The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-12-23

Singers at Penn Avenue Baptist
Church-Cantatas Sung at First
and Second Presbyterian Churches.
In the Other Churches.
Special services, in which joyous mu-
| sic was the predominating feature,
were conducted yesterday in nearly all
the Protestant churches in celebration
of the festival of Christmas which
falls on Wednesday. Christmas SER
vices in the Episcopal and Roman
Catholic churches will be held on
! Christmas day itself.
| One of the most elaborate Christmas
musical programmes ever rendered in
this city was rendered last night IN
Elm Park Methodist Episcopal church.
A congregation which completely filled
the spacious auditorium of the church
filed into the cd'tice and took their
seats as the sweet tongued chimes were
pealng out on the winter air the notes
of "Adeste Fidelis."
: The musical programme. which had
been arranged by and which was CIV
Ell under the direction of Prof. j. AL
fred Pennington, was rendered by the
regular church quartette. assisted by
a special quart"tte of singers and
brass u,latrette. Mss Carrie NJ. Brown
| ing at the piano and f. II. Widmayer,
: the vio'inist. rendered accompaniments
to some of the solos.
CANTATA SUNG.
| The principal feature Of the pro-
| gramme was Il cantata entitled Ihe
Story of Bethlehem" which comprised
twelve numbers including Il soprano
solo for Miss Elizabeth Thomas and
five bass solos for p. II. Warren. The
chorus work in this cantata was eX-
ceptionaly fine, the voices blending IN
almost perfect harmony. especially in
the closing hymn "Rejoice, Rejoice, ye
Nations"
Miss Nellie S. Hyde rendered beau-
tiful contralto solo before the rendi-
tion of the cantata, accompanied by
the organ violin and piano. The
sprightly first movement from Mozart's s
sonata in Il flat was eXuuisitely rem
dered on the piano and violin by Prof.
Pennington ana Mr. Widmayer.
DR.. c. NJ. Griffin, the pastor. made
a very brief address in which he urged
lfOSt lltStlll " ItlolCc WIN SHNNSA
ing great joy to think that they had
been born and are able to live in this
| splendid twentieth century. the age of
invention and the hge of learning. He
urged them to celebrate Christmas by
thanking God for the wonderful OPP
portunties for Improvement which are
open on all sides.
II know what would have been had
! T bnr p1r1ipr than
was in the same circumstances I
would have been Il clod-hopper in all
human probability simply because Of a
lack of opportunity for improvement" "
THE SECOND CHURCH.
The Fisk Jubilee singers rendered
special music in the Second Presbyte-
r!an church yesterday morning and
one of the young ladies in the party
gave fifteen minute bible talk brimful
OF helpful thought and suggestion.
Rev. j. j. Rankin offered prayer and
pronounced the bcnediction.
a new cantata con'posed by Dudley
Buck and entitled The Coming of the
King" was sung in the evening by the
church choir under the leadership of
Prof J. NJ. Chance. The cantata af-
rorded Il tenor solo for Tom Gippell, Il
soprano solo for Miss Susan Black, an
alto solo for Miss Liza Garagan and
several duets, trios and uuartettes
The concluding number was the ever
beautiful "AdeStc F!deliS."
THE Coming Of the king" was alsC
given at the First Presbyterian church
by Il mixed choir Of forty voices under
the leadership of Prof. John Y. Wat
kinS. Bauer's fun orchestra assisted in
the rendition of the cantata. a num-
ber of new singers. including Mrs. T.
T.. Chase, Mrs. w. y. Harvey, Mrs. w
II. Logan and Mrs. l.. w. Schoch.
Prof Watkins himself sang the part
of "Herod" in superb voice, his distinct
cnunciation and purity of tone being
especially noticeable. The chorus sang
, With vim and Il spirit that filled witt
Inspiration the large congregation pres
ent The pastor. Rev. DR.. James Me.
, Lcod, preached Il Christmas sermon ir
the morning, taking for his theme
"The Magi at Christ's Cradle" He
spoke in part as follows:
DIR. MLEOD'S WORDS.
The incarnation OF God is fundamental doe
trnc ii tine Chri>iin religion. 1t is either a tao
, or fiction, II it be fiction, it is the mos
amazing and the mos fascinating fiction that In
mind of man has ever, conceived. II il he i lie
! tion, it is a ictun that has deceived the kccurs
and strongest minds in thr!>tcndum and that la
hcguilcd nlyrlads OF the pnrc't and saintlicst q
the human race. Ii II be a fiction the fact TIA
nyriads wlIo>c minds are the clcareSt and who's
lives are the hoicst, believe il to be Gods trut
does not relieve it from the charge uf being III
most h,asphemo,is superstition that was ever in
vented and it should be utterly repulilled.
But ii the !ncarnat on of God, in the person q
JcsIs Christ be fact, as we believe it 10 he
! then il is the most supcniOus and most b'cSSc
fact that las ever been revealed to the u
: men. For upon this fact is based the life q
Christ and the story OF his redccming love.
> The miraculous and Immaculate conception q
Jesus Christ is basal tact in the history OF III
, rcdcmption The story Of His birth and inanc
always has interested, and always will interest,
sinful world The purpose Oi His advent VA. mo,