The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-28
Four Brilliant Programmes Will Be Given Next Fri
 day and Saturday
TICKET SALE WILL
 BEGIN TOMORROW
All Railroads Have Granted Special Rates and Attendance This Year Is Expected to Be Un-
 usually Large

The third annual music festival. under the auspices of the Birmingham Music Festival association, will be held in the Jefferson theatre next Friday and Sat urday There will be four performances Friday afternoon and Saturday afternoon and Friday night and Saturday night.
 It will be a notably brilliant festival. The Minneapolis symphony orchestra. which is to be a feature, ranks among the foremost in the United States and distinguished vocal artists will have a place on each programme.
 The season ticket sale will begin tomor- row morning at the theatre box office. The price of the best season tickets will be s. but this does not include the Fri day afternoon concert, which is to be given especially for young people at pop ular prices. The scale of prices is lower than last year. when s2.50 was charged for the best seats for the night perform ance. The Friday night concert will in clude Wagner's overture to Rienzi, Wag- ner's Waldweben (Forest Murmurs) from Segfriend Schumann's Dance of Nymphs and Satyrs, Ambroise Thoras' "Mignon'' overture and Saint-Saens' concerto No. D.
 The Saturday matinee will be popular, both in vocal and orchestral composition. Among the fine numbers will be Liszt s symphonic poem. "I.es Preludes." a vale by Sibelius. Dvorak's Humoreske and the introduction to Act and Bridal March from Lohengrin.
 On Saturday night a grand symphony programme will be presented. It will open with the overture to Tannhauser, and among the other beautiful numbers will be violin solo played by Richard Czerwonsky. Tschaikowsky' symphony No. ,, a McDowelf suite and Iiszts Hun garian Rhapsody No. 9
 All the railroads entering Birmingham have granted special rates for the fes- tival This is the first time that such a concession has been made.
 Many Inquiries Received President J. H. Holcombe of the fes- tival association says that he is much encouraged by eager inquiries from out Of town music lovers. He says there have been more orders for tickets within radius of 100 miles of Birmingham than last year. Every considerable town in northern Alabama will be represented l at the festival and quite number of visitors will come from Mississippi. | It is estimated that fully 1000 pupils of the public schools will attend the Friday afternoon concert and Howard college, Birmingham college and the private sem inaries will be well represented. AL though the Friday matinee programme Is arranged with a view of interesting young people especially it will appeal also to musicians and old music lovers. There is every indication that there will be an overflow house.
 Oberhoffer's Work
 The following appreciation of Emil Oberhoffer, conductor of the Minneapolis symphony orchestra, by Charles E. Watt. editor of Music News, Chicago, whose criticisms and opinions are recognized the musical world over Is but one of many tributes paid to the man who has brought the famous Minneapolis organi- zation to it's unquesiioned place as one of the greatest orchestras of America and the world
 Minneapolis is fortunate indeed in the possession of Emil Oberhoffer as director of the symphony orchestra of that city, and will be more so if she retains his distinguished services indefinitely for 1t would seem that the very greatest arena was none too fine for his efforts and either New York or Chicago might well he prord to possess his influence.
 MT Oberhoffer is the most tempera- mental leader in America today. Time was when this honor easily fell to Walter Damrosch but this time is now of the past and Emil Oberhoffer stands today head and shoulders above any of his con temporaries in the vividness and the com relIing force with which he reads his programme and swavs his audiences. "AlI over the country, wherever the Minneapolis orchestra has appeared, Oberhoffer is hailed as the last word in poetical interpretation, and not alone is this trre. but he is known everywhere as a solid musician, one to whom the reading of the classics has become an open book and who sees in every great modern work all the surface possibilities at glance, and is able and willing to dig out the hidden beauties as few others care to do even when they can.
 "The single programme of the Mime apolis orchestra in Chicago last wieter was the red letter event of the season and it is earnestly hoped that the com ing winter will bring more than one such performance.