The Washington herald., 1909-05-24
By FREDERIC ]. HASKN.

To-day Is a red letter day in American
music. The National Federation OF Mus
zeal Clubs is meeting in the sixth bien-
NAL session ct Grand Rapids. and the
expectation Is that there viii be more
women in attendance than were ever
gathered together on d musical mission
before Founded by Mrs Theodore
Thomas. at the Chicago Worlds Fair,
The federation has grown in numbers
AID influence until to-day Il is one Of
the greatest factors operating in the
music world. Il IS pledged 10 the culti-
vatioa Of musical taste in the public :
schools, and 10 the advancement Of Amer
lean music in every branch
The most interesting feature Of this 4
gathering Of the IS2 clubs represented in
The federation VIII be the awarding Of 4
prizes. cit was announced last year that
E00 would be given for the best com
positions-S1O00 for the best orchestral 4
composition. $500 for the best piece Of 4
instrumental music and $50 for the best
vocal selection-each 10 be the product OF 4
an American author In response 10 this 4
offer more than 1go manuscripts were !
submitted, most Of them by prominent !
composers The judges have finished 4
their work but the result Of the contest
VII not be known until the meeting IS 4
81 session, when the winning selections 4
= viii be sung and played II is said that
the prize winners are splendid examples I
Of American music. and that the decl-
Eions Of the judges are popular with all 1
who are in the secret. The funds tor 4
these prizes we're raised BY free VIII
offerings on the part Of the clubs con
shutting the federation.
Another great musical event viii be the
celebration on Long Island, in honor OF
the opening OF the new Greensboro !
Bridge Il is proposed 10 have three OF
the regimental bands OF the New York
National Guard massed on the roadway
Of the bridge, the whole aggregation 70 1
be under a single leader. When he raises I
his baton the signal VIII be flashed TO
every village on Long Island, and 5ee0oo +
voices viii Join him in singing Home, +
Sweet Home" Elaborate preparations
for the event are being made, and al
Long Island viii ring with song.
TIE twenty-second triennIaI conclaTe I
of the Northeastern Federation Of Sing !
ing Societies VIII be held at Madison 1
Square Garden in June, and il viii be
one OF the great musical events OF TIE l
GUNNER. Many splendid prizes VIII be
contested fox, among them splendid
little statue of a German minnesinger, /
given by Kaiser Wilhelm himself The
German Emperor has always taken
deep Interest in the children OF the
fatherland in America. and feels the
keenest pleasure in the efforts they put
0f q
homeland The Northeastern Federation
has a membership OF more than 10000.
Of whom more than 1880 are active
singers The feature Of this meeting viii
be chorus Of 5000 male voices.
one Of the most remarkable choral So
cieties in the world is the Reading
Church Choral Society. II is made up
OF mixed voices. but has no leader The
head Of the society presides al the organ
when It sings. and il is said that the
members have so mastered their work
that they can sing together as well as
& they were following the most skilled
leader IN the land.
= The great mass Of singers belong to
singing societies, but Of course grand
opera must ever remain to the musician
what Hamlet is 70 the playgoer- The
money invested in the production OF
grand opera amounts 70 more than a
kings ransom. In the two weeks season
IN Chicago this year the receipts amount
ed 10 more than S210O00. a single house
bringing S1S.000 The Metropolitan Opera
House closed the New York season with
q deficit OF $3.50, 600. During the days Of
Grau the Metropolitan was able 70 supply
Its conductors for SIS, ,00g for the season
but owing 70 the competition OF a rival
. rz.a-- Il
upward until now a single conductor gets
that much. In the earlier days the sing
ers had 10 seek the inpresario. but now
The fupreS0riO has 70 seek the singers
has 10 raaSack Europe for them, carrying
lot O. certified checks. and spending
gnonev -- = way that would break the
hear1 or 7st multi-miiliOHaires. Twen-
Sly th0u.a- dollars week for a whole
sea son has recn paid 10 a single singer
The CAY VIXEN France and Italy had
monopoly on the production Of grand
opera singers has passed. Each year the
Hst Of Americans who sing IN grand opera
ls eIIlTE5ng. and the singing teachers Of
Paris are eli but living on the shekels
thst come their way through the Amer
tcan students. And those students have
fnru1ed the habit Of walking away with
the prizes. In fact the Grand Prix OF
sthe Paris Conservatory was being award
ed 10 America with too great regularity
10 suit the French. Result: Americans
debarred from contesting for the Grand
l'rix. Nov 1t is proposed to establish an
american Conservatory in Paris, and
practically the last essential detail has
been arranged for.
No accurate census Of the Americans
studying music in Paris has yet been
made but Il is said that there are more
than 30oo teachers who practically live
EoG the fees derived from Yankee students.
1T is estimated that no woman ought 10
think OF attempting 10 get along on less
than 5000 q year, or OF completing her
work under six years II there were
only ten pupils 20 the teacher this would
mean an outlay Of more than S6,000.oc0 a
year.
Canada has been awakening to the need
Of good music with a rapidity seldom
witnessed IN a new country. Montreal
IS preparing for a ten-week season Of
grand opera next winter. Toronto ex-
ernpts her music hall from taxation, and
the Toronto Orchestra finds ample Pat
ronags for Its popular concerts az . cents
adnittance. Throughout the dominion
musical interests are looking up and the
Canadian musicians see great encourage
ment for the future
II is said that the people OF English
speaking North America now excel every
other nationality in the high standard
OF amateur singing. The excuse. "Out Of
practice" IS now heard much less fre-
Cuently in their dTaWing-roOrns than in
any other part OF the world. TIE number
Of women who study under the best
teachers with no intention OF becoming
--cf-.- Is f- r~-1n~ H. ST.