The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-06
NORFOLK FESTIVAL
AN ARTISTIC JOY
Beautiful Concerts to Which
No One Can Buy a
Ticket.
MUST OBTAIN INVITATION
nv w. j. HENDERSON.

Stands NhIt Norfolk calls n "muslC
shed" built for these festivals, a hall
~ simple dignity. OF admirable pro-
portions and OF uncommon acoustic
propert es. In this hail annually gath
crs q great chorus-one OF the best In
the N,rid-the most famous ~soloists,
conductors ..G composers NJ highest re.
rute nd al FOR viat? For the honor
and the glory of the creative musician.
The IN"r.tWW's have on their opening
page this publ e. ton:
The I.itchhcld County Choral Union
was founded In 1893 to honor the mem
Dry of Robbins Dltteli. and with the OBJ
ject cf presenting TO the public OF Litch-
heid county choral and orchestral music
IN the highest forms. No tickets are
sold To- the arnutl concerts. admission
being by invitations winch Are IN tn.
hands OF the u cmDo's ~ the chorus.
80 HdvegtisIag G: a'y nature Is per-
nittcd In connection with these con-
ccrts, tie sole object being TO honor
the composer and his ~ rk under tho
IN II elevated conditions
This explains the privacy OF Norfolk's
lovely achievements 4 ~ not her mis-
sion to celebrate herself and since the
strange within her gates can be there
only by her grace and MT by reason
OF his purchasing power. seekers after
that which ra!soth much smoke against
the face q. Z the heavens turn their backs
on the town and hasten to the great
markets.
Audience Comes From Far.
The muse shed stands be,prd n
stretch OF meadow and at the edo OF a
wood. Automobiles may no, - to the
door. but must park IN the main road.
a quarter Of a mile away. Carriages
NAV 20 IN tho door Tho limo iu .t~.Hss ..
because of "A steep descent; and a bad
curve. But all who leave their cars
in tho road walk ihrourh tho pretty
wood by a commod!ous path. Ths cars
are numerous, for people come from
Lenox, Hartford and other points thirty
or forty miles away.
The Shed is externally brown with
white TRIMMINGS. Inside II Is bright
wood. and Is lighted electrically from
the rafters. The stage is very deep
and the chorus seats surround the large
open space reserved for orchestra and
solois's. The women occupy the sides
and rear. the men the centre. Nj the
women wear simple white frocks. the So
pranos with broad sashes OF blue silk
from the waist diagonally over the Shout.
der. the alt, with red ones.
The audiences are both interesting
and interested. Since the invitations
are in the hands OF the chorus, heir
friends from the surrounding country
constitute the greater number of the
hearers. 4 few special guests do come,
however. II the genius oc these festivals,
Carl Stoeckel. desires 1t. All the solo
lists have seats at the entertainments
In which they do not appear. and such
people a. Prof. Horatio Parker. Henry
Iiadley, Mime. Kurt OF the Metropolitan.
Charles Martin Loeffer and Alma Gluck
were among the listeners.
The guests who come from outside are
expected to treat this festival as q II
were a first night al the opera. Full
dress for women as well as men is cx-
pected. and the entrance OF the stran-
gers within the gates commands search
ing atentiOn. This one feature Of the
Norfolk festival IL not perfectly con-
sistent with the sincerity OF It's general
attitude toward music. That such events
as these should he marred by any sem
blancc of Transformation into a social
function IL a pity.
They have some pretty costumes AT
these Norfolk festivals. When one Of
the soloists OF a well known musician
enters tho hall To he a listener, nc is re-
ceived with applause. When the COM
poser Of one Of the new works OF he
evening appears on the stage the whole
audience rises and welcomes him for
here the composer is always accorded
the first place.
Works Specially Composed.
Since 1908 each year works have been
especially written for these concerts.
performed at them for the first time, and
In almost every case conducted by the
composer. Up to and including the pres
ent year those who have written for
Norfolk are Horatlo Parker. George W.
| fhuHufpL = r,IArIJna T.plnr RIA,
Stillman Kelley. Henry F. Gilbert. Henry
Hndley, Jan S.belius. Frederick Stock
and Sir Charles Nilliers Stanford. The
last was to have been present :hls year,
but AT n LAKE moment decided not 10
take tho risk OF war time ocean travel.
These composers receive fees for writing
their new works, which afterward be-
come their own property.
1t may easily he discerned that high
organization exists. The members of
the chorus come from five towns :he
orchestra from New York. the soloists
chiefly from the same city, the guests
from The world for Alfred Moves. the
English poet, and Cecil Forsyth. the
distinguished English writer on music.
were nj this years festival. Everything
moves like c,ockwork. and the concerts
begin with perfect promptness. The
man who engineers it all Is Carl
''N' ''f'f ~ l'J ~ - ~ - Ao4A
estimate OF the cost Of this years festi-
| val puts the figure close 10 $500 o.
But the deeper significance OF the
whole festival lies In the complete alb
sence Of the commercial idea. Here
all is giving out. There is no income
except'in the JOY OF making the world
and life more beautiful. Many are
those who would gladly exploit those
festivals for their own benefit, but this
cannot be, The artists who sing and
play at Norfolk declare with one ac-
cord that II ~ tkei.' greatest artistic
joy. The public. which means the per-
sOnal friends OF the members OF tho
chorus. IL a responsive instrument whose
heartstrings vibrn-e readily. .And the
whole enterprise is conducted with an
eye single to the honor of musical art.
Programmes and Music.
The first concert took place on Tues
day evening. After the singing of "a
chorsle by choir and audience. Henry
Schmidt. who organized the orchestra,
conducted Dvorak's "Carnival' over
ture, DIR. Dvorak was an honorary
member OF tho Litchneld County Choral
Union and his portrait hung In the
centre az the platform. The next num-
Der was the first Of the specially COM
posed novelties. n violin concerto by
Frederick Stock. conductor OF the Chi
Gag orchestra, Tho solo player was
Efrcm Ximbaiiat.
Mr., Stocks concerto proved 10 he a
dignihed and interesting composition,
we'll worthy of such "a production. 1t
has melody of a high order, an original
Ind opulent harmonic plan. and great
variety of rhythm. A prelude and an
/ "a Il nin ,anotithtA tho Arlf GantInp and