New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-06-25
BUFFALO'S SAENGERFEST.
ORIGIN OF THE MovEMENT-MANY
STATES REPRESENTED.
nv rrnrerarH TO THE TRIBUNE.l

...a...n ss,rerbund 10 select Buffalo as the festi
val city in 1901. the fact that the Pan-Aieiioail
EXPOSITION would he i'm progress in the same cry
a, tbe same time was urged as a strong reason
Cor the choice. As matter OF fact the buhdes
b,b8rae a. il was called. needed no urging Inc
.~rerience ~ the S4ngerbund at Cinclhhau vs.
50 r,olrnfu that any city could have hao tile nm
,s.,b festival for the asking, proNloeu tii"N ~
- : ,.asonable guarantee for the financial out
.nrne Buffalo was ready with guarantee 10 any
amount and since the city lived IN gracious Ileis
bersuse Of the success OF a similar fesuNai !" i'
- ,sro mas an extra fascination in the prospect
~ combining the pleasures of exposition slsht SCI
a. ,sth those OF song and merTymalins IN the
German style Buffalo chosen as the Fes'staot
.o- tbe thirtieth festival with enthusiasm
rro-dsv the festival had it's beginning, so far As
81. active participants are concerned, ana 'ne
initiated are beginning to wonder whether an 81
,.o.i,ioD fs a good running mate Tor a SanSeflesl
The singers are here by the hunoreos pN' m
thousands who were 10 be temrteu 10y ule aUu'
,sonal attraction are not here, and there Is some
apprehension that the charms OF the eNp'SI,o '
NAV exert themselves too early for the conple'e
success OF the musical and social features OF the
festival Thursday has been set apart as singers
ssv al the exposition, hut Thursday Is long way
81 and the devotion Of the devotees OF MahheIsc-
s.rv The world over is not wholly centred on
music as every one knows who has followed tiie
history Of German singing societies To-Day 10
ines were hut preliminary 10 the musical part OF
she festival and an old student Of the subject
-. ,,orhane he hardened for canvassng the gen
eral subject before beginning the local record OF
the affair.
II IS an Interesting fact that the cultvators Of
rar, songs for mems voices in the United States
r,,r. onl, a few years behind their brethren in
Germany in insttuting their festivals II Is stlll
more interesting that the festivals should nave had
their beginning in The West rather than IN the
large cities Of the East like Philadelphia NeN-hor
ana Baltimore. where German singing societies eH-
s.te5 before some ~ the Western cities, which es-
sahlished the festivals hfty-two years ago were
fairly populated. But the social historian explains
that easily enough by pointing out the more az
eressive Germsnism Of the Western Immigrants
compared with their Eastern brethren German
social institutions Jumped under the term Ciemuth-
lichkeit" WIRE also much in need Of an out
let in The Eastern cities as in the small West
ern communities: and their institution. too often
denoted by the American term, beer drinking, has
elUavs plaved large part in the festivals OF
German singers A very significant factor In
American musical culture had its root in the aetVi-
ties ~ these German amateurs. hut with the
growth of musical culture. with the spread Of
choruses of mixed voices-which are almost an
American crsation-there grew also doubt as 20
the value Of the specifically German festivals.
More and more the singers forsook the Temple OF
Apollo for the groves Of Bacchus and Gamhrinus'
and for over twenty-five years the North Ameri-
can sEngersund has been struggling 10 hnd
happy medium between the two tendencies.
A climax was reached in Cleveland in 1874 which
was a complete artistic failure. Then reform
attempted
gone out from the festival ~ the year before
IN Cincinnst-an American festival. In Louisville
in 1877 and in Cincinnati. in 1872 notable artistic
results were accomplished hut many Of the singers
thought that the social features were sacrificing to
music The necessity ~ building large halls for the
meetings increased their cost, and financial dis
aster overlook festival after festival The climax
in this respect reached two years ago. in Gin
cinnari as The Tribune's readers know. 1t might
he idle 10 rehearse these things now were it not
far@ f1,a ig = n
an experiment looking rehabilitation Of the
primitive idea of emphasizing the social side Of the
festival Al Cincinnati the constitution Of the
sociation was amended Thereafter more stress
was 70 he laid on the social reunion Of the singers
and the cultivation ~ music for mems voices. The
meetings were be 'sBngerfests not music festi-
walls and toward that end the engagement 81 SOLO
artists forbidden
Buffalo in exposition time could not quite SEQ
how such a programme could he carried out while
the exposition, in which it has invested millions
was in progress. and while oheying the general
spirit ~ the constitution it found a way 10
consider tho practical and artistic side we'll
For the afternoon concerts Of tomorrow. in which
the chorus ~ the Bund does not participate. II
provided solo and orchestral attractions. and for
the evening concerts it did the thing. behind
the amiahle subterfuse Of selecting excerpts from
works in which. while the chorus was essential
colo voices were also needed From an artistic
point ot view, therefore. the festival will resemble
its immediate predecessors. and that will be
no iach OF Social pleasures the reception OF the
visiting singers demonstrated to the satisfaction
OF the most conservative OF the "S6ngesbruder" II
must he believed
The financial side Of the problem was attacked
with characteristic energy and public spirit A
sangerfest company Incorporated with shares
at 80 each. with which the purchaser received two
Tickets 10 all the concerts, including to-nights re-
cepton which was not a public affair. but a
Aommers In the German style, INCIDENTAL TO which
were the usual greetings TO the Singers transfer OF
me hund nag, etc Private citizens and private
rofauoEs purchased thousand Of these shares
yielding 10 the company $1,000
Inc state authorities and the officers In the 9th
slu sstn Regiments OF the National Guard OF
~ ~ OH gave the use OF their aTmories gratis.
ne Z di-Atnerican Exposition Commissioners fitted
UP me armory OF the 18th Regiment for the con-
Serts without cost 20 the festival company. and
lleNeI IN the history ~ music America has
SanRerfest been SO rnaenifcentlv housed n The
public sale OF tickets the four concerts Yields
siio e ne Sangerfest company viii be whole and
ne weather Is propltious II has been a beau,i-
III cay, ana the singers have enjoyed pleasant
ayo5 49, IN refreshing reception Several hun
.ato more rave come than announced but
ule accompanying visitors have been fewer than
psotso ms Is explained IN part by the
OF the transportation cOmnanies N Ike
special rates other than those already made for
genera visitors 10 the exposition. Ohio sends the
largest number OF singers: there are IA renra-
senting eleven cities and towns ana tti-,,- saotc
tes. CINCINNATI sends l75. Cleveland 100 and Day-
ton lts- pennsylvania sends s3 singers represent
ste stNeh towns and eighteen societies; Illinois
81 singers. representing nineteen societies MI ~
1nlcago New-fork is represented only nv Buffalo
whose 81 singers entertained their visiting guests
IL Iecepuoh ms evening. New-Horks socie-
YES 40 not belong 20 the North American SANGER
Snnc- There are 2i singers from St Louis lss
the largest delegations. The sUmuninr M Shows
representatives from twelve States and Ontario
fhirts-sx towns, Jos societies and 2.7SO singers