Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-02-10

more lIle creation OF the
people" than the Musical Association
During the fifty years covered by it's
existence and the different societies
which led up to and made it possible,
| all of which have been within and a
part of the writer's experience, there
cannot be recalled single person who
identified himself with the chorus
| from outside the ranks of the "peo-
ple, from which also large majority
of its patrons came.
The Mozart Society, organized in 1850
by body of singers, which had met
for many months without any formal
rules, continued for fifteen years, dur
ing which it gave At concerts; the finan-
cial results of which wereSless than one
hundred and seVenty-flve dollars, which
We're passed over to the Choral Union.
| The members of the present govern
nent nave small conception of the
amount Of unpaid and thapkless labor,
sharp bargaining and close economy
Whlch entered into this long fight with
outrageous fortune" backed as it was
by nothing but stout hearts, lively
hopes and the genuine pluck that goes
down into its own pocket when the last
resort is reached, which happened sew
eral times.
Inc CHORAL Union maintained a losing
competition with the growing county as
/
When IL passed into a state '1nnocuous
desuetude, with balance to its credit
OF ABOUT S75, showing a loss Of 500 as
tne result of about forty concerts.
WIN all the dlscouragements attend
| ing thls period, there could be noted a
STEADY growth and increase of public in
terest and love for the class of music re-
hearsed by the societies.
Interest in music was very oraa+ lv,
/ 10Th r..
system OF musical conventions which
grew up during the years following 1866.
Inc nrst in Worcester was held in
1898, out like the earth at its crea ton.
was without form and void, and dark
| ness was upon it's face for a chaotic
| period; the annual sessions being man.
aged by such parties as had the cour-
age ana pluck to face the financial prob
] lems attending the enterprise until 1866.
when a constitution and bylaws were
adopted
| The central location of Worcester.
with it's large body Of exceptionally good
| singers, Mechanics Hall, uneuualled for
It's seating capacity, beautiful and ele-
/ giant proportions, resonant and sonorous
acoustic properties, combined with the
great organ. soon placed the county fes-
tiVal far away and unapproachably be-
yond any other similar organization.
For years the attendance at its con
certs was limited only by the capacity of
| the hall, the whole house being sold out
some seasons in advance of the festival.
| The price Of tickets for years were:
Single, so and rs cents, and season SO. 90.
On this basis there had accumulated a
fund of nearly $4,000 at the close of the
| season of 1878.
During this long period of 30 years,
the chorus Of these different organiza-
| tions was the society," and had controlled
the affairs through board of managers
| OF their own choosing and from their
| own numbers: the members of which
served without pay, though sometimes
they were voted a gratuity when the
| service had been unusual and there hap
pened to be balance in the treasury
! but Which was not always taken; and
who, while forever signing for the far
off unattained and dim,'' recognized the
| fact that the way to the ideal was
through the practical, and that every
festival to be a complete success must
be so financially
! Those of us who had passed through
this long period of labor and service
| took an immense pride in the reward
and success which had finally come
and hopefully looked forward to the pos
sible $4,000 or $4,000 fund, which had
| been the dream and hope of years
At the annual meeting in September
| 1878, the new board of government, con-
! sisting of II members, all but two OF
which were residents of this city, were
instructed to organize the association
under the state laws. which it did Sc
| far as its own members and a few
others (non-residents) were concerned
The new organization took the name
prestige, funds library and place before
the public of the old, but discarded and
rejected the chorus. There seemed to
have come in a new and strange influ-
ence utterly at variance with the spirit
of the past, unformulated, but potent to
present any addition to its mem ership.
| Many of the old members who had been
active in it's work for years in such
ways as they could desired to join, but
received not the slightest consideration
at the hands of others with whom they
| had worked both in it and the Choral
Union. 1t was difficult to believe that
| their rejection was permanent, but with
the passage OF the years they gradually
realized that they were out of it alto
| gether. The chorus has ever been COM
posed of an exceptionally steady,
thoughtful and self-respecting class,
who in all sterling qualities are not ex-
celled by the membership OF any organ
ization in the city Many of them are of
| superior education and culture, holding
positions of responsibility, faithful in
| l1dIly
| years. Why such should be practically
| ostracized passes comprehension. 1t is
| believed that but six from its ranks have
| been admitted during the 10 years since
| it's incorporation. There has never yet
been heard a reason in justification of
such course, that was entitled to one
moments respectful consideration.
There has been no meeting of the asso-
citation since it's organization in which
| he hra ri 0f ~
| ly in the majority. Under forced inter
| probation of the constitution and by
laws, expressly disclaimed at it's adopt
| ion, it assumes to have sole and eXclus-
i've management of its affairs, and the
| other members have no more knowledge
of what is being done and are as power
| less to interfere as is the general pub
! he 1t is believed that a majority of the
present board were members neither Of
the association or chorus at the time of
their election. 1t Is submitted for con-
sideration that the sum total of these
wrongs of omission and commission
cannot but have had a great influence
for harm to the association. Great eX
pectations were raised in the public
mind two or three years ago by the new
blood which had come into its manage
ment.
No doubt the quality of the infusion
and the method of It's TRANSMISSION was
the subject Of long and anxious investi-
CATION with reference to it's tractability,
docility and freedom from bumptious-
ness, but the material, whatever may
have been its quality when introduced,
soon conformed to its environment, cir
culated through the old channels to
the somewhat spasmodic and intermit-
tent heart action which suggests entire
collapse soon, unless improved.
1t has been noticeable that the at
tendance of gentlemen at the concerts of
the festival has very much diminished