The last strains have died away. Rising from step to step, the majestic German lied has completed its march of triumph; after long years replete with tragic errors and misunderstandings, it has renewed the ties of harmony and understanding linking the different classes of the American people, and has shown that despite the terrible war years the emotional depth of the Americans of German descent and their love for the good and the beautiful have not been lost.

Both of yesterday's concerts of the North American Saengerbund were great successes. The Coliseum was nearly filled for the afternoon concert, but at the evening concert many had to be turned away, since in spite of its enormous seating capacity, the great festival hall proved too small. Not 2only financially but, above all, as musical events, the last two concerts, like the preceding ones, were successes in the truest sense of the word.

Young German-America--nearly two thousand voices strong--took charge yesterday afternoon at the Saengerfest hall. The splendid performances of the Saengerfest Children's Chorus--composed of this enormous number of boys and girls with gifted voices--formed the delightful nucleus of another tastefully and skilfully arranged program. It was a real pleasure and a most refreshing experience to be able to hear German lieder sung in German in such an exemplary, majestic manner by this great host of children here in the middle of America. And for this reason, intense heartfelt emotion found expression in the sustained applause that the numerous Saengerfest audience bestowed upon the youthful singers after each number.

The applause was also intended as a tribute to the director of the Children's 3Chorus, Herr Hans Biedermann, who had worked, practiced, and rehearsed with his little singers for months, in order to be able to achieve such firstclass performances as had just been heard. The North American Saengerbund--one might almost say, all of German-America--is indebted in no small measure to Herr Biedermann for what he has accomplished in the field of song with his thousands of children. He himself had arranged a chorus for children's voices consisting of German lieder of spring, summer, fall, winter, and Christmas.

This was performed by the boys and girls with smooth intonation and precise tone color. The youthful voices sang: "Der Mai ist gekommen"; "Nachtigall, Nachtigall, wie sangst du so schoen"; "O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum"; "O du froehliche, o du selige"; and many other old familiar German favorites.

The following numbers, sung in English, were no less excellently performed by the children: "Down in the Woodland," by Elgar-Bliss; "Welcome, Sweet Spring-time," by Rubinstein-Rich; and "The Big Brown Bear," by Mana-Zucca.

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Likewise directed by Herr Biedermann was the chorus consisting of the Junger Maennerchor, the Chicago Lehrerchor, the Schiller Liedertafel, and the Turner Maennerchor, which, a cappella, first offered R. Becker's magnificent "Hochamt im Walde" and then the two melodious lieder: "Beim Holderstrauch," by Theodor Kirchner and "Nur die Hoffnung festgehalten," [by E. Surlaeuly]. Here, too, the performance was distinguished by excellent training, firm intonation, and clean-cut attack.

In keeping with the spirit of the occasion, Conductor Frederick Stock and his Chicago Symphony Orchestra had opened the afternoon concert, dedicated largely to the Children's Chorus, with the playing of the colorful prelude to Engelbert Humperdinck's charming fairy-tale opera, "Hansel and Gretel". The "Hellafest," from the "Hoenigskinder Suite" by the same composer, and several excerpts from Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite" were played by the orchestra in the further course of the afternoon concert in an equally superb manner.

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Miss Kathryn Meisle, already favorably known to the audience by virtue of her appearances on the preceding day, sang the aria "Mein Herz begluecket sich" ["Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix"], from "Samson and Delilah," by Saint-Saens. Again, the generous applause obliged her to give an encore, and as a special tribute to the children sitting on the wide benches behind her, she turned around and, facing them, sang the charming little English song "The Lilac Tree," a composition of G. H. Cartlen.

"Only when apples grow on lilac bushes, will I give you a kiss," archly said the little girl to her equally youthful admirer. But she soon regrets her cruel rebuff, and when the little boy gazes out of his window next morning he sees his darling in the garden tying apples on the lilac bush with her own hands. This, in brief, is the story depicted by this thoroughly graceful little song.

Miss Meisle further delighted the audience at the afternoon concert with the 6singing of Schubert's "Erlkoenig" and Brahms' "Lied".

The Evening Concert

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra opened yesterday's evening concert in its customary masterful fashion with the playing of the overture to "Sakuntala," by Goldmark. Led by Director [H. A.] Rehberg, the Massed Maennerchor then sang the heart-rending postwar lied "Es droehnt vom Turm," by F. Janoske. Deeply moving is this cry of distress of a people sick unto death, who implore the Almighty for help. From thousands of voices come the thundering words "Land in Not"; the imploring cry, "Hilf, Herre Gott im Himmel," resounds toward Heaven. It is a mighty song, which embodies a plea for help that could have arisen only in a devastating war era in which whole nations are destroyed. Rehberg and his splendid singers rendered the lied in all its gripping power, and to thousands of people there must have come, involuntarily, the longing thought: May this cry for help soon be heard!

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With Karl Reckzeh directing, the Massed Maennerchor, a cappella, next offered Werner's "Heidenroeslein" ["Sah ein Knab' ein Roeslein stehn"]. The performance was an outstanding success, and although this old lied has been heard so often, the masterful interpretation it received by the chorus made it seem like a revelation. This wild old song of the serf (Landsknechtlied), ennobled by Goethe's genius and exalted in Werner's composition to a wonderfully profound expression of love's eternal suffering (des urewigen Liebesleides) held the entire great audience visibly in its spell. Only after a silence lasting for minutes was the extreme tenseness released, discharging itself into thunderous applause. [Translator's note: This amazing characterization of "Heidenroeslein" surpasses all understanding. Goethe's lovely little lyric tells of a lad who plucks a heath rose and is pricked for his wanton act.]

Much credit is due the music committee for including in the program a selection from Papa Haydn's beloved and ever-youthful work "The Creation". This was the passage "Nun scheint [strahlt] im vollen Glanze," wherein Raphael lends jubilant 8and triumphant expression to his joy over the successful act of Creation and over the Earth shining forth in virgin beauty. Alexander Kipnis projected this song of joy with force and dignity throughout the spacious hall. It was the last appearance of this artist, who throughout the Saengerfest has gained the admiration and sympathy of thousands of music lovers. This was revealed, above all, by the tremendous applause that was renewed time and again, in tribute to the brilliant performance of this keen artist, who expressed his appreciation by singing Schubert's "Staendchen" as an encore.

The Prize-Winning Song

The president of the Vereinigte Maennerchoere of Chicago, [Adolph Gill], then stepped upon the podium to enlighten the audience regarding the efforts of the Vereinigte Maennerchoere in behalf of the creation of American folk songs. He spoke as follows:

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"In the name of the Vereinigte Maennerchoere of Chicago, I extend you a hearty greeting. Interest in songs for four-part male choruses is steadily growing here in the United States. We hope that this art and its development will one day become as popular in this country as it is in Germany, where next month a gathering of 25,000 male voices will take place in the city of Munich.

"The influence of massed choruses such as we have assembled here today is a thoroughly inspiring one, and represents a significant factor in the (cultural) development of the country. The great industrial and commercial establishments, in which a great number of men gather daily and in which the formation of social, musical, and athletic clubs is encouraged and supported by the captains of industry, have opened up a considerable field for songs for male chorus; there are a large number of quite excellent choruses of this sort. The steadily growing number of such organizations has, however, made the quest for suitable compositions a rather pressing matter.

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"The Vereinigte Maennerchoere of Chicago--an organization composed of twenty-two singing societies, which is affiliated with the North American Saengerbund and which was formed to preserve and promote the German lied--has for some time felt the lack of suitable American compositions, especially in view of the steadily increasing number of the native-born who are joining the member societies. For this reason and, at the same time, in honor of the diamond jubilee of the North American Saengerbund, the sum of one thousand dollars was appropriated in order to stimulate American composers to examine the works of American writers and poets for a text reflecting American life and the American spirit--a text which would prove a source of inspiration for the composition of an unpretentious work of the nature of a folk song for four-part male chorus with orchestra accompaniment.

"The fund was divided into three prizes: a first prize of $500, a second prize of $300, and a third prize of $200. A large number of meritorious compositions were submitted. The judges were Frederick Stock, Adolph Weidig, Karl Reckzeh, 11H. A. Rehberg, and Adolph Gill. It is now my great pleasure to present to you the winners in this competition.

"The first prize was awarded to Mr. Edward Strubel, of Covington, Kentucky, whose composition is a musical setting of James Whitcomb Riley's poem 'When Evening Shadows Fall'. Second prize went to Mr. Louis Victor Saar, of Chicago, for his musical setting of the poem 'A Little Song for Two,' by Edmund Vance Cooke. Third prize was won by Mr. Eduard Schaumloeffel, of Chicago, whose composition was inspired by Emerson Hough's poem 'My Stout Old Heart and I'. The poet is known the country over as the author of 'The Covered Wagon'."

Gill then introduced the three prize-winning composers, and Mr. Strubel, winner of the first prize, mounted the conductor's stand to direct his work. In a simple, melodic setting and in close keeping with the spirit of the text, the harmonically pure tones resounded throughout the hall. The composition fits admirably into the framework of unpretentious folk songs; it does not indulge in any exaggerated musical flourishes, but finds expression in pure and full 12harmonies that come from the heart and go to the heart. Mr. Strubel was liberally and enthusiastically applauded, being called back several times to the conductor's stand. But the greatest reward for the artist is the knowledge that he has presented the nation with a beautiful, genuine folk song.

[Conclusion of the Concert]

After the Chicago Symphony Orchestra had opened the second part of the program with a spirited rendition of "Capriccio Espagnol," by Rimski-Korsakov, the Massed Maennerchor sang the old familiar song of longing "Dein gedenk' ich, Margareta," taken from the "Trompeter von Saekkingen" and set to music by Meyer-Helmund. Director Rehberg wielded the baton with admirable assurance and quiet self-confidence, which, as one could clearly observe, had a favorable effect upon the singers. The Massed Maennerchor, directed by Rehberg, also offered "Morgen muss ich fort von hier," a German folk song that everybody has sung or heard. This was the farewell song for the out-of-town singers, who will not 13soon forget the beautiful Chicago Saengerfest.

As her swan song, Marie Sundelius offered "Elsas Traum," from "Lohengrin." Once again, her superb voice filled the spacious hall; once again, the many thousands of listeners were most deeply moved by the majestic harmonies of Richard Wagner. Applause that would not cease rewarded the capable artist for her unsurpassable performance. She, too, will be gratefully remembered by Chicago's music-loving public.

The playing of the Magic Fire Music from Wagner's "Die Walkuere" was the outstanding performance of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at yesterday's concert. The excellent musicians [comprising the Orchestra] also contributed a great deal to the success of the Festival by their performances in the earlier concerts.

Once again, at a sign from Director Reckzeh, the singers of the great Massed 14Maennerchor rose to their feet to offer the farewell number: Mohr's "Am Altar der Wahrheit," a work that is eminently appropriate for our times. "Vor der Wahrheit allmaecht' gen Waffen, Wahn muss entfliehen" (Before Truth's almighty weapons, Error must flee)--these words rang out in mighty chords through the spacious hall; they were sung and echoed in thousands of overflowing hearts. And together with this song, there rose heavenward the wish of thousands that in a time such as the present, when lies still retain their dominant sway, the powerful message of this composition will be fulfilled to an ever greater degree: "Before Truth's almighty weapons, Error must flee."

The last strains have died away. But in the hearts of the thousands who were caught in their magic spell, they will continue to echo for many a day and many a year.

[Translator's note: The two or three concluding paragraphs of this article, which have not been translated, tell briefly of various parties, teas, auto rides, etc. for the entertainment of the out-of-town singers.]