The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-10-30

Bangor People who Predict IL. Failure
There.
urrorAI. TO rHn rnrsaI

I
subject for much discussion among the
musical people hsrs at the present time.
The members of the Bangor chorus and
of othsr choruses in the eastern part Of
the state, say that there will be festi-
val, bat there are others that think differ
emily. The history of the Maine festival
in Bangor Is an interesting story from
the beginning to the present time II
has been told many times and readers OF
the Maine papers are well verssd on the
subject The fact is, Bangor cannot sup
port festival of the magnitude upon
which those In the past three years have
been conducted. The people here like
good music, as well NJ those any where In
the country, bat they are not able to pay
for IL. There are enough moneyed men
In Bangor to make the festival an estab-
lished enterprise. but as yet they have not
seen fit to go down into their pockets
and establish u permau ent fund.
When the big auditorium building was
erected It was understood that It was to
be free Of debt on this day the dedication
| exercises were to take Mace. Enough
| money was subscribed to do this, but
when the committee came to collect It,
that was another matter. AS q result
the directors of the building association
found themselves $4,000 in debt and to
pay the bills thsy were obliged to mort
gage the building to the Eastern Trust
and Banking company. This Is the
way the matter stands today. The bank
ing people want their money; they are
willing to give the musical people and
others time to raise this sum; they are
willing to take $1,000 year until the
whole debt is wiped out, but 1T has been
found impossible thus far to meet these
obligations This years festival, accord
ing to the figures submitted &C the annu-
al meeting OF the Eastern Maine festival
association held here this week, was not
u financial success. In fact the associ-
alton is over $250O behind the game. d.
rector Chapman has not even received
the $500 salary, which 1t was voted to
give him. but he is making prenarations
for another festival next year and In the
meantime hopes that bangor people will
subscribe money enough 90 wipe out ths
debt and pay him his salary. The re-
| ceipts at the festival held here last month
were S6623. The expenses were $763S. 50,
thus making deficit OF 500 81 on the
festival alone. There were only 6003 tick
| cts sold for the whole tive performances.
Bangor raised $500 before the festival
dates were announced. to guarantee the
coming of Mime. Sembrlch, and this
amount IL not figured In the expenses.
Had 1t not been that Nine. mbrich
consented to sing at the Saturday morn
| ing rehearsal the figures which make. the
denoit would have been much larger
Ex-Mayor II. o. Heal, VINO is president
Of the Eastern Maine association. has been
| great worker for the success OF the festi-
val. He Is ON the note for 5000 held by
the banking company. He believes that
the festival expenses have been too large
and that people were asked to pay price
for hearing the different artists sing, and
the pooketb books Of mnsio lovers In this
section Of the state. He thinks that II a
festival 10 to be, held next year
that the list OF artists ought to be made
smaller, the expenses ought to be reduced,
and the festival should be held but
preoistes the fact that the festival has
been u great benefit to Rsngor business
men any more than Mr.. Beal, but he
does not see how things can go on, as they
have gcne In the past three years. with
| out there being q sum on the wrong side
Of the ledger every year. Director Chap
| man has an idsa,i IL Is said, that he would
like to make another tour with the
| Maine Symphony orchestra. The tour
last spring lost him $500, and IL is not be.
lieyed that another the coming winter
would be any more successful. Then
again, he wants to have The Messiah
sung in Bangor and Portland at Christ
mas time, but as far as the Bangor end
of IL is concerned, 1t is not believed that
1t would pay. 1t 10 said that negoti-
atoms are already going OF with Nine.
Eames for her to appear at the next
Maine festival. II Bangor does not have
one, of course Portland will. and the
Forest City can figure on entertaining
many people from this way.
Bangor people are watching with a
great deal Of Interest the work If Miss
Edith Bradford, who IL q member Of the
famous Bostonians. Miss Bradford
Joined the company in Boston two weeks
ago and her tirst appearance there was
at the Wednesday afternoon performances
when she sang the role of Allan Dale
| in Robin Hood, which was the part sung
by Jessie Bartlett Davis when she was a
mem Der OF the organization. Miss Brad
| She went into the chorus with the Aborn
Opera company and inside of month
she was singing the prima donna roles.
She has a repertoire Of 35 operas. She
joined the Bostonians as undsrstudy to
the prima donna, Marie Van Dresser,
who took Miss Davis's place. Miss Brad
ford is daughter Of A. p. Bradford of
this CITY, for many years a well-known
Bangor business man. She IL q remark
| ably handsome girl and previous to her
going on the stage she always attracted
| great deal OF attention.
The PRESS correspondent heard this
week that Hon. Fred A. Powers of Houl-
ton, whom the lawyers of this section OF
the state have got booked to be the next
justice of the supreme court In case JUS
tioe Wiswell take Chief Justice Peters's
place, will not accept the Office II it 10 ten
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