The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-03-20
SWEET-sINGING LUNATICS.
A Strange Choir Now Practicing Easter
Music.

Music.
i The strangest of all musical aggre-
cations, choir composed exclusively of
lunatics, is at present busily engaged in
practicing for it's Easter concert. 1t is
intended to make this concert the most
ambitious effort of the mindless vocal
lists, and the programme will include
selections from the classics, solos, luets,
quartets and sextets. The leader to-
whom belongs the credit of training a
choir of lunatics is Mrs. Hughes, widow
of the late resident physician of the
asylum in Philadelphia. What infinite
patience this leader of class of vocal
lists whose minds are hopelessly warped
must possess may be we'll imagined.
When it is remembered that, in addi-
ton to the difficult nature of her self
imposed task, Mrs. Hughes is confront
ed at every rehearsal with the danger
of attack from one of the mentally I'M
balanced pupils, it will be admitted that
her position is not an enviable one.
And yet from the unpromising material
at her disposal this leader has trained
the choir to such a potch of perfection
that the opportunity of hearing the
singing at the almshouse, where the
crazy vocalists assist at church services
twice on Sunday, is eagerly seized by
Philadelphians, and tickets to concerts
at which the vocalists from the asylum
are the star attraction sell at premu-
UNI.
| Besides the choir Mrs. Hughes has
| trained an orchestra, consisting of three
! violins, one celia and pianist, so that
the concerts given at the asylum are
managed without any assistance FROM
| outside musicians. At the rehearsals
| Mrs. Hughes is assisted by a man and
woman attendant, whose presence Is ne
cessary to prevent an outbreak. Stern
| discipline is enforced. The slightest in
dication of refractory conduct on the
| part Of one of the vocalists is the sig
] nal for the summary expulsion of the
offender from the room. Not moment
could the leader hesitate, or in her own
words to the writer, 'the entire class
would be likely to break loose, hurl
their music books at my head and JUMP
at me like tigers" The attendants
keep close watch on the singers during
the rehearsal. When their practiced
eyes see signs of trouble the lunatic
whom music's charms have failed tt
+ soothe is promptly elected, none toe
gently. Strict adherence to the rule Of
expulsion has caused it to be borne III
on the darkened intellects of the mem.
bers of the choir that it is best to be.
have while in the rehearsal room, an6
it is very seldom that one of the pa.
tients will run the risk of being de.
prived Of the cherished hour in the mu.
! sic room through developing the tan.
i trums.
With Mrs. Hughes the members OF
the choir are docile enough, but almost
every one of the men and women is
sufficiently dangerous to necessitate
day and night watching on the part Of
the attendants. One Of the men imag.
ines himself the Savior and opens every
rehearsal with prayer and blessing
another believes himself to be John D
Rockefeller; third is convinced thai
he has been deprived Of the power Of
speech and has not spoken for years;
fourth has a suicidal mania and would
kill himself if he had the chance; one
of the women believes she is the wifi
of one of the most prominent merchants
| of the Quaker City and has to be ap
peased with an imaginary present from
| him whenever inclined to be intracta.
| BILE; another woman, the best songstress
| in the choir, cannot be induced to con.
quer an appetite for hardware, and, de.
| spite vigilant watching, swallows pins
| needles and tin tacks, necessitating a
surgical operation at frequent intervals;