The Washington herald., 1913-11-23

l.
Foster why. bass
This, the 2z7th regular concert of the
society, will be given in Carnegie Hall as
usual, and the orchestra Of the sym
phony Society will assist.
Il is planned to render the year 1915 a
red letter year in the history OF the
worlds music. Through az a eontinuons o,s
musical festival to be held at the Pan
ama-Paciic International Exposition at
San Francisco In 1915 an effort is being
made to unite the musical interests OF ali
nations into a single great expression Of
the universal art.
The plan Is meeting with response from
musicians in many parts OF the world
and 1t Is thoroughly In accord with the
purpose OF the exposition to bring the
peoples Of all nations into friendly ac-
cord at the great formal celebration
which VIII commemorate the opening OF
the Panama Canal.
The musical program promises to be
one OF the most varied and yet compre-
hensive ever held. To a singular degree
the exposition should bring together
/ music-lovers OF all lands.
There will be many features to the
musical program. which includes musical
pageants, orchestral concerts, folk lore
concerts. interstate musical conventions
International musical competitions and
otner absoring events
| one OF the most fascinating of the
musical festivals Is that anticipated
through the 1916 eisteddfod.
| The National EIsteddfod, of waIes Ia
one ofthe most interesting musical fes-
| uVals IN the world. Year after year Il
Is held by the Welsh people in the little
| principality, which has been termed thF
Celtic fringe, and where the most hon
oreo OF al Celtic traditions are main
tained with the same enthusiasm as IN
the distant days Of the early Britons
when the Druids Of wales were tbs
leaders and teachers Of European cuI-
ture.
Rarely Is IL that eisteddfod Is held out
| side the limits Of Welsh Territory hu,
| there have been occasions when an event
\ OF national importance has been ceIe-
DRAFTED in other countries. In 1915 the
greatest OF all will be held at the PAN
ama-Pacine International Exposition.
At the 1916 National Eisteddfod N.
prizes awarded for choral and male com
petitions will exceed any that have ever
been given any previous eisteddfod. eitbe,
! in Wales or elsewhere
Twenty thousand dollars will be offered
| for the chief choral competition and
$4,000 for the male choir. Other large
prizes VIII be offered for competition in
SOLOS, recitations, musical, and poetic
compositions, all Of which are usual fea-
lures OF the efsteddfod
At recent eisteddfod, held in Pitts
burgh, there were perhaps 5000 Welsh
people. 1t is expected that that number
VIII be far exceeded at San Francisco.
The prizes are tempting. The event Of
the exposition is in itself an inducement
70 take people from far-off countries to
San Francisco to participate with
| America in her celebration of 50 great
an international event as the compile
tion OF the Panama Canal
The winners Of the two chief events
| in Ptttsburgh-the Scranton, Pa, Choral
Union, which carried away the chief
cnoral prize, and the Rhondda male voice
choir, whose members came all th- way
from South Wales to win the 5000 maIs
choir prize-will both be at San Fran
cisco In 1915. There also will be various
cnoirs from America and Wales resolved
to win some OF the worthy Isurels.
while the singing competitions are the
most important and probably the most
| meaning Of the world eisteddfod, and
which will last for a week or more
there are other vastly important items
| in the doings Of the national gathering
! which will be of intense interest to u1u-
sic lovers and to those concerned in the
artistic upliftment of a people.
A large prize will be offered for the
| original institution of the Druidic eist-
eddfod- Poets are called upon to writs
an ode upon the great event OF the year.
The ode is judged by the Gorsedd, which
is the executive Of the Order of DruidS
ana the writer of the winning ode is
enthroned upon a chair hewn out OF
sond oak The chaired bard is the hero
OF the eisteddfod. There are other lesser
bards, crowned and otherwise decorated
Tor minor compositions in music and
poetry. II is probable that the subject
Of the 1915 ode will be the completion of
the Panama Canal In Wales the ode
has to be written in Welsh, but il is
likely that the 1915 ode may be written
either in Welsh or in English, so that
the competition may be made as broad
as possible.
There will be about half a dozen male
choirs who will compete for Wales. The
Welsh choirs are composed chiefly Of COL
liers, and their enthusiasm enables them
to put deal Of money aside to help the
fund for the bringing of the party to
wherever large prizes and honors are to
be gained.
A number OF children's choirs are in
line to compete for the tempting prizes
offered for that particular kind of musi-
cal attraction.
Soloists, instrumental and vocal. from
all parts OF the world are also in pre-
paration for the greatest eisteddfod in
history.
With the superabundance of new things
that will be offered daily throughout the
period of the continuous musical feast at
the exposition. there will no doubt be a
demand for the old favorites as well.
To meet this demand 1t Is planned to
produce the most popular operas OF today
and OF the past.
In addition to the theaters and halls
with which San Francisco is well supplied
and apart from the Hall of Festival and
the Festival Court in the exposition, the
exposition management has set aside
81, 100000 for the construction of a great
auditorium. Work on this building,
which will seat 11.oOo persons, has be-
gun.
For the director of the musical fea-
lures of the exposition. It is acclaimed
in America and Europe. no better man
could have been put in charge than Mr..
George W. Stewart. OF Boston. who has
been appointed musical director OF the
greatest music festival in history.
Mr.. Stewart earned his fame as con-
ductor OF the celebrated Boston Band,
which he founded about twenty years
ago and which Is regarded as one OF the
first musical organizations in America.
The musical director of the Panama
Pacific International Exposition has had
considerable experience in enterprises of
a similar kind, though not perhaps on so
large a scale as the 1915 celebration He