The San Francisco call., 1909-06-09
NEWS OAKLAND BERKELEY, ALAMEDA SANIEANDRO
ROW IN CHURCH
IN WOLLPS WAKE
Choir Disbanded and Former
Quartet Restored; Fresh
Trouble Results

BERKELEY. June -closely fol-
lowing upon the retirement Of Prof
]. Fred Wolfe. head of the department
OF music al the university. as organist
Of the First Congrega tienaI church
after stormy controversy of more
than a year. the choir which he organ
ized has been disbanded- This action
was taken by the music committee of
the church. consisting of Prof. Leon
Richardson as chairman, William T.
Woolsey, Mrs Cornelia Chase and
others. The former quartet is once
more ia power. and under the leader
ship Of Mrs J. s. Mills rendered the
usual weekly program last sunday
morning and evening.
FEUD STARTS ANEW
With the. installation of the former
quartet. consisting of Mrs. J. s Mills,
alto: L. n Redfeld, bass; Miss Alice
Andrews. soprano, and Charles W.
Brock. tenor the controversy stilled
for time following the canceling of
the contract of Professor Wolfe has
broken out anew. and friends in the
congregation Of the Wolfe choir have
formed one faction. and still another
faction has been organized of those
who wish 10 secure the services of
Cda Wai6rop as organist on his re-
turn from abroad. IDA Waldrop was
former OrEanist of the church.
Opposing these factions are friends
OF the present quartet. which has
been reappointed. and plenty OF gossip
has been afforded for teacup conver-
satiOn as a result
Members Of the music committee re-
fuse 20 discuss the disbanding Of the
choir organized by Professor Wolfe
nor viii they talk OF the reappoint-
= 70 ri
missal of which by the new university
orEanist caused such a storm of pro-
test Daily complications in the
church controversy are looked FOR by
the Interested spectators of the fac
tional fight
TPHEANAL IN JULY
The Upheaval in the church began
last July when the music committee
sought the services OF Prof. J. Fred
Wolfe. head Of the department OF mu-
sic at the University of California. who
ao just finished the course of spring
symphony concerts.
The now organist. armed with author
ity and a salary of 5000, much more
than had been paid, had ideas of his
own about church music. and his first
step was 10 dismiss the quartet which
had Ions sung before the congregation
He thereupon organized a choir some
found a place in the Bach festival
chorus which sang in the Greek theater
April %
The dismissal Of the choir. although
meeting with the approval Of the music
committee which had given him full
power. instantly raised a storm of pro-
test. which has never Quieted through
the L months Professor Wolfe was at
the keys. smoldering now and then and
threatening to break into flames of
church disruption.
These murmurs of fiscontent after u
months had a refez action especially
when the salary a Sd the university
organist was not esNly met each month
by the church authorities. The crash
came two months igo. when Wolfe was
informed that hi, services would ter
inmate this July. Professor Wolfe left
Tor the east month ago.
MANY NAMES PROPOSED
Various names were proposed for
organixt of the church, of which Rev.
Harry r. Miles is pastor, among them
being Robert Harnden, ida waldrop
and Mrs. Mabel Hill Redfeld. Harnden
was offered the position, and accepted
il, but at the last minute the place was
given 10 Mrs. Redferd.
This action stirred up another hor-
nets nest; friends bf Harnden were
angry at the change of front on the
part Of the committee. and others
thought that ida V3sldrop, the former
organist, should be Given the place.
With the settlement of the organist
question came the Reorganization of the
choir. This proved difficult. especially
when some Of the Numbers had already
espOused the cause tof DR.. Wolfe and
quit their posts Others followed in
their lead. and but a shadow of the
former staff of vocalists remained.
The announcement that the former
quartet would be reInstated caused
further detection in the ranks of the
choir OF Prof. Wolfe. and the decima-
ton Of the singers and the apathy of
the remainder caused the music COM
mittee TO declare the chorus choir dis
banded This action. taken a month
ago, first came to light when the quar-
let sang for the first time in a year