New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-08-02
MUSIC At ST. JOHNS CHAPEL.
GEORGE T. LIE JEUNE And HIS WORK-MUSICAL
ORGANIZATIONS IN CHAPELS OF TRINITY PARISH.

The chapels OF Trinity Parish. New-York number
six viz St PauIs. whose edTice is more venerable
and picturesque than that OF the parent church;
s. Johns. Trinity. ST. Agness. ST Chrysostoln's
s. Augustine's and ST. Luke's Many Of the
other Protestant Episcopal churches in the city
are the children OF Trinity, TO whose corporation
they went the beginnings OF their existence for
loans OF money and gifts of land. The help thus
extended reached into the millions half century
ago. ST. Georges Church called then Chapel OF
Ease" opened IN July, 1852; II in Beck
nan-st. St Paul's. October 30. 1866; ST. Marks
IN 1887; St Johns in 1877 In all OF the chapels
and churches the service was like that of the
narent church, which as we have seen. did get
much beyond the parochial mode, with metrical
psalmody its only musical feature saving, per-
haps organ vountaries at the opening and close,
until a decade or two OF the nineteenth century
had come and gone. The annual charity sermon
vas an occasion for less ambitious L
tempt in New-York. it the time in Lon
don, where the gatherings in ST. Paurs Cathedral
OF thousands of children and their singing of sim
PIE hymns have several times contributed pages
10 musica! history. In the note book which Haydn
kept while in London in 1872 there occurs the fol-
lowing memorandum: Eight days 0hs is the
German expression for a week. before Pentecost
heard four thousand children sing the following
song in ST.. PauTs Church. One performer beat
time 70 II. No music has ever moved me so much
In nv life as this devotional and innocent piece"
Haydn writes down the melody of "Jones's
Chant" and adds: N. B-Au the children are
newly clad and walk in procession The organist
PLAYED the melody neatly and simply, and then all
began TO sing once" At this meeting the char
Itv children also sang the Old Hundredth Psalm
20 its familiar tune. but OF this fact he made no
note Apparently he was more affected by the
hvrnn Of the Englishman John Jones' the
poser was the organist. who played neatly and
sfronly") than by the French psalm tune which
was already famous in England and America
TIavdn-s sensations while listening TO the children
in St PauPs were duplicated by Berlioz half
fury later and described with great enthusiasm in
the Journal des Debats-'
Trinity's charity children had begun to lead the
singing of the psalms in 1919, receiving instruction
from year. In 1854 their musical training had
proceeded so far that at the charity sermon in St
Georges Chapel they Joined in the chorus of
anthem Probably through the energetic labors Of
William Tuckey there seems have been some
thing Ike musical awakening about this time
Tuckey longer officially connected with
Trinity Church when ST PauIs Chapel was in
augurated. but ne directed the music the oc-
ossion. and was evidently ready to further than
2 mere performance Of his TIE Deum. 1t appears
from the records OF trinity Parish that Sir Henry
Moore expressed desire of introducing in it q. e..
IN St Paul's) band of rnusic. which request was
granted the condition that the band should only
ioin in such part Of the service as was usual and
customary IN like and that other pieces of
music should be allowed but such only
adapted to the service OF the church on such
solemn occasions" Concerning the constitution OF
this band and the uses TO which it put
thrown on conjecture The manner in which its
services We're offered discourages the thought that
St was composed of amateurs Orchestras in the
modern sense had not yet made their appearance.
Il may have been a military band from the
Kings fleet though such organizations were scarce
enough in that day. More than likely It was a
group Of musicians accustomed to take part in Mr..
Tuckey's concerts. His first performance of selec-
lions from The Messiah took place at Mr..
53urnss when he surely had organ, as he had
at
Church. and il is probable that he began to bring
together what instrumental talent there was TO be
found in the city after he arrived here. Sir
Henry Moore may have been his patron and repre-
sentative before the vestry of Trinity Parish. But
7 cannot even say whether not the band was
heard or whether or not Mr.. Tuckey succeeded in
having his TIE DeUm performed.
In the early years OF the chapels there was an
Interchange Of organsts Indicative Of closer as
ISOLATION between them and the parish church than
obtains now. We have that DR.. Hodges spent
his first years at St. Johns Chapel waiting
for T-inity's edihce. OF his predecessors Dr.
Jackson whose term of office began in 1902 played
previously at St Georges, Peter Erben was at St
Georges In 1901 St. Johns, 1873 and Trinity
Church. ls3O Long terms Of service have distin-
euished Inc best Of the Organists from the begin
ming. Dr.. Hodges connection with the parish en-
oured twenty-one years; DR.. Messters. thiTty-one;
the present organist ST. Johns George F. lie
Jeune has been there twenty-seven years; Samuel
? Warren was at Grace Church over twenty years
and the late Joseph Mosentbal equally long
tine al Calvary. when both were swallowed by the
rising boy choir flood which they refused TO
float. George William Warren organist and
chormaster at St. Thomas's for twenty years His
retirement too. was followed by the Introduction OF
q supplied choir.
II any efforts. barring the tentative and futile
ones mentioned in the story Of Trintys music. in
1888 10 bring uniformity of service and discipline
were made. the record has been lost. Early as the
date seems (and really is in respects). it IS
probable that the spirit Of independence among the
choirs was great enough to Illustrate them We
have seen that the appointment of choirmaster
for the three choirs and the distribution Of ap-
preparation of $.50 per annum equally failed at the
outset TO bring about joint rehearsas Of the cbors
OF Trinity. ST. Georges and St PauPs The fact is
that the amateur choral movement was extremely
vigorous IN the first decades Of the nineteenth
century. 4 Handel and Haydn Society ito judge
hy lis name patterned after the Boston Society
which was organized in 1855 had grown out OF a
scheme got up for the purpose Of raising funds
Tor the rebuilding Of Zion Church Choral So
ci-r', winch succeeded it, had its Inception in a
meeting ned in 1928 in the Charity School room
and lis rehearsals were carried on in the lecture
roam Of - Georges Chapel. in Beekman-st 1t
had chtiT Of nifty voices and a band of twenty
instruments al It's first concert which took place in
81 georges Al the same time the choir of Zion
Church. organized as the Zion Church Musical As
ISOLATION having been refused an increase f saIsr
and the privilege Of giving concert bv the vestry
Withdrew from the church and organized the New
FORK Sacred Music Society. 1t Is plain that there
were many church singers. volunteer and pad in
me city at the time and also appreciation Of high
class singing Grace Church entoved q esneciaI
6.spensation because az its wealth ard O., LII
for space echoed 70 the voice OF no less a ceIoh
rty than the great MaIibran
s. Johns Chapel, in Narick-st begun n, 1903
end completed in 1901 was FOR half a century in