The Portland daily press., 1896-01-22

| S. Haskell as One of That City's Church
| Organists-Be is Well Known in Port
land Having Played the Organ in Sew
eraI of Our Churches.
A recent issue OF the Brooklyn N. Y.
Citizen has sketch Of the William S.
Haskell, who has succeeded in that CITY
at an early age, in making an enviable
reputation as a musician. He is we'll
known in this city, having passed his
boyhood at his birthplace in Falmouth,
where his father, Rev. MIR. Haskell is
pastor of the local church, and having
only recently served as organist in several
of our Portland churches. His mother is
the sister of Annie Louise Gary Raymond
The ketch is as follows:
William S. Haskell, organist and choir
master of the Summerfeld M. e. church,
corner Of Washington and Greene avenue
was born in Falmouth, near Portland,
Me-, April %. 1870.
| Mr.. Haskell received his first lines in
music from his mother, who was mem
Der of one of the most distinguished
/
universally known through the honestly
earned popularity of one of her sisters.
Annie Louise Cary Raymond, a vocal
oontralto, awho had few equals. When
MIR. Haskell was IA years old he was sent
to Philips Academy, at Andover, Mass,
and two years later he began, during his
vacation. to study the Eorgan with Mr.
| Harvey Murray, one of Portland's best
organists.
II loved music" he Esaid; sit disclosed
mysteries to me hitherto unfathomable
1t unlocked, So to speak, the secret of my
around mo looked brighter AMI better.
During tho last years of my Andover
course WAS appointed organist of the
school.
SIN 1888 I entered Yale College, and
pursuing my musical course, met for the
first time in New Haven Professor F. A.
Fowler, with whom I began to study,
and later with Professor E. A. Parsons.
In the spring of 1891 Mr.. Haskell OBJ
tanned the position of assistant organist
at the Dwight Place Congregational
church, DIR. E. Twitchell. D. D., pastor.
and in May, 1899 became organist and
director of the music.
"My choir consisted" he said of n care
fully selected quartette, and a good
workable chorus. With this apparently
meager but really potent body of singers
l introduced on the first Sunday OF each
month musical services which attracted
much notice. / obtained, when neces-
sary, my soloists from New York. Dur
ing my summer vacation played the or
gan at the High street Congregational,
and the Congress Square, Unitarian
churches in Portland, Me-, and, perhaps
| it was here that I obtained Some of that
inspirative power which would not and
thought into action.
Son graduating from Yale in 1892 en-
tered the Yale law shool, from which l
graduated in 1894. l was organist dur
ing these three years, to May 1914, at the
Dwight Place church. In 1894, opened
an office for the practice of law in. New
York city and almost Immediately OBJ
tained the position of organist in the
Dutch Reformed church in Steinway,
l.. l., On May /, 1896. was appointed
organist and choirmaster of my present
church. My choir consists of special
auartette, which is reinforced on particu-
lar occasions for festive or religious cele-
brations, by a chorus organized from
active membership of the Schubert Glee
club. ~;
"The names of my present quartet are:
Miss Ida R. Meyers, soprano; Miss
Grace G. Couch, contralto; Mr.. Albert
Angus, tenor; end Mr.. Holmes J. Corbett,
bass, We have not as yet, regret to say,
undertaken any of the old church or Ca
thedrai classics.
Mr.. Haskell is member of the advise
~ board of the musical department. of the
BROOKLYN Institute, and what is of equal
importance, of tbs Manuscript club, of
New York He says he looks forward
with hopeful anticipation to the outcome
of the Sc amateur societies devoted to the
closer and higher study of all that is
classical in music, from the days Of Bach
to our own Dudley Buck.
Mr.. Haskell is at present connected
with the firm of Hobbs & Clifford, of
Pine street. New York, of which Major
E.. H. Hobbs, of this city, is the princi-
pal
Hotel Arrivals.