Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-11
A Big Meeting Of Singing Folks at
the Congregational Church.
OR CANNING The BIG CHOIR
Incidents of the Preliminary Gath
ering Last Night.
STORIES. BY THE SINGER

t.onal Church last night. The particular
object of the meeting was to enlist the in
terest Of Washington vocalists and pre-
pare for the formation of a great choir
that shall furnish music for the religious
awakening to be inaugurated by Moody
and Sankey at Convention Hall February
Z. The Congregational Church was crowd
ed. All the seats down stairs and in the
gallery were filled, and a large number of
people stood throughout the two hours
service. The announcement that Mr.. San
key would be present and lead the singing
was in great measure the thing which in
duced SO great an outpouring of the people.
Sectarian lines were wiped out All de-
nominations were represented; so were all
the Christian societies and associations.
Mr.. Percy S. Foster. who has charge of
the organization of the choir and who will
lead 1t when organized, called for fifty sing
ers to take seats in the rear Of the plat
form. He wanted fifteen sopranos, fifteen
altos. ten tenors and ten bassos The vol
unteers came forward without hesitation.
The organ burst forth with Handel, and the
ceremonies began. The choir and congre-
cation sang Praise God, From Whom AL
Blessings Flow" and Rev. DR.. Kelly of the
Fourth Presbyterian Church prayed that
the power of the Holy Spirit might abide
with them. and that His blessing might fall
upon the whole city. He prayed reyerently
for the success of the undertaking and for
Divine favor for him who was to lead them
in praise. Rev. DR.. Newman. pastor of the
church, welcomed the assemblage in a few
hospitable words. They were not present
for a musical treat, he said. but to be bap-
tized in the Holy Spirit. 1t was a glad
movement and promised to extend its lin
its to a mighty range Of Christian fruit
fulness. He advised the people to open
their hearts to God and to let their sympa-
thies be strengthened by recalling Gods
interest in them. Let US all work with
eager hearts"
DIR. Hamlin's Address.
Rev. DIR. Hamlin said few things of
encouragement. 1t seemed to him that the
success of the great movement was already
assured. He had expected to see a small
attendance. perhaps one-half as great as
was present. The zeal and interest, the
ardor and the inspiration Of the moment,
proved to him that practically the Moody
and Sankey meetings were already a tri-
umph. A good deal of the preliminary
work had been done. and the organization
was already to a great extent effected. He
stated that this was the first Of a series of
meetings to follow; that. union meetings
would be held in all parts of the city to pre-
pare for the coming event. They were all
brothers; were all united by the principle
of love for Christ and by their love for the
salvation of mankind. On these things
they had no differences of opinion. AL
though they counted upon much outside
help, he thought that the weight of respon-
sibility would rest chiefly on the ministers
of the city. There might be some danger
from lack of preparation. They must
make things ready for the coming of Mr..
Moody They should set to work from this
moment. Mr.. Moody expected q big recep-
ton from the people of Washington and he
must not be disappointed. There were
IL.
work of revival in all parts Of the city, and
he hoped that before Mr.. Moody came there
would be a mighty outpOuring of spiritual
animation and numbers of conversions to
God. Large results to Christianity would
follow the Moody meetings. Washington
would be permeated with the spirit of
Christianity. Let us pray in faith
The Great Singer.
Mr.. Sankey. who had occupied a seat in
the rear of the platform. stepped forward.
He is about the average height. but portly.
He is bald from his eyebrows back, but has
plenty of dark hair around his ears and
at the base of the brain. He has
side whiskers, streaked with gray,
a dropping mustache of the same and a
ruddy, his eye bright and shaded by heavy
brows. long nose and a square chin and
well-set jaw. His features are clear-cut
and refined.
He dresses in a black clerical garb. His
baritone voice is not so resonant as 1t was
a few years ago, and some Of the notes are
cloudy. His low notes are often sweet and
limpid, and he has a pronounced tendency
to sustain them over time. He frequently
gives a decided roll to his RS. He said
pleasantly that he was delighted to be pres
ent and that he was anxious to overcome
the idea. which probably existed, that 1t
was an easy thing to get up a great choir.
1t was task that was neither light nor
Next to the power Of prayer
came the power of song. They were pres
ent to have "a good hearty sing" He ex-
pressed confidence in the successful issue
of the work. They would have more sing
ing and less speechmaking. I'VE are here
for service of song. Now let us sing
hymn No. % in hearty way" Mr.. San
key read the first verse in a sing-song way,
as If he wanted to sing ii right there. Mr..
Sankey sat down and the congregation and
choir. led by Mr. Foster. carried out the
hymn with vigor. Now let US sing No.
D." said Mr.. Sankey, and In connection
with this l want to tell you a little story.
1t was night and a cry was raised, Man
overheard Several of the men reported it
to the captain on the bridge who seemed in
no hurry about the rescue, and who said
that they had regular rules for rescue and
that he would have that man saved in the
regulation way. Meanwhile the ship was
speeding onward and the drowning man
was falling farther and farther astern.
IT iildhy d Scdiildu sang Out, SdptdlIl, IL 3
your brother The captain manned the
life boat and swung her loose from her
davits, but 1t was too late. The delay had
been too great Let us all go to the rescue
at once. and let us save the men first, be-
fore inquiring whose brothers they are
while at st. Andrews Hall, Edinburgh"
Mr.. Sankey went on, II met Sir Henry
the author of the Natural Law
Of the Spiritual Sphere. He told me story
Of how life-saving crew on the coast of
England had simply sounded the bugle as
a ship was going down. There are too
many Of us who are simply blowing the
bugle from the tower Let US launch the
life boat and throw out the life line" Then
he struck up hymn 2S. Throw Out the Life
Line" and the audience and choir chimed
in. Mr.. Sankey complimented the audience
and made everybody feel good. Hymns
l05. True Heart. Whole Heart" and No.
l13. What a Wondrous Savior" followed
The leader made the choir. the gallery and
the floor sing various bars 'as the choirs
in the temple at Jerusalem used to answer
each other"
She Did Not Sing.
Mr.. Sankey provoked a rousing laugh by
Il see a woman up there in the
gallery who didn't sing note" BY this
time Mr.. Sankey was getting warmed I'D
to his work. He smiled in sympathy with
mis- music, and his body marked time by
swaying to and fro. He held the hymnal
in one hand and gesticulated with the 9TH
NJ il oil fn1a