The Portland daily press., 1899-10-11
Important Meeting Next
October.
Plans for Next Year to be
Discussed.

mr. Onapmhn was seen yesterday at his
rooms In the Falmouth hotel by report
er Of the PRESS who talked with him
about the THIRD Maine Music Festival,
which has taken tts place In the musical
history of the state.
Realizing the great strain which neoes-
sarily comes to q leader who conducts
musical affairs on SO broad scale. Mr..
Chapman was congratulated that he hau
emerged from all In good physical con-
dition and this led him to say at the out
set Of his interview:
"why this is the first timo that have
had long breath since last Thursday.
have been rehearsing and conducting
iEcessantly. The strain at the last in
Bangor was something like bicycle rioer
on seven days ride, endeavoring to keep
his nerve to the finish"
"You have borne up we'll Mr.. Chap
man." said the reporter. "but have you
no observations to make ON the work ac-
complished and the success of the festival
which every body admitss''
why" said he, sit has been almost
next to miracle. When looked at those
great choruses In you r city and in Ban
gor and thought of the three years. drill
and drudgery that we all have been
through, that such results could have been
accomplished is indesd remarkable. When
think that many of the members of
these choruses were brought together
from the smaller towns and that their
performances included one Of the. most
difficult oratorios ever written the Mes
siah-I cannot but feel repaid for the
years. hard work.
81 want IL distinctly understood that
the greatest praise Is due the local CON-
ductors who have tried to carry out my
idcas. And when you consider the roper
torres which we have accomplished In the
last three years, In the beautiful operatio
selections, the Elijah, the Stahat Mater
and other truly classical productions
which we have given, can you tell me of
another state that has accomplished the
study of more good music Ia the same
length of time
After Mr.. Chapman's well deserved and
glowing tribute to the choruses of Port
land and Bangor he was asked to say
something about local soloists, and he
replied;
81 am very much pleased with your
male quartette. You have q wonderful
bass singer In MIR. Harry Merrill. He
would make a name for himself in any
metropolitan city where he saw fit to go.
Then there is Mrs. Palmer. She deserves
great credit and sincerely regretted the
absence of Miss Rice's most bsautiful
voice. She was unable to be present be-
cause of the death Of very dear friend,
Miss Ella Lewis"
Satisfied with the past, MIR. Chapman's
attention was objected to the future and
its plans, concerning which he said:
"a great deal of enthusiasm is being
manifested throughout the state in towns
which up to the present time have ha d
no representation In the chorus. / refer
to Freeport, Sanford. Springvale. Saco,
Biddeford. Foxcroft and other plnces and
this growing local enthusiasm Is indeed
gratifying to me. On this point let me
say that on October "a there viii he a
very important nesting of the festival
committee in the Office OF the Portland
Savings bank in your city. Then and
and adopt some idea which shall govern
the festival Of next year. Until that
conference shall be held. l am not in
clined to say too muo h on that subject.
SIT might be Of interest to know that
on the date just mentioned a full and
comprehensive statement of the financial
end OF our last festival will be sub
mitted."
1t was suggested to Mr.. Chapman that
at the approaching meeting the tremen
dous expense which was involved In the
retention Of '.stars" might be considered
Eyes" he replied. ''it is question
and must be looked into. You. know Sem
brich was our highest priced singer. But
we must remember the great DRAWN g
power OF such an artist. Others OF lesser
magnitude might have been secured
Would any Of them drawn SO wellS
"My idea of the future is that we
should make the great chorus and orches-
ira the feature. If we had the bank ac-
count of Vanderbilt or Rothschild we
could command any artist but the work
l am endeavoring In the state of Maine
is to teach her music loving people great
and glorious works and to make hers the
finest and largest chorus in aAmerica--it
Is acknowledged such today.
''It may be that we can get along with
fewer soloists. AS to orchestra too much
praise oannoi be.giyen our Maine musi.
clans who have studied so long and de-
lightfully to please me and do wish
that some one would rise up In your
midst like Mr. Higginscn who has spent
over q million dollars on the Boston SYM
phony."
Asked about his plans for the winter
Mr Hhauu,an aaads