• Prague Men's Singing Society [Prager Männergesangsverein]: participating ensemble

The German-language newspaper Bohemia reported on 31/5/1860 that ‘[On] Saturday the Prague Männergesangverein is arranging in the Žofín Hall for the celebration of the anniversary of its foundation a Liedertafel with dinner (for which the last will not be per Couvert, but will be by [admission] ticket). The Liedertafel begins at 8pm and before the table will be sung a Foundation-song [Stiftungslied] by B. Ernst, composed by Ed. Tauwitz, and a Heinisches [possibly Heimisches - homeland] Lied [with] music by Grenzenbach. During the table will be [given] eight other songs, among them several Czech [ones].’ The date of this event was confirmed by the Tageskalender of Bohemia 2/6/1860, which noted ‘Saturday 2nd June... 8pm in the Žofín Hall, Liedertafel of the Men’s Singing Society.’

The unsigned Dalibor 10/6/1860 evidently incorrectly review reported that this soirée took place on 31st May, and was given to mark the anniversary of the foundation of the ‘mužský zpěv. spolek [Men’s Singing Society / Männergesangverein]’. The audience was ‘very numerous, so that both halls on Žofín [the Žofín Hall venue comprised two connecting rooms] were full. Besides choruses of German composers, by Ed. Tauwitz, Grenzenbach, J. Ott and Ferd. Podhorský (it is a strange thinge, that Mr Podhorský, son of our well-known singer Mrs Podhorská, is also counted among German composers!), Czech quartets were also given: “Půda vlastenecká” by Fr. Vogl; “K bratrům” by Víl. Blodek; “Milenka” of A. Jelen. All the compositions were performed excellently, and almost all [the works] had, on general request, to be repeated.’ The critic expressed hope that the choir would perform still more Czech choruses in subsequent events. Subsequent coverage by the Czech music periodical of events given by the Männergesangverein were increasingly critical of what it perceived was the society’s failure to programme choral works written in Czech.

The issue of Dalibor 10/6/1860 also reported that on Thursday 31st May the ‘Local men’s singing society [Männergesangverein]... gifted its director Mr Ed. Tauwitz a silver chalice.’ This may account for the incorrect date having been noted for the soirée itself, the periodical possibly reproducing the date of the presentation, which may well have been during a rehearsal for the soirée, instead of the date of the public performance.