Church of the Messiah Sunday Service

“A very large, and as it always is, refined and intellectual congregation, assembled yesterday morning at the Church of the Messiah, corner of Park avenue and Thirty-fourth street. Again, as always is the case, the music was unusually fine. Beginning with an organ voluntary impromptu by E. Howe, Jr., the skilled organist, there was then sung Bonum Est, an anthem for full choir, composed by Mr. Howe, with solos by each of the singers—Mrs. Ficker, soprano; Miss Rushby, alto; Mr. Whiting, tenor; and Mr. Shattck [sic], bass—a most exquisite anthem, and most exquisitely sung. Next in the order of music was ‘Rest in the Lord,’ a duet from Spohr’s ‘Last Judgment,’ sung by Mrs[.] Ficker and Mr. Whiting, and after this a congregational hymn, in the clear ringing melody of the finely toned voices of the throng of fervid, earnest singers, certainly the grandest if not the finest of all…

“Succeeding the sermon was chanted the Lord’s Prayer—a low, soft chant, the sublime whisperings of the soul’s longings uttered in this incomparable prayer—and then a congregational hymn was sung, when a benediction closed the exercises.”