Choral Society the “Cambrian Choir” was organized with a membership of about eighty-five, and their meetings were held in the churches and later in the Assistance Fire Company building. Miss Lulu Weaver was the accompanist. During each of the three winters it was in existence the choir gave a concert in Union Hall, sometimes bringing here artists of ability to assist. On Christmas Day, 1885, at the Eisteddfod in Fifth Avenue Music Hall, Pittsburgh, the choir, with one hundred and sixteen voices entered a contest a with four other choruses in the rendition of “We never will bow down,” and won the first prize. The following year, on the same holiday and occasion, they carried off the laurels in two competitions with the Choral Union of Pittsburgh. In 1888 the choir disbanded, but a small Cambrian choir of twenty-five voices was gathered together and gave a concert in Blairsville.
In the spring of 1898, under the auspices of St. David's Society, an Eisteddfod was held in Johnstown, which revived the interest in the old Cambrian Choir, and it was the one to whom the honors were awarded. On September 24th of the same year, one hundred members of the choir sang at New Castle, Pennsylvania, and there won the prize of $500 in a contest with four other choirs, and their leader, T. E. Morgan, was the recipient of a gold medal.
The Fortnightly Musical Club, originally the Derthick Musical-Literary Club of Johnstown, was organized Thursday evening, December 17, 1896, at Library Hall. At the first meeting the nineteen charter members elected the following officers: President, Mrs. Marshall G. Moore; vice president, Mrs. Herbert H. Weaver; secretary, Miss Katherine Louther; treasurer, Miss Flora D. Price; and librarian, Miss Lilian Rosensteel. At the first meeting in October, 1897, it was decided by unanimous vote to disband as the Derthick society and organize the Fort-nightly Musical Club. It has now enrolled forty-nine active members, together with quite a number of associate members. Several concerts or recitals by musicians of renown have been given in Library Hall under the auspices of the club, and the members of the club itself give three open evening meetings each winter.
The next organization was that of the Philharmonic Society in 1899, which held its weekly meetings in St. David's Hall, Ellis building, and elected as its first officers: President, D. I. Rowe; vice president, D. E. James; second vice-president, Moses
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