The New York herald., 1920-01-21

Memories of more than thirty years OF
American music were revived yesterday
when several hundred persons of prom
inence in many walks of life assembled
in the forenoon in the Cathedral of st.
John the Divine to pay their last respects
to Mr.. Reginald De Koven, composer of
more than twenty light and grand operas
and musical comedies, who died in Chi
cago last Friday night. The impressive
ness of the ritual Of the Protestant Epis-
copal Church was deepened by the ad-
dition of several instrumental and choral
works of the composer.
The body was placed in vault in
Woodlawn, but later may be buried with
his ancestors in Middletown, Conn.,. where
Mr.. De Koven was born In 1859.
Before the bouy was taken to the cath
edral there was a short service in the
family home. No. 1,o25 Park avenue. Mrs.
De Koven was accompanied to the cathe-
dral by Mr.. and Mrs. H. Kierstede Hud-
son, her son-in-law and daughter; Mr..
and Mrs Walter Farwell, of Chicago,
her brother and sister-in-law, and other
relatives. including Mr.. and Mrs. Louis
b. De Koven. Clarence Seymour Wads-
worth, of Middletown, Conn: Mrs. Doug
las, wife of Canon George William Doug
las, who was one of the officiating
clergymen, and Dyer Hubbard.
At the door of the cathedral the body
was met by the clergy, who, in addition
to Canon Douglas, were Bishop summer
Burch, Canon Jones, Canon Nelson and
Dean Robbins. of the cathedral parish
and the Rsv. L. Briggs Nash. The hon.
orary pallbearers wer Justice Franklin
Chase Hoyt and Messrs. James Lowell
Putnam Horace Smith, Arthur Bodan-
zky and Richard Ordynski, who repre-
sented the Metropolitan Opera Company;
David G. Henderson, Glen MacDonough,
Harry c. Davis, William c. Reick. Henry
Hadley, Albert. Morris Bagby. Richard
Aldrich and William J. Henderson. The
choir, singing the professional hymn
"Hark, Hark! My Sohl.' led the way to
the chancel, where the coffin, covered
with a blanket of white roses and orchids,
was placed amid a wealth of floral offer
ings.
Among the preludes played by DR.,
Myles Farrow, organist of the cathedral.
were Mr.. De Kovens setting of the hymn
abide with Me- and his prelude in c
minor. The anthem was the late COM
poser's setting of Kiplng's "Recessional
starting God of our fathers known of
DID,. the solost in which was Master
Judson House, solo soprano or the choir
of st. Bartholomew Church. When
Bishop Burch had pronounced the bene-
dicton the organist played the first entr
acte from rip Van Winkle," Mr.. De
Kovens last operate work. which has just
been produced in Chicago. 20, Mother
Dear, Jerusalem was the recessional
hymn.
Among those who attended the service
were two of Mr.. De Koven's associates
in his early operate venture in New
York--A DE- Novellis and Hubert Wilke.
The former was conductor of the orchestra
for the Mccall opera Company when
Mr. De Koven showed the manuscript of
his first light opera, THE Begun" to him
in 1887. He later conducted several of
Mr.. De Koven's operas, in which Mr..
Wilke sang.
Others who attended tho service were
Chevalier Edouardo Mario, Edward Ev-
eratt Rice. veteran manager and COM
poser of light operas; Harry Burleigh
writer Of songs; +. III. b. Byrne and
Charles Moran, who were ushers; Mr..
and Mrs. James Speyer. Mr. and Mrs.
Charles 3 Alexander. Mr.. and Mrs. Carl
A. de Gersdorff, karrck Riggs. Mrs.
Richard Aldrich. Mrs. James Russell So
ley. Mrs. Burke Roche. Mrs. l.. Work
Hewitt, Royal Phelps Carroll. Mrs. Fred
erick Pearson. Mrs. William Greer, Nine.
de Weert Mrs. Clinton Gilbert, Mrs.
Francis Carolan, Perry Belmont, the Hon.
and Mrs Alfred Anson, j. NJ. Priaulx.
Mrs. James Lowell Putnam, Miss kath-
crime Steward. Miss Evelyn Rives Smith,
Mrs. Valentine Mott Miss Sophie Lang
don Mott Mr.. and Mrs. John E. Cowdin,
Robert Dunlop and Frederick 5. Whitney.