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Show H SALT LAKE AND OGDEN CHOIRS. H Salt Lake papers repeatedly have stated that the invitation ex- H tended to the Taberaaslo choir by the New York land show did not H inolude the Ogden Tabernacle choir and was not intended for tho H Ogden body of singers. Fortunately this paper has preserved a copy H of a letter sent to Joseph Caine, which copy was addressed to the H proprietor of this paper, in which Gilbert McClurg" says : H "I have received letters both from the Salt Lake and Ogden H Tabernacle choirs requesting that they shall be selected to sing the H National Irrigation Ode daily at the exposition for the benefit of H Utah, and I believe one or the other of these choirs' contemplates H a trip to Wales next year, and could stop in New York enroute. Mr. H Kiesel and I both feel that if Utah citizens could arrange to send H the choir here, it would be the very best possible advertisement im- H aginable for your state; and too, wc feel that the Church of Latter- H day Saints would aid this enterprise all in its power. The Ogden H Tabernacle choir, I understand, is the only one of these organiza- H tions which has ever publicly rendered the National Irrigation Ode, H having sung it at various National Irrigation congresses, and at H the Seattle and Portland expositions as well, although the composer H of the music is the organist of the Salt Lake City Tabernacle. H "If the choir came on to New York and sang at Madison Square H Garden, I am sure they would make a- great hit and could secure H many engagements in the East, as I think they never have been H heard here in the East. While the exposition will be called upon H to expend money, no doubt, for supplying a band, and has in con- H templation the bringing here of the best musical organizations of H Mexico, we do not feel that we could arrange concerts or pay ad- H ditionally, the expense for the bringing of the choir to New York M City.. However, if the people of Utah would bring the choir here, H there is no question but that we should be able to make a contribu- M tion toward the expenses thereof, while at the same time appreci- M ating that the choir would primarily be a magnificent advertisement M four your state. Very truly yours, (Signed), Gilbert McClurg, Gen- H eral Manager." M The foregoing emphasizes the fact that the Ogden choir is bet- M ter qualified to render the "Irrigation Ode" than the Salt Lake M choir, and a preference is expressed as plainly as a diplomatic gen- H eral manager dare commit himself. M Will the Salt Lake papers, particularly the Deseret News, point out anything in Mr. McClurg's letter favoring the Salt Lake singers? |