
ditorium building and he thought at
least greater part of the big chorus could
be gathered there without much trouble
He acknowledged that the festival had