The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-19
PRACTICE IN THE
MUSIC FESTIVAL
First Mass Rehearsal to Be Held
Next Thursday.
A BIG CHILDREN'S CANTATA
To Be Given at Matinee Performance
Description of the Music For the
Whole Festival = Instruments
Composing Boston Orchestra.

The work of training the large choruses
which are to take part in Birmingham's
first musical festival, is progressing very
satisfactorily. The first mass rehearsal of
both choruses-ladies' and gentlemen's-
will take place next Thursday night. 1t
has been decided at the afternoon perform
ance of the festival to produce one of the
best chidren's cantatas ever written, with
about two hundred children's voices
Prof. Benz. Guckenberger, director of
the musical festival to be given May 8 and
4, reports good progress in the work of
training his chorus, although the singers
have not been as regular in their atten-
ance at rehearsal, he says, as they should
have been, or as he will expect them to
be from this time On. Haydns glorious
and melodic oratorio, 1.-The Creation" is
being studied, and for the first festival
nothing more popular, perhaps, could have
been selected. Mr.. Guckenberger has had
already twelve rehearsals-four for men
and eight for ladies.
The first mass rehearsal with about 1875
voices will take place next Thursday even
ing at o'clock, when the entire oratorio
will be sung. And on the same evening
parts of Wagner's "Lohengrin" and
"Tannhauser' operas will be studied.
Children's Cantata
A feature of the festival will be the
childrens chorus-boys and girls-at the
afternoon concert. Benoit's children's can
tata is being published for the first time
in English, especially for this occasion.
The director expects to receive the parts
In ten days or two weeks, when he will
forthwith call a rehearsal of his juve-
nile forces. This cantata is said to be
fresh and joyous, and especially appropri-
ate Tor spring. Benoit is a Belgian. His
composition was given from a manuscript
translation at Cincinnati and at Indianap-.
Oils with fine effect under the direction of
Mr.. Van der Stucken.
Mr.. Guckenberger says he will begin to-
morrow afternoon at o'clock to examine
boys and gilrs' voices for the cantata He
wishes to have at least two hundred in this
chorus.
The Boston Festival Orchestra, which
has been engaged for the festival, Is COM
posed of thirty-nine or forty Instruments.
1t will include six first violins, four Sec
onds, four violas Qenor violins) three yio-
loncellos, three bassos, and the full com
plement of wood, wind and brass.
The orchestral management is to furnish
the vocal soloists. This list will be COM
pleted within the next week or two. The
musical IesiVal Will embrace three concerts
two evening and one afternoon. Part l.
OF the first concert will be made up prin-
cipally of orchestral numbers, and Part
III. will be filled by 1.-THE Creation" In
addition to the children's chorus the after
noon programme will contain popular
overtures, marches and waltzes, and one
or two vocal solos. The third and last per-
romance will be made up largely of oper-
attic music.
The agent of the Theodore Thomas or
chestra spent several days in Birmingham
last week endeavoring to raise a large
guarantee for two concerts in Aplir, but
after consulting various citizens interested
In music tse abandoned the enterprise. His
date were too near the festival dates