Easter Celebrations in the Town of Pelham Nearly 120 Years Ago in 1897
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Today's residents of Pelham would find the Easter celebration of 1897 remarkably similar to Easter celebration today. Local churches in Pelham hosted multiple services on Easter Sunday, April 18, 1897. Pelhamites decorated their churches with flowers and palms. At the Church of the Redeemer, the Reverend Cornelius Winter Bolton "delivered a stirring and impressive sermon."
The Church of the Redeemer held a special "Children's Festival." According to one account, the festival included a "program of carols and anthems was very creditably rendered by the scholars and each of the latter was presented with a potted plant in bloom and package of seed, as is the annual custom at these exercises." Additional, young students of the Church of the Redeemer's Sunday School were presented medals for recruiting new members and for faithful attendance.
Members of the adult choirs of local churches offered songs and anthems as well, typically to organ music. One account of the choir at the Church of the Redeemer offers a glimpse of the size and makeup of such choirs at the time. It said:
"The choir consisted of Mrs. I. M. Croff, Miss Frieda Schmidt and Mrs. A. G. Burtnett, sopranos; Miss Ida E. Hill, contralto, Mr. Theodore Hill, tenor, and Mr. Fred Beecroft, basso, with Mrs. J. C. Hill as organist. The program was splendidly rendered and the solo parts were especially pleasing."
Similarly, the Easter service adult choir of the Church of the Covenant was described as follows:
"The choir comprises Mrs. A. H. Eyles, Mrs. P. VanderRoest and Miss Emma Berlet, contraltos; Miss Henrietta Logan and Miss Grace Logan, sopranos; Mr. William Hunt and Mr. Walter Clark, tenors; Mr. Edward C. Logan and Mr. Charles F. Kneen, bassos; Miss Ida Berlet, organist."
At the Church of the Covenant, the Reverend F. B. Kellogg, the pastor, "preached an excellent sermon." The entire Easter musical program during the service was as follows:
"Organ Prelude............................................Batiste
The Church of the Redeemer held a special "Children's Festival." According to one account, the festival included a "program of carols and anthems was very creditably rendered by the scholars and each of the latter was presented with a potted plant in bloom and package of seed, as is the annual custom at these exercises." Additional, young students of the Church of the Redeemer's Sunday School were presented medals for recruiting new members and for faithful attendance.
Members of the adult choirs of local churches offered songs and anthems as well, typically to organ music. One account of the choir at the Church of the Redeemer offers a glimpse of the size and makeup of such choirs at the time. It said:
"The choir consisted of Mrs. I. M. Croff, Miss Frieda Schmidt and Mrs. A. G. Burtnett, sopranos; Miss Ida E. Hill, contralto, Mr. Theodore Hill, tenor, and Mr. Fred Beecroft, basso, with Mrs. J. C. Hill as organist. The program was splendidly rendered and the solo parts were especially pleasing."
Similarly, the Easter service adult choir of the Church of the Covenant was described as follows:
"The choir comprises Mrs. A. H. Eyles, Mrs. P. VanderRoest and Miss Emma Berlet, contraltos; Miss Henrietta Logan and Miss Grace Logan, sopranos; Mr. William Hunt and Mr. Walter Clark, tenors; Mr. Edward C. Logan and Mr. Charles F. Kneen, bassos; Miss Ida Berlet, organist."
At the Church of the Covenant, the Reverend F. B. Kellogg, the pastor, "preached an excellent sermon." The entire Easter musical program during the service was as follows:
"Organ Prelude............................................Batiste
Anthem--'Christ hath won the victory.' (J. B. Herbert)
Hymn--'Hail the day that sees Him rise'
Offertory......................................................Mendelssohn
Contralto Solo--'Forever with the Lord,' (Gounod)
Glorias........................................................Shepherd
Anthem--'O Sacred Cavalry'.......................J.B. Herbert
Hymn--'Christ our pattern'"
Those in Pelham who celebrate Easter today would easily recognize Pelham's Easter celebrations on April 18, 1897. Happy Easter, dear Pelham!
Those in Pelham who celebrate Easter today would easily recognize Pelham's Easter celebrations on April 18, 1897. Happy Easter, dear Pelham!
1908 Easter Post Card.
NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.
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The Easter Services.
The interior of the Church of the Redeemer was handsomely decorated with flowers and palms on Sunday and the resulting scene was a beautiful one. Large congregations attended the services during the day. At the morning service the rector, Rev. C. Winter Bolton, was assisted by Deacon Alexander Forbes of Yonkers. Rev. Mr. Bolton delivered a stirring and impressive sermon.
The choir consisted of Mrs. I. M. Croff, Miss Frieda Schmidt and Mrs. A. G. Burtnett, sopranos; Miss Ida E. Hill, contralto, Mr. Theodore Hill, tenor, and Mr. Fred Beecroft, basso, with Mrs. J. C. Hill as organist. The program was splendidly rendered and the solo parts were especially pleasing.
The children's festival, which was participated in by the Sunday School was held at half past three in the afternoon. A program of carols and anthems was very creditably rendered by the scholars and each of the latter was presented with a potted plant in bloom and package of seed, as is the annual custom at these exercises.
Four medals were presented to members of the school as prizes. William J. Evert, Jr., and Arthur Eyles each received a handsome pin in the form of a maltese cross given by Mrs. I. C. Hill for bringing the most new scholars, and Essie McGilliard and Sophie Evert were awarded medals for faithful attendance by the rector.
The election for wardens and vestrymen of the Church of the Redeemer was held at the church on Tuesday morning and resulted in the following being chosen: wardens -- J. Raymond Smith and W. H. Leonard; vestrymen -- William J. Evert, I.C. Hill, Howard Scribner, Reginald Bolton, Samuel E. Lyon, W. H. Sparks, Lincoln Pierce and Harry P. Nichols.
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The service at Church of the Covenant on Sunday afternoon was also particularly appropriate to the Easter-tide. Rev. F. B. Kellogg, the pastor, preached an excellent sermon and an unusually attractive musical program was rendered by a choir of select voices. Owing to popular request, this program which is given below, will be repeated next Sunday at the four o'clock service.
Organ Prelude............................................Batiste
Anthem--'Christ hath won the victory.' (J. B. Herbert)
Hymn--'Hail the day that sees Him rise'
Offertory......................................................Mendelssohn
Contralto Solo--'Forever with the Lord,' (Gounod)
Glorias........................................................Shepherd
Anthem--'O Sacred Cavalry'.......................J.B. Herbert
Hymn--'Christ our pattern'
The choir comprises Mrs. A. H. Eyles, Mrs. P. VanderRoest and Miss Emma Berlet, contraltos; Miss Henrietta Logan and Miss Grace Logan, sopranos; Mr. William Hunt and Mr. Walter Clark, tenors; Mr. Edward C. Logan and Mr. Charles F. Kneen, bassos; Miss Ida Berlet, organist."
Source: PELHAMWOOD AND WOODLAWN -- The Easter Services, The Chronicle [Mt. Vernon, NY], Apr. 23, 1897, p. 3, col. 3.
Labels: 1897, Celebration, Celebrations, Easter, Holiday
posted by Blake A. Bell @ 5:02 AM
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