The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1882-10-13
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH oHoIRs.
Their Interesting and soul-Lifting Festival
This week.

Their Interesting and soui-Lifting FESTIVE
| This week.
The fourth annual festival Of paris
choirs in the diocese Of Vermont wa
held this week at the Congre cations
church, which was kindly rendered b.
the trustees to the rector and wardens
| st Michael's church. The singers he'll
their first rehearsal Wednesday evening
at the Congregational church, =. B. Whit
ney of Boston directing. The choru
consisted of between 80 and 70 voicel
and was assisted by Knapp & Burnett
fine orchestra. and by ]. H. Hopkins, or
ganist of St Paul's church, Burlington
who played the organ in very master
ly manner. The chorus was very goot
and contained many beautiful voices
The soloists were Miss X. r. Brooks O
Brattleboro, Miss L. B. Hunter of Bos
ton, Miss Church of Bellows Falls, Mr. +
W. Bancroft Of Montpelier, and Mr. G. L
Barber of Bellows Falls. Thursday vi
ga. NJ, AM Their private rehearsal was
held, followed by business meeting in
which the Rev Mr. Collins acted AZ chair
man, and the following named gentle
men were elected as committee for the
ensuing year: Rev F. 3. Fisher of st
Johnsbury, G. E. Allen of Burlington, G.
E. Parker Of Vergennes, F. W. Bancroft
of Montpelier and j. II. Williams of
Bellows Falls.
A public rehearsal was held Thursday
afternoon with a small audience. The
Rev M Dawson of st Paul's church, Bur
lington, who was to have delivered an
address, was unable to be present, there
fore the programme as previously an
was necessarily changed. Thurs.
day evening the regular concert was
given. The audience was large, and lis
tened with great enjoyment to music
which was inexpressibiy grand. Much
credit is certainly due Mr. Whitney in
80 skilfufly the several depart
ments of his great choir. Much Of the
music was very difficult, the beautiful
md immortal productions of old English
composers. The concert opened with an
anthem. "Hark, the organ loudly peals"
The service, which was the evening
prayer unsteady rendered, was opened
by Rev G. ]. Ketchum of Vergennes.
Several beautiful chants were sung;
Domino, Dominus noster," "Exultate
usti," "Laudate Dominum," and "Mis-
srere mel Deus" The first lesson was
read BY Rev Mr. Goddard of Windsor.
'Cantate Domino" was then sung. Then
he second lesson was read by Rev Mr.
Roberts of Bellows Falls. The grandest
part of the whole consisted of the an
,hems which followed "Benedic. ANNA
nea," a very beautiful composition by
J. B. Whitney prepare We the way of
he Lord" LET us now go even unto
and Turn thy face from
ny SINS" the latter being the work of
rhos. Atwood, an old English composer.
Another very impressive part of the NIL
ical programme was the rendering of
lat grand old hymn of Sir John Goss,
which has been sung in church for CEN
uries, "Te Deum Laudamus." There is
omething in the solemn grandeur of
UGH music that lifts our souls away from |
he earth and all its trials, gives them a
Consciousness of strength and a repug- |
ance for the discord of evil, and holds |
hem in awed ecstasy, as in the presence
f divinity.
Rev ". H. Collins expressed the
hanks of the association, and also his
wn, to the pastor and people of the
church for their kindness
a furnishing a place for the festival
lie also made few remarks in relation
, the association. 1t was formed in
$50 with the object of interesting the
eople of Vermont in behalf of church
lusic, that greater excellence, which is
luch needed in that direction, might be
ttained. Miss X. r. Brooks then sang
cry sweetly, "Come unto Me-" while
,utribution was taken to defray the ex-
enses of the festival, after which prayer
nd benediction were given by Rev w.
/. Collins. The concert closed with the
eautiful hymn, Saviour, blessed Say
ur." The association will probably
ext meet at the Emmanuel church, Bel
WIS Falls. There were present of the
erpy of the diocese of Vermont Rev
heo. Hopkins of Burlington. Rev W.
:. Roberts OF Bellows Falls, Rev E. N.
oddard of Windsor, Rev G. D. Ketch.
Il OF Vergennes, Rev Mr. Cowper of
land Pond and the rector of st Michael
Brattleboro.
A reception was held at the rectory inn
ediately after the concert which was
rgely attended and was a very pleasant
air