The age-herald., 1900-01-07
CONTRACTS HAVE
 NOT YET BEEN MADE
Meeting of Directors of May
 Festival Association.
GENERAL MEETING CALLED
Two Propositions Have Been Made, One by MT. Guckenberger and the Other by Boston People
 MT. Ryan Talks

There seems to be little or no doubt that Birmingham will have a musical festival next May, but no contract for artists has yet been agreed upon. The board of direc- tors of the May Musical Festival assoeia- ton, of which James Bowron is president, met at the Conservatory yesterday after noon, and after a short discussion of or chestras and soloists it was decided that the question of holding a festival and the or chestra to be engaged should be presented to a general meeting of the association call ed for next Tuesday at S:SO p. m. at the Commercial club. And in addition to the members-those who were on the guarantee list last year-the lady patroness are also asked to attend the meeting, and take part in the discussion.
 George w. Stewart, representing the Bos- ton Festival orchestra of which Emil Mol lenhaur is conductor, and Benjamin Guck- enberger, representing an orchestra com posed chiefly of members of the Cincinnati Symphony, and which he would conduct, have each submitted proposition, and each of these propositions includes large number of sololsts
 With the Boston festival orchestra would come Vladimir de Pachmann, the eminent piano virtuoso; but in the list of vocal art ists no star like Campanari who created such a frlror last May, would appear.
 Mr. Guckenberger's offer
 If is understood that Mir. Guckenberger's list of soloislts includes Miss Carrie Bride well. formerly of this city, who has re- cently achieved brilliant success in the north: Mrs Corinne Moore Lawson, who has an international reputation; Miss tlofa Marguerite Bertelle, of Louisville, wno Is exceedingly popular; MT. Thatcher, MT F,hrgott, and perhaps MT. Washburn.
 While the soloisHs of course form an i'm portant part of festival such as Is Tn contemplation the choruses and orchestra are still more important, and in speaking Of the latter feature yesterday William Ryan the well-known music critic, said:
 Notwithstanding the fact that Birming- ham boasts of a better musical atmosphere than is found in other southern communl- ties. very few orohestras have been heard here The largest and best symphony or ganization to play in this city was the Damrosch orchestra, several years ago. The next, in point of size and merit and the only one after the Damroseh orchestra WOrDn pO0SlutIlhS, Nti9 IhS oOoSSN WY. val with which our music lovers are fa- miliar
 "Neither of the three famous organiza- tions-the Boston Symphony, the New York Philharmonic nor the Thomas Orchestra has been here. After listening ito those orchestras. especially the Boston Sympho- ny and the Thomas, one comes to be dis crfminaiting and to appreciate what is mo- blest and best in orchestral performance
 The Thomas Concert
 'rhomas, with band of GA or 65, will give concert at tine Auditorium next March, and it is safe to predict that he will come again next season. To have his orchestra for the festival would be a grand thing for Birmingham, of course but that is out of the question. It is known that no money offer could bring him here next May, AS for the Boston Symphony, no amount of money could induce that organization to come south, at any season of the year.
 ''Then the question Is simply this: Of the two orchestras available which would give us the better satisfaction--the Boston Fes- t:val or the Cincinnati Symphony? Hav- ing heard both orchestras time and again, 1 am free to say uHdt III ny OpluiOI Jflc Cincinnati band would prove far superior to the other. In fact, the two are not to be compared. While I have several per soral acquaintances in the Boston Festival orchestra, I know not personally single member of the Cincinnati Symphony. But I do know the value of the Cincinnati art ists, and, after those three orchestras of line foremost rank-the Boston Symphony, the Thomas and the New York Fhilhar- monic, no other orchestral organization in the United States includes men of such ability and practice in concert work as tho Cincinnati contingent.
 ''As to the relative cost of the two or chestras-ahe Boston Festival and the Gin cinnati Symp'nony-I am not informed That must necessarily be taken into con- sideration.
 "Whichever organization is engaged, a highly creditable and successful festival may be expected, for the chorus alone would make it an enterprise of great art istic strength"