The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-09-21 00:00:00

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THE SINGING PILGRIM.

Some ten years since certain thoughtful and religions
inhabitants of the city of New York projected the ea-
tsblisiduent of a Mission Hall in the west lawless
district of that capital. The site was procured,
the aol
.
hall was built ; but when it was and the
inhabitanta itacertained what was to be its Purpose,
quite a local ‘atucie took place. The wild Bohemians
of the Empire City pronounced emphatically against
preaching, and intimated that the moment preach.
jog commenced they woula eniaah the windows and
tear up the seats of the ball. This Woe a threatening
state of thino ; but the thoughtful and zealous pro-
jectors of the Hall were not to be dammed. They
parleyed with the Philistines, and at length the haw"
thought struck one of their number, to ask whether
sieging would not be accepted as a tennpromitni. The
idea was approved off, NMI a fittieg inatauuient was
fonral in the perven of Mr. Philip Philips, a trades-
man of New York, who, being gifted with a tine
tenor voice and a genuine to to for mutat:, had devotal
both to the etudy of sacred melody. Mr. Phillip's
aUCCree with the Voliemians of the Bowery was
complete. They come to hear him at first as a bit
of fun, but very noun theta who " came to Koff,
remained to pray," and the sitiglng service wee an
eatablished McCrea. Ent/enraged by this result, Mr.
Philips started on an extended tour through the
States and was known all welcomed everywhere as
"The :quaint( Pilgrim." Chicago, Oregon, San Fran-
deco, the Rocky Mountains, aid the renting pitiess in
the terrible Alkali Plaine, w ere in turn visited, and in
all those places the "Pilgrim 'a" hymns became the
music of every household. About ne-ven years sham he
paid an übobtrueive visit to Loudon, and Nang at the
Cross-street Chapel ; but tine time he has conic at the
invitati it of the Sunday School Union, and singe five
tinier a week in the great teiwns of the klanchenter dis-
trict. By running up to London on Saturc ay, hat on
private business, Mr. Phillioe gave the Rev. Mr.
Davideou, the Presbyterian Minister of Islington, and
founder of the religious services at the Agricultural.
ball, the opportunity of securing his assistance for Unto
Sunday at term-stn.
The Daily Nties gives the following brief account of
the proceedings
The hour fixed for Divine novice was 3 31.1 butts early as
two o'clock tin re Were thousandi of persons or 'word round
the entrance to the agricultural Hall and clamouring f• r
admittance the hall ens densely filled immeoistely after
the opening of he doors, and a supplementary service had
to be extemporised outside for the thullaande who were
ineappoutted in obtaining aondasion. Mr Phillips a
tail dare, good-leuktng mall, with the slightest possible
Alnetican accent, opens thu troceedmga w,th a snort •
prayer, and then gives out a hymn, which he sings
to the seen epaniment of a email organ, played by
himself. lie ,e,tationally asks the congrtgation to j„,,,
in
the chorus Between the byinns he tells some approptiate
anecdote or gives a few words of exhortation sod five Ile six
hymn., Si it about as wally eimaking intervals, form the
whnle religious srrviCe tile great obsrm of Mr. •
tincine lies not to much in the quality of his
voice, alth..ugh that is good ans pure, as in the earnest-
nets and grave impressiveness of his elocution The con-
gregati. di listen as if spelldamnd, and when called upon to
join ni the chorus, do so wnit a fervour which shows how
much they have been aroused and moved by the sacred
song. 'eke hymns are, we believe, chin S, of Mr Phillips'i
own composition, both as regards words and mos', the
crowded congregation seemed to leave the hall on Sunday
with remittance, and as they moved away in black streams
down the- differ, nt footway., nothing was talked of amongst
them but the novel and impressive "Song Sermons" of the
'Singing