The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-16
MUSIC FESTIVAL
 COMES ID CLOSE
lnneS' Band Was In Rare Form
 Yesterday
LARGE CROWD LAST NIGHT
All Numbers Were We'll Received. Local Singers Reflect Credit On Birr inqhaH's Music Talent.
 Brilliant Matinee.

l The music festival which opened at the
 Jefferson theatre Wednesday night closed
 last night. Yesterday afternoons concert
 was poorly attended, which was especial
 ly regrettable because the programme i was in many respects the most enjoyable ] of the week
 ] Mr Innes and his band were in the best
 of form and every number played at the
 matinee was beautiful and was beauti- fully interpreted. Instead of Lalos Rhapsody. which was printed on the pro gramme. the initial work was Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No IA. distinetively characteristic and reminiscent as all that composers rhapsodies are. and even more richly colored. This number was all the i more welcome inasmuch as it is little known except among musicians of wide piano or score reading. It had never be- fore found it's way on Birmingham pro- gramme. MT. Innes responded to many encores and each little piece was a gem.
 A feature of the afternoon performance was the singing of the chldrens chorus. In the double number. Trust in the Lord" and Birds of Spring" Miss Kits. the head of the music department of the Birmingham public schools, occupied the directors stand and under her baton the children distinguished themselves. This chorus revealed patient and intelligent training, for in attack and shading it was notably fine. Miss De Sellem, contralto and Miss Listemann, soprano, were solo, ists in the afternoon concert, and each won new laurels The oftener music lovers hear Miss De Sellem the more they appreciate her musicianly style. The ican fantasy, in which the children par ticipated and the entire audience joined in singing My Country, '1is of Thee"
 At night MT IRnes and the festival forces were greeted with the largest audi ence of the festival. with or a exception. The programme was tSe most pretentious and as far as the band was concerned 1t called forth unstinted praise. Opening the first part with the "Tannhauser'' overture and the second part with 'Tha Dance of the Seven Veils,'' from Richard Strauss "Salome," the band seemed more orchestral in quality than ever. In these two numbers, and also in Rubinstein's $ nocturne religioso, Kammenoi- -Ostrow, there was more virtuosity than one would expect to hear outside of great orchestras ike the Boston Symphony and the Thom- as orchestra of Chicago. The Parsifal music was finely played, but the mixed chorus, effective at the start lacked con- hdence or perhaps the singers-lost their places toward the end.
 ''frhe Dance of the Seven Veils," with its 'new-schooI' dissonances, its coni- pleX figures and it's striking tone color ing, proved to be one of the most in- teresting features of the programme and was novelty to all present except those who had seen Strauss music drama. But it is safe to say that the other numbers were more thoroughly enjoyed by the majority of the audience.
 H. J. Williams, the harpist, played brilliant solo and responded to applause by playing a dainty little piece. He $ a virtuoso of the first rank and plays not only with technical skill but with rare taste and poetic feeling
 Miss Listemann sang a Wagner song and she and Miss De Sellem and Signor Pezetti had prominent solo parts in the concluding number-"Scenes from Verdis Operas
 If the festival was not a financial suc- cess it gave genuine delight to the music lovers who attended. The local ehoruses- the adult singers trained by MT. Memoli, the Euterpean club, trained by Miss Kits and the childrens chorus. all added greatly to the artistic variety of the festival, and MT. Innes increased the number of his admirers with each con cert If the Innes band returns next season, now that its value as a festival organization is well known here, it will meet with the ovation that it's merits de- serve.