New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-07

Are now free men In hand OF Gou'
II is not the ungrammatical only which
is to be deplored here Though that alone
would condemn the song), but the state
ment that those who were once slaves
bore the rod" The popular impression
is that their masters bore the rod ana
that they were compelled to feel IT,
"Pickaway" raises a pecan TO the paral-
lelogramsm Of the flag in "Old Glory:
Wen sing thy worth and praise.
Thy form sublime!
The poet OF Land OF Prosperity" also
lntimates that the Panama Canal is
structure which has been erected TO n
loftier altitude than is reached by the
COunry's mountdins
Thy MOUNTAINS high and steep
Thy rivers clear and wide,
Thy crystal lakes 30 clear,
All make thee great. Beside
Grand Panama that's loftier still
And makes the world obey thy will.
The adiudicators refuse to believe that
the author Of God Bless Our Dear Native
Land" meant TO divert the Almighty and
Advise one from culpable conduct when
he prayed:
Steer US. Lord, from worldly gain,
From untimely acts refrain!
And so on for quantity.
The writer assumes the responsibility
OF saying that much Of the music was on
level with these poetical illusions. and
there was not a melody OF which II could
be said that it possessed distinction.
The Choral Contests.
The competitive singing in the solo
classes was not Of particularly striking
excellence, though a high standard was
reached by the three tenOrs (out of TWEEN
ty-three who entered the preliminaries),
the three contraltos, the contestants for
the prize offered for the best duet for
soprano and contralto and the best duet
for tenor and barytone. The quintet from
Die Meistersnger" proved TO be UNI
known land to the four parties who strug-
eled with it-quite beyond their ken and
capacity. High water mark was reached
In the choral department BY the male
choirs The grand prize of $500. with
second prize OF $1,000 and third OF
$500, seemed to justify a larger and
closer competition than that which took
place. Except for the fact that the
maximum limit in numbers had been
placed at sixty tolces for the mems choirs
and $50 for the mixed. the ends of JUS
tice would have been better served had the
winners in tho first. class been rewarded
with the larger sums and the mixed
cholrs been compelled to content them
selves with the prizes OF $1,000 and $500.
for first and second which were the offers
for the male organizations. These large
sums had been offered in the hope OF in
ducing Europe, especially Great Britain
to send contestants, and to foreign organi-
cations there was also offered a gift OF
$500 toward expenses-not a large sum,
but generous offer nevertheless. Only
ore choir came from Abroad company
of sixty men from the Rhondda Valley
in>Wales-and il carried of the prize Of
81 0O0 after the closest and most exciting
artistic struggle | have ever witnessed
When the adjudIcators completed their
ratings they found that there was a diff
ference of only three points on the basis
OF a total OF 200 between the three choirs
which were I'm the lead and OF only eleven
points between the first I'm order and the
fourth. As betweeg the DR.. Parry Glee
club. of Scranton: the Mendelssohn Choir
Of Pittsburgh. and the men from Wales
there was so slight difference In techni-
cal excellence as to be negligible. and il
closed by the Rhondda choir. especially
i'm its performance of Daniel Protheroe's
Castillo" which turned the balance I'm It's
favor: and this. i'm the opinion of the adj
Indicators as expressed In Mr.. krehbiels
/ report had been momentarily threatened
by an undue striving for effect. The
choir from Edwardsville (the Gwents)
was an excellent fourth, and, on the
whole, considering the number of the
choirs, | am free TO say that never be-
fore have | seen so high standard
reached and so beautifully maintained.
The second prize was awarded to the
Mendelssohn Choir, of Pittsburgh. There
would have been still closer contest had
not the Oakland tWelsh) Choir, of Pitts
burgh, been disqualified after the first
number because II had sung with four
more men than the rules OF the competl-
ton allowed. The eyes of the Homestead
Choir had been sharpened by the ruling
of the officials before the singing began
that Il must dispense with eight singers
who were IN excess of the rule, and one
of the Homestead men tled protest
after their rivals had sung one number
The adjudicators being asked stated that
II the Oakland choir was permitted to
compete II would have to repeat the first
number but the Eisteddfod officials very
properly ruled that the choir must be
disqualified. For a space the scene In
the hall resembled that at a baseball
game when an umpires decision is in dis
pute.
Next in interest and beauty was the
singing OF the eight choirs of women.
in which as between the highest and low
| est as indicated by the markings of the
| adjudicators, there was difference OF