The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-07-10

The Impromptu Choir that sinGs OF n Night
Beneath the Bridge Arch.

! bcncrth the ltrtuBe 1rch.
Frankfort street has n choir. IT'S very In
formal choir and what it chiefly lacks IL or
Rnnization. 1t ranges in numbers anywhere
| from n dozen 10 II quartet. and Its make-ur
| isn't art to DO the same at any two successive
meetings Tho meetings are not appointed
they just happen. When there are the right
! boys around to make up the four parts thor
tbere il meeting. and whoever happens to be
near By on the occasion will hear some sing.
ing worth hearing.
Down near one OF the arches OF the bridge ID
q favorite meeting place The boys. who are
oil OF the working class drop around thore
about = o'clock, and walt for musical quorum.
Little Pete. sixteen year-old lad with q high.
clear voice. we'll ltted for carrying the air. Is
apt 10 DO tho first on hand. With him some
times comes numbering big Swedish lad
whose sonorous bass IL heavy enough to form
the background for oil the rest. Phil tho
Bull a stumpy German bakcr. takes the alto
pnit. He play the cornet in I'M east side band.
and. being the only ono Of the crowd who has
any technical knowledge Of music, IL the au-
thority on chords and harmony. Evan Will
linms. n young Welsh factory hand with n
beautiful hiRh tenor makes up tho quartet
which usually leads tho singing. Then there
arc Gull" Harrity and simmer" Murphy.
two lads with musical Irish voices littlo
Curly" Jansy, n Scotch boy. who always calls
for some ono Of the songs Of his own country
as soon as the singing begins. and q half dozen
others who give tuneful voices to the songs.
No one ever knows Just when the music Is
going to start. The boys lounge about talking
or skyarking until some one suggests. Give
us croak. Pete"
"whatll she be ?" asks Pete.
annie Laurie" shouts Curly" promptly.
"Wacht am Rhein," growls 'the Bull" Down
in the Cornleld." Hard Times" Soldiers
Farewell" suggest other voices. and presently
Pete's clear voice riaes. the others joining in.
1t is an exhibition OF singing that would be OF
interest to Mr. Frank .Damrosch and his sing
ing classes; Not only are the boys. VOICES
accuracy. with q ooldn Of harmony. and with
q delicacy. of expression that Is marvellous in
minor chords in which, their singing abounds
can be traced the influence OF the German
o But i; Mr bamroseG and his class are not
are. AZ tho first burst Of song the crowded
of occupants. who find seats on the stone steps
Of their houses or along the curb Every VIII
efs by stop stsn the i the
man at another part Of his beat lnds business
strictly lawful for crowd to sing In the public
street. but the. policeman understands his
WSss th Ss g S'S e sass like it.
and everybody else likes It. There amt any:
SGag g9 tn fs ny ae snd @
boys began their singin' thero's been only
there used to be. They can sing iii ali their
throsts is wore out before stop en-"
is large. mainly because Of the varied nation
ha H. asn them hb The Ftns so
Bonnie Doon .S" and Eobin Adair are al
som n some Of Ills beautiful folk songs:
the Irish lads have added to the list one or two
wild minor songs IN the Gaelic music: the
shows the Welsh boys share in the music; and
ballads make up SO long a list that one night
not long ago the boys sang for three hours al.
ana BUY
Me q Bow WOW" were tolerated for very short
ception., The choir still sings it occasionally,
tried to start a u up "conTades" a few nights ago
Is still wearing court plaster on his face New
II the aspirant to musical honors has q good
voice and q correct ear for harmony he Is
worse worse than a storm Of oaths.' il. however. he
sings out OF tune woe be unto him. He may
get of with few bruises at the first offence.
but repetition is more than likely to result In
The auditors OF these impromptu concerts
are apt to resent any interruption from out
Rders. Early this spring an italian organ
grinder came around one evening while the
some music from his instrument.
Hey. dago." said q strapping young long
shoreman: rising from his orchestra seat on
the eurbstone: "Wha' cher think , yer goin'
Playa re hell" was the profane, ,rejoinder.
!" Skip-a re ranch: damn quick. too"
=. The unwary Italian tall put down HIS organ and
next instant he was, flying down the street fol
lowed by hundred pursuers all bowling for
his blood. When he returned, protected by two
policemen. ten minutes later. his hand organ
Rnd been ms ashed with iss own estSer
strap. The organ grinder cut 1t down and
carried it away. while the choir sang tunefully,
but with a certain latent irony. How Can
It is now nearly two years since the boys DO:
gan getting together to sing. as q resident Of
The neighborhood told q SUN reporter. All
Efforts to get them together for any special oc-
,asion always prove unavailing. and It is sell
near the favorite arch Of the bridge. Abort
night ago. on the night after Isaac Lloyd. the |
Welsh shoemaker and philosopher. killed him
self in his little Frankfort street room. the |
little Welsh folk song that they had learned
rom him. There was hretty brown eyed |
young italian girl with q beautiful soprano |
voice Who used to sing With h them last sum
with them. She died last year. and there are |
some Of the old songs that the Frankfort street |
,hoir doesn't sing any more. |