The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-12
MUSIC FESTIVAL TALK
FINANCIAL CONDITION OF THE AssO-
CITATION DISCUSSED.
Something About the Cost of the Chief
Musical Event of the Year
GuarantOrs to Meet.

Within two or three days the subscribers
to the guarantee fund of the May music
festival will receive a detailed statement
of the receipts and expenses of the festival
of last week, together with notice of an
assessment of % per cent. on their subscrip-
lions. This was decided at the meeting
of the directors at the Denison House last
night, and it was not then possible to make
an exact statement of the festival expenses,
as all the bills are not yet in. The receipts
were as follows: From sale of tickets,
So $500; from advertising in prospectus and
book, $35S.75; from sale of choral works,
$13S.SS; from checkroom, SIS; total So, 1863. Is
the smallest receipts in years. The box
Office statement of the receipts for the
various concerts was as follows: Season
tickets. 1924; Wednesday night, $1,14050;
Thursday night, $612; Friday night $3.50;
Saturday afternoon, $685. Saturday night,
81 662.5 AS an illustration of the frequent
ly demonstrated fact that a so-called star
draws to the festival it is noticed that the
night Ysaye played the receipts were within
$500 as much as the gross receipts of the
other four concerts.
The expenses of the festival, as nearly as
the directors could estimate last night with
all the bills not in, were, in round numbers,
$13 500, leaving a deficit of approximately
4,436. The guarantee fund is $4,000, and
experience has shown that all assessments
on such funds are not always paid. Each
of the directors is a subscriber to the fund
for 800 or more, and in addition to paying
their assessment on this will probably have
to make good a further deficit of from $500
to $3.50, which they say they are perfectly
willing to do. The general sentiment last
night among the members of the board was
that all should resign and let others take
up the festival work and carry it on, if it
is to be carried on. 1t was decided to call
guarantors' meeting Cor Monday evening,
May 90 at the Denison House, to take such
action about festival affairs as is thought
best. In previous years it has been difficult
to get representative meeting of the guar
antors, and the directors decided TO do
nothing without such a meeting. If less
than one-half the guarantors attend the
coming meeting nothing will be done, but
another meeting will be called. If the at
tendance should fall short, then. the dlrec-
tors say, they will make no further effort
toward carrying on the festival work. In
other words it is their belief that the men
who pay the festival deficits-and deficits,
they say. are almost certain-should them
selves decide whether to go ON with the
The cause of the heavy loss this year,
the directors say. was undoubtedly the war
excitement. which is absorbing the atten-
tion of everybody to the detriment of bust
ness generally and amusement enterprises
particularly. When the war excitement be-
gan, the directors say. they were satisfied
that the festival would be a financial fail
ure Before that with such an array of
great artists and such attractive pro-
grammes. they had reason to expect sue
cess. 1t was then too late to cancel the fes-
tival for all the contracts had already been
made and the chorus rehearsals were well
advanced. To stop meant certain very
heavy loss. and it was thought best to go
ahead The festival. they add, was better
advertised than ever before, but advertis-
ing did little good when people were reading
nothing or thinking little of anything else
but the war news. Nothing, apparently,
could arouse much interest in the festival,
and. added to this, the weather last week
was so unfavorable that it diminished the
receipts very materially.
The directors will send to the guarantors
a detailed financial statement and the rea-
sons they assign for the heavy loss. There
is no attempt to disguise the fact that they
feel that they should be relieved of the work
OF carrying on the festival: If II is to be
carried on, and 1t should be intrusted to
| others whom the men who make good the
deficit. the guarantors. may select.