The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-02-07
GERMANS MAKE
SINGING CONTEST
PLANS SUNDAY
Newarkers Going to Wilkes.
barre Meeting-4O0,0 900
Are Interested. A,

Four hundred thousand Germans,
members of German singing societies
throughout the northeastern section Of
the United States, will turn their
thoughts toward the meeting of the
directors of the Northeastern Saenger-
bund of North America, to be held
Sunday afternoon in Concordia Hall,
in Wilkesbarre, Pa.
At this meeting various matters Of
interest TO the entire "Bund" will be
discussed and acted upon, chief among
which will be the proposition to give
the various societies competing for the
Kaiser prize German songs, unfamiliar
to them, with words in German, two
hours before the prize singing takes
place, so as to test their abilities to
sing, practically u~nprepared, songs
written in the German language. While
1T may seem a direct hit at the Con-
cordia Singing Society of W~illSesbarre,
which won the Kaiser prize at the
monster ''saengerfest' held here two
years ago; at which that society scored
120 points in German pronunciation and
enunciation, it is not, although the
Concordia Singing Society is composed
of but one-third Germans, and two
thirds Welsh, Irish and Americans,
mostly miners.
A letter was received by Major a
Lentz, president of the Northeastern
Saengerbund of America, yesterday
from the ~Concordias, in which they
expressed their delight at having the
meeting of the directors at Wilkesbarre
and did not interpose any objection to
the proposed change,
Among other matters hat will be de-
cided at the meeting of the directors
will be the time and place of h next
great "saengerfest,' to be held in New
York State in 1909, at which the singing
societies composing the Saengerbund
will again compete for the Kaiser prize,
which must be won twice in succession
by a society in order to have 1t become
its permanent property. The prize,
which was presented to the Saenger-
bund for competitive singing by En-
peror William of Germany, nine years
ago. on the occasion of it's fiftieth ami
versary, mas been won by several
societies since then, but no one society
has so far won it twice in succession.
The National Saengerbund of Ger
tIiclIlJ q NHO
Saengerbund of North America to be-
come a member of the national body,
and this matter will also be taken up
at the meeting, as will also proposed
changes in rules and management.
Major Carl Lentz. and through him,
Newark, has been ~signally honored by
the s~aengerbund. Since 1901 he has
been unanimously elected president of
the association, which represents a
total membership of about 400, 900
singers, connected with the societies be-
longing to the 'Bund," n Situated in
New York, Brooklyn, Hudson county,
Newark. Camden, Philadelphia. Will
mington. Del, Baltimore, Washington,
Richmond, Long Island City, Pittsburg,
Boston, Connecticut, Scranton and O
large number of cities in the northeast.
The directors from Newark, who will
attend the meeting a tWilkesbarre Sum
day, are Major Carl Lentz, August
IGoertz, c. William eilmann,J John Goeh-
ring and John j. Plemenik. The total
number of directors of this mighty or
g~anization is about fifty. They control
The business management, set dates for
tests and attend to the many details
connected with the management.
Officers are elected by and at a meet
ing of delegates, who number nearly
one thousand, and who meet once every
three years.
The Kaiser prize is a large, beauti-
fully chased and ornamented silver
vase, standing nearly four feet high.
Surrounding it is the figure of a wan
dering minstrel. The vase was de-
signed under the particular direction OF
the German Emperor, and is valued at
| between $40, 900 and $4,000.
At the New York "saengerfest" it
is possible hat Andrew Carnegie will
present the Saengerbund with a prize,
to be called the American prize, for
the society singing with the best ex-
preston and pronunciation in English.
1t is not yet a certainty that Mr.. Car
negie will make the presentation, but
Major Lent expressed himself as salts
tfied that he would do so.
The officers of the Northeastern
Saengerbund of North America are:
President, Major Carl Lentz; vice
president, DIR. l.. Weyland; recording
secretary, Carl Kuhl; corresponding
secretary, Charles o. Korth, and treas
urer, August Goertz.
There are eight thousand male sing
ers. who constitute the active chorus
/ of tho seRund -