The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-01-03
Rifuausm.
TIE PERFORMANCES AT ST. ALBAN's cHAPyL, NEW
YORK, ON CHRISTMAS EVE.
Iron, the New YORK rribun. as,l


From the New York Tribune 18TH
Ate O'Clock last night the little cburch AZ the
corner OF Lexington avenue and Forty seventh
street. dedicated 10 st. Alban, the proto MARTYR OF
Great Britsin, was filed to OVERLOOKING. The ser.
vice was the first Vespers Of the great Christmas
festival. TIE body Of the little church was taste.
fully decorated with evergreen, hanging in fes.
toons from the beans Of the roof, and the sane
tusry. which was lighted by two large standards
OF wax candles, was rich in the most exquisite
flowers. Two immense vases, hlled with every
thing that Horticulture could produce, or that can
be forced into bloom at this Indictment season,
stood on either side of the altar, while on the re-
table there were two magnificent pyramidal bou
quets OF white camelias azsleas, ETC., 10 two large
meciesai brass vases. The altar, which was
lighted by two branches Of wax taper was vested
in very handsome frontal, beautifully embroid-
cred, the stoes and sacred monogram being ex.
ceedingly rich, and the super frontal one mass of
gold embroidery, with heavy French gold
fringe.
Anew bars Of prelude from the organ warned
the congregation that the service was about to
commence. and then the strains Of the grand old
Christmas hymn, "Hark the herald angels sing"
quietly stole upon the ear from the chorsters'
vestry. At the end of the first verse the process.
sion entered the church, headed by the cruciher.
in cassock and Gotta, bearing the Professional
Cross, followed by the choir boys and four taper
bearers in scarlet cassocks and SUPPLIES; then
The choir men, and lastly the priests, Father Nor
ill. the rector. vested In q very beautiful white
cspe, all wearing their briettas. At the conclu
sion of the Professional Hymn, Evensong
supg, and we must say that Father Morrill, has in
spite of many obstacles, brought his choir I'D to
very fair standard; though we would suggest
Helmore's Plain Gong" as being more suitable
70 coDgre gational singing. At the termination OF
EveDsong, the hymn While Shepherds watched
their hocks at night was sung, aud Father Nor
rill then proceeded TO deliver en- eloquent ad-
dress, founded on the llth verse Of the 10th chap
ter of Deuteronomy.
TIE MIDNIGHT SERVICES.
At midnight, when the service commenced, the
church was literally jammed, and to find even
standing room was a matter of considerable diff.
fculty. At 1l:30 :" the first acolyte,p clothed
in black, brought from the sscristy an open
prayer book, and passing before the altar made a
revereDtial gennfexioD. after which he placed the
book on the altar. He was followed by two
others these latter clad in close fitting vestments
in the ofeItory. These were placed on table
at the left of the altar. At a little before IL
o'clock the " first acoyte again appeared, and
having made bis obeisance before the altar, pro-
largest, which fanked the crucihx on either
side, then those al the left and right Tin 'front.' Of
the altar, leaving untouched those already men
toned behind the altar. At precisely IL the
cessional. "An my heart this night rejoicss."
but before its first bar had been completed the
voices of the cheristers could be heard
chanting the sacred song; in an instant
the mead OF inc procession appeared AZ tne
righthand door of the sacristy. In the van
was dimnutve acoyte, bearing aloft
q cross next came several men choristers and
acolytes an emblematie banner. borne by an
acolyte more cborister, and acolytes another
banner, different in design from the first. and
finally preceded by more acolytes. and two clerks
or deacons, came the Rev. DR.. Noyes, the cele.
brant of the services. He was attired in a vest
ment of celebration, which is composed Of skirt
of white linen. surmounted BY cloak Of the same,
bordered at the edges with gold and red band
and orDamented front and back by broader band
of the same material which passed from the neck
TO the bottom of the skirt, being crossed trans
versely near the shoulder. At his entrance he
wore cap, as did also his assistants, but these
were removed and taken away by an acolyte.
As the procession entered the chancel and faced
the altar, each member of it made reverential
bow, and the bearers Of the cross and banners
lowered them. AS soon as the acolytes had filed
TO the right and left the celebrant OF the services
assembled the two stairs of the altar and ohanted
the Ten Commandments, the prayer book from
which he read being held upon the hand Of one OF
the assistants previously mentioned. Suisse
quently the Rev. Mr.. Morrill,. the pastor, entered.
and proceeding to the left-hsnd side Of the altar.
be read the Epistle for the day then crossing
with another bow when before the center Of the
altar read the Gospel for the day on the other
side. The Greed was read, or rather chanted, by
the Rev. DIR. Noyes, and at the mention Of the
name of our Savior the celebrants and congrega-
ton bowed low, and when the passage land was
made man" was read, all knelt down and made
the sign Of the cross.
All of the prayers were read by the celebrsnt
with his back TO the congregation, and at certain
times he spread his hands and looked up i'm
ploringly TO the crucifx. Doring the offertory or
h communion service those tapers which had been
left untouched by the first scolyte were lighted,
and the sacret chalce Of wine and salver Of
bread, which we're covered with triangular altar
cloth, we're psrtsken of by the officiating clergy
men. What with the numerous gennfiexi0ns, the
chanting of the whole service, the swinging Of
the incense, the wsnders, and the robes Of the
celebranis and ohoresters, II would have been
no discredit to discrimination had be confessed to
ignorance as 10 whether he was In a Protestant
Episcopal chapel or a Roman Catholic church.
When the minister had partaken OF the com
muniOn the congregation went for ward to COM
mune and ali desirous of going home lit was
then A. NJ, and the service half completely had
opportunity 10 do so.