The morning call., 1893-10-23
LED THE PRAISES.
Young Ladies' Orchestra
at Grace Church.
A SERVICE OF HARMONIES.
Ten Tuneful Instruments Accompany
the Quartet Choir With Mag
nifiCent Effects.


of the orchestral innovation in Grace
Episcopal Church. Always noted for the
superior quality of its musical service, it
has recently made great strides IN the
direction of advancement.
Seven maidens. comprising some OF the
most gifted members of the Young Ladies'
Orchestra, their forces augmented by two
young men. and with organ accompanl-
ment, aid the quartet choir in leading the
congregation in singing. Besides this
service they give several Instrumental
selections each Sunday evening, greatly
enhancing the beauty OF the service. The
members Of the orchestra and their instru.
ments are as follows: Miss Alice Ames.
violin; Miss Bessie Ames, cello; Miss
Daisy Polk. violin; Miss Pearl Noble,
cornet; Miss Madeleine Beckhauser.
violin: Miss Manda Noble. trombone;
Miss Charlotte Gruenhagen, violin; Morris
Earl. flute; Robert Blake. violin. len
tuneful instruments accompanied the
quartet choir in leading the congregational
praises.
As substitute for the professional
hymn last night. the orchestra and the
orgauist, II. B. Bosworth. played volun-
tary, the soft notes clnglng lovingly
around the great pillars and vaulted roof
of the fine old ecclesiastical structure on
California and Stockton streets. The as
sistant rector. Rev. c. j. Mason, read the
service. The first hymn was beautiful
poem written by Cardinal Manning, Lux
Bengna."
The voices of the quartet choir. CON-
posed of Miss Priest, soprano; Miss Eunice
Westwater, alto; Arthur Messmer, tenor,
and Walter E. Campbell. basso, were not
drowned by the combined strains from
organ and orchestra. but on the contrary
seemed to gain strength from the har-
monious accompaniment. In the softly
lighted sanctuary the opening words OF the
hymn:
Lead kindly light. amid the encircling gloom,
Lead thou me on.
seemed to have renewed charm, and the
music was strong and impressive.
The bars of Nearer, My God to Thee"
crashed out with broad, full notes and a
sueges ;ion of religious triumph In the sem
timent of the grand old hymn. AT times
during the service the orchestra played
minor chords, like the wall Of a penitent
soul, and the high musical standard of the
performance, to nature at all imprsssi-
ble, must prove powerful incentive to
PRAYER and worship. When the full or
chestral strength was developed it might
have seemed. to an enthusiast, as if the
gates of heaven had been momentarily
opened, flooding the church with celestial
strains.
Miss Priest, who possesses a rich and
sweetly modulated voice. sang as a solo,
"Agnus DeP' from MuZart's first mass
During the offertory the music was entirely
instrumental. Miss Pearl Noble rendered,
as cornet solo, "Cujus Animam," with or
chestral and organ accompaniment. con-
stituting highly artistic number and yet
one in which there was Dothlng to jar
upon the finest religious sensibilities.
Rev. R. j. Mason preached an eloquent
sermon at the evening service, and In the
morning Rev. e. j. Lion, rector of st.
Stephens. with whom Mr. Mason had eX-
changed puIpts, spoke to the congregation
of Grace Church on the dangers Of hetero-
doxy.
1.-The heretics, like the poor" said Mr..
Lion, "are always with us. Even in early
religious history we find that the Apostles
were tempted to fOrsake the tenets of the
church. False prophets are among us to-
day, ard they are more dangerous than
avowed unbelievers. Some of the anti
Christian tendencies in our midst are even
accepted by our communicates, and
learned men are led away by An erroneous
philosophy from the teachings of Jesus
Christ.
lone of the most dangerous forms of un-
belief is that of modern necromancy. The
dead rest iD the Lord until they arise 10
live 10reVerm0T6. lu spite OIL tDlS pain
teaching some churchmen are found run
ming the slope of the hill. down to some
back room where some one, whose char.
acter is perhaps tarnished, pretends to talk
to our dead children or our departed
parents. Why. the social side Of 1t alone
is enough to convince one that necromancy
is at once impossible and unnatural. 1t is.
at best, an improper traffic with those who
have passed through to the other side Of
the veil.
Another dangerous philosophy which
fascinates often the priest in the pulpit as
well as the layman in the pew is a phlos-
ophy of the Orient which teaches at he
expiration of our probation here we will
return to earth TO expiate our lives and to
develop greater virtues. 1t is seductive
form of reasoning. but fallacious. 1t
teaches US that after death we will be
transferred from heaven, where is the
true progression, to earth, where at best
our lives are very faulty. Instead of be-
ing with God and growing like him. as we
are told in holy writ. we are to believe that
our reward is to be distinctive on earth.
There is no other name under heaven
whereby we must be saved but one. Be
loyal, therefore. to him who died for YOU"
A closing voluntary by the orchestra and
organ took the place of the occasional
hymn at the conclusion of the evening SER
vice and the congregation regretfully
passed from the sanctuary as the last
strains died away in the night.
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