The age-herald., 1901-07-28
PLANS FUR NEXT
 MUSIC FESTIVAL
 Eg Conditions Under Which Guck- enberger Will Direct CHORAL SOCIETY PLANS Secretary John L. Parker at Work to Increase Contributing Membership and Ills Efforts Will Probably be Crowned With Success.
CHORAL SOCIETY PLANS

The musical life of Birmingham does not become extinct in summer as was the case in other days, for there is opera every week night at Lakeview, a popular band concert every Sunday afternoon at East Lake and a sacred concert every Sunday night somewhere. These attrac- tions in order to be suited to the heated term, are light, but at the same time re fined and good.
 The musical season, seriously consid- cred, extends from November until June, and every year marks an advance in Bir- mingham's artistic endeavor and appre- citation of whatever is meritorious in a musical way.
 Last season Birmingham had many bril- liant attractions, including Innis' Band, the Strauss Orchestra, Leonora Jackson, Sousa's Band, the May Festival with the Thomas Orchestra and Carrie Bridewell and Anton caspar in grand concert. The coming season there is a possible chance of having the Metropolitan Opera com pany, and of virtuosos quite a number will probably appear here.
 From local point of view, the Birming- ham Choral Society with its festival and concert schemes is the chief center of in- terest The society was organized last June with D. Lesser as president, Judge J. J. Banks as vice-president and John L. Parker as secretary and treasurer. It started off with contributing member ship of nearly one hundred, and this num- mer has since been increased to nearly 
 was present at the organization and serv- ed on one of the preliminary committees. He agreed to accept the directorship, pro vided the contributing membership was brought up to something like seven hun dred by the first of October If a festival is to be given next spring with MT. Guck- enberger as director 1t must be under the auspices of this society. MT. Guckenber- ger stated that this was the only way that he would be willing to undertake another festival I
 The plan Is for the expenses of the festi- val to be paid out of the treasury of. the Choral society. The last festival, includ- Ing Theodore Thomas and his orchestra; cost about S3,500
 Contributing members of the society pay 8 year, and for this amount they are entitled to two seats to each festival concert ana two seats to any concert that may be given by the soci1ty during the winter. MT. Guckenberger said that if the membership justified it he would give two choral entertainments between Christmas and Easter. With distinguished artis. either vocal or instrumental, taking part Thomas will be engaged for the festival.
 Secretary Parker will soon begin sys- tematc canvas for members. He said to an Age-Herald reporter yesterday that he thought he would be able to report an enrolment of 70O or 800 before the first of October. The splendid results of the last festival should make it easy, he thought, to interest the music lovers of Birming- ham in the Choral Society, and thus se- cure Mir. Guckenberger's services for the next one.
 Birmingham has had three music festi- vals under MT. GuckeEbe.ge;'s direction. Should the plan now protected meet with success, MT. Guckenberger will start his chorus rehearsals about the latter part of October. The choral works which he has selected for festival performance are all modern and are all new In Birmingham. They are: Flora Novissima," by Ioratio Parker: "Paudrig Cahoore," by Villiers Stanford. and ''The Skeleton in Armor" by Arthur Foote The largest of these works takes only twenty minutes for rem dition.