The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-03-17
IRISH ARDOR.
Displayed Last Night at
Dedication Of st.
Peters Hall.
FATHER HARPES EULOGlzED
Father Campbell's Play on
the Name Enthusiasm
Over Stars and
Stripes.

Eve The crowd in attendance was large,
though the big hall was not filed. An
admission fee was charged. A splendid
programme of music was furnished in
addition to an eloquent lecture delivered
by the Rev. Thomas j. Campbell, S. j.,
President of ST. Johns College, Fordham
whose subject was 'sThe Harp of Erin =
One of the prettiest incidents of the
evening was the presentation of large
and beautiful American flag, to wave over
the new school house. 1t was presented
by Patrick Buckley respected par
ishioner and prominent patron of the
school,
The music was under the direction OF
Prof. Joseph Ferry. The Tannhauser Pill
grims Chorus" was played as an over
ture The curtain was raised upon the
church choir, which sang in its usually
excellent manner Lambellot's "Memor-
are" The applause was tremendous.
Thomas A. Hart next sang as a tenor solo
believe Me If All Those Endearing
Charms. He was rewarded with an en-
thusiastic encore, and responded with
1.-The Low Back Car" A quartette, COM
posed of Thomas A. Hart, Frank Stevens
Mark Sullivan and Charles O'Brien rem
dered 1.-THE Minstrel Boy The quar-,
tette was greatly applauded, but as 1t mad
several numbers on the programme It re,
fused to respond to encores. Miss Maud
Farrell followed with For all Eternity,
and was encored. Miss Catherine Griffin
won an encore on her rendition OF Tie
Kerry Dances and she responded with
the ever sweet kathleen Mayourneen. !"
"The Holy City was next rendered by
Miss Winnie Ward, who sang Come
Back to Erin in response to a we'll
earned encore. The quartette followed
with Let Erie Remember"
Part Ii opened with the rendition OF a
charmingly arranged medley Of Irish
airs. Then the quartette sang The harp
That Once Through Tara's Hall. Then
followed Father Campbelfs lecture on
Father Campbell walked on the stage
alone and commence his discourse as
soon as the applause which greeted aim
had subsided. He said he considered II
eniinently proper to open a hall devoted
to Catholic education on st. Patrick $
Eve If there was anything that ever
lacked harmony to the Irish mind 1t was
the belief that education ana religlon
should not go together. When separated,
all was inharmonious; united, 1t was
music to the Irish ear.
The speaker said that he was tempted
to speak of Irish music, but was little
bit afraid that he might be asked to sing
an Irish song. (Laughter) So he mad
taken refuge behind the harp AS the
harp on Tara's wall was now mute, there
was no possibility of his being asked to
perform on that instrument. One thing
that led him to take up that subject
was happy mispronunciation. Father
Campbell here played facetiously but elo-
uuently on the name of Father HarpeS,
the head of the parish. He said he was
dead sure that he had chosen good sub
iect, and he was equally sure that Father
Harpes was an Irish harp
| This assertion was applauded for some
moments. Some appeared to think the
Rev, Father had made mistake. in
Father Harpes' nationality; but the lee
turer said he knew Father Harpes was an
Irish harp, because there was harmony
wherever he went, his temper was. always
sweet and his tone always true. The
Irish harp he maintained had much to
do with awakening feeling OF religion in
the hearts of the Irish people and mad
since been the emblem of their nation
ality shining like brilliant liinmlna5ion r,l
had never gwen up the stream of harmony
awakened by the harp. It was an in
strument able to evoke all the sentiments
thoughts as well as those which describe
the courage in our own. every day HE
it breathsd love and trembled with admir-
alton in praise of the Almighty.
Father Campbell here told little story
alludng to the wit which is dlstlnctlye
characteristics of the Irish race. He told
of an Irishman who was in the employ of
big New York musical firm, who one
day in looking over lot of Instruments
| including; harps, with the proprietor was
the query:-"By the way you are an
Irish harp, are you not?" Il am re-
piled the Irishman, but really Il ,a,lr neareo ,oa
ploy YOU might take me for Jews
F Father Campbell greatly interested his
whose strains inspired Tom Moore to his
grandest efforts as a poet. He said he
had held it in his own hands; It was 9 SO 9
resting on the knee. He described It's
beauty and the melody that it gave forth.
The lecturer alluded to a great writer
who had said many bitter things against
the Irish race but never anything against
Irish music He repeated the eloquent
| tribute that the writer in question paid
Father Campbell delved deeply into his
tory to show that the harp as musical
| instrument had always been admired. In
| eloquent words he pictured the instrument ll
| in the hands of the Greek gods, in the
hands of David before the Tabernacle Of
| the Lord, and said that instances had
heaven. He also told how window in
one Of the great European cathedrals
represented an angel 1 Wifh a. fh harp f before
dressed dress hin him in r. green daugRter1l
The speaker, however maintained that
! other ration No instrument but the harp,
| he said, was spoken Of In Holy Scrip
lures, 50 that the music of heaven must
In conclusion he said that the Irish BAN
ner is the only one that has on it a
musical instrument. The starry banner
! of this nation all Irishmen loved. But
! other banners bore on them such figures
as that of a lion, a unicorn and other
| beasts of prey. Behind the harp on
Erin's green shield he said "is the
/ promise of glorious things yet to be and
/ 1t is d reminder of that glorious music
| which you and will one day listen to-
! The presentation of the American flag,
which is to float above the school house,
came next on the programme. School
/ children were grouped upon the stage.
| The immense starry banner hung from a
/ staff and the tips of its folds were held
| by several children. The scene was a
very pretty one. Young Mark Sullivan,
| a pupil, stepped forward and In a real
speech accepted the flag on behalf of
! his fellow pupils. He then recited In an
exceptionally clever manner, Liberty s
/ Elag."
hessterped back into the ranks of the
= NJ 81 tise scaool children, led by the
I orc ard choir. q $ grand chorus,
sle-od' i1d nasrSt.ea.ly st.r-
s Hld
TtsSsA ,sss5 q $3.50 Assss 80 of
i ssBssusss sssepf filFusgss fan ii Is
! the strains died aW2y Then IIasl
! to ST Patrick was sung as another
| grand chorus and the curtain fell with
the orchestra playing popular melodies.
l AfSrxI7a vie in Deutschland & -ss