The Jersey City news., 1892-02-20
CHURCHES And music.
Organists Who Are Making
Names and Fame for
Themselves Rap
idly.
NOT MANY LADIES AMONG THEM.
Where Some of the Most Notable
May Be Heard-Notes of
the Religious Field.

Music plays an important part In the
modern church service, as indeed it
should. The time has passed when all
full voice unto the Lord" proceeding
that looks very well in type, but is not
glowing success when singers have differ
ent ideas of time and tune. The key
stone of the arch of church music Is the
organ. The organist has the opportunity
for doing almost as much spiritual SER
vice as the minister; and. on the other
hand, Of counteracting every effort for
good that the minister has laboriOusly
reused in the hearts OF his hearers.
There was once sensitive musician who
emerged from New York church with
hopeless misery stamped upon his face,
and when his friends asked why, he
groaned. "The minister preached from
the text, Thou shalt not kill, and then
the organist sailed in and murdered time
and tuneW
JERSEY CITY'S ARRAY.
Jersey City has no cause to blush for
her array of organisJs. Few cities can
produce larger proportionate number OF
thorough, earnest and console n tious
musicians who have applied tneiI talent
to the uses OF the church. Amoug the
more recent additions to the ranks is DR..
S. Austin Pearce, at DR.. Herr's church
on Emory street. To anyone who hath
music in his soul IL Is worth days jour-
ney to hear just his part of the service.
The hundreds Of society folk who attend
ed the wedding OF Miss Helen Forman at
the First Presbyterian Church last De-
cember have not forgotten the impression
that his playing produced in the interval
preceding the coming of the bride. He
has diplomas and certificates of degrees
granted by more than one foreign school
Of art but let him once touch the organ
keys bears its own credential. There is
a new organ at the First Presbyterian
Church that is his worthy partner in the
concourse OF sweet sounds, and the series
of recitals now in progress shows it to
good advantage.
VICTOR BAIER.
Everyone knows Victor Baier, but
rather as pianist, teacher and conductor
than as organist, at least in Jersey City.
But for several months past he has acted
in that capacity every Sunday evening at
the Tabernacle, drilling the choir as well.
The special song services which crowd the
big church the first Sunday evening i'll
the month are his special charge. Mr.
Baier is at his place as organist at Old
Trinity, New York city, during the day,
and MIR. ii. E. Macomber, a musician of
recognized ability, takes his place at the
organ. The same system ls in vogue at
St. Johns Free Church, Summit avenue.
for while Mr.. John White. organist and
leader, is fulfilling his duties in New
York, his place is supplied by Mr.. Morltz
e. Schwartz-quite study In black and
white.
WILLIAM c. INwRIGHT.
The North baptist Church has an able
organist and choirmaster in the person of
Mr.. William G. Inwright, who has ar
ranged the church's musical programme
for several years. and Miss Thomson of
tie Westminster Presbyterian Church
was no less proficient upon the organ as
the piano until her recent severe illness
prevented the fulfillment of her duties at
the church.
Wanderers on Madison avenue early on
Saturday afternoons are apt to hear sweet
Church. and as they pause to catch the
melody. say to one There's
Mr.. Preston practicing againP' Special
song services are right in Organist Pres
tons line, and much of the credit of the
excellent Sunday night programmes that
accompanied the Rev. Mr.. Ellison's travel
talks, belongs to him.
Mr.. Louis Sherwood of the Lafayette
Reformed Church, while among the
| younger organists In years. began his
career at the church organ at the age OK
| fourteen, and has since taken rank with
our finest musicians on his chosen instru-
| ment. He was pupil of Dudley Buck.
FEW LADY ORGANISTS
There are in Jersey City comparatively
| few ladies who preside at church organs.
| Among these should be mentioned Miss
| Virginia Doggett of the Church of the
| Good Shepherd. She is tall and stately
| brunette, with the blackest of hair and
| eyes and gracious carriage. In addition
| to her duties as organist and general
supervisor of church music. Miss Doggett
| has a large music class and still finds
| time to appear in society, attend all the
| best concerts and keep well abreast OF
! the times in every respect. Miss Sara
| L. Culver, who has been organist Of the
| Lafayette Reformed NJ. E Church since
| it possessed church organ, is another
well known musician and business
woman, a rare combination, by the way.
| In Miss Culver's pretty parlor hangs an
engrossed testimonial presented by the
| church in evidence of her faithful service,
and she has more than deserved IL, not
| only as an organist, but as leader in num-
| berless entertainments for the church
| Golfers. She is also teacher of music,
and every hour of the day is filled to over
| flowing for her.
No article on the topic would be COM
plete without the mention of Mr. Frank
| S. Dessert, organist of St. Bridget's. but
| to enter on catalogue of the organists OF
the Roman Catholic Churches would
stretch this list over more columns than
| the writer has at disposal. The subject is
| is too large for this space, and requires
| special treatment, which 1t Will receive IN
| this column next week.