The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-12-02
VAUDEVILLE CHURCH,
Performance Out of the Ordinary, But
Is Drawing Card.
From the New York Sun.

From the New York SUM-
Inc vaudeville offering at the Central
Baptist church, in West F'orty-second
street, last night was the musical glasses,
'the largest and most complete set of
musical glasses ever played before the
public" said the announcement on the
bulletin board in the vestibule
The regular congregation, increased by
persons that wanted a vaudeville enter
tainment without going to Hammer
STEMS, listened to the manipulation oil
the glasses by a little blond man and
seemed to be pleased.
There was no levity about the enter
tainment which the Rev. Frank Nj. Good
child furnished his congregation. 1t was
all very staid and proper. and the service
switched from the Scripture reading to
finger work by the little blond man easily
and without jar.
Pastor Goodchild has made up his mind
that he isn't going to let Sunday hight
SHOWS take his congregation away from
him without making fight, and started
vaudeville at the Central Baptist with a
Few stunts by ayoung woman whistler a
week ago. The whistling girl made such
a hit with the congregation that the sue
cess of the scheme was assured from the
start. rs
The church on the south side of Forty
second street, between Seventh and
Eighth avenues is I'm the heart of the
theatrical district The Lyric and Be-
lasco's are just across the street, Ham
mersteins at the corner, and the New
Amsterdam, Liberty, Hackett's, and the
American to the west along the same
side or thee street. The theatre that
gave Sunday night concerts not only
cut down the size of Mr. Goodchild's con.
gregations, but sometimes in the summer
the songs of the ragtime singers broke
in on church service
One night last summer when the church
windows were wide open and a show
was going full tilt at the regular vau-
deville house on the corner the organ
began to play soft, low offertory music
and the four vestrymen started the
rounds with their baskets. Suddenly there
Heated in through the windows snatches
of song a blaclSface artist was singing
on the Victoria roof, Il amt got no
money, but I'm a-goin' to git some, for
my baby, my honey, my Zulu" Most
people in the congregation tried to look
solemn and pretend they hadn't heard
the ditty, but it wasn't any use The
filters and chuckles ran all around the
church.
1t was about that time that Mr.. Good
child made up his mind that he would
have to enter into .dignified competition
with the theatres, and he submitted to
the trustees scheme to provide counter
attractions that would keep he people
away from the theatres and get them into
the church. The trustees gave Dr. Good
child an allowance for the purpose.
Using fffty-two glasses tuned without
water" as the card on the church bulle-
tin board read, the blond man went
through his stunts four times at last
nights service, working in front of a.
table to the right of the pulpit. He went
at the job in brisk business-lilxe way
just after the pastor and the congrega-
ton got through with the responsive
reading. First he played 1.-THE Lost
Chord" After the offertory he played
1.-The Psalms,"a and during other parts
of the service he gave Lead, Kindly
Light" and Nearer, My God, to Thee
DR.. Goodchild says that anything that
will attract a crowd without marring the
sacredness of worship is permissible and
justifiable