Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1892-11-05
"A coLoRED coy CHOIR.
A Very Melodious. One in snrplIccs. at Sc.
PhilI.'s Church.

A Very MeIcdious One in snrplIces. at Sc.
Philips Church.
New York boasts of the largest SUR
!p1iced colored boy choir in the United
States, and SO far as is known, in. the
world. Such choirs are not numerous,
and are to7be found only in large cities.
Thereare twosin New York-one belong
T ing to Ii Roman Catholic and the other
to Protestant Episcopal church. The
latter is the one here meant, and as the
music CT the Episcopal is so different
from that of the Roman Catholic church
no comparison between the two can be
drawn. l
I. St. Philips: church in West Twenty
fifth street, between Sixth and Seventh
avenues, is one of the Oldest colored
congregations in America The present
building is an ordinary affair Of bricl,
and was once used by Metliolists. Up
to II few months ago tag music 1T ST..
Philips. was furnished by7nn ordinary
mixed cl.oir of eUIOrcd singers. Some
months before. Easter it was decided to-
change 10 a boy. choir; such as arestoils
found i'll Trinity. st. S5tss All: III 4
dfeEs and osllel. lnpre or lesss Y:
churches III the city. The presenter
ganist, ?ir..E. b. Kinney, WIS engaged
to organize,the choir. aE,l the first se,l.-
ices under the new order Of things wei,
heard Oil Easter Sandy. tlr. Eiii:i"..
however, ft,i;:ll TIE tax Of orStni;.a-
tion atliflcult one. re discovered rs.
En-. far as the constant desire to h:y: fal
!, nd play lranks with one another was
:.,ncernesl. there was. not nus;i Gl.-., =
ence between colored and white. boy.
And as the chcir consisted Of thilr y
boys, in addition To twenty men, lie III
to keep his eyes open. Ii tille r.,
youngsters began to submit fairly vel .
TO discipline and are now quite tract:.-
hlc OF. course there YVES 10 -troulis
with the men.
The coiorcd racai, essentially musical,
both in car. and voice. and this fact Ia,
CAUSED the Choir Of st. Philip, t, t:o
reckoneti among the best boy choirs il
the CITY,. Once tie Youngsters are i,l-
terested they enter upon the work with
an earnestness. that would put Macy Il !.
white boy To the blush. Ii the c:lor
there are several remarkably good So
prano voices Two little colorcd chaps.
Prentice Hutchinson ana Howard Dr;is
ton, are regarded rs especially fine, and
to them most OF the solos are given. the
ages of the boys range from nine to six
teen years.
Sir. Kinney says that as far as he
knows he Is the only white person con-
nected with the church, though the
rector, the Rev. Ii. e. Bishop, is fire.
quently assisted by; white ministers. st.
Philips church l.; interesting for ot'er
things than its choir Ii hasa very
valuable chalice cup, made; of gold.
which has b. n insured for $4,000. 1t is
studded with diamonds, pearls, r,lbies
and other precious stones. There is
legend that two OF the diamonds, each
worth 500. were found in the bottom
of trunk belonging to one of tie
women members of the church and were
given to adorn the chalice cup. Tho
altar is handsome one. and was pre-
sentel by Dr.. Ray, a colored physician
of some note In this city. The organ is
small, but very sweet in tone. New
York World. -