Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-08-30
LOCAL VIEWS ON
CHIOR INCIDENT
Officers OF Salt La Ike Isistedd fodsi
Agree That, Our Singers We're CT
Given Shabby Treatment.

1t is the consensus Of opinion among
| prominent members of the local cam
brian speiet which promotes g NUM-
ber3of Eisteddfoda here, that the treat
mcnt accorded 4 the Ia bernaclo choir at
Seattle was to say the least, very
sfabby;,ns that 1t WIS feared, and with
good reason. the Salt Lake choir would
capture the prize. hence the imposition
of an entrance fec the refusal of the
choir to compete under these condi-
tions. and thea awarding of the reduced
prize to another organization, by de-
fault s5.8 Is 35 rs
While ii may have been the rule. in
Wales and elsewhere to charge 81 nom
inal entrance fee, this feature has all
ways been lacking ingthe JSisteddfods
given in the west. At Salt Lake and
Denver, COM eting choruscs were given
every courtes VI possible and no charge
was made for admission, especially on
the occasion of contests In Individual
contests, competitions between soloists
where {, substantial prize was at stake,
an entrance fee has been charged, but
not for choir competitions. ss3 s II
The Salt Lake singers had no reason
to expect they would be charged IS
cents admission, or any other sum.
They had reason to expect the same
WIS WIS.,
iting chortlses in5i Salt Lake and else
where and there are but few who.
think the wrong step was taken when
the choir refused to compete under the
circumstances 555
Il Fellow will he found brief interviews
with prominent members of the Cam
brain society, on the subject. Bishop
%. w. Nibley did not care to make a
statement for the reason, he said. he
and could not express an opinion until
he gets the facts from an authoritative
source,
I. f Thomas, who since 1899. has been
director and a travelling representa-
tive of the Utah eisteddfod corimittee,
sdenotnces. the action of the Seattle
s.connl.g tee this morning as a nasty
way OF treating singers. The Utah
singers did lust the right thing III re-
& uslnG to pay. The entire proposition
he said, is silly. 10 require the partic-,
8ipants in an entertainment and the
drawing, card of that entertainment to-
pay before entering the hahn beyond
understanding"
Mr.. Thomas. declares that the west
2ern Elsteddfod idea was conceived in
Utah and since the first IIisteddfod
here In 1898 has spread over the country
and has become an item of Importance
IN musical circles. Mn. Thomas declares
lille he is not a betting man. he
would be willing to wager $1,000 that
& the Ia bernacle choir could easily take.
first place against the choir entered
agtlinst3it at Seattle.
10 the statement of Treasurer VIII
Hams of the Seattle committee, Mr..
3,'IEfhonf,s replies that never in his en-,
Sperllerce3 since 1893 has he even heard
Of such y rule, which Mr. Williams re-
fers to as q general rule. IN 1895 tho
Denver chorus was entertained royally
while here, given tickets to every ses-
sion of the cisteddfod and treated as
visitors should be treated This re-
8ceptlon WAS reciprocated by the Denver
singers when the choir went to Denver
to enter the contests ofst396 The Utah
singers We're royalty entertained there
& and an OF course, in the opinion of Mr..
sIhtomas. expected and We're entitled to
decent treatment, even If the, ,naeni
f tude OF the occasion did not permit Law.
isll entertainment. Ne s't
Al OF the Salt Lake I.isteddfods. In
the opinion of Mr.. Thomas, hive bet,n
+ greater affairs in the musical world
than that at Seattle, which, musicians
throughout the United States, who were
present and who are returning Il, NUM-
5bers through this city. pronounce q
failure. III n y. 80 = =
Former GOV. AL. Thomas. who wa,
alMays q prominent figure in former