The age-herald., 1900-04-16
Services at the Various Churches
 Largely Attended.
MANY BRIGHT COSTUMES
Streets Crowded With Gaily Bedecked Men and
 Women

so generally celebrated in Birmingham as 1t was yesterday. Great crowds of people attended services at the numerous churches. The streets were bright with springtime costumes; and with men even the straw hat made it's appearance. There was a wonderful display of flowers in churches and on the streets, and florists say that the demand for floral decorations in private houses was very heavy.
 The features of the music in the church of St. Mary 's-on- on-the-Highlands were the new Te Deum by Leighton, the new Jubi- late by Klein, and Mrs. Guckenberger's exquisite rendering of Marcos He Is Risen," for the offertory. The most ex- cellent choir won renowned praise for its fine work.
 At the Church of the Advent the music was well selected, and beautifully render ed by the choir, so noted for its good work
 So crowded was the First Methodist church that some of those who went there were unable to obtain seats, and were de- prived of the beautiful music of the choir and the otherwise interesting services.
 The First Baptist church and the South side Baptist church were filled to their full capacity, and the services were ex- ceedingly attractive.
 Services at some of the other churches partook somewhat of the character of the day.
 At St. Paul's
 Easter was celebrated at St. Paul's church with ceremonial and music of sur passing beauty The high altar and side altars were dressed with flowers and pot ted plants-some of them towering palms stood in the sanctuary. There was solemn high mass, with the Rev Father OReilly as celebrant and preacher, the>Rev. Father Kennedy as deacon and the Rev Father Burns as sub-deacon. The ceebrant was vested in an elegant banded painted chas uble and the dalmatics of cloth of gold worn by the deacons were exceedingly rich.
 The music of the mass was composed by P. Memoli, the director of the choir, and was heard yesterday for the first time The soloists were Miss Lottie Coffin, Miss Ella Noland. MT. Arrico, MT. Houppert, MT. Rembrandt and MT. Herbert, and the we'll drilled chorus consisted of twenty-five voices. Mrs Colgan presided at the gan with her usual skill and d picked or ehGolit OL lWSuty-lWO PTOIGSS1Cndl UluSl- clans, with Mr. Calman and MT. Chalifosx playing solo violin parts, added greatly to the brilliance of the mass. The orchestra, indeed, q grand feature of the per- formance.
 It was a notable local event, certainly the production of a festival work by a Birmingham composer-and music-lovers were not disappointed. The mass abounds in rich effects and in pleasing melodies soulful melodies; and being after the Ital- ian school is both forid and stirring The kyrie has rhythmic swing and charming flow and a passionate force that could not fail to move a sympathetic audience The Gloria which follows Is marked by many joyous and beautiful passages. The Credo is fittingly dramatic and strong in har- mony, and also are the Sanctus the Benedictus and the Agnus Del One of the gems among the many is the "Et Incar- natus Est in the Credo.
 The mass, as whole, was pronounced by all who heard it grand achievement for Memoli. In no church in the diocese, it is reasonable to say, was there heard music anything like so fine.
 Father OReiliy's Sermon
 Father O'Reillys sermon was a deeply eloquent and logical exposition of the su- preme truth of the Resurrection and the great events connected herewith. Christ demonstrated that He was man by dying on the cross. He proved that He was God by rising from the tomb-bX the Resurrec- tion. We know that Christ was crucified We know also that He was buried, and that He arose from the burial place. They put great stone against the tomb and sealed it. Then they set a guard of men there to keep ceaseless watch. This was done in the attempt to prove that Jesus was not the Christ; that He was not the divine person He represented Himself to be. The guards had no convictions as to Christs claims that He was the Son of God. These guards were disinterested men. They were placed there for a definite pur- pose, and that purpose was to see that the body of the Redeemer was not removed by His apostles or others; and in answering for themselves they told the truth Christ's body was not removed in the sense that other hands took it away. Christ raised Himself from the dead. The Resurrection took place. The church had just devoted itself to pious commemoration of the Pas
 
 celebrates the Resurrection, the life; and all about them was life and rejoicing. There were flowers and jublant music, and the time was one of great gladness and joy for the church, for her faithful children
 This is brief outline of Farther O'Reilly's sermon The great church was filled to overflow ing, and after the service many were the expressions of delight.
 At Other Churches
 At the other churches large congrega- tions attended the morning services and the spirit of the glad season was abroad At the First Cumberland Presbyterian church Rev. I. D. Steele preached an able sermon to a congregation which filled the church.
 The handsome edifice was decorated with ferns and cut flowers. An appropriate musical DrOgramme was rendered