Omaha daily bee., 1911-04-23

anxious to finish up the preliminary ar
rangements for it's season.
'"rhe week for the canvass was in a way
the most unpropitious that could have been
taken. It was the week preceding Christ
mas. People were busy with their prepare
lions and the expense of the holidays was
a very evident proposition to every ones
mind However the attempt was made.
The canvass began on Monday December
10, and was pursued with the utmost en-
ergy up to Friday noon, December g. One
thousand subscriptions have been secured
and the contract with the Thomas orches-
ira MANAGEMENT was signed Immediately.
This surprising fact had been made posi-
BILE by the well organized campaign of the
members of the choir and the unanimous
and hearty support Of the people of Omaha.
The other factors were the enthusiastic
cooperation of the Omaha Society of Fine
Arts, led by Mrs Lowrle Childs and the
Tuesday Morning Musical club, with Mrs.
M, L. Learned president. both of which
agreed to get 100 subscriptions and the
help OF the Women's club, which warmly
endorsed the plan and furnished many
subscriptions from individuals.
'As result of this work the represent
tative of the Thomas orchestra said that
II was the most remarkable evidence Of
musical interest, considering the time in
which 1t was allowed to express itself and
the competing interests due to the holiday
season. that he had ever seen. lie was so
pleased that he contracted with the Men
delssohn choir for appearances here of the
orchestra every spring for five consecutive
years, and the recurrence of this advantage
for the people of Omaha has all been
brought about by this one splendid cam
paign.
The bringing of the orchestra and the
other artists here involvs heavy expense
Of more than 5000, and this has made 1t
necessary to continue this campaign so
we'll begun, and IL Is stin going on, under
the direction of the Mendelssohn organiza-
ton. Pledges already received number
more than 1880 and strenuous effort viii
be made to reach 1000 before May /.
THE low price at which these tickets
were put on sale 50 for three concerts, or
81 for each concert, was decided upon at
the suggestion Of the Thomas orchestra
mana cement. who wished that the concerts
might be put within the reach Of ALL. Sea
son tickets at 50 must be secured Of the
Mendelssohn choir members or other can
vassing for them, as they viii not he for
sale at the box office
The Mendelssohn choir number 100 odd
and they are all working in this campaign
enthusiastically and with the proper
spirit"
The officers OF the choir are President.
Major H. N Lord; vice presidents. Mrs.
Mary Learned and Miss Louise MePher-
son; treasurer; Frank b. Burchmore; sec
rotary, Albert A Wedemeyer; conductor,
Thomas j. Kelly. The affairs OF the or
ganization are directed by an executive
committee consisting OF Major r. NJ. Lord,
John A. McCreary Walter II. Dale, Sig
mund Landsberg. Jean p. Durneld, Arthur
V. lessen. John s. Helgren Frank B.
Burchmore LIucius Pryor and John Mellon.
The membership secretary Is Mrs Iona B.
Lewis, librarian; Harry II. Cookrell, and
the accompanist. Mrs. Grace l. Hancock.
The chorus work has been done under the
direction OF the following committee: w.
II. Dale. Jean p. Dufield and Miss Mel
lora Butterfield.