New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-06
MUSIC IN THE CHURCHES.
SOME NorABLE CHANGES IN THE CHoIRs.
wvr,p wr1s. KNOWN SINGERS MAY BE HEARD
"nH"@ VIII ,- ,.an nov cuorps

SOME NOTABLE CHANGES IN THE CHoIRS.
WHERE WE'LL KNOWN SINGERS MAY BE HEARD
pRrpILEcTIoN FOR BOY cHoIRs-
Although church music in this city Is steadny I'M
urovng nom the devotional and artistic point OF VIEW
Ina does not manifest Itself In any strlk
ing changes in the makeup and character OF tho
,hurcb cboIrs II IS true that the very marked preu
lection for boy choirs which s shows ITSELF IN inc
Episcopal Church is by many considered sign Vi
progress But while there are few excehen' oos
chors In New-York IL must be said that many OF them
have disappointed tho expectations Of their friends
NOT tn sneak OF lovers of music generally This OF
course rs no argument against boy choirs In tho ao-
stract but simply goes to show that as ruie tnoy
do not and this country cannot receive inc Tram
ing which is necessary TO bring out their unaouDeo
merits Churches like Old Trinity are able TO gVe
sA ,ove Thorough muslcal education, but the average
church cannot do this The choir boys In the great
English cathedras undcr the eye OF their muscai
director all the timc for years, ana indcea receive a
their education in the cathedral school, In ths
country the organst has no control over MS boys en-
cent in tho short weekly rehearsal, and even In re-
hearsaIs he often finds IT hard to govern and discipline
boys who volunteer their services without any pecu
mary compensa alton. Under the circumstances IL Is
surprising that boy chor in this country are as sooo
- they are.
One great need in this country is weil-enoo"eo
school of ecclesiastical music in which hign iocAi
Of religious music will be presented, ana IN winch
great army of composers. oreaDists, CHOIR uIio0'o w
choir singers viii be carefully trained Ihere Is No
lack Of musical skill on the part Of American organs's
and for brilliancy of technique many OF then' WIZ
eompare favoraby with tho great organlsts OF Europe
But q considerable number OF them have ohiy ''
vague conception Of the character ana sprn "a 10
ligious music and ignore the fact that IL UNITS %
,entially from secular music. By no possio"i.y eau
an operatic air be made to fan the wings OF rcgous
No afte how
posed and modified 1t viii still remain OF the ean'
earthly This truth American organists need 10 'eaI
and many have already learned But uhoer '"o
present haphazard condition OF things there Is no
certainty that organists may not adopt totay 'aso
conoeption of religious music. Indeed the ADOPTION
OF such false ideal will in many cases enhance 'he'r
nonularity and lead to lucrative engagements for
this OF course the public itself is responsible bu'
the patient presentation of true ideal OF rengouS
music in the larger cities of the country "ouiu so
80 much to educate the public Indeed this euucaion
IA going on now, and the outlook for the iu'uro "
reIigious music is on the whole very encouraging
There will be great many changes In tho choirs VI
This city this month. especially IN the Episcopal
churches.
AT old Trinity Mr. Arthur Fl. Messiter VIII 90 the
orcanst and choir director as usual and MT 'iotol
Baer will DO in charge Of the tower organ. hno
sooiss for the next year will DO Charles Stuart fhS
and Charles Forster, tenors and the passes WIN DO
choir of men and boys Will be kept UP 10 ils usu"'
high state Of efficiency
The choir Of st. Georges Church will continue under
,na d,rscton OF Mr. Julius Berck, the organst, ana
vii, consist OF sixty men and boys vested and chorus
of thirty female voices The soloists VIII % NUS D.
Bsssett, soprano; Mr. o. Loecken. tenor' anu "r "a.
Aryesohon basso. \ musical service mas Doch si'on
by the choir on tho Sunday evening OF each mo,
which has been very popular, many OF the artists Oh
having
nj these services Tho great organ oil this church
connected with the chancel organ by electricity, ana
canable OF many striking effects Mr.. Bierok has been
the organist for five years
Mr. Samuel P Warren will continue to DO tho or
sanlst and choir director of Grace Church NO ohang'
VIII DO made In the choir Tho sooists are MISS iaa
Hubbel, soprano; Miss Adelaide Forosman' ano MI
George simpson, tenor, and Dr. carr L" MSft,'''
Tho chorus numbers thirty voices Mr. warren
a.san reci,als will continue to be given Thursday
afternoons.
Tho sxnsr,ment Of a vested choir at old Calvary
cnrrcb Fo,rthaye and Twenty ST., appears to DC
success Tho organist and choir director, MI
Arthur T. Crook will remain Tho principal Ienor7
Will be Messrs Bullock J. A. Smith and herpere ror
est The principal BASES will be Messrs T. '" koDlh
con Frank smith Hackett, and D. j. Edmunds Inc
dt .,,os will he changed for boy altos, and there will
bo twenty boy trcblcs of whom the principal Will Do
Fred Cramer and Fred Retz
4. c. .rbomas,s Church Miss Emily Wnant will
resune her position contralto soio' iho
other solosts will remain namely, Maaamo mario
crauu, soprano Mr.. Clinton Elder, tenor, anu mr.
William Squire bass. The chorus will be soihe"ha'
,aroer A fine musical effect is produced az o''
Thomas's by the double choir and double olga. in'
organ Is played from four keyboards all uhteo III ,
console on the cantorls side Of tho chanceL A"r
George William Warren will continue to hold the posi-
,,on NJ orranist and choir director Mr. VIII u MUG
farane will be the assistant organist. ana MI Anre'
v Toulmin will be the harpst
Mr. warren's son, Richard Henry, Is the organs
and choIrd,rector Of St bartholomew Church There
Will be no changes in the choir during Inc conlns
YEAR Tho soloists will be Miss Ella Earle, sopraio
Miss Hattie Clapper contraito; MI IheoooTo :
Toedt. tenor and Mr.. Franz Remmertz, bass Iher
Is mixed chorus OF thirty VOICES ''isS A""' -
Winch will DO retained as harpst
Tbere will be a number Of changes In the choi
NJ the Churcn of the Incarnation. Inc nrs' SUN
quartet Will consist OF Mrs. Geri1t smith, soPiano
NJ ! McGrath contralto; Mr.. A. d. woodruff
tenor and Mr.. Douglass Alexander pass MIS- 'i'
crath comes from Zion Church and takes the place o.
Nuss Alma Dell Mardr, who goes to Dr. Nttrcdge
church Tho second qusrtettc will DC unohahsou' Az
tho third quartette Mrs. f. f. Cowtan, soprano VIII
take the place Of Miss Caughlsn. And IN the iourtn
ouartette Miss Denvir Boyle, soprano VIII tame 'ne
place Of Miss Cowtan Miss Augusta Lo"en VIII VI
oroanist and Mr. A. d. Woodruff will be choir master
as before.
Al Zion Church there will DO radical chanso
The martette choir will DO replaced by choir OF men
ard bovs who will be vested in cassocks and cottas
There will Le eight and eighteen boys, twev'
sopranos and six altos The organist ana choir
master will be Mr. Alfred j. McGrath, who mas pee,
for some years the organst OF St. Augusunes OhSpei
ard who takes the place of Dr. j. AUSTIN rloi'o :,
.nor,r,odato the choir the chancel platform Will b
hunt ont into the church six feet. Enough money
WAS contributed OH Faster Day to meet the eh'o COS
Of these changes and to pay for new organ whlch
however cannot be put In position until the suhme