Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-05-24
A N N U AL AFFAIR
oTTUMWA MAY MUSICAL FEsTiV.
AL TO BECOME PERMANENT
INSTITUTION.
Director James swirIes and Officers Of
ottumWa Choral Society Determine
to Make ottumwa Famous in the
Musical Line.
From Saturdays Daily.

From Saturdays Daily.
The Ottumwa May Musical festival
is to become an annual event in south
eastern Iowa. But one more day
remain before the opening of the first
evening, May "a. Already the advance
sale of tickets has been sufficient to al
most insure the covering the expenses
of the festival.
Weeks ago it was practically decided
by the members of the Ottumwa Choral
society and by Musical Director James
Swirles that if the present festival
could be carried to successful con-
clusion similar festival would be
given next year. AS the arrangements
for the big event have each day been
growing toward a more promising and
successful end the determination has
been almost unanim GUS to make the
event an annual and permanent fea-
ture.
Many cities have permanent May
Musical festival and some of them have
wide regulations. Cincinnati has gain
ed almost world wide fame by the ex-
cellence of it's annual musical event.
The great success attained by, the To-
cal singers in the, various Eisteddfod
contests during the past two or three
years has given abundant proof that
Ottumwa surpasses all other cities of
southeastern Iowa in the quality and
abundance of it's musical talent. The
wonderful increase in the membership
of the Choral society since it's reorgan-
ization and the splendid work that is be-
ing done in preparation for this first
big event is absolute proof that the
Ottumwa musical talent is abundantly
able TO produce a musical festival that
will carry the fame of the city through
out the entire state.
The constant assurances that are
each day coming from the neighboring
towns telling of parties of from ten
tend the entire series of concerts shows
that the people Of this section of the
state appreciate the efforts of the OF
tumwa society and will assist by their
presence and patronage in the effort to
make the event successful. 0
All these considerations have worked
together to determine the manage
ment to declare that the Ottumwa May
Musical Festival is to become one of
the permanent institutions of the flu
ture and that 1t shall be made of such
excellence that it will draw patron
age from all the territory in this por-
ton of the state. 51
The First Festival.
The excellence of the aggregation of
talent which after months of hard
labor Mr.. Swirles has been able to
secure for the first big festival is I'M
usual and is equal to the best that can
be secured. William Sherwood is be-
You'd question the greatest American
pianist. Mrs. Genevieve Wilson, Mrs.
Eleanor Kirkham, as soprano and con-
tralto, Holmes Cowper, a tenor Of
national reputation, Alfred shaw, who
is to assist at the two last concerts,
as tenor, and Albert Borroff, the basso,
are singers of wonderful capabilities.
Sol Marcosson and Lewis Blackman
as violinists, and Franz Wagner, the
cellolist, are the best talent that can
be secured upon these favorite instru-
ments.
The Chicago Symphony orchestra,
lead by Adolph Rosenbecker, is COM
posed of fifty players any one of whom