The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-12-06
A Deficit of More Than $1,000 Is
Charged to the Music Festival
of 1901, Probably on Account
of the Buffalo Exposition
PRESIDENT BENT
REVIEWS THE YEAR
The Difficulties of the Program
Committee ReCited and Warm
Praise Bestowed Upon Its
Members and MeSSrS. Chad
wick and KneiSeI


Though the funds of the Worcester
County Musical Association are so low
as to warrant but one more festival if
the next is a failure financially as was
| the last, still most of the members
look hopefully into the future, expect
! a successful season in 1902 and feel
that means will be found to keep the
association alive even in the event of
another loss.
| The association held it's annual meet
! ing yesterday morning at 10 o'clock in
] room 3, Mechanics Hall building. The
meeting was called to order by Presi-
| dent Charles NJ. Bent. Clerk G. Arthur
| Smith recorded the minutes.
The treasurer's report showed the fl
| nancial condition to be as follows EX-
! pense of festival, 1901, SIS, 222.79; re-
ceipts of festival, 1901, 81, O63.93; def
| cit, $2,15S.S6. The report of the treas
urer, George R. Bliss, was accepted and
| then followed a discussion concerning
the deficit, the cause of which was gen.
orally considered to be the Buffalo ex-
position, which drew its proportion of
visitors from this section 1t was vot-
| ed to appropriate $4,000 from the in
| vested fund Of about $500 thus leav-
| ing a surplus Of only $4,000. The sum
| appropriated will cover the deficit and
! leave $500 with which to begin the
work of the next festival.
! The following officers were re-
| elected: President, Charles M. Bent;
vice president, Daniel Downey; clerk,
| G. Arthur Smith; treasurer George r.
Bliss; librarian, Luther NJ Lowell.
Philip w Moen was elected a director
flor three years to fill the unexpired
| term of Walter S. G. Kennedy who re-
signed some months ago. Col Samuel
| E. Winslow and Charles l. Rice were
| re-elected directors for four years.
! George r. Wallace of Fitchburg was
elected a member of the association.
| There will be a meeting of the board
| in January for reorganization for the
next festival, rehearsals for which will
| begin in the latter part of that month
! The report of President Bent was
Tread and accepted and the meeting ad-
!journed at n.3O O'Clock President
Bent's report follows
! To the members of the Worcester
County Musical Association. Gentle
men:
In rehearsing the story of the Opera
! tions" of this ASSOCIATION for the past
, year in compliance with bylaw regula-
ton, thought is naturally focused up
! on the festival, the elimination of all
preceding operations, and this year the
/ recollection of one experience forces it
self to the front as having no parallel
in our history. With all the principals
for the musical features secured and
the governing factors well in hand, in
deed practically arranged, the managers
jrested and INDUCED in confident con-
temptation of the pleasures and sue
cesses they believed were in store for
them. With the suddenness of a shock
from an electric battery, this compla-
icent cheertulness gave place to anxiety
and uncertainty when the electric cur
rent from Paris brought the messag e
d from Nine. Eames announcing her i'll
ness and consequent inability to keep
! her contract Coming so late with all
parts arranged and all the principal ar
4 lists of the world in foreign lands, we
were greatly embarrassed. But no time
was wasted and efforts one following
another as one and another failed, were
made to secure NOrdica Gadski Adams
Melba, Ternina and others. This de-
termination, followed up in the most
energetic manner, finally eliminated in
! the engagement of Nine. Suzanne
Adams, who with genuine American
energy and gracious consideration Of
our earnestly expressed wishes con-
scented to undertake a journey that
/ by reason of the great distance and the
| shortness of the time would seem to he
impossible to one of less nerve and
fortitude
The only available steamer was
boarded, the voyage across the Al
lantic made and the arrival effected
In the festival hall, where commit
tee, conductor and orchestra were in
waiting, only three hours before the
hour of the concert in which the artist
! tn CinU NIL I'D
] lions were rather unfavorable for a
satisfactory debut before this associa-
ton. You win recall the success of the
evening. The committee were CRATE
full and cOmDlacency returned. The
! important role in the week assigned to
Nine. Eames was satisfactorily per-
formed by Mrs. Cumming, who on
hearing Of the predicament Of the
committee, graciously consented to as
sumo the part on notice not at all
. commensurate with the importance of
/ the work
Having listened to the report of the
/ treasurer, I have no doubt you must
/ be somewhat depressed by the story of
financial failure of the last festival.
and may probably expect an echo in
| the phrases of this report. We know
Of some who are so pessimistic they
! find their chief pleasure in nourishing
doleful thoughts and prophesying dis
aster. That such persons are living in
our midst and have raised the voice
of wailing we we'll know. I may be
regarded as unduly optimistic if I can
speak encOuragingly under such de-
pressing circumstances. But I do not
share the views of those who are talk
ing of failure" lack of interest -
and the like, rather do I think I dis
cover causes for the unfortunate con-
ditions, which give a silver tinge to
the dark cloud. These conditions are
not what we all believed we had good
reason to expect, and, of course. are
depressing. 1 will venture to recite
some of the causes that I believe con-
tributed to these conditions. I believe
there were several circumstances pecu-
liar to this year that are not likely to
prevail another season, though pos
sible at any time.
| The increase in the price of season
and rehearsal tickets undoubtedly was
an unfavorable factor The public
has come to regard this annual fes-
tival as an affair of its own and jeal-
ously looks upon any changes, partic-
ularly Of that character, as innova-
lions not to be tolerated without good
reason. and there were some who, not
altogether informed regarding the aims
and motives of the managers, could
see no good reason for these changes
The managers, after deliberate anC
careful consideration, finally decided
upon this advance in prices, which had
been deferred year after year, until il
was forced upon them by the necessi-
ties Of the case hoping to eventually
increase the income in this Legitimate
manner which it is believed will bt
accomplished. The advance, though
small, will also tend to equalize the
cost of season and single admissions