The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-22

WIT aat the o Rifm1s1sm awar from DsDos nons
 w musical culture and musical en- ioyn1ent is best answered by the fact that she is keeping up with every phase of musical life herself. We are running far ahead of many cities in that we are not content with one style or form or musical art, but we have all and are cultivating interest in all forms of musi- cal upiift There was the Boston Grand opera, which met with signal success here this winter. We followed immediately with that wonderful artistic and financial success, the Minneapolis orchestra en- gagement. On May the Birmingham Opera association comes forward with it's presentation of the Chimes of Nor mandy a cast and chorus that one who knows has made the statement that it is already being played down at the Jef- ferson theatre at the weekly rehearsals in a way that would make the best of professionals "sit up and take notice There are to be two performances of this opera, one in the afternoon and the other in the evening of the same day. The afternoon performance will be put on with popular prices, and is intended to give en- joyment and encourage both artistic and musical ability among the young people. It will be given primarily for them, but adults will be given tickets in the after noon at the same price as the night per formance
 Following this interesting attraction, just one week later our grand musical festival will take place with beautiful concert in the afternoon of May Il, at which the Philharmonic orchestra will play with our own chor.ls of children. The chorus for the afternoon by the tots" will be that charming story of the "Walrus and tne Carpenter.
 In the evening the chorus will also be short but the 200 voices will be heard in that wonderfully tuneful production of Victor Herbert's The Captive" Tickets will be on sale at all the music houses.
 A Birmingham woman who visits Amer ica IS metropolis frequently and who real izes the value of good music in an edu- cational way, when she learned that the New York Philharmonic orchestra is to be the attraction at Birminghams annual  that our own splendid Treble Clef club, Music Study club and T. c. I. choruses are going to join forces with the Phil harmonic orchestra here, and together they will be heard at two performances at the Bijou theatre. l think it is splen- did that these two organizations are go- ing to bring such wonderful music to our very door. It is no longer necessary for the Birmingham people to leave home in order to hear the very best in music. For the second time in the last six months we will have had the best of the orchestras. I am not familiar with the solo singers who will be presented with the orchestra, but I am very familiar with the orchestra, and I will tell you of an experience I had and some of the things I learned the last time I heard them in New York.
 ''As I sat back in my orchestra chair and felt the impassioned rythm of the conductors baton and heard the inspiring music of all those men playing as if they had been one little did I think of the cost of the various factors that pro- duced those soul-stirrng strains.
 'I had the pleasure of meeting gen. tleman connected with the organization afterward and being impressed in the in struments and the personnel of the or chestra, I asked him something of the cost and care of the instruments. He said:
 '''The cost of acquiring the instruments for such an orchestra is enormous, and fr is only because each player owns his instrument and takes a personal pride in owning the best of it's kind, that the standard can be maintained.
 T wanted to know about the tympani," ," said this enthusiastic Birmingham music