United Choirs of Trinity Parish

Event Information

Venue(s):
Trinity Chapel [W. 25th St.]

Conductor(s):
A. H. Messiter
Charles Edward Horsley
J. H. Cornell

Event Type:
Choral

Record Information

Status:
Published

Last Updated:
15 October 2025

Performance Date(s) and Time(s)

20 Nov 1873, 8:00 PM

Program Details

See the New York Times review for a full list of participating choirs.

Performers and/or Works Performed

LIST OF PERFORMER(S)/ORGANIZATION(S)

Participants: United Choirs of Trinity

Citations

: Strong, George Templeton. New-York Historical Society. The Diaries of George Templeton Strong, 1863-1869: Musical Excerpts from the MSs, transcribed by Mary Simonson. ed. by Christopher Bruhn., 20 November 1873.

“At Trinity Chapel tonight—a meeting of the choirs of that chapel, St. John’s, St. Paul’s, & Trinity Church, a combination of service & concert. Capital ‘address’ by Morgan Dix on church music & its abuses. Great crowd. Anthem by Tye (1539)—Purcell 1690—Croft 1715—Hayes 1770 & Gilbert (of Trinity Chapel) 1873. This was called a series, ‘intended to illustrate the history of ecclesiastical music’—as if one should illustrate the history of poetical literature by a series of readings from Gower, Taylor the water poet—Sir R. Blackmore & Martin Farquhar Tupper—is indeed from any exclusively Anglican group of verse-makers. Performance was good. Voices near 100.”

Review: New York Sun, 21 November 1873, 1.

“A Union of Musical Talent Last Night – Address by the Rev. Dr. Dix.

The four choirs of Trinity Parish, comprising those of Trinity Church, St. Paul’s Chapel, St. John’s Chapel and Trinity Chapel, united last night in Trinity Chapel, West Twenty-fifth street, sang together and listened to addresses. They had a similar meeting seven years ago.

At 8 o’clock the sound of the processional hymn was heard in the far interior behind the chancel, and soon the long procession made its appearance through the side door. The small boys entered first, then the larger boys, until full-grown and large-chested men walked forth followed by the leader of the choir; then the small boys of the next choir and so on, four choirs, all dress in the white linen cotta over the black worsted cassock. They marched in before the congregation and ascended into the chancel, the clergy bringing up the rear. [Names clergy.]

The next singing was the 118th Psalm, which was a repetition of two musical phrases, without interlude from the beginning to the end. Next the reading of the lesson; then the Magnificat was chanted then the Nicene creed; then a hymn with frequent alleluias.

The rector of Trinity Church addressed the congregation, congratulating them upon the assembled musical force of the parish. He said that in no sphere of music does it suffer more wrong than in the church, where it sometimes seems like an ‘abomination of desolation;’ first, in the mixing of things sacred and secular, which offends a sense of propriety and of the everlasting fitness of things. Ballads and love songs are set to devotional hymns, ‘Jesus, lover of my soul,’ is sung to the tune of ‘When the swallows homeward fly.’ The only explanation for the tolerance and even prevalence of these improprieties is that the masses have not a delicate sense of fitness, and the intelligent are too apathetic to prevent it.

There was also, he said, a lack of congruity in adapting the music to the circumstances. To relate what he had suffered at funerals would be to tell the sorrows of a distressed soul. At the funeral of a young friend whose life had been a sad one the hymn was principally sustained by a single soprano voice, executed with astonishing roulades, trills, and vocal gymnastics. He felt that his friend had been insulted. Church service is too often a melodrama carried on by the choir, and the priest when he can get the chance to do his part. Trinity parish asked for ecclesiastical music. They demanded the banishment of secular music from the sanctuary. Let it be worshipful music from the first notes of the organ preluding the processional hymn to the last faint amen of the recessional.

The cost of sustaining the music in Trinity parish is about $50,000.”

Review: New-York Times, 22 November 1873, 2.

“The united choirs of Trinity Parish met Thursday evening, at the services in Trinity Chapel West Twenty-fifth street. The meeting was the first of the united choirs since 1867, and the occasion of their coming together appeared to be regarded as something in the nature of a musical festival, devoted, of course, solely to sacred composition. At all events, the occasion was extremely interesting, and, as might be readily anticipated, the church was crowded. The choirs present were: Trinity Church under the direction of Mr. A. H. Messiter; St. Paul’s Chapel, under the direction of Mr. J. H. Cornell; St. John’s Chapel, under the direction of Mr. C. E. Horsley, and Trinity Chapel, directed by Mr. W. Gilbert. The service commenced with the processional hymn, ‘Pleasant are Thy Courts Above,’ which was followed by the 118th Psalm. [Lists prayers, readings.] The united choirs next sang the hymn, (the 125th of the Hymnal,) ‘The Strain Upraise of Joy and Praise.’ [Describes address by minster.] He referred to the former union of the choirs in 1867, and to the wish which he then expressed that they might meet every year. That desire had, however, been unfulfilled, and six years and eight months had passed away without any further union until the present. However, he had to renew the hope that this union of the parish choirs might be carried to yearly. There were many good purposes to be served by such assemblages. They promoted unity, and would be sure to serve the interests of church music. Music was the fair daughter of a better sphere, and as she had done much for us, so we should consider what we might do for her. There was a pure spiritual power in music, and it was the only one of the fine arts that could not be used directly by the vile. The other fine arts—painting, sculpture, poetry—they were not always pure. On the contrary, they might be made most potent instruments for evil in the hands of the vicious… But music could not be used in that way. [Goes on in this manner.] [The minister also noted that something] to be apprehended in church music was the glaring incongruity between the music performed and the circumstances under which it is given. If there were any occasion on which church music should be impressive and solemn, it was the burial of the dead. And yet he had witnessed an occasion, at the burial of a dear friend, when that music which should have been given in a solemn and sombre [sic] manner was sung by a single soprano voice with trills, roulades, and vocal gymnastics that he was pained to hear. And the matter which could not be too strongly condemned was the fact that the music at church services should have a plan and purpose, but some of them were mere concerts, with the prayers and offices brough tin by way of accompanist. He remembered, last Easter, having seen a programme of music for church service containing no less than seventeen pieces, no two of them by the same composer, and not the last unity between them. Much of these evils, he believed, would be removed by such unions as that which they then held, and, therefore, he renewed the wish expressed by him in 1867, on a similar occasion, that the union of choirs of Trinity Parish might, in the future, be carried out every year. At the conclusion of Rev. Dr. Dix’s address several anthems were performed, illustrative of the history of ecclesiastical music. The services terminated with the benediction and recessional hymn. The singing of the united choirs throughout the services was eminently satisfactory. They seemed to be in perfect accord and harmony, and the rendering of the fine hymn, ‘The Strain Upraise,’ was especially effective.”