The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-01
Local Chorus, Festival SoIoistS and Orchestra Won New
 LaureIs Yesterday
DAMR0SCH DELIGHTED
 WITH RECEPTION HERE
Both Programmes Yesterday Were of Exceptional Brilliance and Big Hippodrome Was Filled for
 Both Concerts.

The Birmingham music festival came to close last night, and there could be only feeling of satisfaction and enthu- siasm on the part of the men and women who made up the large audiences over the brilliant success of the event. It was the most extensive festival ever under taken here. There were five concerts, with the New York symphony orchestra. a vocal solo quartet, and local choruses, all under the direction of Walter Dam- rosch. The prices were popular and there were few empty seats in the spacious Hippodrome at any one of the perform ances. There was a large crowd at the matinee yesterday and still larger crowd at night. Indeed, a notable fact about the festival audiences was the in- creasing interest with each concert.
 MT. Damrosch seems to have won all hearts here and to have established his reputation more firmly than ever as Americas foremost conductor.
 The programme yesterday afternoon consisted of Beethovens Fifth symphony as Part l, and Wagner selections for Part II. It was all orchestral and never. perhaps, was Damrosch or his men ever
  chestra seemed to take especial delight in his work, and the Fifth symphony could not have had more sympathetic reading. It was played from beginning to end without technical flaw, and as for interpretation, MT. Damrosch revealed true spiritual insight and a virile leader ship that proved all-compelling. In the first movement there was singular grace and beauty; in the familiar andante pathos and tenderness, and in the scherzo and presto brilliance and passages of majestic tone power.
 MT. Damrosch always revels in Wag- ner's music and he fairly surpassed himself on this occasion.
 The farewell programme was of the popular sort It opened with the Mig non'' overture and embraced in Part l. the largo movement from Dvorak 8 American Symphony" with its melting, haunting melody. suggesting. as MT Damrosch thinks, the loneliness of the primevaI forest Grieg's Peer Gynt" suite, and Nicolais Merry Wives of Windsor overture. For an encore after 'Mignon'' the orchestra played Bach's | E major gavotte
 | Rossini's "Stabat Mater'' was the great choral work of the evening and that and Haydn's Farewell Symphony" made up Part IT. Stabat Mater was sung by the festival chorus, which had been trained by Prof. Fred L. Grambs, with the solo parts by Mrs. Corinne Rider-Kelsey, so- prano; Miss Nevada Van der Veer. con- tralto; Reed Miller, tenor, and Gustaf Holmquist bass It went off with won- derful smoothness and the chorus &C., quilted itself with great credit. In at tack the chorus was even and sure and in tone quality excellent. It was, in short, one of the best choruses ever heard here. MT. Miller achieved a notable triumph | in his "Cujus Animam' solo. It was de- livered with spirit and refinement and on | no former occasion had it been heard sung in such noble style. The soprano l and alto duet was a gem. Mrs. Rider Kelsey and Miss Van der Veer made a l splendid impression, especially in the blending of their voices.
 | Mrs Rider-Kelsey sang the "Infia- matus' solo with rare beauty and relig- ious feeling and the accompaniment of the chorus was exceptionally fine. 1T. | in authoritative style and made a strong impression. The orchestration for Sta bat Mater' is rich and the artistic work of the musicians contributed no little to the triumph of the performance. For the Farewell" symphony all the electric lights were turned off and the only lights in the house were the can- dles on the desks of the musicians. These candles were extinguished one by one, as the respective performers got up and walked away. The bass vrols were among the first to leave the stage, and soon all the men were gone except ope first vio- lin player and one second. When these two blew out their candles the last strains of the symphony ceased. Only MT. Damrosch was left and presently he too extinguished his candle and left. The quaint humor of the Farewell symphony was enjoyed. especially by the younger people in the audience, who had never heard it or seen the fun.
 MT. Damrosoh gave evidence of his de- light at the way the people of Birming- ham turned out to the festival; and prom inent business men were heard to re- mark last night that grand festival un- der Damroschs direction was practically assured for 1910.