River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1900-11-22
He WALKS BY FAITH
DR.. ]. w. Bischoff, the Blind Or
ganist of Washington.
Ills Life. Career and Success should
BE an Inspiration for All Who
Doubt Themselves and
Their Maker.
Especial washington letter.


Il HHEN you visit the national
WV capital you should try to
wv spend at least one Sabbath
day here in order to have an oppor-
tunity to go to the Congregational
church and hear the blind organist
DIR. j. w. Bisehoff. No matter what
may be your creed or home Affiliations,
you should hear Bischoff.
The services in the church the Sec
ond Sunday in this month were in
honor of the twenty-fifth anniyer-
sary of his continuous services as or
ganist and musical director Both
the morning and the evening services
were SO arranged as to give promi.
nence to the music; and the dear, de-
voted, conscientious, religious, honor
able and noble man who presided at
| the organ shook the pillars of the
temple with his rhapsodies of har-
mony and melody. He is q living
symphony.
| The morning sermon was on "The
| Relation of Music to the Religious
Life" and the eloquent pastor dwelt
particularly upon the almost absolute
necessity of music for success in the
work of every minister. The evening
Sermon was on "The Manifestation of
| the Spirit" and the beloved pastor
told the congregation of the many
manifestations of the Spirit which had
shone forth in the work of the blind
organist, who has given half OF his
life to the work of the church. He
| is so years of age, and has been 25
years experimenting the musical
work of the church.
Julius Caesar said that he would
rather be the first man in Capua
than the second man in Rome; and so
far as human ambition might measure
mans pleasure, pride and content
ment, DIR. Bischoff has achieved as
great success as Caesar, for he is
facile princeps, first in the hearts
of the congregation which he has
served so long and well.
Twenty years ago, for the first time,
the writer attended concert in that
church for some public benefit, and
heard the blind organist play an ac-
compartment for Miss Edith Abel
of Boston, when she sang "The Lost
Chord" A few days later he at.
tended the funeral Of son of the
pastor, DR.. Rankin, and heard the or
ganist pathetically lead his choir in
solemn sacred requiefns; one of them
of his own composition, yelling out
of his love for the bereaved father.
This year will mark the completion
of the nineteenth annual session OF
Bischoff's concerts. The concerts are
directed and prepared by DR.. Bischoff
and all of the participants are his
pupils. They are always success
full, and have grown to be such a Gus
tom in the national capital that they
are looked forward to each year as
d necessary part of the musical sea
son-and are, in fact, more firmly
established than any other series OF
concerts in Washington.
In the arrangement of the pro
grammes and grouping and the Sc
lection of singers for the concerts
DR.. Bischoff gives another evidence
of his broad musical culture anc
musicianship The programmes also
show that DIR. Bischoff is an Amer
lean of the Americans, loving his owT
nationality in music and loving al
that is artistic and poetic from the
hands of his countrymen.
To be a singer, pianist, organist
land member of the A. G. o.. most
successful teacher, eminent in regis
tration and in the art of transposi
ton, would seem more than enough
for any musician, but DIR. Bischo1i
does not stop here, and, in fact, con
siders his talents as heretofore men
toned as the smallest part of his
equipment.
Great as his success has been in
these former lines, his success as e
composer has been even more marked
All singers of note are familiar with
some of Bischoff's beautiful songs.
DR.. Bischoff has done much TO ele
vate the standard of music in the
churches of Washington, not only by
presenting the best class of music III
by helping to place in the church
choirs throughout the city singers Of
the highest degree of proficiency
Along this line he has instituted il
his own church what is styled Gar
Evening with the Choir" one Sunday
evening every five or six weeks be
ing devoted to this choral service
when the choir renders fine anthem.
and sacred choruses, and solos; anC
concerted numbers by his quartettt
make up the programme. These serv
ices are most popular-hundreds Otter
being turned away from the doors.
DR.. Bischoff was born in Chicago
He is totally blind, having lost HI!
sight when only two years of age
His early education was acquired a
the Wisconsin institute for the blind
and he subsequently studied with {
number of eminent masters, among
whom may be mentioned w. w. Lud
den and Carlo Bassini, in the art o
singing, and Mr.. Creswold, of London
for the organ, He was called IL