Books › Musical Courier 1909-05-05: Vol 58 Iss 18, 1909 › scan 37
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Musical Courier 1909-05-05: Vol 58 Iss 18, 1909
117 lines. Read by computer on 25 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 38. See the scan on archive.org.
1The Wanamaker Competition Choral Festival,
2Egyptian Hall, Philadelphia, from June 24 to June 30, Inclusive.
4JUDGES:
5GEORGE W. CHADWICK, Director New England Conservatory of Music, Boston.
6HORATIO PARKER, Professor of Music, Yale University.
7DR. J. LEWIS BROWNE, General Musical Director, Wanamaker's, Philadelphia.
9In all the national musical endeavor of America there is no artistic striving more worthy than that of the historic firm of Wanamaker in Philadelphia and New York. Ordinarily, a commercial house so gigantic in its own business does not concern itself with enterprises purely utilitarian and ethical, but the head of the establishment has a taste for matter more esthetic than mere money making, and to his everlasting credit, be it said, that he also has a deeper interest in the welfare of his thousands of employees than to use them solely as instruments for the financial aggrandizement of the firm whose strength they represent.
11Following out his theory that the large employer of labor by no means performs his whole duty because he pays salaries promptly and ventilates his establishment satisfactorily, the senior Wanamaker started a school in his Philadelphia store, hiring the teachers and giving his employees free instruction in all the branches of education relating to commercial accomplishment. Attendance was compulsory, and the day hours spent at the school were not deducted from the pay of the pupils. Soon the advantages of the institution of learning were extended to the families of the Wanamaker employees in Philadelphia and New York, and thus hundreds of thousands of persons were reached in an educational way in the course of some years and an appreciable section of humanity was bettered and lifted into a higher sphere, while their earning capacity was increased almost miraculously, both for themselves and for their employers. A Wanamaker boy or girl, man or woman, soon came to be known in the business world as an individual of superior intelligence and equipment, and leading houses all over the country consider themselves lucky when they can procure a graduate from the Wanamaker commercial college—for the State of Pennsylvania was not slow to recognize the good work being done, and several years ago granted the school a charter and full college privileges.
13Not content with success in a practical way only, the Wanamaker family, actuated by its own large love for music, decided to add a music school to its other educational schemes, and forthwith those who desired advancement in the tonal art were given instruction, furnished with instruments, and afforded every opportunity for solo and ensemble practice. The degree of talent discovered in the Wanamaker stores was so astonishingly large that before long the establishment boasted of a full complement brass band, orchestra, drum and fife corps, glee clubs, mandolin orchestra, male and female buglers, male, female, and mixed choruses, pianists, organists, solo singers, conductors, etc. Performances of band and orchestral music, cantatas, oratorios and operatic excerpts became a feature of the musical meetings held by the Wanamaker forces, and in the course of time the famous Egyptian Hall was built in the Philadelphia store, to accommodate the vast audiences that thronged to the novel entertainments given by the employees, now thoroughly skilled in the orchestral and choral repertory. Dr. J. Lewis Browne was appointed general musical director, and he devised the plan of extending the usefulness of Wanamaker's musical section by instituting a series of "American Composers' Festivals," at which our best known native composers were invited to conduct performances of their own works, given by the soloists, chorus, band, and orchestra of the Wanamaker stores. Among the composers so honored, it is necessary to mention only the names of John Philip Sousa and Reginald de Koven, in order to show the true standing and significance of the Wanamaker festivals.
15A representative of THE MUSICAL COURIER attended the Sousa festival given last fall in Philadelphia, and he was astounded at the artistic standard achieved by the chorus, orchestra, band, and subsidiary musical corps of the Wanamaker musical college. To that representative, Sousa expressed himself as being deeply moved and gratified, and declared that he would lose no chance to tell other American communities and other millionaire commercial kings of the wonderful work accomplished by the Wanamakers in Philadelphia.
17Always pushing forward, and never content to rest on past or present achievement, the Wanamaker concern now proposes to broaden its own musical activity and to stimulate the public interest generally of this country, by instituting a choral competition, or a festival of part singing, to which choruses of mixed voices will be invited, as well as choruses of men's voices, choruses of women's voices, choruses (vested choirs) of mens' and boys' voices, mixed quartet choirs, male quartets and female quartets. The festival and the friendly competitions will be held in the marvelous Egyptian Hall, Wanamaker's, Philadelphia, from June 24 to June 30 inclusive.
19The particular value of this competition to the participants will be in having their artistic excellence determined by three judges of international note, to be named hereafter. The successful organization in each class will be publicly presented with an engrossed diploma, duly signed by the said distinguished officiating judges.
21It is hoped in this way to create an interest more genuine and more lasting in its benefits than could result from the distribution of emblems or cash prizes. It requires money to gather together and bring from elsewhere men of note for sufficient time properly to judge the work of those appearing before them, and in this way more than any other it is deemed advisable to secure permanent interest in the betterment of the average part singing organization.
23THE MUSICAL COURIER reprints below the conditions of the contest and attaches a participation blank:
25CLASSES.
26Class "A"—Mixed Voices: Organizations of forty members, upward.
27Class "B"—Mixed voices: Organizations numbering from twenty to forty members.
28Class "C"—Choruses of Men's Voices.
29Class "D"—Choruses of Women's Voices.
30Class "E"—Choruses (Vested Choirs) of men and boys.
31Class "F"—(Mixed) Quartet Church Choirs.
32Class "G"—Male Quartets.
33Class "H"—Female Quartets.
35TESTS.
36Class "A"—"Ave Maris Stella"……………………………Grieg
37(J. Fischer & Bros.' edition.)
38Unaccompanied.
39"Lullaby of Life"………………………………………Leslie
40(Novello edition.)
41Unaccompanied.
42Class "B"—Venetian Boatman's Song……………………..Bach
43(John Church Company's edition.)
44Night Song……………………………………………..Rheinberger
45(Schirmer edition.)
46Unaccompanied.
47Class "C"—"O Salutaris"………………………………..Gounod
48(John Church Company's edition.)
49Unaccompanied.
50Bedouin Love Song……………………………………Foote
51(Schmidt edition.)
52Class "D"—Tota Pulchra………………………………..Ferrata
53(J. Fischer & Company's edition.)
54Class "E"—"Lord for Thy Tender Mercies' Sake"……….Farrant
55(Novello edition.)
56Unaccompanied.
57"O Saviour of the World"……………………………..Goss
58(Novello edition.)
59Class "F"—Te Deum in B minor………………………….Buck
60(Ditson edition.)
61Class "G"—"Veni Sancte Spiritus"………………………Kreutzer
62(John Church Company's edition.)
63Unaccompanied.
64"All Through the Night (Welsh)"……………………….Smith
65(Presser edition.)
66Class "H"—"No Evil Shall Befall Thee" ("Eli")………..Costa
67(Schirmer edition.)
68"The Little Dustman"…………………………………Brahms-Smith
69(Presser edition.)
71THE WANAMAKER COMPETITION CHORAL FESTIVAL,
72PHILADELPHIA—1909.
73PARTICIPATION BLANK.
75We hereby apply for admission to the Wanamaker Competition Choral Festival (in accordance with the conditions of attached circular), beginning June 28, 1909, under
76Class …………………………………………………….
77Name of organization…………………………………..
78Number likely to attend…………………………………
79City ………………………………………………………
80State ………………………………………………………
81(Signature of one signing for organization)
82per ………………………………………………………
83(State what office is held by the one in charge)
84Street and number…………………………………….
85City ………………………………………………………
86State ………………………………………………………
87Give name of
88Musical director ………………………………………
89Street and number…………………………………….
90City ………………………………………………………
91State …………………………………………………….
93With the exception of Class "F" the remaining classes are open to all, whether organized for sacred or secular work.
95The tests have not been selected with the idea of putting difficulties in the way of those competing, for the aim is perfection in finish rather than involved technical display.
97The editions of the respective works must be as indicated herein, in order to insure absolute fairness when judging phrasing. The judges will employ the percentage system in arriving at results.
99It is important that entries be sent in as soon as possible in order that nothing may be left undone and that the comfort of those participating may be provided for. Entries should be addressed to Dr. J. Lewis Browne, musical director, the Wanamaker stores, Egyptian Hall, Philadelphia.
101The names of the eminent judges who will decide the competitions, Director George Chadwick, Dr. Horatio Parker, and Dr. J. Lewis Browne, are in themselves sufficient to insure the tone and character of the event, and the societies that carry off the favorable opinion of so exalted a jury will have accomplished something to be proud of permanently—much more so than if the fruit of victory had been a sum of money, no matter how large.
103Every musician who has been approached on the subject of the Wanamaker work in music is of the opinion that it is creating lasting benefit and taking a prominent place in the general development of the tonal art in America. Those professionals, like Sousa, who have heard for themselves the results accomplished at Wanamaker's, share in the great bandmaster's amazement at the achievements of the chorus of 750 voices, the band and orchestra of eighty members, and all the other organizations of the vast musical ensemble. It is obvious that where musical training can be brought to such practical efficiency, an earnest purpose and high incentive must underlie the endeavor.
105Advertising plays absolutely no part in the music activity of Wanamaker's, and this THE MUSICAL COURIER states with the utmost positiveness. The firm is trying to do as much for music and musicians in general—irrespective of affiliations, race, or condition—as it has done specifically for those in its own employ. The co-operation has been secured of all conservatories and teachers without regard to their previous connections and without regard to their attitude for or against any pianos that the house of Wanamaker handles, or in favor of any kind of pianos that may be sold by competitors. As a result of that policy, it may be predicted confidently that within the next five years Egyptian Hall and the New York Auditorium will have become the center of a new musical interest and a new form of musical development which shall cause them to be two of the most important factors in this country in the formation of musical thought and taste, the propagation among the masses of sound musical education, and the instilling of a far reaching general love for and understanding of the most beautiful of all the arts.
107As another step toward the accomplishment of the ideal just outlined, George W. Chadwick has been invited to Philadelphia by Wanamaker's, for a "Composer's Day," to take place at some time after the choral festival now in contemplation. At the special Chadwick celebration, that composer's works are to be heard, rendered entirely by the musical forces of the establishment, choral and orchestral.
109If there is any other country in the world where a department store is able to duplicate the Wanamaker triumph in music, or if there is any other American department store that can equal it, THE MUSICAL COURIER would be grateful to learn of the facts and will promise them as conspicuous a publication as has been given in this article to the Wanamaker doings.
111Concert by Svet Pupils in Newark.
113Pupils of Mr. and Mrs. Mandell Svet played at a concert in Wallace Hall, Newark, N. J., Tuesday evening, April 27. Mr. and Mrs. Svet assisted in the performance of the opening number, which was Thome's "Adagio Religioso," arranged by Mr. Svet. This was played by thirty-two violins, with Mr. Svet at the organ and Mrs. Svet at the piano. Special mention must be made of the violin playing and compositions of Jacob Rittenband, a gifted pupil of Mr. Svet. Among those who played violin numbers were: Morris Gelbond, Isabella Brylowsky, Philip Gordon, Isador Hirsch, Harry Steiner, Albert Bein, Grace A. Livingston, Samuel Grossman, Ida Beineson, W. Block, M. Fischman, M. Gordon, M. Sheininger, F. Skolnick, W. Weinstein, and S. Kidorf. The pianists of the evening included: Rose Lerhoff, Elizabeth Warschawsky, Ruth Zwaiffer, Celia Beineson, Fannie Lustbader, Esther Block, Helene Katzin, Frieda Katchen, Beatrice Dunwoody, Esther Roberts, Ida Miller, and Matilda Brodsky. The pupils in the composition class who had works performed were: Miss Brodsky, Philip Gordon, Mr. Rittenband. The orchestra also played "The Gayety March," a piece by Mr. Svet. Mrs. Svet is at the head of the piano department, and Mr. Svet is the violin master and teacher of the theoretical branches. one of two readings
114Pupils of Mr. and Mrs. Mandell Svet played at a concert in Wallace Hall, Newark, N. J., Tuesday evening, April 27. Mr. and Mrs. Svet assisted in the performance of the opening number, which was Thome's "Adagio Religioso," arranged by Mr. Svet. This was played by thirty-two violins, with Mr. Svet at the organ and Mrs. Svet at the piano. Special mention must be made of the violin playing and compositions of Jacob Rittenband, a gifted pupil of Mr. Svet. Among those who played violin numbers were: Morris Gelbond, Isabella Brylowsky, Philip Gordon, Isador Hirsch, Harry Steiner, Albert Bein, Grace A. Livingston, Samuel Grossman, Ida Beineson, W. Block, M. Fischman, M. Gordon, M. Scheiniger, F. Skolnick, W. Weinstein, and S. Kidorf. The pianists of the evening included: Rose Lerhoff, Elizabeth Warschawsky, Ruth Zwaiffer, Celia Beineson, Fannie Lustbader, Esther Block, Helene Katzin, Frieda Katchen, Beatrice Dunwoody, Esther Roberts, Ida Miller, and Matilda Brodsky. The pupils in the composition class who had works performed were: Miss Brodsky, Philip Gordon, Mr. Rittenband. The orchestra also played "The Gayety March," a piece by Mr. Svet. Mrs. Svet is at the head of the piano department, and Mr. Svet is the violin master and teacher of the theoretical branches. one of two readings
116At the Prague Philharmonic concerts Ottenheimer led Bruckner's eighth symphony and Bodansky conducted Beethoven's ninth.
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