The herald., 1897-06-21
Opens Its Eighteenth Fest
Today
TEN THOUSAND GOOD VOICES
WILL SING IN SOLO AND CHo-
RUS CONTESTS
The Preparations Made Promise the
Most Mammoth Musical Event
Ever Held in America
Associated Press Special Wire.

PHILADELPHIA, June 20.-The
eighteenth national saengerfest Of the
Northeastern saenger bund will open in
this city tomorrow, and there is every
indication that It will be the most man.
moth musical event of the kind ever held
in this country. The societies which
will participate in the festival come from
all the larger cities in the eastern por-
tion Of the United States, and the mass
choruses will form an interesting feature
of the feast, to be made of the best sing
ers in the society. The various numbers
In these choruses will be rendered by
6O00 male voices, in addition to which
there will be a school children's chorus
of 5000 voices and choruses of mixed
voices numbering several thousand.
The first three days of the festival
will be devoted to the vocal contests
and concerts and the remaining three
days to open air diversions and the dis
tribution Of the prizes.
Many months have been spent by the
local committees and their aids in per-
fecting the details of the occasion and
the result of their labors has been to
gather together q chorus Of male voices
seldom IL ever equaled in point Of num-
bers and the arrangement of a most
elaborate program to be sung in an au-
ditorium especially constructed for the
purpose and capable Of seating comfort
ably nearly 10000 persons and by lit
tie crowding fully 5000 more can be ac-
commodated. In addition to this the
utmost attention has been given to re-
hearsing. For the past two years the
musical directors Of the league have
been making regular tours through the
territory of the association, instructing
the singers in the numbers to be rem
dered.
The fest will open with a reception
concert by the united singers Of Phila-
delphia and ladies' chorus. Arno
Leonhardt, president Of the united sing
ers, will welcome the visiting societies,
as will Governor Hastings. Mayor War
wick and, 1t is hoped. Vice President
Hobart, although the attendance of the
latter is doubtful. Carl Lenz, president
of the saengerbund, will also make an
address. Following this will come the
festival hymn, composed especially for
the occasion. On Tuesday there will be
prize singing for individual societies in
the first and second class and one-half
wIen W moss In the thiEd Glass vrT rThf ssdnfiqd
class for individual societies and the
two classes for the city federation
prizes. Samuel Herman will direct the
festival concert Wednesday night and
at its close 1.-THE Star Spangled Ban
ner" will be sung by the 5000 male voices
and the audience. The prizes will be
distributed on Thursday at Lierze's
Washington park in connection with the
open air exercises to continue until Sat-
urday. when the official closing of the
fest will be announced by President
Leonhardt
The five judges of the contest have
been selected for the occasion. Each is
an accomplished musical professional
and not connected with any society in
the league.
They have been selected in such
manner as to hold the identity Of one
from the other and not until the contests
are over and they meet to compare nota-
tions will each learn who his associates
are. The different qualities to be judged
are intonation, precision, light and
shade, phrasing and enunciation. There
are six points to each quality and the
society scoring the highest number Of
points in each contest will be awarded
the first prize of that class.
The organizations which will particl-
pate consist Of some of the most famous
in the history of the German American
music.