Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-12
A SERVICE OF MUSIC.
Auspicious Opening of a Series to Be
Given in Calvary Church.
ORGAN AND A FULL ORCHESTRA
Supplement the Voices of Greatly
Strengthened Choir.
MAKING RELIGIOUS MUSIC POPULAR

The first of series of special musical
services was given at Calvary Episcopal
Church yesterday afternoon. The church
was filed to overfowing, and probably
more than ], 200 people, among whom the
ladies were slightly in the majority, en-
joyed the impressive and beautiful service
which was rendered by full choir and
organ supplemented by goodly number Of
stringed instruments and French horns.
Mr.. Carl Retter was organist and musical
director, and the regular Calvary Church
choir had been strengthened so that 1t IN
cluded these ladies and gentlemen: Miss
Sarah c. Vogel, Miss Leonora S. Dickson,
Miss Frances S. King, Miss Aurelia Relne-
mann, Miss Amanda Vierheller, Mrs. Chal-
mers, Mrs Woodbridge, Miss Edith Nor
ton, Miss Minnie A. Leonard, Miss Chal-
mers, Miss, Margaret P. Fraser, Miss Julia
Beach, Miss Oliye Beach, Mr. Henry
Gerding, Mr. Edward E. Rinehart, Jr., Mr..
William H. Morrison, Mr.. Joe GLADDEN.,
Mr.. George Brown, MI. w. w. Ramsey,
Mr.. j. j. Miller, Mr.. Raymond Curtis, Mr.
John Muir, Mr.. Frank Benbow, MI. Daniel
Bullock and Mr.. Alex. G. Fraser, Libra
rian.
| Musical Features of the Service.
The service consisted of a portion OF the
evening prayer with these musical features:
A voluntary by the stringed instruments
and ergan by Handel; ofertory. air in d,
BY Bach, and grand mass in f by Schubert,
rendered by the choir and orchestra, in
cluding, of course the organ. The superb
music of the mass was admirably treated,
the religious as well as the artistic purpose
being duly emphasized. The Gloria IN
Excelsis and the Credo, presenting many
| difficulties as well as beauties, were inter-
preted with admirably graduated feeling
and power. The strings especially strength
ened the organ in some OF the passages,
and the happy alliance of all the elements,
vocal and instrumental, called attention
once more in the most forclbIe manner to
the innate grandeur of the English version
of the old Latin mass, which the authors
of the Book of Common Prayer have given
| US.
Mr.. Retter after the service was inclined
to apologize for shortcomings, for which, II
they existed and to the layman they were
not apparent, the difficulty of getting
special choir and orchestra together for re-
hearsal were ample excuse. 1t is safe to
say that everyone in the church echoed the
approval and gratitude expressed by the
rector of Calvary after the service to MI
Retter
| The First of the Series.
The service yesterday was the first of
series to be given at Calvary Church during
the coming year. Three services in man
ner similar to yesterdays have been per
formed at Calvary at intervals recently, but
the work is now organized on a permanent
basis, and naturally the choir and
orchestra will gather strength at each step.
Musical critics in the congregation vester-
dav expressed great satisfaction with the
result, and the new undertaking has GER
tainly made an excellent beginning. The
following is the programme tor the future:
December II, mass in F, Schubert; Janu-
ary s, Messiah, part l, Handel; February
12, Christ on the Mount of Olives, Bee
thoven; March II, Stabat Mater, Rossini;
April 16, St. Cecilia mass, Gounod; May IA,
Christus unfinished oratorio) and Lauda
| Sion, Mendelssohn; June IL, mass in G,
Beethoven; October 10, Imperial mass,
HAYDN; November y, Twelfth mass, Mo-
zart; December 10, Holy City, Gaul.
Before the principal musical feature of
the service the Rev. DR.. George Hodges
addressed the congregation briefly explain
| ing the object OF these musical services.
He expressed his belief that the church had
a duty to perform outside its strictly ecclesi-
asticaI mission; it was bound to do anything
and all things it could to help men upw ard
and onward.
An Agent for Great Good.
Good music was one of the agents through
| which it ought to work. AS to the choice
! of music in use in the Roman Catholic
Church, DR.. Hodges rather rejoiced than
regretted to be able to find in another
branch of the Christian church something
of profit to mems minds and souls; if they
could find such music in the Presbyterian
Church, for instance, they would gladly
take it.
At the conclusion of the service, at which
BY the way not only q large part of Cal
vary's congregation was present but many
people from remote parts of town, from AL
legheny CITY and even the Ohio Valley
suburbs, DR.. Hodges talked to a reporter
of THE DISPATCH about the extension of
the musical service on Sunday to other and
especially less favored parts of the city.
"Do you not think, DR.. Hodges, that
such a service as this afternoons would be
appreciated by the people at large?" was
asked.
Services That Would Be Popular.
eyes" replied DIR. Hodges earnestly; IT
am heartily in favor OF providing music for
the masses on Sunday afternoons, not only
in churches but wherever you can get the
people together. Down among the tene-
ments and wherever the poor are, the peo-
pie who haven't music at shome, I believe
that musical services on Sunday afternoon
would accomplish much good and prove
popular in no time"
1t has been found that to give satisfac-
tory musical services professional talent
must be had, and it must be paid for.
Speaking of this detail DR.. Hodges said:
81 believe that ten men could easily be
| found IN suhscrihe the necessary funda at