The Portland daily press., 1898-10-20
FESTIVAL CHORUS.
New Musical Association Organized
Last Event g.
WILL REHEARSE FOR MUSICAL
FESTIVAL OF 1899.

The New Organization is Entirely Distinct
and separate from the Haydn Society
Next Year the Messiah and Flying
Dutchman VIII Be Produced by the
Maine Musical Festival-The Festival
VIII Be Conducted By the Choruses
and Mr.. Chapman Will Work on sala-
ry,
The Portland Festival Chorus was
organized last evening in Kotzschmar
hall and is distinct organization from
the Haydn Association which has been
identified with the musical festivals in
the past. The Festival Chorus will devote
itself entirely to rehearsing for the festi-
val of 1899, while the Haydn Association
will pursue an entirely different line OF
work. ga = -sa;na
Fully $50 persons, the larger part OF
whom were ladies braved the cold rain
storm of last night to assemble in
Kotzchmar Hall to organize the Festival
Chorus and discuss matters in general.
Mr.. W. r. Chapman and Mrs. Chapman
were present and it was Mr.. Chapman
who did the most of the talking during
the evening.
AS soon as the assembly had been called
to order Mr.. Chapman said: II wish
to thank you in the first place for the
glorious work you did in the musical
festival II it was success you deserve
credit for it and not me. My work IN
Portland during the past two years has
been great pleasure to me and have
never been treated more kindly in any
place than have in this city. have
never been treated better by any orga-
nization than have been by the Haydns.
No one has done more to help music in
Portland than has Mr.. Kotzschmar. l
never want to come to Portland again
should I hear it ssid by any one that
William r. Chapman is opposed to the
Haydns. On the contrary the proposition
I am going to make tonight has been sug-
gested by some gentlemen who are con-
nected with the Haydns and who relieve
that the plan am to propose is for the
good of the Haydns and the musical fest1-
val Why not have an Independent festi-
Val CuUTuSl L Aof0 OOCA " 4oAOAA0N Ny
some people who say that my coming to
Portland has interfered with the Haydn's
concerts I believe the Haydn's have
been benefited by my coming here and
I think they will be benefited by the Or
ganiMtion of an independent festival
chorus In Bangor..I. workedi.one year
with a choral society and last year we
organized there festival chorus and
the work since that time has been very
much better.
| "The music want you to sing in 1899
will be very difficult and you must give
it great deal of attention and care. l
want you to understand that it is not me-
but you, who made this festival sue
cess. This city is large enough to sup
port two societies. Whatever the Hay 1ns
may choose to do in the future with Mr..
Kotzschmar is none of my business. l
can't do the work in the future in train
ing these choruses and some one else
must do it, Ny high ideal is to lift music
all over Maine, not in Portland alone.
All over Maine there has been grand
move in the interest of music of. which
you all ought to be proud.
SIN the future shall not have the time
to devote to this work exclusively. l
don't care who your conductor will be or
who your president will be, but you must
do it all without my taking all the re-
sponslbility. don't want large chorus.
A IL that ask for is 100 singers, and they
must all have good voices. l should go
to New York sad at heart if have made
one enemy in anything may have said
tonight. I have been criticised greaa
deal about what has been done during
the past year. Some people have had