New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-27
The New Years Day
Masq uerading
and Other OBJ
servanceS in
the Elder
Days.
By II. f. KREHBlEL.

Il ia the lrNlSlS ~. .,.f-
ed " ~ srd Songs" in last SUNDAY !
meI'es e., re collected for the writer
~ Mis- Esther Singleton, ron Sl... VIZ -
~ on the customs OF oIo -le" -
pV wv we now Gull some 1aSHs "o o';
~. Wears Day celebration: ny N.Y. NJ
Ne" mich fell among the 81 NlSho'"Ss
SSsssS.;vities partook OF the SnSIHS etse,;v.
st."5sv and days of speelai 'nS ,hess.,5
seH Although visits were eNC .s'..Lio
ins' ssv was observed with eonslueIaUis
,u SS ~ stricness. Sometimes -
Tel,s'SS~ 81 and on some occasions theIV
were - much social drinking that ace
was ~ arnened. and then efforts WeIC
aehss hv The governor 20 have SAM
mas a. holiday the next year 49,.
sn3 -.ye8 in their tinery the so'el i,i
49, Of New Amsterdam saun'eic9i
e,..sso-b Whitehall, Pearl, bioau an
- streets 20 the church whose 49,
'-.5 10 ringing merry. chliiys' &c" "
~, cor hours perslStenty S""'"t
es;,bf,l 20 worship. As the laSV VI w.
rhoes died away the oell-IlHgei en-
ssSs.Hvss.istants formed themselves iIlto "
1..is PROCESSION and carried the Cesn
- ~ the burgomaster ana the scu'P
l0us -, +be Citv Hall 20 the peWs o.
nffI c
~ .ssenbled the schout went MS
,nrrds 20 sec that the streets Nele ~. ~,
80. 5nrino divine service and 10 sVoP
q1.'' 80 made by Indians, negro
81! az Sisorderlv persons from the
siaeSS 80 tsvcrns. There was no
Lels.y -r6oramme Of Christmas or
- vssr's music In those days no
'ai;,s organs or trained choirs. ne
49, Of 81. Nicholas, erected by GOV
-, Tioft i'm 1912. was ruled by strict
C-iv;,ietir ideas. Peter Datneeh
,s-sior of the Psalms, adapted 70
80 tror Narot's French Psalter. had
- ~ rse I'm the home country from
KS. Il was still in use q century later.
reward the end of the Dutch regime
~ New York l664) "a few hymns were
.,'srr,itte8- those contained IN WHEN
Siriter's "Psalmen, GeZsngen en- Gees
.ei;ite Ijederen' (166l), which, with
.be 3ible and Psalm book, formed the
entire library of the ordinary Dutch
family. ~.
If.er religious services the rest OF New
yssr's Dav was spent IN more live
1r fashion than prevailed on the average
sunday. People exchanged visits, every
topss was open, and cakes. wine, punch,
her and sweetmeats were offered TO
oilers with lavish hospitality. But the
rIimsX OF the holiday seasons Jolllty
rss reached on Three Kings Night.
Tsis was the night for masqueradlng.
Children and youths, wearing masks,
dressed I'm old clothes and carrying the
aromneI not" went from door TO door
begginr for pennies. 1t IS a survival OF
hiS SINGULAR custom. no doubt, when
80
Tbarksriving Day, for on no other
sronrd have I been able 10 explain the
nurmcriey on that holiday, which, pc
Esve are confined 20 New York. Thirty
wears sro there used also 20 be process
sors of target shooting companies OF
Of bands Of men who represented sucn
companies. One does not need 10 De
very old 10 recall these professions IN
al parts OF the city, with the bearer OF
target which never was marrcd Oy d
shot and the black water carrier ietch-
inp no the rear. HarriCan and Hart, !
believe, put them on the stage IN one OF
their faithful sketches of humble New
YORK irc The "rommcl po" was "a pot
or lar covered with a tightly stretched
membrane like drum mead, WIN d
hole IN the middle. through which a
stick was rubbed up and down, thus
producing a rumbling sound, better cal
culsted 20 delight savage than CIV
ihzed ear. But. like the hideous horns
and bells which make our latter-day
election nights and New Years ewes
sboninable. the "rommel pot served
is purpose. There were many "rommel
pot" songs which the masqueraders sang
IS they moved from house TO house, IN
uting blessings on the heads OF people
shO we're generous 20 them. Similar
customs, we know, were general among
European peoples in the Christmastide.
Another feature was a procession OF
the Three Kings, two Of whom were
dressed in white and one in black with
his face rubbed with SCOT, to represent
Melcbior. the Moor Their companions
in line carried a tall pole bearing a
great star Illuminated by a candle.
Accompanied BY the bolsterous young
sters Of the town, blowing horns, beat
ing drums, playing flies and singing
twelfth Night songs, the Three Kings
and the ever-thirsty star would stop
al the taverns 70 regale themselves
with beer and other drinks as well as
wsfies, fritters and cakes, or enter the
homes Of hospitable friends where the
things to eat and drink, never forget
ting the Twelfth Night Cake.
Reference having been made TO the
singing in the Church Of St Nicholas
when the later New York was still un-
der Dutch rule / am tempted TO add
some remarks on the church music IN
general Of that time. The first Dutch Re
formed Church organization IN America
-. a hp D. 4
settlers had staked out the fort on the
sOuthern end Of the island they erected
horse mill with a second-story de-
slgned for religious purposes. In this
Place the Bible was read and such sing
ng as there was was led by the Krau-
kerbezoecker. The first regular minis
'er came IN 1923 and IN 1888 small
wooden church was built in Pearl st.
MS suficed until Governor kieft built
voc stone church within the fort-the
L-ihureh Of St. Nicholas referred to,
me musical service In this church was
me model Of the services Of all the
descendants Of the original settlers,
nno held 10 their ecclesiastical organl-
-Auon tor a century and a half, If not
more The sermons remained exclu-
sNey Dutch until 1854 whe8, after
Iuea opposition, the younger members
we consistory succeeded in calling
~ Lalohe to preach in English. Two
ms successors preached in both
pPeVsh and English, but at the first
..Inehsn service, and for a long time
hereafter, the Psalms, which were the
y musical portion of the service,
'e sung IN Dutch because the peo-
@ were not familiar with English
ssssiimody. A large contingent of the
eoionists were French Huguenots
nv were also members Of the Re-
b .nea church and the only difference
neseh their service and that Of the
Ten was IN the language employed.
~ musical standard for all was the