The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-09-09
OGDEN CHOIR
REACHES HOME
Members Enthusiastic Over
Their Success and Treatment
on the Pacific Coast.

special train pulled into the union
| depot IN this city this morning. and when
II slowed down 200 thoroughly tired but
0'hipieteiy happy persons alighted They
were the ogden choir members reaching
iiViiie aiter an absence of eight davs speut
IN glorious conquest of the Pacific coast
lhele Is little left to be said about fhe
ciioH wonderful success at the irrigation
congress or at the concerts in which II
! SiPPoo'lSm III sacramento and San Fran
Iii thousands of persons, great and
Small found in its singing a SUNRISE ard
a treat far beyond their fondeet ho1a,
All records Tor attendance at any CON
cert were broken by gains of several tiI04i-
c6ni Icons at every appearance of the
CnOif There were 10 600 persons in tbe
AGRICULTURAL building Friday evening
When the singers babe farewell to Sacra
hithto. me stage was covered with hon
LUIS LUIS snoWered upon the artists by dele
gates from various states Residents Of
tne city are authority for the assertion
thdt TINS record exceeded by at least OfO
persons any audience ever gathered to
Llsten ia 70 musical program. The wires
nave been bringing glowing reports of
the choirs work and its members: the
qeIegates to the congress are spreading
further praises broadcast and the choir
returns TO Ogden trimming over with en-
Ihuslasm' appreciation and satisfaction
oaidntJne is Happy.
Joseph Ballantyne, director of the choir.
n - PeIHdps as enthusiastic as any man
| coming back to his home town after win
nlng the Plaudits of thousands can be
Inc trip was immense he said this af-
ternOon. Our singing seemed to please
sreauy ana the treatment accorded us
was simply the extreme of hospitality
although there were 200 persons in the
! party sickness was a thing unthought of.
everybody was happy and cheerful and
4 he
nesses shown us"
The congress opened a week ago today.
/ The choir left this city Saturday after
noon' reaching its destination Sunday. The
trip was made in special train without
the slightest accident or incident to damp
I en- the spirits Of the singers A rehearsal
was held Sunday evening in Congress hall.
DuldlnS with a capacity of 5000 and
erected Tor the congress gatherings only.
At first the acoustic properties of the
Dig hail bothered a little. but by group
ing the singers fine effect was obtained.
The first and one of the greatest trfumpbs
or the trip came the following afternoon
when the Mcclellan lode to Irrigation
was sung as the real signal that the
congress had begun. The choir appeared
at 1870 o'clock; the song itself consumed
some time in the singing, but the ovation
which followed the rendition of the won
derfui composition lasted longer 1t was
intended originally to have thirty COVER
nOrs or senators, or both, including Vice
President c. W. Fairbanks seated on the
stage with the choir. but as the singers
needed practically the entire stage space
this plan was sidetracked and the choir
appeared alone. The various distinguished
delegates were seated in portion of the
hall reserved especially for them. When
the singing was finished the choir mem
berS went out into the audience to ex-
change places with the governors and SEN
ators. Every speaker who talked after
the "Ode to Irrigation" had been sung
devoted a generous portion of his time
Z 70. afEfra h. cir, TfaI,
President Fairbanks was one of the most
eulogistic.
Triumph at San Francisco.
The choir went to San Francisco Tues
day morning, remaining there until Friday
morning. What has been termed ''the
most sensational triumph of the Ogden
singers was scored Tuesday night when
they sang between speeches at a reception
held in the Paramount hotel in honor of
the vice president. A feature Of their ap-
pearance at this event was the greeting
accorded the vice president by the choir
as he appeared In the hall. The choir
members were practically alone in the
room when MIR. Fairbanks appeared, and
as he entered the door they arose and
eheered him Justify. He was affected deep
ly by this acknowledgment of his kind
words at Sacramento. Concerts were held
in Dreamland rink Wednesday and Thurs
day evenings and crowded halls greeted
each performance. The return trip to Sac
ramentO was made Friday morning. Con-
siderable travelling had been done, but
the fever Of enthusiasm being felt by
choir and its auditors crowded everything
else out. Two concerts were held Fri
day one in the afternoon and another in
the evening. 1t was in the evening the
climax of the whole visit came. As the
choir finished each song thousands of
persons in Agricultural hall climbed on
their chairs waving hats and handker-
chiefs and cheering at the top of their
voices. Huge bouquets of beautiful flow
ers were being brought down to the stage
and thrown over the footlights at the
singers by Fred J. Kiesel and others. The
governors. senators. congressman and del
egates had bought out the flower market
during the afternoon and the bouquet
shower in the evening was arranged as
surprise with Mr.. Kiesel selected to carry
ii to successful contamination. As the
200 singers with their arms full of flowers
closed the final song. bedlam truly broke
loose. The Oldest citizen of Sacramento
could remember nothing half so glorious
as the ovation received by the Utah sing
ers.
Hundreds of people were down at the
depot in Sacramento to say goodbye to
the choir members as they boarded a spe-
cial train for home. The hOmeward trip
was begun at 1870 last evening and
closed as explained at $50 o'clock this
morning when the Ogdenites came out OF
their cars to receive the welcome of
nIatform full of friends. Vice President
Fairbanks described the singing Of the
ogden choir by two words: Magnificent
Eaonificent.T and the two words are
echoed by the choir when its members talk
of the trip their reception and everything
connected with their tour.
UNIVERSITY OF UTAH.