“A very pleasing and unique entertainment was given last evening in Dr. Crosby’s church, Fourth avenue and Twenty-second street, before an audience that crowded the pews to excess and overflowed into the aisles. A number of musical members of the congregation, clad in elegant costumes of ‘ye olden tyme,’ sang very pleasantly a variety of old-fashioned hymns and pieces, and were ably assisted by Mr. Beckett and Miss Beebe. This lady sang Bishop’s ‘Bid me Discourse’ in excellent style, and in response to a rapturous encore gave ‘Home, Sweet Home,’ simply and touchingly. Mr. Beckett introduced a foreign element, in Poniatowsky’s ‘Yeoman’s Wedding Song,’ which seemed out of place, but was dashingly sung and was encored. A word of praise is due to a well-known young precentor for his excellent make-up in the character of an old man. He gave rise to considerable merriment, and sang cleverly, ‘Oft in the Stilly Night’ and ‘Long, Long Ago.’ Two young ladies, most gorgeously attired and with very sweet voices (noticeably the contralto), sang the duet, ‘I know a Bank.’

 

The patches, powdered hair and elegant dresses of the ladies proved exceedingly becoming, and if our grandmothers only looked half so beautiful old-time gallantry meets with ready explanation.

 

The programmes of the concert contained such valuable hints to the audience as these:

 

Those little boses who threw drie pease at ye sounding Borde laste yere, must not doe it anyne, as that are known to ye Deacons.

 

Splinters are requested not to bring their dogges, or if that does, to leave their milk pitchers at hoame, as ye dogge dothe sometimes got his beddle fixed in ye name, and runne aboute to ye greate myrthe of ye younge and light-headed amonge ye Congregation.”