Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-05
The FRANZ ABT CLUB
Some Interesting Facts Concerning a Popular
Local Organization.
1t Has Had an Existence of Sixteen
Years as Body of Male
Singers.

After the decline Of the original Choral
Society. the Georgetown Masonic Club.
the Apollo Glee Club and several other
male singing organizations in the fall
of 1888 desire was manifested by
certain of the members OF the disbanded
societies to continue the practice of four
part male music. 1t was believed that the
best results We're obtained with the least
number of voices in chorus, provided the
singers were selected with careful discrimi-
nation as to quality of voice and musical
temperament
Its Organizations.
To this end, weekly meetings were held
at Mr.. Abbotts residence, the blending
of voices carefully tested. and out of some
twenty or thirty applicants the Franz Abt
Club was formally organized January "a,
1854 as an octet, or. to be more exact, a
double quartet, with the following men,
bership:
James L. Richardson and John NJ Buch-
anan, first tenors: Edwin s. Holmes andWii-
liam d. MacFarland. second tenors; Ed
ward ]. Whipple and William E. Abbott
first basses; Charles w. Hancock and
Francis ~ Barbarin. second BASES, with
stephen II. Jeck0, accomDaniSt.
Active rehearsal was at once commenced
under the direction Of Mr.. Holmes. and
on April q, 1884, the club made its first
town, the occasion being an entertainment
for the benefit of Potomac Lodge, F. A. A.
NJ, and the same week furnished the vocal
numbers a the GEORGETOWN Orchestra's
concert at the CongTe gational Church. The
instant success achieved at this concert es-
tablished the clubs reputation beyond all
question. Throughout the following sum-
mer rehearsals were continued with enthu-
slasm, with the result that by the season
or lSS4-5 the club was equipped with far
more extensive and varied repertoire of
part songs than had been possessed by any
of Its predecessors.
During this season the club appeared fire.
quently al local entertainments hanouets
ana social functions, and on April 16, 1885,
II gave Its frSt regular concert at the
Church of Our Father, on which occasion
assistance was rendered by Miss Kate Scott
soprano; Miss Eulalic Domer, con.ralto; Mr.
Willis Clark of Boston tenor and the
Georgetown Orchestra.
1t was in the summer of 1885 that were
fnaugurated those famous Sunday trims I'D
the river to Potomac landing In the cool
shades of which the club I'm the comnany
of limited number of invited guests dis
coursed music and good cheer to a degree
that speedily made these excursions so
popular that they were continued for sew
eral successive seasons.
Trips to Atlantic City.
During the winter of 1856 the club ap-
peared in many concerts and social enter
tainments, and in July, 1856, its first pro-
ing made to Atlantic City, where, assisted
by Miss Florence Grigg, soprano soloist
concerts were given at several of the lead
ing hotels, with such fatterina success that
later, In 1889 a second trip was taken to
the same resort the club being reinforced
on this occasion by Misses Mollie Byrne
and Maude Wolston, and Messrs Herndon
Morsell and Frank Keller, vocalists and
Mr.. Ernest Szemelenyi. pianist. Four con-
certs We're given during the week at the
Traymore, IIeswnrth and Windsor hotels
and the Opera House
The reputation of the Abts was now
more than local. in November 1883. a most
signal success having been achieved at the
opening concert for the season of the Har-
monte Singing Society in Baltimore An
immense audience. composed entirely of
Germans, received the Washington singers
numbers with the widest enthusiasm en-
coring them again and again. The Har-
monte Society is an organization much like
the Washington Saengerbund. and between
both of these societies and the Franz Abt
Club. by the way. the most cordial friend
ship has ever existed.
In May, 1887. the club furnished the
music for the services incidental to the re
union of the Army of the Cumberland. and
the same and several succeeding years sang
at the annual banquets of the Loyal Lee
Sion In this city.
Nearly all of its members being MasonS
of high degree, the club has naturally had
the distinction of participating in many of
the impressive Masonic events that are
v,
among them being the conciaves of the
Royal Arch Masons and knights Templar
the laying Of the corner stone and the dedi-
cation of the Scottish Rite sanctuary. and
the midnight funeral over the remains of
the venerable Albert Pike grand COM
! mander of the A. and A. Scottish Rite for
the Southern Jurisdiction of the United
States.
The last public appearance of the Abt
Club was memorable one. the occasion be-
ing the farewell testimonial to Washing
tons peerless bandmaster Prof John pnilip
Sousa, at the National Theater on the
evening of July -. 1892. a fitting finale to
brilliant and successful career.
It's Present Constitution.
The members of the club at present are
J. NJ. Buchanan, Fred Knoop, f. S. Holmes
and F. W. Bird, tenors. and w. E Abbott
J. H. Kaiser, C. W. Hancock and W. S.
Yeatman. basses. OF these, Messrs. Buch-
anan, Holmes, Abbott and Hancock were
of the original members. The officers are:
{, w. Hancock, president: E. S. Holmes,
treasurer, and W. E. Abbott. secretary
Mr.. Holmes relinquished the Office of must
cal director in February, 1891. in order to
assume the much lighter duties of treas
urer. being succeeded as director by Mr.
Bird. The roster of the club has included
! besides the gentlemen already named, Mr.
Hugh Nelson. who succeeded Mr. MacFar-
land in the fall of 1854, and was in turn
succeeded by Mr.. w. B. Stockman in May,
1888; Mr.. G. W Buckingham, who sue,
ceeded Mr.. Richardson in June, 1885,; Mr.
Fred q. Moffat, who succeeded NJ Whip
pie In September. 1856. and was in turn
| succeeded by Mr.. Kaiser in July, 1891
Inc engagements enumerated above are
but few of the more noteworthy ones
selected from the minutes OF the organiza-
ton, covering active service of over
sixteen years. during which Washington
music lovers listened to nothing more pleas
iF1tr and Fyfr bod