With a crowded church and the altars draped in black, with the rest of
the gifted singers on that occasion, will candelabras that were all
burning, with many priests upon the altar, and the other accessories,
the scene was notable. Time never can erase the picture as it comes
back in memory. The wonderful music, in which I took part, with the
rest of the gifted singers on that occasion, will never be forgotten.
Later, as years rolled on and the old singers retired, we had other
artists who were the singers in this choir:
Mrs. Urig, _soprano_
Mrs. Young, _soprano_
Mrs. Taylor, _soprano_
Signora Bianchi, _mezzo-soprano_
Mrs. Herman, _mezzo-soprano_
Mrs. M.R. Blake, _contralto_
Miss Ella Steele, _contralto_
Mr. Buch, _bass_
Mr. Schnable, _bass_
We had also the masses of Lambillotte, the one in D being the most
familiar. There was Peter's Mass in E flat. His smaller masses were
complete. Mercadanti, four-voice mass, also one for three voices; W.A.
Leonard's mass in B flat, four voices; Millard's masses complete;
Farmer's masses, one in G, one in B flat; Schubert's five masses and
vespers, 2d, 3d and 4th; Beethoven's two masses, the one in C being
the most difficult. There was another written in D. Schubert's 2d, 3d
and 4th masses were sung frequently. The grand mass of John Sebastian
Bach, written in B minor, was sung by our choir for the first time in
San Francisco, April 17, 1869. No one who is a singer can be blamed
for being justly proud in rendering this music with the following
artists:
Miss Brandel, _soprano_
Signora Bianchi, _mezzo-soprano_
Mrs. M.R. Blake, _contralto_
Signor Bianchi, _tenor_
F. Shoenstein, _bass_
Only the solemnity of the sanctuary refrained the people from giving
the proper appreciation in applause when we sang this grand mass which
was rendered by this splendid choir and directed by our beloved
organist, the dean of that magnificent instrument (of which we were so
proud) for we were the principal workers in the cause for obtaining
the money for it. We then had the happiness to sing each week and
listen to its beautiful notes. Our happiness was complete.
In 1874, July 5th, we sang for the first time Roeder's heavy mass. We
often sang Concone's three-voice mass, Verdi's mass and Dominus,
Palestrina's Libera, Paolo Giorza, and Regina Coeli. The choir library
was complete with all kinds of masses, small and large. Many of them
we sang. Some of them were very old and written in manuscript. I
remember the professor gave me at rehearsal a celebrated old heavy
German mass (No. H Messe von Rader) in manuscript and my part was the
counter-tenor. Imagine my consternation when he placed it in my hand.
I could always make an alto to any tune, so I just looked at it
blindly and made my harmony as it fitted and did not disturb the
harmony of the music. After rehearsal he came to me and said, "You did
very well at faking, but if you will go up two notes and fall an
octave you will get your part." That was enough for me. On my way home
I bought some music paper and immediately set to work to get the mass
ready for Sunday. This was Tuesday. By Friday the task was complete
and I gave my work to my son George and asked him to look it over and
see if I was all right. There was not a correction to be made, and I
went to mass as proud as could be and sang the service through. After
the service the professor came to my music stand and quietly took my
fine copy and put in into the bookcase and that was the last I ever
saw of my week's work. He said it was very nice of me to make such a
good copy; it would be ready for the next singer who could not sing
the manuscript. While I was disappointed, he was pleased that I had
been clever enough to get out of the trap he had set for me, for he
well knew I had never seen that music before.
Besides a splendid supply of masses, there were vesper services,
Gregorian chants, Ave Marias, Veni Creator, solos, Mozart's Ave
Vernum, requiems from various writers, Stabat Mater by Rossini; Franz
Liszt's O Salutaris; Bach's Tantum Ergo; Salutaris, Carlo Bassini;
contralto solos from Rossini's Solenelle; O Salutaris, Agnus Dei, Quae
Te Christi by Millett; duet soprano and mezzo, Agnus Dei, Geo. Bizet;
Lascia ch'io pianga, Handel; Raff's Cavatina for contralto; Millard's
Ave Marias numbering 7 and No. 1, Salutaris; Mozart's 16th mass.
All these beautiful masses and songs, duets and solos were familiar to
me, and I had opportunity to sing them with the grandest singers of
the day. I also sang many times at St. Mary's Cathedral, California
and Dupont streets, (Bishop Alemany); St. Ignatius, when the college
and church was on Market street, where the Emporium now stands;
Vallejo Street Catholic Church, Mission Dolores, Notre Dame French
Church, Alois Lejeal, organist, Bush street. One special Candlemas Day
the St. Ignatius Church was so crowded I had to be carried by two
strong men who pushed their way through the jam of worshipers. We sang
Mozart's Twelfth Mass that day. The organist was one of the brothers
of the college. I think I sang requiems in every Catholic church in
San Francisco at that time. It seemed to be my share in life to sing
for the dead of all creeds and kinds. If I attempted to give an
account of requiems alone I could publish a book of good size. I have
also taken part in the musical service at the funerals of the great
men of California, like Ralston, Hopkins, Captain Metzger, Thos.
Breeze, J.B. Painter, Colonel Larkin.
In 1874 I lived on Post and Powell streets. Trinity Church was at that
corner and many people who were strangers were taken to the mortuary
chapel. One sad funeral occurred there on June 18, 1887, of Abner
Lincoln Blake, a grandson of Major-General Lincoln of revolutionary
fame. He was ex-deputy of the custom house in Port Townsend and was on
his way to Washington, with papers of importance, to give evidence
against certain men who were in government service. He was followed by
some of their hirelings all the way on his journey and, arriving at
Chicago, he was sand-bagged, but the villains were not quick enough to
get his valise. They were frightened by the appearance of some one
coming, and the victim was taken to the hospital. When the chief of
police discovered who he was he did all he could to save the valuable
evidence and notified the authorities at Washington. Everything was
done to save his life, but he lapsed into unconsciousness for a week
and died. He was brought to San Francisco, where a large family
awaited his coming. It was one of the saddest funerals I ever
witnessed or attempted to sing for. He had been cut down in the prime
of life doing his duty for his country.
After leaving San Francisco in 1886 I sang in the Episcopal church in
San Bernardino, and after eight months of service was engaged the
remainder of the time in the Catholic church, Father Stockman. While
there, I had a full repertoire of masses, old and some new to me. No
matter where one goes, the church must have the best singing, and to
my surprise I found the musical library was filled with masses, many
of which we had in St. Patrick's:
Mozart's 12th, Haydn's 6th in B flat, Mercadanti's three-voice mass,
Haydn's 3d in D, Haydn's 8th mass, Haydn's 16th in B flat, Mozart's
mass in C No. 1, Haydn's in C No 2, Farmer's Mass in G, Mozart's No.
7, Peter's Mass in E flat, Mozart's Vespers in C Dur.
The requiem for Good Friday, April 25th, was sung from the quartette
books used in the choir. We sang Buchler's vespers (the Memoria) and
masses, Borduse mass, Werner's mass, Concone's mass and Gregorian
chants. Before leaving San Bernardino choir for the closing masses,
November 20th, requiem was sung, Father Koenig and Father Stockman
officiating. On December 8th the Second requiem was sung from the
quartette books. On December 22, 1888, we sang Borduse mass for the
last time before returning to San Francisco.
I cannot give any information upon the music of the synagogue,
although I sang six years there. The music is all manuscript and the
cantors of the different schules all have their own services and
nothing else is used, but they are very chary of their services, as
they call them. I believe during my time we had six different ones,
with their accompanying hymns, responses and chants, all in the Hebrew
language. We had high days and holidays, which were very impressive
and solemn, and the music was very beautiful and delightful to sing,
even if we could not understand the meaning of the Hebrew. When the
words of one service had been conquered, the others were easy to
sing--like the Latin in the masses. The Episcopal service, which is as
familiar as all the others to me, has the same Te Deums, hymns and
chants, choruses and quartette, litany and vespers, services, glorias
and sacred cantatas. There is extra music for Christmas festivals and
appropriate music for Lenten seasons and joyful songs for Easter,
processional and recessional hymns written for this service by
well-known men. The orthodox services are not so elaborate--an opening
anthem, hymns, offertories selected from the many available churchly
compositions written by Dudley Buck, Adam, Mason, Ambrose and other
English and American writers of our time and before our time. I have a
wonderfully fine collection of such songs that I have used all these
years and have successfully sung. My sixteen years' service in Calvary
gave me opportunity to collect the best songs to use for the church.
We used the church and home collection, Mosenthal's collection,
Mendelssohn's Hymn of Praise, cantata of O for the Wings of a Dove, Te
Deums by the best composers of sacred songs and anthems, oratorios,
Moses in Egypt, David, Samson, Creation, Elijah, St. Paul, Messiah (by
Handel), Stabat Mater (by Rossini), Daughter of Jarius, God, Thou Art
Great (by L. Spohr), Baumbach collection of sacred music, Easter and
Christmas music written by the well-known writers of the times.
Leaving the sacred work, I have also a grand collection of other works
that I have sung in my musical life--Racine's Athalie, The Erl King's
Daughter (by Miles W. Gade), First Walpurgis Night. Esther formed one
of the epochs of my time, given in Platt's hall, on Montgomery street,
by Mr. William Badger, for the benefit of the Episcopal Sabbath
schools of the city in 1874; Queen, Madam Anna Bishop, soprano; King,
Walter Campbell; Haman, Vernon Lincoln; Haman's wife, Mrs. M.R. Blake,
contralto. The chorus was composed of members of the Handel and Haydn
Society. The old hall was filled to overflowing and the singers at
their best, and certainly success crowned every number. The enthusiasm
of the audience knew no bounds and we were crowned with honors from
the beginning to the end. If ever there was a happy man, it was
William Badger, the piano dealer and Sunday school children's friend.
We were all paid the highest salaries and still the benefit was a
grand financial success for the Sunday schools. Should I attempt to
give all the different amusements and entertainments of every kind
during my life of song, it would require a book of many hundred pages.
It is my intention to speak of the most important musical and dramatic
performances and epochs of my life, as I have had a part in all
these demonstrations and met all kinds of artists. It will in a
measure, I hope, be an incentive for those who are musically inclined
to pursue with energy, enthusiasm and faithful work the delightful
task which music brings to us like other lines of education. You will
find there is no "royal road to learning." The highest attainments can
only be gained by careful, conscientious and intelligent study in the
different departments undertaken. Students must remember, "those who
go slowly go safely, and those who go safely go far."
[Illustration:
Rev. Dr. A.M. Anderson
Stockton, 1852
Rev. Dr. Scudder
San Francisco
Rev. Dr. Eells
San Francisco and Oakland
Rev. Dr. A.L. Stone
San Francisco
The Right Rev. Ingraham Kip
Stockton, Benicia, Santa Cruz
and San Francisco
Rev. John Hemphill
San Francisco
Rev. H.D. Lathrop
San Francisco and Oakland
Rev. Dr. Bellows
San Francisco