Salem Oratorio Society Records, 1868-1943, undated
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Not requestable
Scope and Content Note
The Salem Oratorio Society Records include minutes, bylaws, treasurer's reports, membership lists, announcements, programs, tickets, and photographs. The collection has been divided into five series.
Series I. Administrative Records includes two record books containing minutes of meetings from 1870 to 1909; the President's report for the year 1893, the 20th anniversary of the Society's incorporation; and bylaws from 1872 to 1929.
Series II. Financial Records consists of treasurer's reports from 1878 through 1907; an account book, and a book of checkbook stubs.
Series III. Membership Records includes lists of members for the years 1868 through 1909.
Series IV. Publicity and Programs includes a scrapbook containing newspaper clippings, reports, programs, tickets, etc.; announcements and programs; and one envelope containing tickets.
Series V. Miscellaneous contains correspondence; testimonials to Carl Zerrahn; two programs for the 70th anniversary in 1938; miscellaneous related material such as publicity on guest artists; music for an Old Folks Concert; programs for other Essex County Choral Societies such as the Newton Musical Association, the Handel and Haydn Society, the Boston Symphony Players, the Newburyport Choral Union, the Gloucester Choral Association, the Lynn Oratorio Society, and the Marblehead Vocal Society; two rolled photos of the 70th anniversary celebration on March 24, 1938 and a list of people appearing in the photo. It also includes a leather book cover stamped "Salem Oratorio Society."
Dates
- Creation: 1868-1943, undated
Creator
- Salem Oratorio Society (Salem, Mass.) (Organization)
Restrictions on Access
This collection is open for research use.
Historical Sketch
The Salem Oratorio Society was formed on November 17, 1868 and was incorporated on July 7, 1873. Francis H. Lee was the most active in organizing the society and Professor D. B. Hagar was the first president. The purpose of the organization was to promote education in the higher departments of the science and practice of music. It had about 300 members at its inception.
The first concert, a performance of Haydn's Creation, was given on February 11, 1869, and the second was a repetition of this same work on March 17, 1869. The first season closed with a miscellaneous concert on April 23rd.
Most concerts were presented at Mechanic Hall at the corner of Essex and Crombie Streets in Salem, until it was destroyed by fire in 1905. Concerts were given under the auspices of the Society in Salem by the Boston Symphony Orchestra during the seasons of 1883-1884, 1884-1885, and 1892-1893; by the Cecelia Society of Boston, season of 1892-1893; and by the Walter Damrosch Orchestra, season of 1892-1893.
The most recent item in the collection is a program dated 1943, the 75th Diamond Jubilee season. It is not known when the society disbanded.
Extent
2 linear feet (4 boxes; 1 volume)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Salem Oratorio Society Records include minutes, bylaws, treasurer's reports, membership lists, announcements, programs, tickets, and photographs.
Series List
SERIES I. Administrative Records
SERIES II. Financial Records
SERIES III. Membership Records
SERIES IV. Publicity and Programs
SERIES V. Miscellaneous
Physical Location
Phillips Library Stacks
Provenance
The provenance of this collection is unknown. The 70th Anniversary programs (B4 F4) were a 1938 gift of Willis H. Ropes. A Joshua Phippen concert program was removed to MSS 242.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Marion Clark, July 1990. Updated by Tamara Gaydos, November 2015.
Subject
- Zerrahn, Carl, 1826-1909 (Person)
- Title
- SALEM ORATORIO SOCIETY RECORDS, 1868-1943, undated
- Author
- Processed by: Marion Clark; Updated by: Tamara Gaydos; machine-readable finding aid created by: Rajkumar Natarajan.
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Phillips Library Repository