The Washington bee., 1888-04-21
ST. MARY'S CHURCH.

Sunday morning, April 9Th,
in company with the partner OF
our joys and sorrows, we took a
stroll to enjoy the beautiful sun
light. Steering our course due
west we soon reached 23rd St j.,
where our attention was attract
ed by peculiar looking structure
that brought vividly to our mind
descriptions we had read of
English Chapels. Stopping at
the entrance, we inquired of the
polite sexton the name of the
Church. "This" said he with an
air of pride, is St. Mary's Chapel.
The services will begin in a few
minutes and they are going to
repeat their Easter music" "Walk
in Sir" Awaiting ourselves ofhis
polite invitation, we entered the
sacred edifice. We were much
pleased with the simple elegance
of the interior, description of
which we will not attempt as
doubtless our readers are perfect
ly familiar with it.
We were conducted to a seat
by one of the gentlemanly ushers,
and soon the subdued tones of
the organ informed US that the
services were about to begin.
This was soon followed by a Choir
us of voices that sounded to us
like distant music borne On the
winds. Nearer and nearer it
came, swelling from the delicate
piannissimo to the mezzo.forte,
until The doors of the church were
thrown open and a chorns of AL.
tar-boys, slowly and solemly
marched in, singing the process
sional hymn, their measured tread
in perfect accord with the rythm
of the music. They proceeded
slowly down the aisle followed by
their director, Prof. Miller aud
the Rector, the volume of sound
gradually increasing like wavelets
in a stream, until the chancel
was reached when the pure but
simple tones grew to mighty
strain sung iii perfect accord by
choir aud congregation.
AS the last notes of the grand
old hymn died away leaving only
an echo, all became as still as
death and We felt that the Lord
was in His holy temple" and that
all the earth was keeping silence.
The music for the service consist
ed of an Easter Anthem, Festi-
val TIE Deum and Jubilate Dec,
by the celebrated composer,
Dudley Buck, with appropriate
hymns and chants. 1t would be
faint praise to say that this music
was well rendered Indeed it is
no exaggeratlon to say that 1t Is
impossible to produce greater
effects with the same number of
voices no matter from where
selec'ed. The harmonizlng effects
were simply astonishing. 1t was
the perfect melody and harmony
of the emusic of nature adorned
with the beauty ana grandeur of
lyric and dramatic art, and rend-
cred in such a manner as to make
the impression that it was in
reality part Of the service. It
too often happens that church
music is so discoursed as to
make it a thing apart from the
worship of the Lord.
The choir of st. Mary's Church
is conspicuous exception to this
almost universal rule. The sing
ers all seemed to have an intelIi-
gent comprehensiveness of the
music. They expressed their
grief at the suffering and death of
Christ, and their exultations at
His resurrection with a touching
fervor that was wholly unaffected.
This was notably true of the
re Deum "Vouchafe 0 Lord to
keep US" as sung by Miss Louise
Hamer. This aria is so arranged
as to give full scope for all varie-
ties OF dramatic expression, ac-
cording to The power of the
singer. Simple justice impels us
to say that Miss Hamer was fully
equal to the requirements of the
occasion.
At Offertory, Mrs. Waring
sung Handell's II know that my
Redeemer liyetb." as she never