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54 WILMETTE LIFE ·May 24. 1929 May Festival Greets Its ·21st Birthday Next ·Week IT AND DEAN LUTKIN · I· BOTH REACH MAJORITY These Institutions Have Made · Musical History for the 'Last Two Decades Next week the Chicago North Shore Music festival- for 21 vrars the north shore's outstanding st)ring event in music-comes of age. Celebrating with it hi1s 21 years of service, Dean Peter Christian Lutkin will come into his majority as its general director. Long ago both the festival and the dean became Evanston institutions. Both are given a deference and a loyalty that keep steadfast and grow with the succestsive seasons. This season, according to reports from the festival association office, again attests, more abundantly than ever before, that residents of Evanston, the north shore and Chicago, a's well as lovers of music who make pilgrimages here from more distant places each springmany to spend the entire week and attend every concert-are again ready and eager for their week's feast of harmony. Goes Back to 1 · The beginning of the festivals goes back to 1908. But it wa'5 as early as 1900 that Dean Lutkin publicly pointed out the suitability of Evanston for such a festival organization. Until 1908, however, there was no hall adequate to house it. The building of Northwestern university gymnasium and its completio!l just previous to that spring, the gift of Mr. and Mrs. James A. Patten to the university, supplied the need, however. For 21 years a week late in May has been given by the artistic folk of the central states to. this festival occasion which is considered one of outstanding mu'sical importance. Programs were at the beginning on the same high artistic scale that they still reach. To enhance the festival spirit, the gymnasium has been annually put into the hands of skilled decorators, ·so that the breathless expectancy which awaits the parting of the great curtains for the first evening is rewarded by a beautiful springtime setting of flowers and lanterns and hanging baskets and boughs of green woven into lovely background for chorus, orche5tra and soloist. Begin Rebearaals Early Annually, before winter is over, men and women who have sung in the great adult festival choruses for many seasons-some of them for the whole 20 seasons gone by-are summoned to rehearsal by Dean Lutkin. Selection is made of distinguished works for chorus and the A Cappella choir, and rehearsals go on several times a week for many weeks at the Woman's club. Final rehearsals are held at the gymnasium; and when the curtain rises the first evening, there are seated row upon row of white-gowned women and black and white garbed men, to whom is given the honor of opening the festival. They sing to accompaniment by the Chicago Symphony orchestra, and with them sing as soloist'3 distinguished opera stars and concert artists. Every performance-except that of Saturday afternoon-sees the chorus in its place upon the stage. Saturday afternoon 1,500 girts and boys from the elementary schools, who have been under instruction for many weeks as a part of their school work take the seats on the stage and present song groups and For many years these operettas. young singers-many of whom have been graduated from school to adult In ·second Concert ISOLOISTS, CHORUS AND I Festival Ten or ORCHESTRA NEXT WEEI , ________, Noted Singers, Stock"s Sym· phony Add Distinction to Zlst Annual Event ·--------------------------~ From the magnificence of SaintSaens' "Samson and Delilah" to the lyric delight of fresh young voices of 1 500 north shore school children, the 2ist annual · Chicago, North Shore Music festival will offer outstanding entertainment at Northwestern university gymnasium next week. Four celebrated singers - Cyrena Van Gordon, contralto; Charles Marshall tenor; Richard Bonelli, baritone, · and Herbert Gould, bass-will sing as soloists the opening evening, Monday, with the chorus of 600 and the A Cappella choir, and the Chicago Symphony orchestra will accompany. The SaintSaens number wilt comprise the entire program: Dean Peter C. Lutkin will conduct. Feature Orchestra Second Night Frederick A. Stock, conductor of the orchestra, will conduct at Tuesday eveGina Pinnera, who is hailed in the ning's concert and the or<>hestt'a will east as a new great voice, will appear have the prominent part in the proGina Pinnera, new to the festiat the second festival concert, afford- gram. val and Efrem Zimbatist, violinist, will ing music lovers of the central west be 'the soloist. The program will be: their first opportunity to hear this Overture, "In Springtime," Opus 36 .. .. artist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Goldmark Aria "Casta Diva" from "Norma" .. . . .' .. . ........ . .... . : . . . . . . . . . . . Bellini chorus-were directed by Osborne Me- "America," an Epic Rhapsody in Conathy, director of music in the pubThree Parts · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·Bloch I . . . . -1620. The Soil- The Inoianslic schools. In recent years John W . (England) _ The Mayflower - The Beatty, who succeeds him in that office Landing of the Pilgrims. and · is aho head of the department of II. 1861-1865. Hours of Jo y-Hours of public school music at Northwestern III. ~9~r~w: .. The Present- The Future. Intermission university school of music, has drilled and directed the children. Fantasie for Violin and Orchestra, Opus 46 · . . . . . . Bruch S ome I mportant E vents Grave-Adagio cantabile. There have been many high spots in Allegro. festival history. For three ·seasons, Andante sostenuto. 1917-1919, the Minneapolis Symphony ~~~f~~n;uerrio. orchestra, directed by Emit Oberhoffer, "Fetes" ("Festivals") Debussy Aria, "Pace, Pace," from "La Forza played at the festival. In 1921 the del DestJno" · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Verdi New York Philharmonic orchestra, diSlavonic Dance, A Flat . . . . . . . Dvorak f S 1 T rected by Jose transky, P ayed. he Bach's Mass in B-minor will be outguest conductors, appearing at vari- standing number of the third concert, ous times, have included Arne Oldberg Thursday evening. Both Mr. Stock of Evanston, Felix Borowski. Henry 1. . . . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Hadley, Deems Taylor, Percy Grainger and Eric Delamarter. In recent years prize of $1,000 for an original AmeriFrederick A. Stock had directed the can orche'3trat composition. The conChicago players. test att.r acted wide attention, and Soloists have been many. They have brought forth some 70 works. The included Galli Curci, Edith Mason, successful contestants were: Camille Alma Gluck, Freda Hempel, Marie Zeckwer, 1922; Charles M. Loeffler, Sundelius, Florence Macbeth, Rosa 1923; Felix Borowski, 1924; Harman Ponselle, Florence Easton, Geraldine H. Wetzler, 1925; and Edward Collins, Farrar, Madame ~chumann- Heink, 1926. The contest was abandoned in Louise Homer, Sophie. Braslau, Cyrena 1927, a·s a musical journal offered a Van Gordon, John McCormack, Tito much larger prize to the same end. Schipa, Muratore, Martinelli, Charles There has been back of the associaMarshall, David Bispham, Ruffo, Lau- tion a large company of communityrence Tibbett, Trevisan -these and minded Evanstonians and people from many other singers of first rank. Pi- ·)ther north shore towns. There have anists have included Percy Grainger, been several presidents, \V. F. Hypes, Ossip Gabrilowitch and Levitzki, and Chancellor L. Jenks, F. S. Shaw, H. B. the violinists, haye and Elman. Wyeth, F. W. Chamberlai,n, Charies A notable array of choral master- W. Spofford and H. J. Price, who is pieces has been brought to perform- president again this season. ance, including major works by Bach, The other officers include : Bantock, Berlioz, Brahams, Elgar, Vice-president, James F. Oates; Franck, Gluck, Handel, Haydn, Hadley,· vice-president, Charles N. Stevens; Mendelssohn, Parker, Pierne, Rossini, secretary, .Walter B. Smith; treasurer St. Saem, David Stanley Smith, Stock, and business manager, John Hale HilSullivan Verdi, Vaughn, Williams, and ton; historian, Charles H. Reynolds. Wolff-Ferrari, also shorter works by Executive committee: Paul I. AlColeridge - Taylor, Goring - Thomas, drich, Sewell L. Avery, William H. Harty, Grainger, G. Schumann, as welt Dunham, John H. Hardin, John Hale as selections from operas by Tscha·i- Hilton, William F. Hypes, Chancellor kowsky, Bordin, Mousourgski, Gounod L. Jenks, Augustus Knight, Frank E. and Wagner. In addition a vast num- Lord, J ame3 F. Oates, Henry W. Price, ber of arias have been sung and or- Charles H. Reynolds, Frank S. Shaw, chestral works played, not to mention Edward M. Skinner, Walter B. Smith, the cantatas and selections sung by Charles W. Spofford, Charles N. Stevthe children. ens, Harry B. Wyeth. In 1921 the association offen~d a I. F. D. The sudden departure for his home !n Wales, owing to illness of his mother, has taken Tudor Davis, Welsh tenor, away from the North Shore festival programs, but will bring instead Paul Althouse, for nine years leading opera tenor of the Metropolitan company. He has scored six previous successes at the North Shore frstival. and Dean Lutkin wilt conduct, and the chorus of 600 singers, the choir and orchestra will present the number. There will be two supplementary numbers: ~espihhi's Suite for Small Orchestra, "The Birds," and Rubenstein's Concerto No. 4, D-minor. Soloic;ts will be Anna Burmei~ter, soprano; Marie Marrissey, contralto; Tudor Davies, tenor; Herbert Gould, bass. and J ~seph Hofmann, pianist. Children's Concert Saturday There will be two concerts Saturday. In the afternoon at 2:15, with Mr. Stock and John W. Beattie, who has directed the children's chorus, will direct. The chorus of 1,500 voices accompanied by the orchestra, and with Alice Mock, soprano, and Barre-Hill, baritone, as artists, the children will sing the following program: Overture to "Mignon" . . . . . . . . . .Thomas Aria, "Micaela," from C<Lrmen . ... Bizet Nocturne Scherzo From Music to "A Midsummer Night's Dream" .... . .. . Mendelssohn Aria, "Bell Song," from "Lakme" .. Delibes "Peer Gynt," Suite No. 1, Opus 46 .. Grteg Morning. Aase's Death. Anitra's Dance. In the Hall of the Mountain King. Intermission "Dryad's Kisses" .. .... . . .... ..·Meissner Children's Chorus In the evening at 8:15, the adurt chorus, choir and the orchestra wi present the closing program. Soloists will be Edith Mason, soprano; Richard Bonem, baritone, and Arne Oldberg, pianist. The program: Overture, "Le Carnaval Romain," Opus 9 . ....... . . . ....... -:- . . . . . Berlio~ Aria, "Dio Possente," from "Faust" .. ... . ..................... . .. . .. ..... Gounod Theme and Variations for Piano, Harp and Orchestra . ..... .... Old berg Aria, "Depula le Jour," from "Louise" .. .... .. .. ...... .. Charpentier "All My Heart this Night Rejoices" ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lutkln o\ CappelJa Motet for antiphonal choruses Intermission Aria, "Credo," from "Otello" . . ... Verdi Dance of Nymphs and Satyrs, from "Amor and Psyche" .George Schumann A:rla, "Waltz Song," from "Romeo and Juliet" ... . ...... . .Gounod "Coronation Scene " from ' Boris Godounov ' . .. .... ... Moussorgsky