New-York tribune., 1911-03-04
Church AND RELIGIOUS NEWS NOTES
Choir Selected to Sing at the Opening of Cathedral of St. John
the Divine.


the service at the opening OF the "e
Cathedral OF St John the Divine on Apr
"a has been selected. The anthems anu
other PARTS of the service have also Dee"
selected by Bishop Greer, ana preparations
are now well under way. In the new GNU,
90 ,h,r.v bovs and eighteen men. and
ar,oro the latter are not . few well known
soIoists The forty-eight persons exceileh'
as all are. merely make up choir ulat
will answer for a short time. IL is coui''eu
absolutely essential that choir oil at leaSl
sixty persons be had and kept In const'iii'
practice. ..,...,-
T. ,s the wish of the Cathedral authori-
ties that the services be numerous anu
that on as many occasions as possiOio VI
choir be allowed 10 sing. Bishop Greer Say
he feels the Cathedral 70 be nothihg saN
as its serves religious purposes ana ms
slonarv ones. and that 10 the largest d
able degree. Many favor. therefore choir
of seventy or eighty persons-two cnolrs ~
effect so that on all occasions Where re"iig
needed forty TO fifty competent singers N''
he available. With the large chancei 'he
nresent forty-eight are reckoned as snali
a number as can be got on with' An7
choirnaster is Miles Farrow
Tho Rev. DR. Ernest Noorhis, canon
nracan,or and founder os the Cathedral
Choir School. announced yesterday MS pur-
nose 70 retire at the close OF the present
school wear in June. As head master ana
also as canon precentor ne feels the work
10 be too heavy. and will ask thaI HIS Uo"
tract be not renewed for anotner SIX yea. .
The choir school founded by him is on the
lines of the best English schools SUI
rassing them. # IS claimed, In some par
ticulars. Boys are given educatons o1 the
Grade of the best private schools. AS soon
az nossible a school building will be erect
ed on the Cathedral grounds. About %o'"v
Is now in hand for the purpose Nhen sum
building is provided the choir can be aVah-
ota at more services AMI he In better
shape
The late Bishop Potter and the Rev DIT
"a r Huntington drew 40 an elaborate
constitution for the Cathedral. covering the
choir and its duties among many other
things. but within the last year dissa'is-
f,otior with II has developed. II was an
ro,,nced Yesterday that very soon new
constitution will be submitted and adopted
The old plan did not provide Tor oeaH
and did not contemplate parish WORN
There are many clergy now urslhs lhe
usual English plan with dean ana chap
ter and It was said yesterday that sucu
will be the form the new constitution VIII
take trustee. when seen. said details
were not vet in shape, but inlimated Una
tho Cathedral will he made democratic N
all its work. The convention Of the diocese
has already ordered it 10 do parish Worh
for the community between 81 Michaei
and St Marv's fields and on the heights
above All Souls.
The cost Of the new choir at its present
size and not reckoning any part or 'ne
cost of the choir school VIII exceed >lo'V"
wear making II about the same as -
rbon,ass. ST Bartholomew and some
others and q little less than Grace Church
with the larger choir. If IL be- made larger
[ +,o cost NAV advance 70 $4,000 a year
| The date Of April 70 next has been set toE
the Cathedral opening, when this new cho'i
win 10 heard for the first time. Two ser
vices will he held because all cannot se'
! in AZ one. and both bishops will take par
/ besides many visiting bishops and clergy
The cost 10 maintain the whole Cathedra
will he in its enlarged form between SoVF
and $50 600 a year This is not considered
/ evcessives when it is rem ambered that II
/ Tbouss's Grace and other parish churche'
Of this city cost $4,000 to $4,000 year.
The Cathedral has endowment yielding
! q lrtle more than t25oo0 q wear. To MAKE
I'D the balance pledges Of $1,000. 5000 an'
( g. coo year for FIVE years have been given
+ One ~ the latter pledges was made by
/ 7 Pierpont Morgan No efforts are 20 bf
made Immediately further 10 complete the
/ Cathedral proper. but az the opening ser
vice in April an appeal win be made Tor
the remainder Of the H50.0O0 needed TO bnllc
Huntington memorial chapel Nearly $lOo
/ nm has already been secured. Instead ol
J further effort toward the Cathedral com
nietion efforts will next he made 70 secure
/ 1000 200 with which TO erect on the north
/ east, corner Of the Cathedral grounds
fronting ON Morningside avenue, a grea
hall for missionary and other gatherings
with several smaller halls and places foi
/ exhibitions and banquets n Is 10 be made
/ the centre of the religious life or tn'
/ diocese. especially on its missionary anc
social side-the binding Of all work 10
I gcther. The hall will ne a permanent
/ structure. and VIII be ready, II all goes
we'll for the meeting Of the general con
vention of thy Episcopal Church in thi!
/ CITY in October. 1919.