The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-04-21
BIRMINGHAM' GREAT
 MUSIC FESTIVAL IS
 FINANCIAL SUCCESS
Only Few Seats Remain Unsold for Today's Matinee, But
 Gallery Available
ONLY GALLERY SEATS
 GAN BE HAD TONIGHT
Yesterdays Performances Were BriI- liant and Greatly EnjOyed-Bir- mingham's Festival Chorus Ac-
 quilted Itself Admirably

mingham's Festival Chorus Ac-
 quilted Itself Admirably
 The music festival, which closes to- night, is the most brilliant and popular ever held in Birmingham. and Birming- ham has had some very notable festi- yals.
 From an artistic point of view, the fes- tival is all that could be desired, and financially 1t is considerably ahead Of any previous affairs of this kind. It is, in short, a splendid success.
 It was the desire of the local man. agement that this should be the best festival ever undertaken in the south, and accordingly expended more money on It than usual; in fact, more than was ever spent here before. But 1t was felt that the outlay was fully Justified. The receipts up to last night had exceeded by several hundred dollars the total re- reicepts of last years festival of the same number of concerts, and President ]. H. Holcombe of the festival assocla- ton says that if the Jefferson theatre is filled to the dome this afternoon ana again tonight, that the guarantors Will not be called on to meet any deficit, but that a little surplus will go over to the credit of 1911 festival.
 As for the matter of tickets, MT. Hol- combe stated last night that not a seat was to be had downstairs or in the bal cony for the concert tonight-the grand Wagner night; but that the entire gallery would be set apart for white people. He says there are really no better seats In the theatre than those in the gallery for hearing music-and the price is only 50 cents.
 There will be several fashionable fes- tival parties tonight. Nearly all the boxes have been sold.
 This afternoons programme is excep- tionally attractive. Only a few good mat inee seats are left-25 or 90 downstairs and 60 or 70 in the balcony. These will be "gobbled' up, probably, before 10 o'clock. But the gallery will catch the overflow. It will prove a very popular part of the house for both afternoon and night.
 The members of the boys band at the Industrial farm at East Lake will attend the festival concerts in body. They were especially invited and they are admitted free.
 Yesterdays Performances.
 Yesterday was the second day of the music festival. There was an afternoon concert and Tschaikowsky's popular opera was sung at night. The Jefferson was filled for both performances. At night hundreds of men and ladies sat in the gallery The part reserved for white patrons of the house was filled right up to the top row and the side usually all lotted to co1ored people was about half filled with whites.
 The afternoon programme was chiefly orchestral and perhaps no concert of the festival has been more enjoyed. It opened with Leonore overture No. 3, one of Bee thoven's most melodc and graceful pieces and one of his richest and most popular
 Just before the orchestra played Smetanas lovely symphonic poem. "Ul- tava," MT. Damrosch related the com poser's programme" or story. He spoke with ease and scholarly grace of expression and his words were listened to with the same close attention as the music he produced with his or Che estra
 The solists were Mime. Van der veer. contralto, and MT. Saslavsky, violin. The latter played all but the last movement of Bruch's concerto in G. MT. Saslavsky has a warm, sympath etic tone and his playing is marked by poetic feeling, dignity and finish.
 Eugene Onegin," the universally pop ular Russian opera, composed by Tschai- kowsky, and greatly admired by Dvorak, was the attraction last night. The fes- tival chorus, which Prof. Fred L. Grambs had trained, had prominent part in this opera and it did wonderfully well. It sang many numbers and everyone of them was pleasing and effective. Especially fine were the dance numbers for women's voices.
 The cast of the opera included Mme Anderson soprano, as "Tatyna;" Mime. Van der Veer, contralto, as 'Lorina" and Olga" Reed Miller. tenor, as "Lenski," and Marcus Kellerman, bas- so, as "Onegin." The orchestration is rich and full, the wind instruments being kept almost as busy as the strings. The cli- niaxes were magnificent. The solosts were as a rule in the best of voice, but Reed Miller came in for the largest share of applause.
 As the audience came out of the the- atre only expressions of delight over the opera music and MT Damrosch's read ing of it. Damrosch has a great or- chestra and it's virtuosity. so to speak, seems to come more and more into evil dence.
 This afternoons programme follows Soloists-Mr. Reed Miller, tenor; Mr. George Barrere, flute. PART I. Symphony, From the New World" (Dvorak).
 Adaglo. Allegro motto. Largo.
 Scherzo.
 Allegro con fuoco. | Air from La Tosca" (Puccini), Mir. Reed Miller.
 PART IT. (a) Overture Miniature. (b) Russian Dance. | (c) Chinese Dance. l (d) Dance of the Whistlepipers. | From the "Ntucracker" suite (Tschai- lrowsky).
 Concertino (Chaminade), MT. George Earrere.
 l Songs, MT. Reed Miller.