Evening star., 1915-11-14
DR.. Stocking Will Preach the
Sermon at First Congrega-
tionaI This Forenoon.
DR.. BISCHOFF HONORED
AT MEMORIAL MUSICAL
Mixed Quartet Sings Selections of
the Late Composer, and DR..
Newman Lauds Him.

| A varied musical program was the
feature of last nights celebration in
the commemorative services which
conclude today the fiftieth anniversary
celebration of the founding of the
! First Congregational Church
| The service was in the nature of a
tribute to the late DR.. ]. w. Bischof
| for many years organist and choirmas-
1 ter of the church
! An organ recital by William Stans-
field and selections by a vocal quartet
were features of the program, in addi-
| ton to an address, "A Tribute to DR..
| Bischoff,'' by DR.. S. NJ. Newman.
| The quartet, composed of Mrs. B. H
| Smart, Miss Marian Larner. George
| Calvert Bowie and ]. Walter Hum
! phrey, sang the following compositions
of DR.. Bischoff: The Lord Is My
Shepherd" IF God So Clothe the
Grass" Nearer Home" and "In Heav-
enly Love Abiding"
Program for Today.
| Yesterday afternoon there was a
womans meeting at the church, Mrs.
Julia T. Brodflsh presiding, the feature
! of which was a pageant, THE Vision"
conducted by Miss Elsie Hand of
Philadelphia.
| This morning at $50 o'clock there
are to be anniversary exercises by the
Sunday school, followed by the regular
morning service at IL O'Clock, when
| the sermon. There is to be a communion
service at $3.50 o'clock this afternoon,
| conducted by DR.. Newman. Tonight at
| s o'clock there will be a service es-
ia fa6 h,y
Rev. DIR. S. H. Woodrow, former pastor.
| bringing the semi-centennial celebra-
| tion to close.
Tablet to DR.. Bischoff.
In his address upon DR.. Bischoff, the
| blind organist, who served the First
Congregational Church for thirty five
years. DR.. Newman advocated the
| placing of a tablet to the memory of
DR.. Bischoff in the wall of the audi
| torium of the church.
There are several aspectsi of the
work of DIR. Bischom which need men,
tion in any estimate of his genius"
said DR.. Newman Upon coming to
the city he began teaching organ,
piano and voice, and his studio was
crowded with pupils all his life. Per-
hapS his greatest work was in teach
ing voice. for it became known in time
that pupils trained by him had no de-
fects to be overcome in taking later
training under the finest foreign mas
ters. He developed large number of
pupils into singers Of great usefulness
| in church and concert work, not only
in Washington, but elsewhere. In tn S
| way his teaching had great effect in
establishing new musical standards of
the very highest character, at time
when Washington had no powerful
leadership other than his own to bring
| he pf
the community.
"As choir director he was unexceIled
He never suffered inferior music to
| find its way into the services of the
church. The repertoire of the choir
was drawn from the greatest church
music of the world. The oratorios and
other great forms of sacred themes
| were constantly rendered by the choir
under his direction with unfailing
skill In doing this he subjected the
members of his choir to the most rigid
| and exacting drill. His ideal of excel
| lence was lofty one. His choir was
| noted for the fine precision Of all its
work.
An Unrivaled Accompanist.
Perhaps in nothing did the genius Of
DR.. Bischoff appear more fully than in
the peculiar character Of his work in
accompa niment. In this he was never
piano in such an exercise as if his in
| strumental part were the chief feature
of the song which was being sung He
never overwhelmed the singer when
| listeners wished to hear the voice, as many
| accompanies do. He kept the instrument
| in the background. He created by it an
atmosphere in which the voice foated and
nung He shed d light about the song
ip1 r1di ma aal 1.
performance.
| I'VE can readily understand that Dr.
Bischoff was proud of his ability to enter
| into the work of the world in his chosen
profession and make his way successfully
under the handicap of total blindness
| He took deep and sympathetic interest
| in the rise of modern efforts to train the
blind to forms of occupation which would
afford self-support. He felt that it was
| a distinct loss to the world to pauperize
the blind by assuming that they can do
| nothing except beg upon the streets or
| lie about in charitable institution. He
thought that the blind should be treated
as people who do things, and that the
community should set about the task of
finding things for them to do and fitting
them to do such things, Just young
people are fitted by the community in
manual training, business and other yo-
cational schools for entrance into life.
Overcame His Affliction.
| "Dr. Blschoff was an exceedingly serene
man." continued DR.. Newman, in his
tribute His infirmity had made it neces-
sary for him to be careful and well poised
| in his movements, for he rejected con-
stant assistance by the hand or arm of
another in getting about a room or build
ing. Before Washington came to be
thronged upon its streets he would 20
out by himself He was never led to the
organ at the beginning Of church worship,
but went through the aisle, up the wind
ing steps, and round to the front of the
organ with perfect ease, and never made
a mistake in the direction or the number
of the steps.
His slow and steady step, in which
there was no evidence that he was feeling
his way, his perfectly straight and digpi-
fed bearing. his upright head and smil-
ing countenance always helped give char
acter to the beginning of the service