Omaha daily bee., 1897-05-02
SWEDISHTI4Y DAY FESTIVAL
National HohdA is Celebrated by a
Festival n Germania Hall.
MAGNIFICENT PROGRAM IS RENDERED
: M
Prelude to "a Grand Concert to Pro-
vide Funes for an Expedition to
bring swedish singers to
Omahn Next Year.

May Is a national holiday In sweden,
and the day was celebrated last evening
by a festival at Germania hall, which was
one of the notable events in Swedish cir
Giles. The hall was packed full, and, al
though the program was an exceedingly
long one. not being finished until after
midnight, the entire audience remained to
the last. The program was prepared by
Prof. Adolf Edgren, who has done so much
for Swedish music in Omaha the past two
years. The participants were the Norden
Singing society, the Swedish Male Glee
club. the Jenny Lind Ladies' quartet and
a chorus of male and female voices. In
addition to the above named societies, Prof.
Ernest Norden, violinist; Olof Peterson,
futist, and Prof. o. A. Miller, on the
either, furnished instrumental selections.
The program was divided into four parts.
The first and second parts consisted en-
tirely of music, the opening Number being
the May Song" rendered by the Nordens.
G.. A. jacobson the veteran opera singer,
made a short address explaining the pur:-
poses of the festival and welcoming the
guests of the evening. Prof. Peterson
gave a delightful selection on the flute, play
ing The Perfume of the Rose" and for
an encore giving a fine arrangement of
Annie Laurie" The Nordens and the
Ladies' choir sang the Spring Song" and
the Nordens followed with the %favorite
Morning Song one of the best of the
evening. A feature Of the second part Of
the program was the either solos of Mr..
Miller. He gave the old but never tire
some "Mocking Bird with many intricate
variations, and for an encore played a
popular march. which from the swing and
rhythm may well have been one of Sousa's.
The third part of the program was some
thing of a novelty, being a one-act comic
operetta, composed by Prof. Edgren and
entitled, Happy Carl's First Experience
in America" 1t depicted the many en-
barrassments of a young Swedish emigrant,
just landed at Castle Garden, and his sub
sequent adventures in a New York hotel,
the climax being reached when, thirsty
from the fatigues of an ocean voyage, he
pressed the electric button five times, as
per the directions, for porter The por-
ter appeared in the shape of a dusky
s~ervitor, entirely unknown in Sweden, and
the curtain went down on a life and death
struggle between the emigrant and the
hotel servitor over a piece of baggage which
suffered much during the encounter.
Tho fourth part was distinctively Swedish.
It presented a series of dances and songs, all
given in national costumes, and many of
them new to the Swediuh-American portion
of the audience. First was given the ring
dance" by eight men and eight
women, the figure not being intricate,
but the evOlutlOnSs were somewhat DeWllueI-
ing. Four young misses, Ellen Anderson,
Emelie Moline, Ida Johnson and Emelie
Swan, sang AT Sunrise" all dressed in the
picturesque costumes of Norway and SWe-
den. The "Vermlandspolska" delighted the
audience and as a dance it may yet become
famous in Omaha. The Swineherder' was
a one-act %operetta, presented in costume by
Prof. Edgren, Miss Hanna Moline and Misses
Victoria Norelius and Lima Lila. In this
scene the graceful dancing Of Grace and Lii
lie Dahlstrom was enthusiastically received
and heartily encored. Miss Ellen Anderson
sang THE Shepherd Girl in. picturesque
costume, a realistic feature being added in
the shape of a young lamb nibbling the grass
on an imaginary hillside. THE Mountain
Prisoner another scene from opera, was
then given by Prof. Edgren and Miss Ida
johnson. In this scene the hobgoblin dane
ing of Masters Bonnie Saith, Carl Jacobson,
George Tallman, Ray BenniSon, John Redeli
and Plantin brothers was a unique feature.
king Heimer and Aslog," by Prof. Edgren,
littlo Hilda Nordenberg and 4 chorus, came
next and was well received. The closing
number on the program was a scene from
tho opera, Daughter of the Regiment" in
which Miss Emma Moeller and C. A. Jacob
son carried the singing parts, while the
picturesque features were furnished by the
Nordens and the Ladies' choir. The finale
was a grand chorus, sleep in Peace"
The festival was In al parcs a complete
success and a most enjoyable affair. IL was
e preliminary overture to a grand concert
to be given later this month, the proceeds
from which are to be devOie1 to paying the
expenses OF Prof. C. A. jacobson, who soes
to New York on June l in an endeavor to
OF Swedish Singers in Omaha during the ex-
DOSitiOp.