The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-03-22
OUR CHURCH CHO|RS.
Something About Sunday Music In
Providence Churches.
THE GRACE CHURCH CHOIR.
A Quartet and Chorus That Has Few
Equals In New England-A Trained
Quartet and Chorus-s Sunday Evening
Organ Recitals.

Nothing contributes more substantially
to both the temp and spiritual en-
joyment OF church service than the pres
ence OF well-equipped choir. The mo Sc
interesting sermon must eventually be-
come monotonous, unless supplemented
by a service OF vocal and instrumental
music.
Not only is it "a peculiarly effective
agent in the portrayal of spiritual truths
and spiritual conceptions, but, by virtue
of its inildenee npon the deeper elements
of human nature, IL Is largely instru-
mental in bringing the mind iuto the re-
hectiye condition that fits it for the re
ception Of religious teachings. a goo
choir is an orname it TO n church. The
News believes that the choirs of Provl-
dence are inferior TO mona and proposes
TO demonstrate the validity of its claim
by telling something about our various
choirs.
70 begin at the beginning the choir OF
Grace church is universally conceded 10
ue foremost in the many sacred musical
orSan z,tions, Mt only in the citv, but
ia the state. An incredible amount OF
brains aud talent is expended every week
to produce
The Highest Ideal
in musical art AMI expression. The
choir is composed of "a quartet Of trained
soloists, assisted by chorus of twenty
six voices, all under the direction of
Nathan b. Sprague who has devoted his
whLl lie life to the study OF the highest t.
elements of music The quartet con-
sists OF Miss Gertrude IA. Blake. So
prano; Mrs. Alexander Brown, contralto; /;
DIR. Clarence B. Davis, Tenor; and Herr
Gustav Saacke, baritone.
Miss Blake is a resident or Boston, but
makes "A weekly pilgrimage to this CITY to
assist in the work Of the quartet. She IS
a soprano OF more thau local note and
has won high reputation in music i
circles herever she mas appear ed Mrs.
Brown, DR.. Davis aud Herr Saacke are
all residents Of Providence, and have
taken no small part in shaping the mu-i-
cal destinies OF the city. The chorus is
composed of twenty six voices, carefully
trained for their work. Here they are.
Recognize Many
of them!
Miss Pauline A. Euler. MISS Alice l..
Brown, Miss Lila &. Hanely. Miss Mary
A. Curtiss, Miss Jessie G.. Curtiss, Mi IS
Jennie Mccarthy, Miss Isabe lie Robin
sou, Miss Janet Blinkhorn. Miss Alics
Whipple, Miss Etne, Warner, Miss l. T.
zie Gray, Mrs. Walter Brausgrove, Miss
NJ. Ellen Patterson. Mrs. Elmer Raw,
Sam Brown, Alex Brown, A. Il. Kim
bail, A. A. Macurda. George l.. Paine,
Charles L. Eddy, Robert Brow, +. l..
Hopkins, Char res G. Easton, George l..
Claflin JOAN Casey, j. l.. Rogers.
y. Is. Sprague, organis and cnoir mas
master, is the leading spirit OF the cnor
and has spent years OF treless effort in
bringing tue mus ii stAndar or Grace
church to its present high estate. A
teacher of music by Profession ne has
strIven To incorporate into The choir OF
Grace church all that is graudest aud
best in classical music, and has taught
the people TO look TO this choir for the
highest Interpretation Of all that is to pe
found in the works Of the greatest com
posers. Ills labors are supplemented by
.nose of Miss Charlotte NJ. Broome,
assistant organist, who has won her pres
ent d ace solely by virtus or her merit.
Each Sunday night, at tn, close of the
sermon, an organ recital Is given b., Mr..
SpraQu.. These rec tails have given 10
the evening service almost the reputa-
ton of musical entertainments aud the
church is generally crowded. The music
sung by the cLoir is almost entirely of
tie classical order. though not too Sc
verey 80 TO place 1t beyond the CO npre-
beasion OF those who nave not Leen edu
ca ed in the school of the great German
masters.