Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-04-02
THE MUSICAL FESTIVAL
VIII he Better This Year Than Ewes
Before-The Textures.


The music festival which will occur az
the Academy on the 2lst and ed OF this
month is the sixth OF an annual series
commenced in 1896. given under tho aus
pieces OF tho Wednesday Club. The asso.
| citation maintains a permanent chorus OF
| 80 voices. which rehearses weekly. except
I'm the summer months. during tho period
between tho festival. The plan OF the as
ISOLATION Is TO bring to the assistance OF
! this chorus largo orchestra and eminent
soloists for the performance OF works
worthy of such an occasion. The chorus
has been trained for the present festival
by Mr.. Arthur Scrivenor, who has been
the conductor OF these festivals since
their institution.
The soloists this year will be: Miss
Sarah Anderson, soprano; Miss Anna
Lohbller. soprano; Miss Gertrude May
Stein, alto Miss Blanche Towle, alto
Signor 'campanari, baritone: Mr.. Evan
Williams. tenor; Mr.. Clarence Shirley.
tenor; Mr.. Myron Whitney Jr., basso.
On the afternoon OF tho 22d a concert
will be given by the Children's Chorus OF
275 voices. The Boston Festival Orches-
ira is composed OF forty-fivc pieces. IL
has appeared here upon two former occa-
sions, and nothing need be said at this
time OF the super-exccllence OF its work.
The works TO the sung at this festival
are Mendelssohn's Hymn OF Praise"
Coleridge-T aylor's "Hiawatha's Wedding
Feast" and s'anford's God Is Our Hope
and Strength (xlvD.
At the Saturday matinee the Children'o
Chorus will sing Adelaide Proctor's Lee
gend OF Bregenz' music by BendalD. u
1. -
and other shorter choruses, accompanied
by the orchestra and solo artists. maxi
ing that programme most attractive.
Musically, the festival Will not only be
up to the standard OF It's predecessors.
but will surpass them. The conspicuous
and notable event OF tho festival Will be.
Of course the first concert, In which tho
works named above will be interpreted.
This concert will be- devoted exclusively
to sacred music. On the ed the pro.
gramme will be entirely secular in char
acter.
This Is a critical year In the history OF
the Wednesday Club. AS for the fnan-
cial status, the cold facts are these: In
1897 the musical association lost nearly
81 Coo in 1898 about 500. There was no
thing I'm the treasury at the beginning Of
the present year. and the expenses Of the
approaching festival will not be less than
81 800. or this sum barely $1,000 has been
SO that IL will be necessary to
raise al least 81 500 more by subscription
before the managers will feel that they
have been warranted an Undertaking to
provide such an exceptional treat for the
Richmond public.
The Wednesday Club was originally
started I'm February, 1898. by few mcsil-
bers for their own mutual improvement
and entertainment. They met weekly at
the house Of Mr.. II. T. Meloney, present
president, and Il proved 30 successful
that the interest and the membership
rapidly increased, and the club closed tho
first season by singing successfully the
music Of Gluck's beautiful opera 'Or.
pheus." The interest thus started con-
tinued, and increased To such an extent
that the club recognized on much
larger scale in order 10 meet apparent de-
mand for the study Of some or the great
est choral works OF the great composers.