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Music in the black and white conununities in Petersburg, Virginia, 1865—1900

Norris, Ethel Maureen, Ph.D.

The Ohio State University, 1994

UMI 300 N. Zeeb Rd. Ann Aibor, MI 48106

MUSIC IN THE BLACK AND WHITE COMMUNITIES

IN PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA, 1865-1900

Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for

the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate

School of The Ohio State University

Ethel Maureen Norris, B.M., M.A.

*****

The Ohio State University

1994

Dissertation Committee: Approved by

Martha Maas

Burdette Green Adviser Herbert Livingston School of Music

William T. McDaniel Copyright by Ethel Maureen Norris 1994 IN MEMORY OF MY PARENTS

MRS. MARIE PERRY NORRIS (1913-1988)

AND

DR. GRANVILLE M. NORRIS (1911-1988)

FOR THEIR LOVE, SUPPORT, SACRIFICE, AND FAITH

THAT WILL ALWAYS SUSTAIN ME

11 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Special recognition is due Dr. Susan L. Porter (1941-1993), who

advised this project from its initial stages through September 1993.

I am especially privileged to have benefitted from her astute

scholarship and broad experiences in American music, her ceaseless desire to learn, and her vitality, good humor, and courage.

Ill I would like to express sincere appreciation to Dr. Martha Maas

for the time, effort, and expertise that she gave to help me complete

this project. I am also appreciative of the suggestions made by Dr.

Burdette Green, Dr. Herbert Livingston, and Dr. William T. McDaniel.

Many friends provided me with moral support and encouragement

during the course of this project. For that I am and will always be

deeply grateful. I would like to acknowledge those persons who

provided me with or helped me to locate tangible items that enhanced my research:

Mr. Marshall Bullock, Former Reference Librarian, Petersburg Public Library

Mr. Lucious Edwards, Archivist, Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University

Dr. James H. Ryan, Historian, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Petersburg, Virginia

Ms. Suzanne Savery, Curator of Collections, Petersburg Museums, City of Petersburg

Staff, Petersburg Public Library

This dissertation was completed with the assistance of a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Faculty Graduate Study Program for Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

IV VITA

March 3, 1956 Born - Petersburg, Virginia

1977 ■ • • B. M., East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina

1978 • • • M. A., The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio

1983-1993 Instructor of Music/Assistant Professor of Music, Saint Paul's College, Lawrenceville, Virginia

FIELDS OF STUDY

Major Field: Music

Studies in Music History TABLE OF CONTENTS

DEDICATION ...... ü

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...... ü i

VITA ...... V

LIST OF T A B L E S ...... ix

CHAPTER

I. INTRODUCTION ...... 1

II. HISTORICAL SKETCH OF PETERSBURG ...... 5

Petersburg Before the Civil War ...... 5 Education and Cultural Life in the City .... 8 Musical Life in the C i t y ...... 11 Petersburg During and After the Civil War .... 18 Civil Rights Legislation ...... 22 Educational and Cultural Opportunities in the City ...... 25 Conclusion...... 29 N o t e s ...... 29

III. MUSICAL INSTRUCTION: LAYING THE FOUNDATION ...... 40

Musical Instruction in the White Community: An Overview, 1865-1875 41 Foundations of Musical Instruction in the White Community: 1865-1880 47 Musical Instruction in the White Community: 1880-1900 ...... 50 Musical Instruction in the Black Community: 1865-1900 ...... 57 Conclusion...... 63 N o t e s ...... 64

VI IV. BANDS AND ORCHESTRAS: SERENADES, SOCIAL EVENTS, AND CONCERTS ...... 74

Black Brass and String B a n d s ...... 76 White Bands and O r c h e s t r a s ...... 86 C o n c l u s i o n ...... 98 N o t e s ...... 99

V. PETERSBURG’S CHURCHES: MUSICAL CONTRIBUTIONS ...... 110

Petersburg's White Churches ...... 110 Organs, Organists, and Concerts ...... 113 Choirs and Congregational Singing ...... 124 Petersburg's Black Churches ...... 127 Organs and Organists...... 129 H y m n a l s ...... 132 Concerts and Other Entertainments ...... 134 C o n c l u s i o n ...... 139 N o t e s ...... 140

VI. CONCERTS AND MUSICAL ORGANIZATIONS: 1865-1880 .... 154

The Advent of the Academy of Music ...... 155 The Petersburg Musical Club: A Cultural Catalyst . . 162 The Academy of Music: Construction and First Season 165 The Petersburg Musical Club: The Final Season . . . 174 The Academy of Music: 1872-1880 175 The Mendelssohn Musical Association ...... 180 Performances in the Black Community ...... 184 C o n c l u s i o n ...... 187 N o t e s ...... 188

VII. CONCERTS AND MUSICAL ORGANIZATIONS: 1880-1900 ...... 200

Establishment of the Petersburg Musical Association 202 The Petersburg Musical Association: 1881-1886 .... 207 The Academy c Music: 1880-1886 ...... The PetersLu./ Musical Association: 1886-1891 . The AcaJ ' of Music: 1886-1891 ...... The AcadL^f of Music: 1891-1900 ...... Miscellaneous Musical Entertainments: 1880-1900 Musical Activities in the Black Community . . . Conclusion ......

Vll VIII. THE ANNUAL MUSICAL CONVENTIONS AND MUSIC FESTIVALS OF VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA ...... 271

The Musical Conventions of Virginia and North C a r o l i n a ...... 272 Conventions Delegates ...... 272 The Business of the Conventions...... 276 The Public School Music Issue ...... 279 Other Convention Business ...... 281 The Convention Entertainments ...... 282 The Advent of the Festivals...... 284 The Music Festivals of Virginia and North Carolina . 285 The Inaugural Festival: 1884...... 288 The Second Festival: Signs of Growth ...... 292 Festival Successes: 1886-1890 ...... 296 A Festival Innovation: The Children's Concert . . 301 Responses to the F e s t i v a l s ...... 302 The 1891 Fes t i v a l ...... 304 The "Noltenius Factor"...... 306 Extended Influence of the Festivals ...... 308 Conclusion...... 309 N o t e s ...... 311

IX. CONCLUSION ...... 319

APPENDICES

A. SKETCHES OF SELECTED PETERSBURG MUSICIANS ...... 329

B. PERFORMERS ENGAGED BY THE PETERSBURG MUSICAL ASSOCIATION AND THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC: 1881-1891 335

C. POEM ON THE WALL OF OLD BLANDFORD C H U R C H ...... 345

BIBLIOGRAPHY...... 346

Vlll LIST OF TABLES

TABLE PAGE

1. Petersburg's Churches ...... 112

IX CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Music had an essential part in late nineteenth-century

Petersburg; it had an important place in the city's homes, churches,

concert halls, schools, and public occasions; it was the focus of

attention in certain special events that are a significant part of the

city's history. This study is intended not as a catalogue of the

musical events that took place there, but as an investigation of these

events in the context of contemporary economic, political, and racial

issues, with reference to local music teachers, performers, music amd

instrument dealers, and promoters of music, as well as to musical

artists brought to the city to perform.

The period covered in this study begins with the cessation of

the Civil War and continues through the end of the century.

Musically, this period was an active and diverse one, characterized

notably by the popularity of minstrel shows, the influence of German

immigrants on musical development in America, Patrick Gilmore's Peace

Jubilees and other major festivals, the development of bands by

Gilmore and Sousa, the Gilbert and Sullivan craze, the promotion of

black concert artists, the expansion of American instrument 2

manufacturing, the development of the gospel hymn, and the advent of

recorded sound.

Although some studies of late nineteenth-century Petersburg,

Virginia, refer to musical activities, there has been no serious

investigation of these activities and of what can be learned from them

about the city and its residents. The types of musical activities

evident in Petersburg during this period raise important questions

about the conditions that helped to initiate and sustain them. Who

helped to establish the needed musical foundations, and who provided

the leadership that determined their direction? What were their

sources of financial support and where did they occur? In what social

contexts were they presented and how were they received? Also, what

was the relationship of the musical activities to the economically and

politically precarious conditions that were especially characteristic

of Reconstruction?

While it would be easy to focus on the musical activities of

Petersburg's white citizens, who were financially able to support

major events that attracted considerable attention, and ignore those

of the black citizens, who comprised more than half of the city's

total population following the war, a musical history of the city will

be incomplete if the questions above are not asked about the

activities of both races. The answers will provide insight into

racial interaction suid attitudes towards civil rights issues and allow

a comparison of the musical activities of the two races to be made.

Also, a comparison of the musical activities in Petersburg with 3

national trends emd with activities in the city's geographical region

will help to define the position of Petersburg in nineteenth-century

American music.

Local newspapers are among the primary sources used in this

investigation. Most of these newspapers were owned by politically

conservative white men and contained patronizing reports of blacks.

The Lancet, a black-owned weekly first published in July 1882, was an

important exception because it offset this negative publicity.

Reporters for all these newspapers rarely adhered to the objective

"who, what, why, and when" approach to which we are accustomed today; this editorializing often reveals much about the attitudes of the time and adds to our perception of that era, a perception further enhanced by the often flowery language that illustrates the manner in which everyday rituals were handled and illuminates the flair with which special occasions were treated.

Other primary local sources used include letters, scrapbooks, handwritten memoirs, published autobiographies, city directories, deed books, church records, local histories, and printed programs of concerts and other types of entertainments. To obtain a less biased view of events in Petersburg, a search was also made of out-of-town newspapers. Late nineteenth and early twentieth century biographical dictionaries, histories of music, and histories of musically active cities such as Boston sind Chicago were used to identify many of the now obscure professional artists who were famous when they performed in Petersburg. 4

This study contributes to the history of American music by

tracing the development of musical interests in this vital music

center in times of political amd economic instability, and by

revealing the contributions of Petersburg's black citizens to the musical development of the city. Finally, it demonstrates the

importance of Petersburg to the study of American music history in the nineteenth century. CHAPTER II

HISTORICAL SKETCH OF PETERSBURG

Petersburg, Virginia, although well known to Civil War scholars

and enthusiasts, has a history that predates the Civil War by more

than a century. Located in Southside^ Virginia along the Appomattox

River, Petersburg was established as a town by am act of the colonial

legislature in 1748.

Petersburg Before the Civil War

In 1748 an area close to Petersburg, known as Blandford, also became a town. A prominent landmark in Blandford was a brick church, built by Bristol Parish in 1735-37, which became known as Old

Blandford Church. Another nearby area known as Pocahontas became a town in 1752. Since Pocahontas was across the river from Petersburg, a bridge was erected to reach the new town. In 1779, a petition requesting the incorporation of these three towns, along with em area called Ravenscroft, was signed. A second petition with the same request came later, and, in May 1784, the request was granted. This new town occupied an area of 1.98 square miles.^ There was much growth in the town after 1800, and within the next decade, "tobacco warehouses, mills, stores, and small manufacturing establishments

dominated the economic scene.During the War of 1812, a company

called the Petersburg Volunteers

served under General William Henry Harrison, and helped to win back the Northwest. President Madison, reviewing the Volunteers on their return, referred to Petersburg as "the Cockade City of the Union" and in doing so conferred upon it a soubriquet which has been cherished to this day.*

Disaster struck the city with the great fire of 1815. About

two-thirds of the buildings in town were destroyed, causing damage

estimated at somewhere near three million dollars.^ The area affected

was, at that time, the chief business and residential portion of the town, and the ruin was complete. Not only was the commerce of the town suddenly stopped by the deprivation of places in which to carry on trade, but the homes of its citizens were destroyed, leaving many destitute of the comforts to which they were accustomed.

The town was rebuilt and, in 1816, the annexation of land increased

its size by 1.68 square miles.^ No other considerable expansion of

the city boundaries occurred until more than a century later.

Tobacco continued to be the mainstay of Petersburg's economy.

"By 1820 Petersburg's tobacco factories represented a total capital of

$49,500 and employed 105 persons, men, women and children."® In 1825,

cotton also became a significant factor in the town's economic equation, and by 1838 "the cotton mills in and around Petersburg represented a capital investment of $772,000.® Craftsmen, including silversmiths, bakers, cabinetmakers, euid shoemakers, also thrived in the town. In 1840, the 121 retail stores in the town represented a capital of $1,026,250.*® In the nineteenth century Petersburg's wholesale and commission merchants might have qualified as merchant princes. They carried on a business which extended throughout Southside Virginia into North Carolina, southwestern Virginia, and eastern Tennessee.

Petersburg became a city in 1850, and by 1860 it was the seventh

largest city in the south.^

Antebellum Petersburg had a large free black population, which,

by 1860, was the largest in the state.^ The increase in numbers of

free blacks statewide was partially due to egalitarian sentiments,

generated by the struggle of the colonies for independence from

England, that promoted manumission. The anti-slavery movement was led

by the Quakers and the Methodists^, as well as by a group of young

intellectuals who are credited with

the support in the legislature of the proposition which was enacted into law in May, 1782, bearing the title, "An act to authorize the manumission of slaves."

John H. Russell explains that

The removal in 1782 of restraints upon manumission was like the sudden destruction of a dam before the increasing impetus of a swollen stream. The free negro population in the State at that time— probably less than 3000, but the product of a century and a quarter's growth— was more than doubled in the space of two years. Instances of manumission, often of large numbers of slaves, became frequent. In eight years after the act became effective the number of free colored persons rose from less than 3000 to 12,866. By 1800 the number had increased to 20,000; and according to the census of 1810 it was over 30,000.'»

The large numbers of free blacks were viewed as a source for

concern by whites. Ways of dealing with free blacks included the passage of an act that prohibited the entrance of free blacks into the state^^, and the regulation of the movements of free blacks^. In 8

1806, a law was passed requiring that all slaves manumitted after 1

May of that year

leave the State within twelve months from the time their freedom accrued, or, if under age, from the time they reached their majority.

This act resulted in free blacks owning slaves in order to keep

relatives and friends from being forced to leave the state.Around

1830, an intensive pro-slavery movement began in the state and free blacks were increasingly viewed with hostility. One answer to the

"problem" of large numbers of free blacks was to send them out of the country, thus resulting in the encouragement of efforts by the

American Colonization Society established some years earlier.While several legislative measures were passed to limit activities of free blacks,^ there was no legislation that prohibited the acquisition of property by free blacks.By 1860 in Petersburg, there were 231 free black men cUid women who owned property valued at $142,030.

Educational and Cultural Life in the City

Generally, education of the city's youth was a private matter.

The first attempt at providing education for poor white children was made as a result of a bequest of David Anderson in the amount of ten thousand dollars. The students of the Anderson Seminary, which opened in 1821, "were to be instructed for no longer than three years each in reading, writing, and the common rules of arithmetic."^ Educational opportunities were also provided by schools instituted by the

Petersburg Benevolent Mechanic Association, incorporated in 1826 9

The Petersburg Classical Institute, incorporated in 1838, provided a

liberal arts education.

On the college level, there were two schools for white women,

located next to each other: the Petersburg Female College and the

Southern Female College. Both schools offered programs of musical

instruction (see Chapter 3). The Petersburg Female College,

established in 1854 and chartered in 1856,^ had as its principal Mrs.

F. M. Wright. In 1856, Williams T. Davis became the president of the

Southern Female College, which was chartered by the Confederate

legislature.^

The interest of Petersburg's white citizens in learning is

illustrated by various attempts, beginning as early as 1793,^ to

establish a library. The success of the Petersburg Library

Association, incorporated in 1853, led it to erect Library Hall in

1859.^ During the Civil War, this building, damaged from shelling, was used by Petersburg's white citizens and Confederate soldiers alike.

Educational opportunities for free blacks in the state were provided by beneficial societies. Despite legislation in 1831 to prohibit the education of free blacks, some efforts continued (at least three free blacks taught secretly in Petersburg*^ ).

Cultural life during Petersburg's early history was dominated by the theater. The earliest theatre, in use until 1789,

was one of the earliest theatres in all English America, although neither the exact location nor date of erection is known. Traveling companies of actors performed in Petersburg as 10

early as 1752, if not before, but whether a theatre was available to them is not known.

The second theatre, in which the parents of Edgar Allan Poe

performed, was occupied in 1797. "It was a well planned frame

building erected at a cost of 1,000 pounds under the leadership of

Thomas Wade West."^ Activity in the Petersburg theatre was

profoundly affected by the loss of life in the Richmond theatre fire

of 26 December 1811,^* and the building was in a state of disuse when

it, along with several hundred other buildings, was destroyed during

the great fire of 1815 referred to above.

The third theatre, opened in 1818, was constructed under the

leadership of James H. Caldwell, an English comedian "who became the

foremost figure in the westward expansion of the American theatre."^

The theatre has been described as being

a copy of Covent Garden Theatre in London, with a commodious stage, a large pit, a semi-circle of stalls, and two galleries."

Among the personalities said to have performed there were Junius

Brutus Booth, Edwin Forrest, and Tyrone Power (Power has been credited

with scribbling a poem, which begins "Thou art crumbling to the dust,

old pile," on a wall of Old Blandford Church^). The theatre was also the site of a ball held in honor of Lafayette on 29 October 1824.

This building was destroyed by fire in 1849 or 1850.

Phoenix Hall, which, poetically, "rose from the ashes" of the devastated theatre,opened its doors in September 1854 amd became host to actors such as Edwin Booth before becoming, more or less, a lecture hall and meeting place. More than once the building was put 11

up for auction, at which times it was advertised as a building that

could easily be converted into a steam flour mill or a tobacco

factory.^

Musical Life in the Citv

Musical interests in the city were in evidence at the end of the

eighteenth century: a benefit concert dates from 1795,*'* and two years

later an advertisement for music lessons placed by an R. Shaw,

identified only as "of the THEATRE," informed the public that he

intended "giving LESSONS, on SINGING, HARPSICHORD, GERMAN FLUTE, &c."

Shaw also had a supply of music, "of the latest publications in Europe and America,” German flutes, violin strings, harpsichord and pianoforte wire, and other items that he sold "as cheap as at any store on the continent."**

Some of the musicians who were active in the city wore many hats: T. R, Laurent, for instance, who, in 1818, advertised his intent to settle in the city and begin offering piano, voice and flute lessons, also stated that he had brought with him

an assortment of PIANOS, of Broadwood, Astor and Gieb's, which he will sell at the same price as they sell for at the stores in New York."

Laurent promised to keep a "constant supply" of these instruments, as well as an assortment of songs and piano music. He also offered his services as a piano tuner- On the same day, a J. S. Richardson, "from

London, late of Philadelphia," made known his availability to teach piano, harp, violin, flute and singing, and to tune pianos.*^ 12

Arnaud Préot is remembered primarily for setting the poem on the

wall of Old Blandford Church to music. This song, dedicated "To The

Ladies of Petersburg," was published in 1847 by Miller & Beacham of

Baltimore.Préot, a native of France, lived in the United States,

primarily in Virginia, for almost thirty years, and taught music and

French for an unknown time at the Petersburg Classical Institute. At

the time of his death in 1873, he was in Danville, Virginia.

With at least two of the music teachers identified in the 1850

Census as natives of European countries, Petersburg was following a

typical nineteenth-century pattern. No truly significant movement to

encourage musical interests in Petersburg seems to have been made until the years preceding the Civil War. In 1856, Petersburg was aible to participate briefly in a variation of the convention movement when

A. N. Johnson held what was advertised as a musical convention and grand concert at Mechanics' Hall.** According io the advertisement, this convention was similar

to one he has recently held in the Smithsonian Institute, at Washington; the Maryland Institute, in Baltimore; and in many other cities and towns.

In the advertisement, Johnson invited choir members and others interested in music in order that they might "be enabled in clearly understand[ing] the proper method of Singing as taught by the best

Masters. "** The convention consisted of a morning session and an afternoon session; the concert was held that evening. 13

An organization called the Bellini Society was formed on 30

April 1856 as the result of a lecture given by a Signor Borra,

After having gotten under way, this society, of which the scholars of Signor Borra's class take the most active part, will perform an oratorio for the benefit of the ladies of St. Paul's (Episcopal) congregation, in aiding the purchase of an organ for the new church, now being built.”

A later notice provides details about the organization:

We ask the attention of those of our readers who desire to cultivate a taste for the "art divine," to the objects emd organization of this society and the claims it has on public support. It is an association of persons who possess am elementary or higher knowledge of the principles of music, open to all who will comply with certain easy rules, and consisting of vocalists aind instrumental performers of both sexes. Regular meetings are held under officers chosen by the society, at which choice musical pieces are rehearsed, the highest compositions of sacred and secular authors being chosen, the whole to be for a time under the control of Signor Joseph Borra, a gentleman of wide experience as a teacher, and of singular ability as a musician. That amusement may be combined with instruction, it is proposed that concerts be given by the association as soon as the members are sufficiently advanced— a feature in the programme that should commend the society to our citizens at large, whether members or not.’“

The goal of the society was to raise the musical taste of the city, and its members encouraged participation by

all who desire to cultivate in themselves or their children, the principles of this most beautiful art, or who wish to raise in our city a high standard of taste for music, to come forward and join them. The impression is, we believe, current that the society is intended exclusively for Mr. Borra's pupils, but this is an error; it is designed for all who desire good music in our concert rooms, our parlors or our churches whether musicians themselves or not. For some months Signor Borra will take charge of the exercises of the association until the voices and instruments are so trained and harmonized as to need no longer his tuition, and the eminent success which he has met with during his short stay among us, is am ample guaranty for the success of the society. 14

Borra was in the city until at least November 1856, at which time the

formation of his new class was announced.

Several advertisements for music lessons appeared in 1857. One

of these was placed by a teacher of piano and guitar, Nannie Beckwith,

of a family whose name, as will be seen later, was to be inextricably

linked to musical enterprises in the second half of the nineteenth

century.^ A Mr. Carusi, who was from Washington, but located in

Richmond, advertised his desire to take on no more than ten piano and

singing students in Petersburg.^

Of special interest in 1857 was the existence of a Glee Club

formed by a group of German residents. At the beginning of the year,

a writer for The Daily Express stated that the club had "progressed

with success in the cultivation of a refined musical taste."®* The

leader of the club was identified only as "a musical Professor well

known to the community." In November of that year, the Glee Club

celebrated its first anniversary at their meeting place, located above

Gereche's Saloon on Bollingbrook Street. The announcement of this

event included the statement that

The choicest German authors contribute to their exercises, and are not unfreguently rendered to the full conception of the great idea of music.

According to a review of the anniversary celebration, the room decorations included a frame containing the likenesses of the nine members of the club, with that of the leader, a Professor Polemam, in the center.®* The club was assisted in its program by friends from

Richmond. Following the program, Gereche opened the doors to the 15

dining room and revealed "two tables with delicacies of the season.

Bollinger's Band, about which nothing is yet known, began to play

about one a.m. The Glee Club brought the festivities to a conclusion

about three hours later.

Spring of 1859 brought concern for a lack of local instrumental

musical activity, as documented by the following article from The

Daily Express:

The absence of a thoroughly organized and efficient corps of musicians has been a reproach to our city, which should by all means be remedied by a resolve on the part of the citizens to encourage any effort towards the consummation of such an object. We learn that a company of experienced performers have united together in our city to effect this desideratum, although they have the most disheartening precedents to remind them of the futility of former efforts. One by one, through the bad management of parties on the one hand, and the failure to appreciate the motive by others, on the other hand, musical bands have dissolved and been forgotten, and there now remains nothing to prove that such things ever existed.— However, the movement now about to be made, will we trust be sustained. The corps will consist of some twelve excellent musicians, under the leadership of Mr. Edward Felvia, lately one of the oldest members of the Richmond Armory Band, and partly composed of the following gentlemen— Messrs. Jas. E. Coleman, B. D. Williamson, Jefferson Hudgins, John Hooker, George Williamson, Peyton Talley and Andrew Jackson of this city.”

Of the men involved in this effort, Hudgins, a carpenter by trade, was active with bands in later years and passed this interest along to his son John (See Chapter 4).

One of the music instructors active during this time was Mrs.

William S. Simpson, Jr,^* a member of a family known for its affluence, intelligence, and culture. William S. Simpson, Sr., a native of London who settled in Virginia in 1819, met his future wife,

Mary, on the voyage to America. William, Jr. benefitted from a good 16

education, from the opportunity to travel to England, and from the

company of artists who gathered in his family's home. Both father and

son, who were in the insurance business, engaged in artistic pursuits

and left numerous sketches and paintings of sites in Petersburg;^**

and in later years a daughter of William, Jr., became a notable

musician in the city.

In December 1859, John Hill Hewitt, who became known as a

composer of operetta,identified himself as being from Baltimore and

also "late of the Chesapeake Female College," and advertised his

availability to "receive pupils singly or in classes, on reasonable

t e r m s . The Press encouraged the public to taüce advantage of the

opportunity with the following:

One of England's greatest authors has proclaimed in deathless verse, that "he who hath no music in his soul is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils," and a truer declaration was never made. Had old Ossawattomie [sic] Brown, for instance, ever had the advantage of the acquaintance of our friend Prof. J. H. Hewitt, music teacher of this city, he would never, doubtless, have endangered his neck by his treason at Harper's Ferry. Prof. Hewitt is a gentleman of fine attainments in his vocation, and is prepared to receive pupils either singly or in classes. He is well deserving the patronage of an appreciating public, and we hope that his success will be commensurate with his deserts."

While something more than music lessons would have been required to prevent the Harper's Ferry incident, this passage illustrates the ardent belief that musical study would result in a more civilized demeanor. This passage is also interesting in that the author considers only Brown uncivilized, and not the institution that fired his rage. 17

Petersburg's involvement with music in the 1850s was not

restricted to instruction and performance. The firm of [Pendleton]

Gaines and [Richard] Riches attempted a brief venture in the field of

music publishing in 1854. Among the selections published by the firm

was "The Cockade City Quick-Step," composed by Charlie [Charles] C.

Converse in honor of Mexican Volunteers.®*

Early in 1860, a group of young men formed a glee club which

seems to have been involved only in serenading. On 9 February, The

Press reported that the club had serenaded its offices cind that it

also "favored a number of our citizens with a few of their best airs,

and they no doubt produced a good impression."®® Within days, the same newspaper reported that the club

nightly delights our citizens with their beautiful airs, but we are informed that its members have no regular and complete organization. Had they not better resolve themselves into a club at once. Music is a refining gift to man, and it is always well to cultivate it.

A music teacher who began his activities in Petersburg sometime around 1860 and continued until the early 1870s was Charles L.

Peticolas.®^ (See Chapter 3.) He is identified as organist of

St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Vestry Minutes dating from December

1860, but it is uncertain how long he retained that position.®®

Very little is known of musical activities of Petersburg's black citizens before the war. In 1857, The Daily Express referred to a sacred concert to be given by the Retired Independent Music Society of

Gillfield Baptist Church,®* but to date no information about this society has been found. There is evidence that a black brass band. 18

led by Richard Slaughter, was active at least by December 1859.^

Slaughter continued as a bandleader after the war (see Chapter 4).

Petersburg During and Afjteri the Civil War

Petersburg's economic and geographical importance to the

Confederacy caused it to be a strategic target for Union forces. The

first Union attack on the city came on 9 June 1864, and Petersburg was

a city under siege for the next nine months. One of the most

horrifying events of the war occurred on 30 July 1864 when Union

forces set off an explosion in a tunnel that had been dug under

Confederate lines. The explosion created a crater approximately one

hundred fifty to two hundred feet long, sixty feet wide, and thirty

feet deep. For the Union army, the explosion resulted in 504 dead,

1,881 wounded, and 1,413 missing. The Confederacy lost at least 361,

and had 727 wounded and 403 missing.^ It was not until after

Petersburg fell on 2 April 1865 that the Union army was able to take

Richmond. One week later. General Robert E. Lee surrendered co

General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox.

The political and economic situation in Petersburg was unstable,

at best, after the war. Virginia, along with nine other states,

refused to support the Fourteenth Amendment and, as a result, its

statehood was revoked and it became Military District No. 1. Until

Virginia was readmitted to the Union in January 1870, mayors and city council members were appointed by the District Commander. As a 19

result, the Radical Republican party gained control, and the

Conservatives (made up of Whigs, Democrats, auid some conservative

Republicans) began using every means to take it away from them. After

regaining its statehood, Virginia was "redeemed," i. e. , it was

controlled by conservative whites who wanted to deny rights to blacks.

In Petersburg, however, many city officials were still Radicals.

Some of the black residents of Petersburg who held office

beginning in 1869 were Peter G. Morgan^ and George Fayerman,^^ who were elected to the House of Delegates in 1869; and Joseph P. Evans, who was elected to the State Senate in 1873. Population figures for

1870 and 1880 indicate that blacks comprised slightly more than half the total population of the city.^^ Moreover,

Petersburg's black citizens outvoted their white counterparts in every election between 1S70 and 1874, thanks to their majority among registered voters.

In 1874, the Conservative party used unscrupulous tactics to secure political control of the city. After the Conservatives succeeded in electing W. F. C. Gregory as mayor, charges were brought against them for irregularities in collecting and counting ballots.

As a result, nine election judges were arrested by order of the United

States Attorney General. The violence that erupted after these arrests was reported to President U. S. Grant, who sent United States

Marshall C. P. Ramsdell to the city to maintain order.

During this time, the city also suffered serious economic problems. Accustomed to being a leader in industry, Petersburg now found itself in great debt. In the 1870s, the average debt of the 20

city exceeded that of the South by more than twenty-five dollars per

capita, an amount that was "the highest in Virginia and an immense sum

for such a poor area of the nation.^® The inability of the

Conservatives to reduce the debt and the supposition that the Mayor's

office was corrupt led to a reorganization of city government. A new

city charter approved in 1875 postponed elections to 1876 "and altered

the municipal government along lines favorable to the white

Conservatives.

The state debt led to the division of the Conservative party

into the Funders (conservatives) and the Readjusters (liberals). The

Readjusters, led by General William Mahone, organized themselves as a

third party and began recruiting black supporters. The new party took

control of the General Assembly and Mahone was soon elected as United

States Senator. By the spring of 1882, the party also controlled the

city government.

The Readjusters did not forget their black supporters once they

were elected to office.

All black Virginians were rewarded for their support of the winning team— the Readjuster legislature abolished the poll tauc and the whipping post, allowed blacks to serve on juries, and required equal pay for black teachers.

Readjusters also approved the establishment of two important

institutions for blacks. One of these was an insane asylum, the establishment of which offered blacks with mental illnesses help instead of jail terms. The other was a state college, established as

Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute. 21

It was during this Readjuster period that The Lancet, a black-

owned weekly newspaper, was founded. Its founder and editor was a

nineteen-year-old George Freeman Bragg, Jr., who had been suspended in

1880 from the Theological School established in Petersburg for blacks

because he was not considered to be "humble enough . T h e inaugural

issue of the weekly carried an explanation of its purpose. It read,

in part, as follows:

In all things, we shall strive to be liberal in our views. In nothing but the assertion of a fact shall we ever appear to be, in the slightest degree, dogmatical. All sects aund all colors will find a defender of the right in us, and our columns will ever be filled with that kind of matter which will interest the family circle and spread light among those at home. We shall strive to live up to our motto: "Sworn to no party, of no sect am I; I can't be silent, but I will not lie.

Elsewhere in the same issue, it was stressed that the paper was

designed to be the organ and advocate of the negro, and to assist and advise him in his promotion and elevation. It is not a campaign paper, nor does it mean to array the blacks against the whites, but to promote peace and happiness among both races. While it is the organ of the colored people, it will advocate such principles as are for the common good and interest of all the people; we therefore ask the patronage of both white and colored.

By its sixth issue. The Lancet encouraged blacks to refuse patronage to white businesses that did not advertise in its pages.**

The benefits given blacks by the Readjusters brought about a quick end to the party's control. Conservatives used racial fears to regain political offices, and blacks, who also no longer had the support of Readjusters or Republicans, began to lose ground. Proof of this came in 1884, when James Brady (white) was supported by Mahone, now state Republican party chairman, over Joseph P. Evans (black). 22

Evans ran as an independent. Bradv won the election. Conservative

legislation in the 1880s and 1890s reduced black voting strength, and

no blacks were in the General Assembly after the 1891 elections.

This city that had been so prosperous before the Civil War

suffered many hardships after its close and never recovered its

antebellum economic status. River auid railroad transportation both

deteriorated in the final decades of the century and, in November

1889, fire again struck the city. This fire is referred to as the

"Iron Front Fire" because it destroyed the Iron Front Building,

erected in 1860, which was then the largest building in the city.

Other buildings were also destroyed and the total loss was

approximately five hundred thousand dollars.

The decade of the nineties was particularly harsh for the city's industries. Over the course of the decade, Petersburg's industrial output actually fell 10 per cent, its total wages slumped 8 percent, and its number of establishments grew 40 percent.®'

Economic conditions in postbellum Petersburg were so severe that

one would not expect the city to cultivate the musical arts to any

extent— but it did. The question of how Petersburg managed to do so

under these circumstances will be a central focus of this study.

Civil Rights Legislation

Because Petersburg had a large black population the details of civil rights legislation are especially relevant to this study.

During his term as president, Andrew Johnson supported the Black

Codes, which were attempts by the Confederate states to regulate the 23

legal rights of blacks. These Black Codes were answered by the Civil

Rights Act of 1866, which enforced the Thirteenth Amendment by

defining citizenship and rights of citizenship. According to this

Act,

A citizen was any person not an Indian or of foreign allegiance born in any state or territory, regardless of color. All citizens were to enjoy full and equal protection of all laws and procedures for the protection of persons and property, and be subject to like punishment without regard to former slave status.M

It was, however, the Civil Rights Act of 1875 that

affirmed the equality of all persons in the enjoyment of transportation facilities, in hotels and inns, and in theaters and places of public amusement. Theoretically such businesses, though privately owned and operated, were like public utilities, exercising public functions for the benefit of the public and subject to public regulation. Anyone violating the statute was civilly liable for $500 damages and, on conviction in federal court, subject to a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment for not more than one year.

The need for the Act had been argued since 1870 by Republican Senator

Charles Sumner, of Massachusetts, who opposed the separate but equal doctrine and believed "that compulsory equality would combat prejudice as much as compulsory segregation fostered it."^* Signed into law by

President Grant, this Act became the last civil rights act until

1957.”

The Civil Rights Act of 1875 was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1883 on the basis that the national government was imposing itself on the rights of local governments. According to the decision, the act of a private owner of a theater or inn "might inflict an ordinary civil injury, recognizable by state law, but not 24

slavery or an incident of it.The dissenting opinion of Justice

John Marshall Harlan read as follows:

It may be argued that the managers of such places have noduties to perform with which the public are. in any legal sense, concerned, or with which the public have any right to interfere; and that the exclusion of a black man from a place of public amusement, on account of his race; or denial to him, on that ground, of equal accommodations at such places, violates no legal right for the vindication of which he may invoke the aid of the courts. My answer is, that places of public amusement, within the meaning of the Act of 1875, are such as aure established and maintained under direct license of the law. The authority to establish and maintain them comes from the public. The colored race is a part of that public. The local government granting the license represents them as well as all other races within its jurisdiction. A license from the public, to establish a place of public amusement, imports, in law equality of right, at such places, among all members of that public. This must be so, unless it be— which I deny— that the common municipal government of all the people may, in the exertion of its powers, conferred for the benefit of all, discriminate or authorize discrimination against a particular race, solely because of its former condition of servitude.

Petersburg was not immune to attempts by blacks to test their civil rights, and the white-owned city newspapers were not timid in expressing their discontent. In 1868, for instance. The Petersburg

Index, carried a brief review of a performance by a ventriloquist at

Mechanics' Hall. The following appeared directly beneath the review:

A Negro purchased a full-priced ticket for St. Maur's exhibition last night, eind entered and took a seat in the body of the Hall. He was informed of his error, but it appears the act was intentional, as he claimed such seat as his ticket entitled him to. Officer Richardson, who was present, led him to the door and showed him out. By the promptness of this officer, the audience was saved the humiliation of sitting in company with an intruder.

Only nine days after President Grant signed the Civil Rights Act of

1875 into law, the Petersburg Index and Appeal reported that 25

It is no cause of congratulations to Petersburg that the negro woman— Ella White— who caused the disturbance at the Richmond Theatre on Monday night by availing herself of the privileges of the civil rights law— is a native and until a few years ago a resident of this city. She was the slave of a late citizen who resided on High street, but when freedom came with the close of the war, she gathered u p her "duds" and ran off with a Lieutenant of the Tenth New York regiment of infantry.”

Educational and Cultural Opportunities in the City

The number of schools operating in Petersburg before and after

the war is a clear indication that its citizens valued education. As

might be expected, there were several private schools for white

children, especially those from affluent families. One school that

became part of the city's history was that operated bv Miss Nora

Fontaine Maury Davidson. "Miss Nora" and the students of this girls'

school, known first as The Confederate School and later as Davidson's

Seminary, began a tradition of decorating the graves of the

confederate soldiers who had perished in the Union attack on the city on 9 June 1864; this tribute is thought to have led to the institution of National Decoration Day. now known as Memorial Day.** There were also schools sponsored by churches, such as the St. Paul's Female

School, which opened in 1870 in close proximity to St. Paul's

Episcopal Church.** While these schools were for girls only, there were some private schools that admitted both girls and boys, amd at least one boy's school, McCabe's University School, was opened by

Captain Gordon McCabe in 1865. 26

The Petersburg Female College and the Southern Female College

continued to function after the war. Mrs. F. M. Wright, principal of

the Petersburg Female College, died in 1877 and was succeeded by her

husband; the school closed sometime after 1880.’' The Southern

Female College, which had moved to Danville during the war, returned

to Petersburg with Arthur Kyle Davis, who succeeded his father, as

principal. This school remained opened until 1938.** Petersburg had

no private college for white men.

A report dating from 1865 listing schools for blacks, all but

two of them sponsored by the National Freedmen's Association, the

Pennsylvania Freedmen's Association, or the Baptist Home Mission,

shows a total of thirteen schools, with more than thirteen hundred

students. The report expressed attitudes towards the education of

blacks as follows:

We do not propose to enter at this time into any discussion of the benefits or evils to arise from a general and rudimental instruction of the blacks. The experiment is being made, and we are perfectly willing to await its issue, hoping that the race may show itself susceptible of the highest culture.

A significant figure in the education of blacks was Giles B.

Cooke, formerly a major in the Confederate army. An advertisement

from September 1865 shows that Cooke was at this time a teacher of

mathematics and chemistry at a private school for whites headed by

Mrs. Indiana Pannill.^^ Later, he started a private school for b l a c k s . When the public school system began in 1868 (see below),

Cooke was named principal of Colored School No. 1 on Harrison

Street,^** a school that became a high school the following year.^** 27

Cooke was ordained an Episcopal priest in 1871; October of that vear.

he began serving as principal of the private girls' school, with

primary department and high school, that was affiliated with St.

Stephen's Episcopal Church (black).(Cooke was still in that

position when he became rector of the church in May 1873.^®® The

following month, plans were being made to construct a brick building

in which to house the school.By March 1878, the Normal School

had graduated forty-two students who received teaching positions in

the state's public schools. Also by this time, the school had four

departments and 163 students. The teacher of the highest department

was white, and those of the remaining departments were black.

In 1868, Petersburg began a public school system that provided

separate schools for whites and blacks. By doing this, the city

anticipated the action of the state by two years.In July 1880,

the practice of hiring only white teachers was challenged when a group of black citizens petitioned the school board to hire black teachers for black schools. The petition read, in part, as follows:

We are part and parcel of this city; we bear our part in the financial receipts and expenditures of the city; we have borne and bear our share in the improvements and enlargements of the city. It cannot be denied that we have aided in enhancing the value of this city since 1865. We see no reason why colored teachers should not be employed in our colored public schools. If there are righteous and just reasons, yea, lawful prohibitions why colored teachers should not be employed, please inform us. Colored teachers are in public schools elsewhere in this State; why not have them in this city? All of which we humbly submit for your consideration, trusting in God and the justice of our cause that you will give us a favorable answer, for which we wait patiently. 28

The board resolved that blacks could be used as substitute teachers in

the black schools,

with the view of introducing them as full teachers after they have proven themselves capable of teaching, and as vacancies may hereafter occur in colored schools.

Using a new tactic, black citizens again petitioned the school board

in July 1882. This petition turned the tables on the board by stating

knowledge that

it is not the policy of this State Government to have mixed schools; we do not ask for them. We want the schools, if they are to be kept separate, to be entirely so; if we are to have no mixed schools, we want no mixed schools, we want no mixed teachers.

As a result, black teachers were hired for the following school

term.

The cultural activities in which both white and black citizens

of Petersburg engaged separately included organizing literary

societies that held lectures and debates.^* In 1875, the city was so

fascinated with Spelling Bees that one article printed in the

Petersburg Index and Appeal was titled "The Spelling Mania.

Benevolent associations were also prevalent in the city.^^® The Young

Men's Christian Association was organized for whites in the city in

1875, only to dissolve three years later.In March 1880, it was

reorganized and soon began offering entertainments (see Chapter 7) and

lectures.Sometime after the reorganization of this association, a

Y. M. C. A. was established by blacks.^* This association also held entertainments and lectures; Booker T. Washington was included among the lecturers presented. 29

Conclusion

Petersburg's history shows that, even in periods of hardship,

its citizens valued education and engaged in various cultural

endeavors. Musical activities in antebellum Petersburg indicate the

development of interests in this area, promoted with the aid of

European immigrants. Later musical enterprises were anticipated

during this period, and one can only speculate what course these

interests might have taken if not sidetracked by the war. The recollection of early ventures probably encouraged Petersburg's citizens to renew their efforts.

Notes

1. "Southside Virginia" refers to the area of the state south of the James River.

2. James G. Scott and Edward A. Wyatt, Petersburg's Story: A History (Petersburg, Va.: Titmus Optical Co., 1960), 34.

3. Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg's Story, 50.

4. Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg's Story, 126.

5. A brief account of the fire is in Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg's Story, 57-58. A history of fires in Petersburg that appeared in The Daily Index-Appeal, 6 Dec. 1910 (after what was considered the largest fire since 1889) included the following description of the 1815 event: The scene of the fire was from Old street up Sycamore street as far as Bank street on both sides of the street, down Bollingbrook to nearly the eastern extremity, up Bank street to the foot of High street and from Sycamore street up Old street nearly to the corner of Short Market street. The fire originated in an old wooden stable between Bollingbrook and Lombard streets and in am few hours two-thirds of the buildings of the town were 30

reduced to ashes. Five hundred houses were destroyed and not a dozen substantial business buildings were left standing.

6. The Daily Index-Appeal, 6 Dec. 1910.

7. Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg’s Story, 64.

8. Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg's Story, 77.

9. Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg's Story, 79. The growth of the city, as well as of the state, had not been continuous. Luther P. Jackson, Free Negro Labor and Property Holding in Virginia, 1830-1860 (New York: D. Appleton-Century Co., 1942), 34 explains condition in the state after about 1815 : The depletion of its soil, the emigration of its people, the deflection of its imports to other ports of the country, the decline in its land values, its lack of manufacturers, its backwardness in transportation, and its surplus of slaves were among its economic handicaps. The 1830s witnessed an economic turn around of which Petersburg was an example.

10. Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg's Story, 73.

11. Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg's Story, 73.

12. Lawrence L. Hartzell, "The Exploration of Freedom in Black Petersburg, Virginia, 1865-1902," The Edge of the South: Life in Nineteenth-Century Virginia, ed. Edward L. Ayers and John C. Willis (Charlottesville, Va.: University Press of Virginia, 1991), 134.

13. Luther P. Jackson, Free Negro Labor, 91 gives the following figures for free blacks in Petersburg: 310 in 1790, 1,089 in 1810, 2,032 in 1830, and 3,164 in 1860. (On p. x, Jackson cites 3,244 as the number of free blacks in 1860.) The total population of the city was 18,266. "In 1790 and 1800 Virginia led all the states in number of free Negroes; in 1830 and again in 1860 it held second place" (Jackson, Free Negro Labor, ix). As explained in John H. Russell, The Free Negro in Virginia, 1619-1865 (1913; reprint. New York: Negro Universities Press, 1969), 13-15, the distribution of free blacks was not uniform throughout the state.

14. Russell, Free Negro in Virginia, 57.

15. Russell, Free Negro in Virginia, 59.

16. Russell, Free Negro In Virginia, 61. 31

17. Russell, Free Negro in Virginia, 64. Luther P. Jackson, "Free Negroes of Petersburg, Virginia," The Journal of Negro History XII/3 (July 1927), 371 includes an account of how this law was once bypassed. A free black named Major Elebeck moved to Petersburg from Pennsylvania in 1802. His illegal entrance to the city was somehow not a concern until 1810. In order to keep Elebeck in the state, a petition on his behalf signed by 175 white citizens, including the mayor, was sent to the state legislature. The petition claimed him to be useful to the community and stated that he "had purchased several lots of ground and erected buildings and improvements thereon." The petition was accepted.

18. Russell, Free Negro in Virginia, 64.

19. Russell, Free Negro in Virginia, 70.

20. Free blacks also owned slaves for commercial reasons.

21. Méuiy free blacks in Petersburg moved to Liberia in the 1820s. One of these was Joseph Jenkins Roberts, who settled there permanently in 1829 and later became its first president.

22. Attitudes towards and actions against free blacks are explained in Jackson, Free Negro Labor, 7-33. Legislation included making the education of free blacks unlawful(p. 19), refusing readmittance to the state of free blacks who had left the state to receive an education (p. 20), forbidding free blacks from attending religious meetings (p. 21), and forbidding the possession of firearms (p. 22).

23. Jackson, Free Negro Labor, 31-32.

24. Lucious Edwards, Jr., "Free Black Property Holders in Petersburg, Virginia, 1865-1874" (M. A. thesis, Virginia State College, 1977), 9.

25. Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg's Story, 118.

26. In 1824, skilled craftsmen banded together in anticipation of Lafayette's visit to the city, with the intention of building an arch in his honor. Lafayette arrived sooner than expected and plans were halted, but the group continued to meet and, on 2 February 1826, the Petersburg Benevolent Mechanic Association was incorporated. In addition to its day and night schools, the association had a library and museum. (Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg's Story, 70.) An early history of the association is also found in Edward Pollock, Historical and Industrial Guide to Petersburg, Virginia (1884), 86-88.

27. Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg's Story, 120.

28. Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg's Story, 268. 32

29. Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg's Story, 121.

30. Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg's Story, 122.

31. Jackson, Free Negro Labor, 20n.

32. Edward A. Wyatt, Along Petersburg Streets: Historic Sites and Buildings of Petersburg, Virginia (Richmond, Va. : The Dietz Printing Co., 1943), 7-8.

33. Wyatt, Along Petersburg Streets, 17.

34. Virginias Dabney, Richmond: The Story of a City, rev. and expanded ed. (Charlottesville, Va.: University of Virginia Press, 1990), 90-92. The Richmond fire began during a performance when a lit chandelier came into contact with combustible scenery. Among the seventy-two persons who perished in the fire were Governor George W. Smith amd Benjamin Botts, Aaron Burr's attorney. The day after the fire, a mass meeting was held at the Capitol to pass resolutions and to decide upon a fitting memorial to those who had perished. Among the resolutions passed was one that forbade "public shows and spectacles" for four months. Violators were to be fined $6.66 per hour. Theaters throughout Virginia closed voluntarily for various periods, amd there was a sharp drop in theatergoing all over the nation. The tragedy was widely regarded as a sign from heaven and a punishment for sinful diversions. As a result of this attitude, the decision was made to erect an Episcopal church on the site of the old Richmond theater. The cornerstone for Monumental Episcopal church was laid 1 August 1812, and services were first held there on 4 May 1814.

35. Edward A. Wyatt, "Three Petersburg Theatres," William and Mary Quarterly, 2d ser., XXI (April 1941), 87.

36. Arthur Kyle Davis, "Three Centuries of an Old Virginia Town: The History and Memorials and Charm of Petersburg and the Appomattox," Reprinted from the Magazine of History with Notes and Queries (April 1914), 16.

37. The building had been abandoned in the late 1700s when the congregation relocated to a more central location in Petersburg. In 1901, the building was turned over to the Ladies Memorial Association which was responsible for its restoration. (Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg's Story, 334-35.) The authorship of the poem has been questioned. The Daily Index-Appeal, 24 March 1882 reported that a gentleman in Richmond claimed authorship. In 1885, a man in Oregon wrote to the Daily Index-Appeal to state that his aunt, a Mrs. Elizabeth Schermerhorn, had written it. Daily Index-Appeal, 16 Oct. 1885. 33

38. Phoenix Hall, although a new building with a new name, was considered a continuation of the theatre that it replaced.

39. The building was advertised for auction in the Daily South-Side Democrat, 24 February 1855. According to this, the lower part of the building had been recently occupied as a warehouse, while the upper part was in use as a hall for concerts and exhibitions. It was suggested that the building could be converted into a steam mill, "as it has been built with that object in view." The building was up for auction again in 1859. According to the advertisement in The Daily Express, the building, which had walls 3 1/2 bricks thick, could be converted into a tobacco factory "at slight expense." The building sold for ten thousand dollars to Mr. J. P. Branch of the auctioneer firm in charge. It was Branch's intention to cease using the building for "exhibition engagements" after those already confirmed had ended {The Daily Express, 11 Nov. 1859). Another auction was announced in The Press, 27 March 1860.

40. 0[scar] G. Sonneck, Early Concert-Life In America, 1731-1800 (New York: Musurgia Publishers, 1949), 59.

41. Virginia Gazette & Petersburg Intelligencer, 13 Jan. 1797.

42. The Intelligencer and Petersburg Commercial Advertiser, 5 May 1818.

43. The Intelligencer and Petersburg Commercial Advertiser, 5 May 1818.

44. Original sheet music is located at the Reception Center of Old Blandford Church and at Centre Hill Mansion, both in Petersburg, Va.

45. The Petersburg Index, 21 June 1873. Préot (17 Dec. 1818-19 June 1873) was buried in Blandford Cemetery.

46. The Daily Express, 1 April 1856= Johnson studied with Lowell Mason and taught George F. Root. In the early 1840s, he studied in Europe; but after 1850 he turned against America's dependence on European musical models. In this way, he differed with Mason and others, including John S. Dwight. Johnson began holding musical conventions in 1854. Jacklin Bolton Stopp, "A. N. Johnson, Out of Oblivion," American Music 111/2 (Summer 1985), 152-58.

47. The Daily Express, 1 April 1856.

48. The Daily Express, 1 April 1856.

49. The Daily Express, 30 April 1856.

50. Daily Democrat, 10 June 1856. 34

51. Daily Democrat, 11 Nov. 1856.

52. The Daily Express, 11 Sept. 1857.

53. The Daily Express, 21 Aug. 1857.

54. The Daily Express, 3 Jan. 1857.

55. The Daily Express, 21 Nov. 1857.

56. The Daily Democrat, 25 Nov. 1857. The proper spelling of the name might be "Pohlman."

57. The Daily Democrat, 25 Nov. 1857. The spelling "Gerecke" found here may be an error.

58. The Daily Express, 27 April 1859.

59. According to an advertisement in The Daily Express, 5 Sept. 1859, she would continue to give piano lessons. She taught until at least 1870. The Petersburg Index, 21 Sept. 1870.

60. James H. Bailey, Pictures of the Past: Petersburg Seen by the Simpsons: 1819-1895 (Fort Henry Branch, Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, 1989), i-iii.

61. Deane L. Root, American Popular Stage Music: 1860-1880 (Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press, 1981), 133.

62. The Press, 7 Dec. 1859.

63. The Press, 8 Dec. 1859. In 1856, John Brown led an attack on a pro-slavery settlement on Pottawatomie Creek (Kansas) as retaliation for an attack by pro-slavery adherents on the town of Lawrence. After that, he became known as Osawatomie Brown (or variations of that). The attack on the federal armory at Harper's Ferry occurred 16 October 1859.

64. Sheet music in Picture Collections, Virginia State Library.

65. The Press, 9 Feb. 1860.

66. The Press, 14 Feb. 1860.

67. Peticolas was in the city at least by the time that the 1860 Census was taken. 1860 Census, South Ward, p. 96.

68. St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Vestry Minutes, 12 Dec. 1860, Virginia Historical Society. 35

69. The Daily Express, 2 June 1857.

70. The Press, 2 Dec. 1859.

71. Noah Andre Trudeau, The Last Citadel: Petersburg, Virginia, June 1864-April 1865 (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1991), 127. Edwin S. Redkey, ed., A Grand Army of Black Men: Letters from African- American Soldiers in the Union Army, 1861-1865 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992), 86-88.

72. Peter G. Morgan was born a slave in Nottoway County, Virginia. He purchased his freedom with money saved from his work as a shoemaker. He then purchased family members (his wife, reportedly, cost one thousand dollars) whom he held as slaves until after moving to Petersburg during the war. Morgan, who was self-taught, served in the House of Delegates (1869-71), and on the Petersburg City Council and School Board. (Luther P. Jackson, Negro Office-Holders in Virginia: 1865-1895 [Norfolk, Va.: Guide Quality Press, 1945], 28.) His daughter, Virginia M. Morgan, later Russell, will be referred to in Chapters 3, 6 and 7.

73. Fayerman was born free in Louisiana and moved to Petersburg after the war. He served in the House of Delegates (1869-71) and on the Petersburg City Council (1874-76). Jackson, Negro Office-Holders, 16.

74. Evans was born a slave in Dinwiddie County, Virginia, and purchased his freedom in 1859 at a cost of nine hundred dollars. He moved to Petersburg after the war. He served in the House of Delegates (1871-73) and Senate (1874-75). Jackson, Negro Office-Holders, 14. His son, Christmas Evans, is referred to in Chapter 7.

75. A. A. Taylor, "The Negro in the Reconstruction of Virginia," The Journal of Negro History IfL12 (April 1926), 276.

76. Hartzell, "Exploration of Freedom," 136.

77. At the time of Ramsdell’s death in 1882, he had moved away from Petersburg {Daily Index-Appeal, 18 Sept. 1882). The Lancet, 30 Sept. 1882 described Ramsdell as "a good friend to the colored people."

78. William D. Henderson, Gilded Age City: Politics, Life and Labor in Petersburg, Virginia, 1874-1889 (Lanham, Md.: University Press of America, 1980), 23.

79. Henderson, Gilded Age City, 26.

80. Hartzell, "Exploration of Freedom," 140.

81. Rayford W. Logan and Michael R. Winston, eds., Dictionary of American Negro Biography (New York: W. W. Norton, 1982), 57. 36

82. The Lancet, 1 July 1882.

83. The Lancet, 1 July 1882.

84. The Lancet, 26 Aug. 1882. In the issue from 2 Jan. 1886, Bragg explained that the paper (which appeared as The Virginia Lancet on 12 Sept. 1885) would, from that point on, be "a Christian newspaper devoted primarily to the church (P. E.)." With the 9 Jan. 1886 issue, the name was changed to The Afro-American Churchman. Bragg was ordained a deacon of the Episcopal Church on 12 Jan. 1887 and, in 1888, moved to Norfolk (Logan and Winston, Negro Biography, 57). The Daily Index-Appeal, 12 Jan. 1887 announced thatThe Virginia Lancet would be published and edited by W. W. Evans, son of Joseph P. Evans and member of the House of Delegates for the 1887-88 term.

85. Hartzell, "Exploration of Freedom," 145.

86. The Daily Index-Appeal, 6 Dec. 1910.

87. Hartzell, "Exploration of Freedom," 149.

88. Harold Hyman, "Civil Rights Act of 1866," Encyclopedia of the American Constitution, 4 vols., ed. Leonard W. Levy, et. al. (New York: Macmillan, 1986), I, 281.

89. Leonard W. Levy, "Civil Rights Act of 1875," I, 283.

90. Leonard W. Levy, Civil Rights Act of 1875," I, 283.

91. In order to gain support for the Bill, provisions for similar access to public schools, churches and public cemeteries were deleted. Levy, "Act of 1875," I, 283.

92. Theodore Eisenberg, "Civil Rights Cases," I, 287.

93. Theodore Eisenberg, Civil Rights Legislation: Cases and Materials (Indianapolis: The Michie Co., 1981), 42.

94. The Petersburg Index, 9 May 1868.

95. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 10 March 1875.

96. Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg's Story, 276. For more details, see Chapter 4, note 99.

97. Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg's Story, 274.

98. Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg's Story, 269.

99. Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg's Story, 268. 37

100. The Daily Index, 27 Nov. 1865. The report concluded with the following: We shall watch with interest the progress of the schools, and will be ready at all times to commend and make public whatever good, or to expose and condemn whatever evil, results may arise from their wise or injudicious conduct. Figures corrected upward are given in The Daily Index, 13 Dec. 1865.

101. The Daily Index, 13 Sept. 1865.

102. In [William Henry Johnson], A Bird's Eye View of Happenings in the Life of William Henry Johnson of Petersburg, Virginia (Petersburg, 7a.: Owen Printing Co., 1927), 18, Johnson (black) mentions the private schools he attended, one of which was held in the basement of Gillfield Baptist Church. He explains that as a student in Cooke's private school, he had "Latin Grammar, (Bingham, [sic]) Bingham's Caesar, Fasquelle's French Grammar and French Reader."

103. A list of schools and teachers appeared in The Petersburg Index, 3 Oct. 1868.

104. The school's curriculum included Latin. A report in The Petersburg Index, 15 July 1871 illustrates the attitude of whites towards blacks. A reporter who attended the closing examination of the school observed that the readiest, most accurate and intelligent scholars are frequently coal black. We noticed, for instance, that the best Latin student in Major Cooke's school was a very black girl; and meant to make some reference to it at the time, but did not care to suggest such distinctions of shade among the scholars, or to hurt the feelings of the girl herself. Of course we refer to the relative intelligence of the blacks and mulatoes [sic], only, as shown in the classes where they stand side by side.

105. The Petersburg Index, 20 Sept. 1871.

106. The Petersburg Index, 7 May 1873.

107. The Petersburg Index, 17 June 1873.

108. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 29 March 1878. In 1878, a branch of the Theological Seminary of Virginia for blacks was established at St. Stephen's and became the Bishop Payne Divinity School. The branch was established for the purpose of providing instruction for James S. Russell, who founded Saint Paul's College in 1888. James S. Russell, Adventure in Faith: An Autobiographic Story of St. Paul Normal and Industrial School, Lawrenceville, Virginia (New York: Morehouse Publishing Co., 1936), 16. 38

109. Norfolk's public school system becran orior to the war, but did not provide for blacks until 1870. Richmond began its system in 1869. Taylor, "The Negro in the Reconstruction of Virginia," 390.

110. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 1 July 1880. This group was represented at the 29 June 1880 School Board meeting by H. W. Dickerson (pastor of Third Baptist Church), L. A. Black (pastor of First Baptist Church), J. McFarley (pastor of Oak Street A. M. E. Z. Church), and Spencer Green (officer of First Baptist Church).

111. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 1 July 1880.

112. The Lancet, 15 July 1882.

113. The Lancet, 7 Oct. 1882 proclaimed the opening day of the 1882-83 school year one of the largest openings ever seen before in this city. The parents knew that there would be colored teachers this session, and they manifested their interest in sending their children in large numbers. The report continued by stating that the struggle was not over and that the city needed more schools for black students.

114. The Petersburg Debating Society was revived in 1866 {Petersburg Daily Index, 29 March 1866). The Petersburg Benevolent Thespian Association was reorganized in 1870 {The Petersburg Index, 16 Nov. 1870). In 1874, there were references to the Dramatic Benevolent Association and the Literary Society (Petersburg Index and Appeal, 6 March, 6 amd 11 May 1874). However, these associations do not seem to have been active for long periods of time. All of these are white societies; references to black literary societies, which began to be formed in the late 1870s, may be found in Chapters 6 and 7.

115. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 28 April 1875. The 8 May issue of the same paper included spelling bee rules from the Journal of Education.

116. The first issue of the city newspaper of a new year often included lists of white and black societies. The list in the Daily Index-Appeal, 1 Jan. 1887 includes several white and black Masonic lodges, among other societies.

117. A. M. , The City of Petersburg, Va., 1894: The Book of its Chamber of Commerce (Petersburg, Va.: Geo. W. Engelhardt, 1894), 32. The organization was reported in the Petersburg Index and Appeal, 25 Jan. 1875.

118. A historical sketch appeared in the Daily Index-Appeal, 1 Jan. 1884. 39

119. According to the Daily Index-Appeal, 1 Nov. 1896, the association was preparing for the celebration of its sixth anniversary. There is no indication that the white and black organizations in Petersburg associated with each other. A list of officers of a black Y. M. C. A. appeared in the Petersburg Index-Appeal. 8 July 1881. Evidently, this attempt to organize was unsuccessful. Even though the first black y. M. C. A. in the country dates back to 1853, blacks did not become part of the movement until 1867. The Executive Committee did not become active in establishing black organizations until 1876. William A. Hunton, the first black secretary hired, began working in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1888. Jesse Edward Moorland, "The Young Men's Christian Association Among Negroes," The Journal of Negro History IX/2 (April 1924), 127, 132, and 134.

120. Daily Index-Appeal, 12 Nov. 1896. CHAPTER III

MUSICAL INSTRUCTION: LAYING THE FOUNDATION

White middle-class society in the nineteenth century regarded

musical accomplishment as a desired commodity. This was especially

true for young women, for whom the ability to show some competence in

music, as well as in other areas such as dcuicing, art, and needlework,

was thought necessary to attain appropriate social status and attract

the attention of a suitable marital prospect.

The piano was the primary instrument studied during this period;

its presence in the home represented both social and economic status.

In 1904, music critic James Huneker reflected on the role of piano

lessons in affluent society:

Begun as a pastime, a mere social adjunct of the overfed, music, the heavenly maid, was pressed into unwilling service at the piano, and at times escorted timid youths to the proposing point, or eked out the lethargy of evenings in respectable homes. Girls had to pull the teeth of this artistic monster, the pianoforte, else be accounted frumps without artistic or social ambitions.1

As the nineteenth century progressed, the piano took its place in the

homes of middle-class families; its popularity can be seen in manufacturing statistics: about two thousand five hundred were built

in 1829 and twenty-one thousand in 1860.^ The piano's place as a

standard feature by mid-century is illustrated by the provision for it

40 41

in a floor plan of "a Christian House" included in an 1869 issue of

The American Woman's Home.^ By the 1880s, musical study was beginning

to be approached with more serious intentions.

While most of what is written about the music and its

relationship with the social aims of the expanding middle-class

focuses on the white population, a similar situation existed among

middle-class blacks. Emerging black concert artists became models for

musical excellence. Doris Evans McGinty notes that "while Blacks were

beginning to strive toward literacy, simultaneously they made the

effort to teach and learn music."* In antebellum Washington, D. C.,

for instance, at least two private schools for blacks included music

in their curricula, and one music school (destroyed by fire in 1843)

was founded/" McGinty cites 1869 as the year in which the first music

teacher was hired for the black public schools.*

Musical Instruction in the White Community; An Overview. 1865-1875

Petersburg's Board of Education made minimal efforts to provide

musical instruction in the public schools. Lowell Mason amd others

who promoted the introduction of vocal music into the public school

curriculum achieved success during the late 1830s amd 1840s in cities

such as Boston, New York, Cincinnati, and Baltimore. In the southern

states education was generally reserved for the upper class, amd the

public school movement had not yet gained support; Virginia did not mandate a public school system until 1870 (see Chapter 2). An early 42

example of an attempt to incorporate music in the public schools of

Virginia is found in Lynchburg, where a vocal music teacher was hired

in July 1871; the position was terminated in the spring of 1873.^

The minutes of the Petersburg School Board that could shed light

on the issue of musical instruction in the public schools have been

lost, and the only information available is found in the city

newspapers. In 1870, the closing exercises of the white high school

were made very interesting by the excellent singing of the pupils. Mr. G. A. Minor has been in the employ of the Board for only four weeks giving two lessons a week in each of the schools. In that short time the pupils here have acquired a love for vocal music, and a degree of advancement that is really surprising.®

Nothing about Minor or the length of his association with the schools

has been found. The first indication that there was a movement to

provide musical instruction in the schools dates from June 1872:

We learn that a proposition is under consideration to introduce instruction in the elements of vocal music as part of the curriculum of the public schools, and that it has been favorably received by some of the members of the Board. Provided this instruction caui be given at a moderate outlay, it ought to be added, we think, to the public school course, as a feature of education well calculated to refine and improve the pupil, and likely to be of great service in after life. Music is taught, we believe, in the public schools of most of the Northern States, amd special attention is bestowed upon it in the schools of Europe.*

It was not until May 1873 that the Board of Education made the decision to offer vocal music in the schools and to use a method of an otherwise unidentified Mr. True. True's brother was engaged for a period of two months "to take charge of that branch of education;"*® the regular classroom teachers were expected to continue this area of instruction after his departure. Details about True's activities in the schools cannot be established, but it is known that while he was 43

in the city he instructed the children in the Sunday School of

Washington Street Methodist Church in music (see Chapter 5).^^

(Another example of musical instruction in the churches is found in

the Sunday School of Grace Episcopal Church; in 1875 these students

presented a cantata under the direction of A. B. Chase.There is no

indication that either of these churches pursued any regular musical

instruction for the children of their congregations.)

With few or no opportunities available in the public school for

children to study music, the responsibility fell to private teachers.

Post-Civil War Petersburg was able to boast of having several music

instructors for its white citizens. In addition to music instructors who taught privately, there were musicians affiliated with private schools, including the Petersburg Female College and the Southern

Female College. While some of these instructors came to Petersburg from other locations, many were natives of the city. Most of those who did come from elsewhere were men; those who were Petersburg natives were women, generally from well-to-do families.

Advertisements for some music teachers indicate that they also taught other subjects. Jennie Armistead, for instance, advertised within months after the close of the war that she was offering sessions in music, English and French.^ During this same time, Mrs.

V. F. Doggett advertised that instruction would include "all branches of an English education together with Latin, French and Music.In

1868, John H. Powell, father of pianist and composer John Powell, advertised the reopening of his School for Young Ladies, which offered

"music, drawing, &c., at Professor's charges."^ 44

Many music teachers offered lessons in more than one performance

area. One such teacher was Maggie S. Beckwith who in 1875 offered

instruction in voice, piano, and guitar.^ A truly multifaceted

musician was Charles L. Peticolas, who had begun teaching in

Petersburg by at least 1860 (see Chapter 2). Until the early 1870s,

Peticolas taught voice, piano, organ, violin, and guitar, and involved

himself in other aspects of music by tuning and repairing pianos,

acting as sole agent for Hazelton Pianos in the city^^, and

representing the reed organ agency of Peloubet, Pelton éuid Company.^®

Frank Webbe settled in Petersburg in 1882 to teach piano and violin

after severing his association with illusionist Professor Macallister, who had recently performed in the city's Academy of Music.

Probably the most versatile, although financially unsuccessful, of the musicians in Petersburg was Charles Chaky de Nordendorf. Born

Karl Sauer in 1839, Nordendorf was the son of "a captain in the

Austrian army and a member of the court nobility.During his military training, Nordendorf also studied music. He came to the

United States in 1863, and, after failing to receive a military appointment during the Civil War, began a music career in Danville,

Virginia.^ After the war, he lived in North Carolina amd Lynchburg where he composed, taught music, amd published The Fireside: A

Literary, Musical and Illustrated Southern Magazine.^^ Sometime around 1870, Nordendorf moved to Petersburg, where he published The

Weekly Fireside. Both Nordendorf and the weekly were well received:

Mr. Nordendorf has just settled in this city, and his publication will doubtless meet with a liberal patronage from all who delight in the "concord of sweet sounds," and who does not?% 45

The Weekly Fireside contained biographical sketches of composers,

songs, and piano pieces. Nordendorfs own original compositions were

also included; among these was a song based on the poem written on the

wall of Petersburg's old Blandford Church and inscribed to Mrs.

General Mahone.^

In addition to publishing the weekly, composing, and operating a

"Fancy Dollar Store,Nordendorf taught music. In an advertisement

about the reopening of his school in 1873 he indicates that he is

"prepared to take a limited number of music scholars."2* Even though

Nordendorf, who left the city sometime after 1875, spent much less

time on pedagogical pursuits than on his other ventures, his presence

in Petersburg did help the public to keep abreast of current music and

stimulated musical interests in general.

The number of businesses that included printed music and musical

instruments in their inventories indicates the degree of musical

interest in the city. These businesses were usually bookstores, such

as those owned by E. P. Nash (later by Joseph Van Holt Nash)^\ T. S.

Beckwith, S. H. Semons,and A. H. Wilkins.^ Charles Leonard's

hardware store sold musical instruments from at least 1871 on;^'* also

in 1871, Joseph Carr's store sold violin, banjo, and guitar strings,

along with machine oil, tobacco flavorings, and fresh cod liver oil on draught.^ J. E. Routh & Co. sold music as early as 1865;^^ the next year there were plans to build piano warerooms, but it is not known if they were executed.Even the owners of the Petersburg Daily Index became involved in the music business, advertising that 46

Mr. G. A. Lyon, the Manager of the Index Bindery, is prepared to clean and bind music in the most substantial manner, on reasonable terms. We hope that our lady friends will bear him in mind when they have any of that description of work to put out.W

There seems to have been only one resident piano tuner in the

city immediately after the war; Richard Riches advertised his

availability as early as October 1865,^ and was active through at

least July 1 8 6 7 . Charles Peticolas was tuning pianos by the late

1860s (see above) . Evidently, the scarcity of tuners did not

reflect the need for them; when Peticolas advertised his services in

1871, The Petersburg Index encouraged the public to make good use of

them:

LIKE A LOADED BOMBSHELL, an untuned piano is a dangerous thing to have in a house. We have known more discord produced in a few minutes by incautious performance on either of these engines of destruction than ought to occur in a well regulated family in a lifetime. Few of our readers, perhaps, keep the first mentioned article on hand, but many of them have untuned pianos, and if they would save themselves from "discord dire," let them give heed to the advertisement of our friend Peticolas in to-day's issue.

At least one itinerant tuner helped meet the needs of the city; in

1871, George A. Poythress, a "tuner and repairer of pianos, reed and pipe organs," advertised that he would be in the city for a period of

1& just over a week. 47

Foundations of Musical Instruction in the White Community: 1865-1880

Petersburg was fortunate to have had residents who could be

considered stalwart pillars of musical instruction. Their work

directly influenced more than one generation euid more than one facet

of community life, amd their instruction was not confined to the

studio: the names of these music teachers were also associated with

music in various churches and with musical organizations.

The Petersburg Female College and the Southern Female College

brought to the city well-qualified musicians, some of whom made their

expertise available privately to white residents of the city. The

importance of music in the curricula of these schools reinforces the

observation above that it was a social necessity for young women to

possess some musical ability. The Petersburg Female College, whose faculty included the above-named Peticolas in 1870, hired Frederick

Charles Hahr for its 1871-72 session. An announcement of the school's reopening that year identified Hahr as a "graduate of the University of Upsala [sic], Sweden, and a thoroughly cultivated musician and artist."*® Hahr's own announcement of his arrival, in which he lists himself as a professor of music, modern langruages, drawing and painting, introduces him as follows:

Graduate of the University of Upsala [sic], Sweden, and of the Academies of Music and Fine Arts at Stockholm, respectfully solicits the patronage of the citizens of Petersburg and vicinity, and refers to Mr. Jos. Van Holt Nash, with whom order may belong, and to the following gentlemen: H. Noltenius, Dr. D. W. Lassiter, Dr. M. Scheele de Vere, University of Va; Rev. P. Whitehead, President of Murfreesboro Female College[,] N. C.** 48

The support that was given Hahr is shown in a statement that appeared

in the same issue as the above advertisement. It read:

We call attention to the card of Prof. Hahr in another column. Prof. H. comes among us with the highest recommendations as a teacher of music, and we commend him to the patronage of this community. Those who know the superior qualifications of Mr. H. Noltenius as a musician, will need no higher recommendation of Prof. Hahr.^

By the fall of 1873, Heihr was teaching at both St. Paul's Church

School and the Petersburg Female College, teaching private vocal and

instrumental students, and serving as organist at St. Paul's Church.*^

In the same issue of the Petersburg Index and Appeal in which Hadir

announced when he would resume private lessons for the 1877 session

appeared the statement that

Prof. Hahr is one of the most accomplished musicians in the State, and thoroughly competent to train the voice or give instruction upon the organ or piano.

Hahr extended his teaching to the community by offering a series

of piano recitals, beginning in December 1878.^ These recitals,

which included brief sketches of the composers represented, were given

"to excite a livelier interest in music among our people especially in

instrumental music.The fact that these recitals were held in the

"warerooms" of T. S. Beckwith & Sons' Book Store, whose stock included

printed music and musical instruments, meant that a certain commercial

flavor was added to their musical aspirations. By the spring of 1879,

Hahr began performing his recitals in Richmond.^ These recitals

received attention in the Southern Musical Journal (published in

Savannah, Georgia), which acknowledged that Hahr, who was identified as a citizen of Petersburg, was doing "good work in cultivating a taste in Richmond for a higher order of music."*® The following 49

summer, Hahr resigned from his duties at the college in order that he

iO might spend a year in Germany.

While the city benefitted from the Petersburg Female College's hiring of Hahr, it also benefitted from the education received there by Laura Virginia (Jennie) Major, Major, born in Petersburg in 1838, graduated with honors from the college and then "attended Dr. Hoge's

school in Richmond for two years.She began teaching at the

Petersburg Female College as early as 1867^ and remained there through the 1870-71 term. Her tenure at the Southern Female College began with the 1871-72 term. An announcement for the school indicates that she would be teaching French amd Music, with her niece, Bettie

Jones, as her assistant in music.^ It appears that Major's change in teaching positions was the result of her alma mater's preference for

Hcüir— a mam, and a man who represented European refinement. The success of Major and her niece in developing the music department at the Southern Female College is illustrated by the announcement, made in February 1872, of the addition of a hall and music rooms.

Major's successes at the school gave her a reputation that helped her to create her own music school in the 1880s (see below).

A music teacher who did not receive as many public accolades as those already mentioned was Annie Stallard, a native of Bath, England, who moved to Petersburg around 1851 to live with the family of James

Dunlop, also a native of England/"* Stallard was not affiliated with either one of the female colleges; instead, she taught music lessons at her pupils' homes, possibly because she seems never to have had a home of her own in which to teach. It is not known when she began 50

teaching private lessons; but an advertisement dating from 1865

indicates her intention to "resume her lessons on the piano on the

18th of September to scholars at their houses."^ In 1867, she and

Mrs. M. F. Southall (later, Mrs. Giles B. Cooke) opened a "school in

English, French, Latin and Music.This enterprise was not

continued into a second year and Stallard returned to teaching

students in their homes.^ Stallard advertised for students

throughout most of the 1870s. In the 1880s, her activities included

teaching at St. Stephen's Normal School (see below).

Musical Instruction in the White Community: 1880-1900

Musical activity in the white community was at its height in the

1880s (see Chapters 7 and 8). Musical instruction prior to that decade certainly provided the musicians who enabled this musical expansion to occur, and this increased activity stimulated the interest in musical study. The public schools, however, still had no provision for musical instruction. One of the issues perennially on the agenda at the annual musical conventions initiated by the

Petersburg Musical Association in 1882 was the introduction of vocal music in public schools (see Chapter 8), and at the time of the 1883 convention, an editorial appeared that called for Petersburg to teAe the lead in this movement. The call was not heeded.

The interest in musical study is indicated by the growth in related businesses. Musical instruments could still be purchased at

Leonard's hardware store in the early 1880s, but there were now stores 51

that either expanded or focused entirely on their music trade. Among

the businesses that sold printed music were Wm. L. Zimmer & Co. and

D'Arcy Paul & Co., both bookstores. In 1886, Mitchell & Co. succeeded

Zimmer & Co.,^ and remained a prosperous business into the 1890s. In

1885, Ryland & Lee's sold Steinway and Fischer p i a n o s ; ^ the business

was managed by M. W. Fyne, who seems to have taken it over about 1889;

the stock was sold at a trustee's sale in 1897.^^

T. S. Beckwith & Co. was the most successful business in the

city involved in the music trade. By 1878, it had piano warerooms in

which recitals were given (see above). In 1883, Beckwith's added a

music hall, described

as handsome an apartment of its kind as can be found anywhere. It is 60 feet in length, 22 in width and has a pitch of 17 feet. Numerous windows give ample light on the walls and ceiling with their French grey tints, and set off to excellent advantage a large collection of choice select engravings eind some good oil paintings which depend by invisible wire from a gilt moulding. The circulation library is also located in this room and exposed to view on light and tasteful shelves, and it is Messrs. Beckwith & Co.'s intention to keep it well supplied with the latest publications in all the fields of popular literature."

Just before Christmas 1884, the Daily Index-Appeal tempted the public with the instruments that could be purchased at Beckwith's:

It goes without saying that the Weber piano has stood the test of years and of the most exacting criticism, and to-day it is a prime favorite with cultivated musicians. If you have the means, gentle reader, to present your friend, your sweetheart, your wife or your daughter, with so handsome a Christmas remembramce as a "Weber grand," take our word for it that somebody will rise up and call you blessed.

Despite piano and organ sales, there were just a few tuners available. An H. L. Farmer advertised in 1885 that orders could be left with Zimmer & Co;** no other advertisement has been found. An R.

B. Garland advertised his services once in 1883** and again in 1888.** 52

Charles W. Tosh, identified as having been associated with the factory

of Wm. Knabe & Co.,^ seems to have been the preferred tuner in the

early 1890s; his references included some of the best known musicians

in the city (Noltenius, L. V. Major, and Laura Jones) as well as

Beckwith and Pyne.^

George W. Scott, an organist and baritone, attempted to

encourage musical instruction for young men. At the beginning of

1882, Scott announced his desire

to form a singing class for young men and a class for children, to whom the rudiments of music will be taught. It is a well known fact that many young ladies and gentlemen are deterred from cultivating their voice, because of dislike at their age in beginning with first principles in music. If they learn the rudiments while young, this diffidence will disappear. Hr. Scott will receive emd instruct both boys and girls. His class for young men will be taught at night.”

Of the many music teachers in the city during this period, those

who can be considered true institutions were F. C. Hahr and Laura

Major, both mentioned above. Hahr returned to Petersburg from his

year-long sojourn in Germany and immediately resumed teaching his

students and performing piano recitals at Beckwith's store. Response

to Hahr's return was evidently encouraging enough for him to expand

his efforts. During the summer of 1881, Hahr announced that he was

planning to open a music school, of which he would be principal and

director. According to this announcement, separate classes were to be

held for males and females. The school offered classes in singing and theory, lectures on history, and instrumental and vocal recitals and concerts.^ The Petersburg Index-Appeal announced the following:

We understand that Prof. F. C. Hahr is having an addition built to his residence, on account of his proposed music school, by which he will have a beautiful room of 40 feet by 20, for 53

musical soirees, concerts, etc. At the southern end there will be a platform large enough to hold his grand piano auid other necessary instruments, and the room is expected to seat comfortably an audience of 150 persons.^

According to an advertisement published in the newspaper in the fall,

the school was "after the plan of European Conservatories" and offered

"all branches of vocal and instrumental music, French and German,

Drawing, etc."^

The fruits of Hahr's labors were displayed just before Christmas

when sixty students, of whom twenty were males, attended the school's

"first soiree.The following spring, Hahr presented, on

consecutive nights, a production of Saroni's operetta The Two Sisters and a program of "vocal solos, instrumental solos and duets" performed by all the pupils of the school.According to a statement in a

March 1883 issue of the Daily Index-Appeal, many of Hahr's pupils were

"from distant states.No information was provided on living arrangements for the pupils.

Hahr moved to Richmond sometime during the fall of 1883 and, even though he resigned his position on the P. M. A. board, he did not immediately sever all ties with the city.^* After his move, he became involved in musical concerns on state and national levels. Because of his continuing affiliation with Petersburg, its residents were kept informed of his activities and were also provided with current information about musical issues. For instance, in 1884, the Daily

Index-Appeal reprinted the following article from the Richmond State-.

Mr. Fred. C. Hahr, of this city, contributes an excellent paper in two parts, entitled ' Modern Piano-forte Technics, Æsthetically and Practically Considered,’ to the Keynote, part 3 and 4 of the current volume. The Keynote, edited by Frederic Archer, is one of the most readable musical and dramatic 54

journals in the United States. Mr. Hahr has been invited to discuss with Mr. Sherwood, the eminent pianist of Boston, and others before the Teachers' National [A]ssociation, July 1st, the following subject: 'The Necessity of Accurate Mechanical Powers to the Higher Development of Musical Sense.' The association meets this year in Cleveland.

Hahr evidently stayed on the "cutting edge" of musical issues and,

sometime in 1885, had seen a device called the Technicon, the inventor

of which "claims by its use the muscles brought into play in piano-

playing will be much more rapidly and systematically developed."^®

Hédir,

who during the recent meeting of the national music teachers association in New York has had ample opportunity to examine and test the merits of this invention, was so thoroughly convin[c]ed of its great usefulness that he ordered one to be sent to him, which he will take pleasure in showing and explaining to any of his friends or pupils who may feel éui interest in this subject, at his residence on High Street, any afternoon from 5 to 6 o'clock.

Hahr continued to offer music lessons to pupils in Petersburg

until 1892. Even after these lessons were discontinued, Hahr's

influence endured through the work of some of his numerous former

students. For instance, a statement about the 1891-92 term of the

Southern Female College indicated that "the department of piano music

is again in charge of Miss Bettie Seay and Miss Henrietta Seay, pupils

of Prof. F. Ch. Hahr."®® In 1893, Hahr returned to Beckwith's store

to accompany a program that included many of his songs; these were described as having "a beautyC,] daintiness and depth of feeling not often found in the work of modern composers."®^

Undoubtedly the most durable musical institution in nineteenth- century Petersburg was Laura Major. Major and her niece, Bettie

Jones, who had joined the faculty at the Southern Female College in 55

1871, continued in their positions there in the early 1880s; the

Petersburg Index-Appeal called attention to their expertise as the

college prepared to begin its 1881-82 session:

We have received the catalogue of this College for the last scholastic year, and have especially noted the inducements it offers to those desiring a thorough musical education for their daughters. The music department is under the direction of Miss L. V. Major and Miss A. E. Jones, whose names are a sufficient guarantee of careful training in their special department. The practice rooms have been provided with new pianos during the past year, and are now thoroughly equipped, and the advantage secured to the student will be equal to those offered by any school of music in the State.^

Major continued to teach private lessons while she was employed

by the Southern Female College and St. Paul's Female School. In

September 1882 that her advertisement for private pupils made

reference to a "music school;" by the early 1890s, this enterprise was

called the Petersburg School of Music.^ During the 1882-83 session,

the school offered lessons in piano, organ, guitar, vocal music,

harmony, and sight reading.8* The following year, an advertisement

for the school stated that "All pupils are entitled to instruction in

the SINGING CLASS, in which sight singing and the rudiments of harmony

are taught. Major seems to have left her position at the Southern

Female College after its 1883 commencement; this may be an indication of the growth of her own school, where she was assisted by her nieces,

Bettie Jones and Laura Jones (later Witherspoon).^ The school terms ended with student performances; this one from 1894 is an example:

The final concert of the Petersburg School of Music took place last night. The attendance was large and the applause constant and enthusiastic. There was the same marked excellence of execution in finish and detail as on the preceding evening and with a programme consisting almost entirely of advanced numbers and augmented by the vocal effects of a favorite soloist, the occasion was still more brilliant. Mrs. Myer Saal, the 56

contralto, who as Miss Mamie Myers so long delighted Petersburg audiences, was heard in two numbers— Goethe's famous "Erl-King" set to the equally famous music of Schubert, and Hawley's "Ah, 'tis a Dream." She sang in fine spirit and with good dramatic effect. The overture to "Pique Dame" (Suppe)[sic], for two pianos, which closed the evening, was a brilliant finale to the foregoing numbers, which were well sustained throughout.

The enrollment of the school is implied in a report of a concert in

1895 at which "sixty-five handsome bouquets and baskets of the richest

flowers" were given to the performers.

Major, described as possessing "indomitable energy, a dauntless

ambition and an unselfish consecration to duty,"^ taught well into

the next century.

In June, 1914, at the advanced age of 76, when in her classes were numbered the grandchildren of her early pupils, at the great insistence of her family, after fifty years of continuous service, she consented to retire.

The school continued after her retirement.

An example of the influence of the Petersburg School of Music may be seen in the accomplishments of Laeta Hartley, one of its many students. The following is a biographical sketch of Hartley that appeared in 1903 when she returned to Petersburg after fulfilling performance engagements in Boston for six months:

Miss Laeta Hartley entered the Petersburg School of Music at nine years of age and studied under Miss Laura V. Jones until she was fifteen. She showed remarkable genius from the beginning and won the highest honors of the school. Afterwards she studied one year in New York with Alexander Lambert, who also recognized her great talent. In *99 she entered the New England Conservatory of Music at Boston and graduated in one year, which only one or two have done amd also took every honor, including the Chadwick Sight Playing Medal. She is still studying there under her teacher Carl Stasny, who is most enthusiastic about her, and predicts for her a bright future as a concert pianist. As she has the magnetism, technique and temperament necessary to become a great aurtist. [sic] Miss Hartley is a very hard [sic] student and has an extensive repertoire, including seven piano 57

concertos, which she has memorized and played with orchestras in Boston.^

Hartley taught in Petersburg for a brief period in 1904, but soon left

the city to pursue other performing and teaching opportunities.By

the time she returned to Petersburg in 1914 to perform at the

Y. M. C. A. gymnasium she had added to her credentials study with

Harold Bauer in Paris.^ Hartley's accomplishments were a testimony

to the quality of Major's school and an inspiration to other young

Petersburg music students.

Musical Instruction in the Black Community; 1865-1900

We do not know whether the limited attempts to provide vocal

music instruction in Petersburg's public schools included the black

schools. The following extremely patronizing article appeared at the

end of the first year that Peabody High School was in session** and

indicates that there may have been more music-making in the black

schools than there was in the white:

It seems that they make music a part of their studies and exercises at the Peabody school, and the voices of the scholars are said to have a timbre in 'em and the like of that. We would rejoice to hear singing with timbre in it, but we were not invited to the performance yesterday, though we have been trying mighty near ever since we were born, to get Major Leavenworth to take us up there. We have heard the Jubilee Singers, but they were not so strong on timbre, and unless the Peabodies will give another concert, we are afraid our chance is gone.*

No other reference to a concert at the school has been found.

Little is known about the musical instruction of Petersburg's blacks until the late 1870s. Since there were a number of black brass and string bands active in the 1870s (see Chapter 4), some type of 58

instruction— formal or informal— was obviously available. As might be

expected, the church was a source of some kinds of music learning.

Another way in which blacks learned music is explained by William

Henry Johnson:

In 1665, December, my parents moved to Rome Street. I being then seven years of age. [sic] At that time, and for five years afterwards a regiment of United States Infantry had its camp in what is now termed West End Park. All my leisure time was spent in that camp; in the sutler shop, in the barracks, or on the drill ground. Capt. Fisher was my ideal Capt., as "Polly" was my bass drummer, Sgt. Bigley my band master. I was taught by drummer Whittaker to beat the snare drum, an art which I have never forgotten.

Johnson, who in later life was known as a fine bass singer,

also learned, as did many others, from his home environment:

My mother had an excellent voice, and could sing. My father had a good voice, and could sing some meters and some spirituals very well.*°

Johnson's musical experiences were broadened after he entered Hampton

Institute in 1876.**

My name from my entrance, given me by Casper Titus, was "The Fellow with the Big Voice." My voice made me a factor to be reckoned with in all singing, regular service in church and Sunday School, at Hygea Hotel, Fortress Monroe, and on all and concert occasions. On one occasion, there was to be a concert given on the Eastern Shore. A bass songster was needed. A delegation from the place visited the Institute and asked General Armstrong and Mrs. Mackay to loan us to them for two days and a night, that I might sing with them. Upon my promise that I would uphold Hampton's honor, they consented that I go. It was quite an occasion.

Johnson, who became affiliated with the Petersburg public school

system in 1886, passed along his musical experiences to his students.

Musical instruction was part of the curriculum of the Normal

School associated with St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. One of the teachers at the school was Lucinda Bragg, who at the age of six was 59

taken to Salem, New Jersey by a white missionary who had left Salem to

come to Petersburg "to teach and to help the recently freed

slaves.The missionary sent Lucinda "to the white school as there

were no colored schools at that time and also gave her a good musical

education and returned her home at the age of thirteen.Lucinda

was teaching at the Normal School at least by 1877.^'*^ In a report of

the closing exercises of the school in the summer of 1879, Lucinda,

who by this time had married Edward Peters, "presided over" the

instrumental exercises.^* She also performed a duet with a student,

Mary Wallace.Music awards were presented to Carrie Bragg

(Lucinda's sister), Florence Tyler, Charlotte Warren, Mary Wallace,

and Susan Johnson.In later years, Charlotte Warren and Mary

Wallace (Nelson) served as organists at St. Stephen's Church (see

Chapter 5), and Florence Tyler as the organist at the Normal School's

1885 closing exercises.

Since the Petersburg Public School System refused to hire black

teachers until the 1882-83 session (see Chapter 2), Lucinda was forced

to leave the city in order to advance in her chosen profession; by

1882 she had already spent some time teaching in Danville.^* Her

musical abilities began to receive more attention after she moved to

Harrisonburg in 1883 (now using her maiden name) to become principal of the "colored school.By the spring of 1885, she had composed

"a waltz, a march dedicated to Hon. J. E. O'Hara and several sacred pieces. Later that year she composed a song based on the poem written on the wall of Old Blandford Church.The racial bias of the Petersburg school system had taken away from the city a competent 60

black musician,who might have provided musical instruction for

blacks had she remained.Certainly, however, reports of her

activities were known in Petersburg and must have encouraged the

efforts of its residents.

Reports for all of the closing exercises of the Normal School

are not available. However, the report of the 1881 exercises, during

which six students received music awards, indicates that the music

department was directed by Annie Stallard.^* Stallard, mentioned in

a previous section, seems not to have continued teaching private music

lessons to whites after the 1870s. Her association with St. Stephen's

Normal School might have been an extension of her work as a member of

Grace Episcopal Church^^ and her association with the rector's wife

(the former Mrs. M. F. Southall, with whom Stallard briefly taught,

see above). It is unknown how long Stallard taught at the school, but

by the 1884-85 school year, the music department was directed by the

rector's wife.^^®

Of all the music students at the Normal School, Carrie Bragg was

probably the one who had the most influence on musical instruction of

blacks in the city and, eventually, on the development of the music

department at what is now Virginia State University. The earliest

advertisement found stating Carrie Bragg's "desire to teach music

lessons" appeared in The Lancet in the summer of 1883.^^^ Since there are many missing issues of the weekly, it is possible that she began teaching earlier. In February 1883, Mrs. Fannie M. Colson wrote to her son James: 61

There is quite a musical fever among the girls so Misses K. D. & S. B. Hill, Misses Annie Jordan, Miss Eleanor Parker and Miss F. Colson have formed themselves in a club and are taking music lessons.

Bragg's influence soon extended past the local residents. As

explained by William Ryder, when Bragg was still a senior at Virginia

Normal and Collegiate Institute

she was employed as a member of the faculty to teach music during the 1885-86 school year. The job classification called for a "musical instructor, who shall assist at times when other teachers are sick or absent from any courses, who shall be paid $600. per annum." The Board of Visitors named Bragg "Music Instructor" and approved the contract on September 16, 1885.“ ’

After she graduated in 1886, Bragg became a full-time instructor, with

the title of assistant music teacher and an annual salary of three

hundred dollars.Following the 1887-88 year, during which she held

the position of instructor in vocal and instrumental (piano and organ)

music, she resigned from the institution/^^ Bragg, who married

barber Roger P. Campbell in 1890,^^^ taught piano students well into

the next century.

Little is known about the musical education of some of the other

musical leaders in the black community. Among these leaders was James

R. Jordan, who led the music of the Sunday School at Oak Street

A. M. E. Z. Church and was organist for at least two musical

organizations. As sexton of Market Street Methodist Church from 1866

to 1906, Jordan probably experienced much of what the church, which

had one of the finest organs in the city (see Chapter 5), offered musically.In addition to these experiences, Jordan, as one of

the two "colored assistants" for the Petersburg Musical Association at the Academy, also had the opportunity— albeit from backstage— to hear 62

concerts that blacks could not attend.^* Henry B. Patterson, a

tailor by trade, was organist at Oak Street Church and pianist for the

commencement exercises of the black public schools. Although both of

these men were prominent musicians in the black community (see

Chapters 5 and 7), nothing is known about the instruction they had

received.

The general musical education of Petersburg's black citizens was

enhanced by The Lancet; the weekly made efforts to heighten the

overall cultural awareness of its readers by printing poetry, short

stories, and articles about music; these efforts supported the

weekly's position that "Culture and rare attainments are evidences of

true ladies and gentlemen.Its readers could learn about Chopin's

life^^® and ancient instruments^^; they were also kept informed

about current musical events such as the rivalry between cornetists

Jules Levy and Ada Hewitt, the latest operas of Anton Rubinstein and

Johann Strauss, Jr., and Teresa Carreno's South American tour.^^®

The Lancet also might have influenced Petersburg's black

citizens to buy merchandise necessary to their musical instruction

from its advertisers, for it encouraged blacks not to patronize

businesses that did not advertise in black newspapers. Did blacks

heed the weekly's demands? If so, they probably did not patronize

T. S. Beckwith & Co.; no advertisements for this store— the best

supplied music store in the city— appear in available issues of the weekly. Blacks who followed The Lancet's policy could purchase printed music and instruments from Charles Leonard's hardware store

and Wm. L. Zimmer's bookstore, since the weekly carried advertisements 63

for both of these stores. The Lancet also carried advertisements for

piano manufacturers in New York, New Jersey, amd Chicago, and for

books about music techniques.^* Issues of The Lancet are only

available through 1885; it is not known what businesses advertised

after that time.

Conclusion

The history of musical instruction among whites in late

nineteenth-century Petersburg shows that it was considered an

essential component in the proper training of young women of means.

That some of these young women were allowed to study with serious

intentions of becoming music teachers, church musicians, and concert

artists reflects a changing of attitudes. Laura Major and her nieces,

for instance, represented the changing image of the female music

teacher who no longer taught a limited number of music students in her

father's home. Even though more provisions were made for the

instruction of females than for males, the efforts of Hahr and, to a

much lesser extent, Scott, to concentrate on the musical instruction

of boys and young men are notable. (See Chapter 7 for an account of a

short-lived attempt to instruct young men on orchestral instruments.)

While there were memy more opportunities to study for whites

than for blacks, there were similar circumstances that crossed racial

lines. One similarity is that girls and young women received musical

instruction in greater numbers than boys and young men. Another similarity is that neither race had the convenience of serious musical 64

instruction in the public school system. (More about the lack of

attention to public school music may be found in Chapter 8.) Probably

the most significant similarity was the belief among both races that

musical ability was one way of confirming social status.

Notes

1. James Huneker, "The Eternal Feminine," Vomen in Music: An Anthology of Source Readings from the Middle Ages to the Present, ed. Carol Neuls-Bates (New York; Harper & Row, 1982), 182-83.

2. H. Wiley Hitchcock, Music in the United States: A Historical Introduction (Englewood Cliffs, N. J . : Prentice-Hall, 1969), 67.

3. Craig H. Roell, The Piano in America, 1890-1940 (Chapel Hill, N. C.: The University of North Carolina Press, 1989), 22. The floor plan was designed by Catharine Beecher and Harriet Beecher Stowe.

4. Doris Evans McGinty, "The Black Presence in the Music of Washington, D. C. : 1843-1904," More Than Dancing: Essays on Afro- American Music and Musicians, ed. Irene Jackson (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1985), 84.

5. McGinty, "Black Presence," 84.

6. McGinty, "Black Presence," 90. Public schools for blacks in Washington were required by law in 1862.

7. Lewis P. Hancock, "The History of Public School Music in Virginia" (Ph.D. diss., University of Virginia, 1962), 65. The teacher, John E. Bailey, received a monthly salary of $65.58.

8. The Petersburg Index, 13 July 1870. The Petersburg Index-Appeal, 7 Jan. 1920 reprinted an item from 7 Jan. 1870 in which a reference to singing in schools is made. According to this item, one of the city's public functionaries approached one of the school commissioners upon the subject of introducing "secular" music in the schools, and "mixing" it is [sic] with religious tunes and verses. He said that children who had never been accustomed to singing hymns did not relish them so much as they would if secular music were "mixed in" or words to that effect. He wished to introduce a plan by which the children might be gradually brought to understand and enjoy religious music, and in order to carry out the plan, he said he had composed some verses which he hoped would meet with the approval of the Board of Commissioners, and 65

began to repeat them. The first verse read as follows: "The Lord and Saviour died for Thee. Shoo fly don't bother me." The article then calls the source of the suggestion a "blockhead" and identifies him as "a prominent Radical Scalawag." It concludes with further truculent political comments.

9. The Petersburg Index, 1 June 1872.

10. The Petersburg Index, 10 May 1873.

11. The Petersburg Index, 31 May 1873.

12. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 15 Dec. 1875.

13. The Daily Index, 19 Sept. 1865. Fees for a session of five months were twenty dollars for English, ten dollars for French, and twenty- five dollars for music.

14. The Daily Index, 4 Nov. 1865. According to this advertisement, Doggett had "closed a large and flourishing School in Ringwood, N. C., in order to return to her home."

15. The Petersburg Index, 4 Aug. 1868. Powell and his family are included as residents of Petersburg in the 1870 Census (4th Ward, p. 86). According to records from St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Powell's name was removed from the list of communicants in September 1871 (Parish Register, 1856-1875).

16. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 10 Sept. 1875. In her memoirs, Beckwith recalled the arrival of a Marlbourne piauio, which was a gift from her grandfather. She considered the event as the "turning point" in her life and wrote about seeing "the excitedly expected wagon, with its precious load coming down the front lane." She continued as follows: Father and mother were as deeply interested as I— my playing or so-called practicing was never interfered with. I caught by ear any-thing I heard— that was precious little— & played it right off. A pernicious habit— tho' it was not considered so then. Margaret Stanly Beckwith, Reminiscences, 1844-1865 (written in 1919), pp. 13-14; Manuscripts; Virginia Historical Society.

17. The Petersburg Index, 7 March 1867.

18. The Petersburg Index, 1 April 1870.

19. Daily Index-Appeal, 25 Jan. 1882.

20. Alvin L. Hall, "Charles Chaky de Nordendorf, Soldier-Songster of the Confederacy," Virginia Cavalcade (Summer 1974), 42.

21. Hall, "Nordendorf," 43. 66

22. Hall, "Nordendorf," 47.

23. The Daily Courier, 13 Mar. 1871.

24. The Petersburg Index, 18 June 1872.

25. The Petersburg Index, 17 Dec. 1872.

26. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 12 Sept. 1873.

27. W. Eugene Fers lew, comp.. Second Annual Directory of Petersburg, 1860 (Petersburg: George E. Ford, 1860), 104 lists E. P. Nash & Co.

28. Semons seems to have been in business only in 1865. According to an advertisement in The Daily Index, 27 July 1865, the store sold violins, guitars, banjos, tambourines, instruments strings, along with books and stationery. No notice of the store has been found after its advertisement in The Daily Index, 23 Dec. 1865.

29. Wilkins' store seems to have opened in the summer of 1865 {The Daily Index, 4 July 1865). No advertisement for it has been found after September 1865.

30. The Petersburg Index, 13 Dec. 1871.

31. The Petersburg Index, 1 Sept. 1871.

32. The Daily Index, 13 Sept. 1865.

33. The Petersburg Index, 4 April 1866. The term "wareroom" and not "showroom" was used by Petersburg businesses during the late nineteenth century.

34. Petersburg Daily Index, 3 April 1866.

35. The Daily Index, 28 Oct. 1865.

36. The Petersburg Index, 8 July 1867.

37. The Petersburg Index, 14 Sept. 1868.

38. The Petersburg Index, 20 March 1871.

39. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 21 Nov. 1871.

40. The Petersburg Index, 4 Sept. 1871.

41. The Petersburg Index, 11 Sept. 1871. Both Noltenius and Lassiter were Petersburg residents. The weight that the name Noltenius carried in the musical circles of Petersburg will become apparent in Chapter 5. Lassiter was a physician. Reference to Hahr as a painter was made in the Petersburg Index and Appeal, 13 May 1875; his oil painting of 67

Old Blandford Church in the city was being sent to Europe. It was described as "an admirable piece of art, true in every respect, auid most delicate and correct in coloring." Before being shipped, the painting was on display at Beckwith & Co.'s book store.

42. The Petersburg Index, 11 Sept. 1871.

43. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 2 Sept. 1873.

44. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 27 Aug. 1877.

45. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 2 Dec. 1878.

46. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 5 Dec. 1878.

47. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 13 March 1879.

48. Reprinted in the Petersburg Index-Appeal, 15 Apr. 1879.

49. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 27 Aug. 1879. This article also announced that, on Hahr's recommendation, E[rnest] A. Ambold had been secured to replace Hahr. The Daily Index, 20 Feb. 1866 identified Ambold as music director of the Richmond Philharmonic Association.

50. The Petersburg Index-Appeal, 17 July 1919.

51. She is included in a list of the school's faculty found in The Petersburg Index, 19 Feb. 1867. The other music instructor listed was Professor [J. Fred.] Wulff. Wulff, a native of Germany, had taught at the school since at least 1854. Daily South-Side Democrat, 8 Sept. 1854.

52. The Petersburg Index, 8 Sept. 1871.

53. The Petersburg Index, 13 Feb. 1872.

54. The Daily Index-Appeal, 16 June 1908.

55. The Daily Index, 13 Sept. 1865. The fee was six dollars per month, "payable monthly in currency."

56. The Petersburg Index, 1 Oct. 1867.

57. The Petersburg Index, 27 Aug. 1868.

58. A letter written by Joseph Watson, a newcomer to the city, in the "People's Column" of The Daily Index-Appeal, 5 June 1900, once again brought up the issue of vocal instruction in the public schools. A report of a committee on teachers and text books made in 1906 indicated that initiating a program of vocal music would not be "advisable" at that time. The article in which this report wais made public indicated that such a program had been available in Norfolk and 68

Lynchburg for ten years, and in Newport News for three years. Richmond was reported to have a program with a supervisor and two assistants.

59. Daily Index-Appeal, 22 March 1886.

60. Daily Index-Appeal, 8 May 1885.

61. Daily Index-Appeal, 27 Jan. 1897.

62. Daily Index-Appeal, 20 Aug. 1883.

63. Daily Index-Appeal, 8 Dec. 1884.

64. Daily Index-Appeal, 26 Jan. 1885.

65. Daily Index-Appeal, 6 Jan. 1883.

66. Daily Index-Appeal, 7 Jan. 1888.

67. Daily Index-Appeal, 13 Sept. 1890.

68. Daily Index-Appeal, 24 Nov. 1890.

69. Daily Index-Appeal, 4 Jan. 1882.

70. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 25 Jul. 1881.

71. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 11 Aug. 1881.

72. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 4 Oct. 1881. No mention is made of other teachers.

73. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 23 Dec. 1881.

74. Daily Index-Appeal, 14 April 1882.

75. Daily Index-Appeal, 1 March 1883.

76. Petersburg Musical Association Records, 20 Sept. 1883; Centre Hill Mansion, Petersburg, Va.

77. Daily Index-Appeal, 19 June 1884. According to F. 0. Jones, ed. , A Handbook of American Music and Musicians (1886; reprint. New York: Da Capo Press, 1971), 82, The Keynote was a weekly publication established in 1883. Archer performed during the Music Festival held in Petersburg in May 1884.

78. Daily Index-Appeal, 20 July 1885.

79. Daily Index-Appeal, 20 July 1885. This is a reference to his Petersburg residence. 69

80. Daily Index-Appeal, 13 Aug. 1891.

81. Daily Index-Appeal, 29 June 1893.

82. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 9 Aug. 1881.

83. According to Major's obituary, she founded the Petersburg School of Music in 1885 {The Daily Index-Appeal, 17 July 1919). Though that name does not seem to have been used until later.

84. Daily Index-Appeal, 12 Sept. 1882.

85. Daily Index-Appeal, 10 Sept. 1883.

86. Laura Jones was an 1877 graduate of the Southern Female College and a student of distinction in the college's School of Music. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 21 June 1877.

87. Daily Index-Appeal, 1 June 1894.

88. Daily Index-Appeal, 30 May 1895.

89. The Daily Index-Appeal, 17 July 1919.

90. The Daily Index-Appeal, 17 July 1919.

91. The Daily Index-Appeal, 22 March 1903.

92. The announcement that Hartley would "instruct a limited number of pupils in the art of piano playing" appeared in The Daily Index- Appeal, 7 Sept. 1904. The 30 Sept. issue of the same newspaper indicates that she would leave the next day to begin a teaching position at Rawlings' Institute in Charlottesville, Virginia.

93. The Daily Index-Appeal, 3 Dec. 1916.

94. Peabody High School, built at a cost of $18,270, was dedicated on 7 May 1874. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 8 May 1874.

95. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 25 June 1875. This might be a reference to performances given at Union Street C. M. E. Church and the Academy of Music in March 1875 by a group called the Jubilee Singers of New Orleans. The concerts at the Academy were presented by the Executive Committee of the Petersburg Female Orphan Asylum for the Asylum's benefit, Petersburg Index and Appeal, 29, 30, and 31 March 1875.

96. [William Henry Johnson], A Bird's Eye View of Happenings in the Life of William Henry Johnson of Petersburg, Virginia (Petersburg, Va.: Owen Printing Co., 1927), 8-9. 70

97. [Johnson], Bird's Eye View, 37 wrote that, until the age of sixteen, he possessed what was termed a fine tenor voice. At that age I went to my trade in Richmond, Va., and within the first week of my stay there my voice changed to a deep rumble. When I returned home at the end of my second week, all thought that I was the victim of a severe, a dangerous cold, and fears were entertained for my health. I soon convinced my hearers that I was all right. Since that time our music has been in bass. In the beginning of my "bassness" I was ashamed to talk in the presence o[f] females, but I found later that young people really admired the voice, and felt all right, really glorified in it. It has been a source of genuine pleasure to me to use it in service.

98. [Johnson], Bird's Eye View, 37.

99. Johnson graduated in June 1878, aund was an active participant in the graduation exercises. Southern Workman, VII/6 (June 1878), 46.

100. [Johnson], Bird’s Eye View, 21. Armstrong was the principal of Hampton. Mackay was the woman who examined Johnson upon his entrance to the school. In this same source. .Johnson recalls that soon after graduating from Hampton in 1878, he was asked by a fellow Hampton graduate to help form a quartette to sing at a hotel. Watch Hill House, in Rhode Island. While his mother consented to this, she did not, a few years later, consent to his accepting an invitation from Orpheus McAdoo, another Hampton graduate and leader of a group of singers touring Europe, to return with him to Europe, (p. 39) In 1886 McAdoo (1858-1900), an 1876 Hampton graduate, joined Frederic Loudin's Fisk Jubilee Singers, who were on tour from 1886 to 1889. In 1889 with other former Hampton students he formed the Virginia Jubilee Singers, who were on a worldwide tour for the next decade. By 1897 McAdoo had two companies, and in 1899 he leased the Palace Theater in Sydney, Australia. Eileen Southern, Biographical Dictionary of Afro-American and African Musicians (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1982), 255.

101. Carrie Bragg, An accurate, early History of St. Stephen's Church, p. 4, Henry Clay Phillips Papers, no accession number; Archives, Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University.

102. Bragg, St. Stephen's History, pp. 5-6.

103. She is listed as a teacher in a report of the closing exercises. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 6 July 1877.

104. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 26 June 1879. She married Peters, who worked as a butler, on 20 November 1878. Register of Marriages, Bk. 1: 1854-1890, p. 93, license no. 25; City Clerk's Office, Petersburg, Va.

105. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 27 June 1879. The title of the duet was "Hungarian Waltz." No composer's name was given. 71

106. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 30 June 1879.

107. The Lancet, 20 June 1885.

108. The Lancet, 1 July 1882. The following year, she taught in Ashlauid. The Lancet, 31 March 1883.

109. The Lancet, 15 Sept. 1883 identifies her as principal of the colored school in Harrisonburg. According to Hampton Institute's Southern Workman, Oct. 1883, this was a new school. The Sept. 1884 issue of the same source explains that Principal Bragg was assisted by two Hampton graduates. Bragg is described as "a very intelligent and cultivated young lady, with good knowledge of music and genuine enthusiasm in her profession."

110. Reprinted in The Lancet, 7 Mar. 1885 from the People's Advocate of Washington, D. C. James E. O'Hara (1844-1905) was the son of an Irish father and a West Indian mother. He studied law in North Carolina and at Howard University in Washington, D. C. He passed the North Carolina bar examination in 1873 auid served as a U. S. Congressman from 1883 to 1887. During his term in Congress he fought against discrimination in the use of transportation and other public facilities. Because the Civil Rights Act of 1875 had been declared unconstitutional in 1883, he proposed a constitutional amendment to insure these rights. Certain that this would be opposed, he proposed an amendment to an interstate commerce commission bill under discussion, saying that if Congress could assure the care of livestock in transit, it could do the same for people. When the Interstate Commerce Act of 4 February 1887 was passed its language contained no guarantee against segregation. Maurine Christopher, America's Black Congressmen (New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Co., 1971), 152-57.

111. Reprinted from the People's Advocate in both the Daily Index- Appeal, 21 Sept. 1885 and The Lancet, 26 Sept. 1885. This piece, published by John F. Ellis & Co. of Washington, was dedicated to John Mercer Langston, "ex-Minister to Hayti [sic]." The Richmond Planet, 12 June 1886. Langston (1829-1900) was born on a plantation in Louisa County, Virginia, to Lucy Langston (daughter of an Indian mother and a father of mixed heritage) auid Ralph Quarles, plantation owner. His mother had been free almost twenty-five years before his birth. It is not known whether he inherited all that was due him under his father's will. Langston and his brothers moved to Ohio. He graduated from Oberlin in August 1849 and later returned to Oberlin to study theology. He studied law with an Ohio lawyer and earned a law certificate in 1854. His accomplishments include the following: recruited for the 44th and 55th Massachusetts Regiments and the 5th Ohio Regiment; conferred with Lincoln and Secretary of War about black troops; appointed general inspector of the Freedmen's Bureau in 1867; established law department at Howard University one year after its founding in 1867, appointed dean of Howard's Law Department; served as president of Howard; appointed minister to Haiti by President Hayes in 1877 and served until July 1885; served as president of Virginia 72

Normal and Collegiate Institute; as U. S. Congressman, fought for reinforcement of voting rights. Christopher, Black Congressmen, 137- 48.

112. She assisted Amelia Tilghman in publishing The Musical Messenger. Tilghman began publishing the magazine in 1886 in Montgomery, Alabama. By 1891, Tilghman moved to Washington, D. C. and continued with her publication. It was during this time that she auid Lucinda joined forces. Southern, Biographical Dictionary, 375.

113. In later life, Lucinda Bragg (Peters Adams Walker Anthony) seemed not to have been involved in music. In 1907 she graduated from the Heharry Medical College in Nashville. After accomplishing that goal, she went on to be supervisor of schools in Sumter, South Carolina; to establish the Industrial Department at Clinton College in Rock Hill, South Carolina; and to carry on church work of various kinds. Joseph J. Boris, Who's Who in Colored America, 1928-1929, 2nd ed. (New York: Who's Who in Colored America Corp., 1929), 14.

114. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 24 June 1881.

115. St. Stephen's was established with the help of Grace Church (see Chapter 2),

116. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 24 June 1881.

117. The Lancet, 7 Jul. 1883. Also in 4 Aug. and 25 Aug.

118. Letter dated 7 Feb. 1883 addressed "To Jimmy," included with The Colson-Hill Family Papers, 1834-1984, accession no. 0065-13, box 3; Archives, Virginia State University.

119. William H. Ryder, "Music at Virginia State College, 1883-1966" (Ph.D. diss.. The University of Michigan, 1970), 18.

120. Ryder, "Music at V. S. C.," 18-19.

121. She was elected to teach in the Petersburg public school system, at the Branch School, in 1889. Daily Index-Appeal, 17 August 1889.

122. They married on 5 November 1890. Register of Marriages, Bk. 1: 1854-1890, p. 172, license no. 158; City Clerk's Office, Petersburg, Va.

123. The esteem with which Jordan was held by the Market Street congregation was made evident at his funeral, held at Oak Street A. M. E. Z. Church. In honor of Jordan, the bell of Market Street was rung, its former pastor returned to the city to deliver the eulogy, and the choir sang. "The galleries of the church had been set apart for the whites and they were filled to their utmost capacity, as was the body of the church, many persons being unable to gain admittance." The Daily Index-Appeal, 1 April 1906. 73

124. Daily Index-Appeal, 5 June 1883.

125. The Lancet, 12 Aug. 1882. The weekly offered incentives to people who would sell subscriptions; the prizes were books: for the highest number of subscriptions, a biography of Frederick Douglass; for the second highest, The Greatness of Christ, by Rev. Alex Crummell, D. D. ; for the third highest, a book of Tennyson's poems (The Lancet, 21 Oct. 1882). In 1884, three books were given to the person with the third highest number of subscriptions; the authors were Shakespeare, Tennyson, and Longfellow. The Lancet, 26 July 1884.

126. The Lancet, 12 Aug. 1882.

127. The Lancet, 31 May 1884. The article described auid gave the origins of instruments such as the lyre, sackbut, timbrel, and dulcimer.

128. This information appeared in columns titled "Musical auid Dramatic" or "Music and Drama" that appeared in various issues of The Lancet beginning with the fourth volume, including 1 Aug., 15 Aug, 12 Sept., 26 Sept, and 3 Oct. 1885.

129. The Virginia Lancet, 14 Nov. 1885. The books advertised were A Music Lesson by Christine Nilsson, Advice to Young Singers by Clara Louise Kellogg, and Violin and Bowing by Robert D. Brain, all of which were published by Perry Mason & Co. of Boston. CHAPTER IV

BANDS AND ORCHESTRAS: SERENADES, SOCIAL EVENTS, AND CONCERTS

The popularity of bands began to increase in the early decades

of the nineteenth century; at this same time brass instruments were

improved and, by mid-century, the homogeneous timbre of the brass band

had gained in popularity. With the onset of the Civil War, many of

these bands— both brass and mixed— attached themselves to military

units. Through the efforts of men like Patrick S. Gilmore, who began

leading bands around 1849, the size, instrumentation, and repertoire of this medium became more varied. Gilmore became leader of the New

York 22nd Regiment Band in 1873, and the influence of this band, which usually had sixty-six members, became widespread as a result of tours in the United States and Europe.

Petersburg was typical in its predilection for band music, and, in the decades after the war, the music of local and visiting bands was frequently heard in the streets of the city. The popularity of this type of entertainment was undoubtedly stimulated by the presence of the band of the 12th Regiment that was in the city during the time that Virginia was considered Military District No. 1. Although the regiment set up camp in the city in March 1866^, the earliest report of the band dates from August 1868, when it played a serenade

74 75

consisting of selections from Martha.^ There is no indication as to whether a concert that had been promised was ever given, but a few of

the appearances by the band during its stay in the city have been noted.3 In later years, Petersburg's citizens were also entertained by bands that paraded the streets in order to advertise performances of the minstrel troupes with which they were affiliated.*

Petersburg did not know Gilmore and Sousa by reputation only.

In May 1884, the Petersburg Musical Association presented four soloists from Gilmore's band in concert/' amd Sousa visited the city at least three times, beginning in Jamuary 1888 when the U. S. Marine

Band performed for the grand opening of the newly renovated Academy

(see Chapter 7). Sousa returned to the Academy with his own band in

December 1895* and January 1898.^ These concerts and those by various other bands contributed to the development of local bands.

Black and white local bands alike attracted considerable attention by playing serenades; a serenade of the newspaper offices generally received notice in the next issue, and these notices, which gave the bands free publicity, now contribute valuable information about them. Bands were essential for parades and for summer excursions, a popular type of entertainment that provided city residents with respite from the heat of the city. Bands also played for germans, more properly called german cotillions, which consisted of a complicated series of dance steps. This type of entertainment occurred in Petersburg by the mid-1870s and became extremely popular in the white community through the 1880s.* 76

Accounts in the white-owned newspapers of local bands provide

special insight into the racial attitudes existing in the city; black

bands were praised highly, but the praise was always tempered with

comments about race. At times, newspaper reports of white bands imply

that there were no other bands or no other good bands. Many of the

advertisements and reports of excursions, parades, and picnics do not

identify the bands that played; it is likely that these were black

bands and it was thought unnecessary to give them credit for their

work.

The reports of bands also provide information about both white

and black military companies and about how these companies were viewed

and supported by the public. The names of the companies— the white

Petersburg Greys and the black Petersburg Blues— were obvious

references to the Civil War, and showed that while the war was over,

the conflict remained.

Black Brass and String Bands

White and black citizens alike benefitted from the music provided by the black bands of the city, which were called upon for a variety of events, including summer excursions, picnics, parades, and funeral processions. There is little information available cJbout the sizes of these bands and the selections they played, and generally only the names of the leaders are known. 77

Probably the oldest of these organizations was the brass band

led by Richard Slaughter that dated back to at least 1859 (see Chapter

2).* Born in 1800, Slaughter had been a slave of Erasmus Gill

Hinton;^ he was a carpenter as well as a musician, and could neither

read nor write.^ The high esteem with which Slaughter was held by

Petersburg's white citizens was noted at the time of his death in

1875:

The deceased was universally known, and throughout his long life sustained an unblemished character. As a fifer his equal was never seen in Petersburg. He was a master of this instrument, and whenever music of that kind was needed, here or anywhere in this vicinity, the services of Slaughter were always called into requisition. He played for the fathers and the grandfathers of this generation, and for sixty years his talents in this respect have been known and appreciated. He will be much missed. The deceased was the only man in town that adhered to the old Continental style of dress— a peculiarity which he never surrendered.“

An article that appeared in The Daily Index within months of the end of the Civil War suggests that Slaughter's band did not continue its activities during the war.^ While the article was intended to rejoice at the renewed activities of the band, its language illustrates the true social position of these musicians and also provides the only available references to the instruments in the band:

Blended with every Fourth of July memory of those in our city who are native and to the manor born, is the association of unbleached musicians, properly Slaughters, commonly called the Sun Flower band. Who could fail to feel "old lang syne" creeping over him were we to tell of the red coated fife-blower of former days, the sliding horn performer, the portly bass drum beater, who with "Hail Columbia" and "Carry me back" were wont to feast our ears on Independence Day? Memories of the old 39th Milish, with the thoughts of cornstalk guns emd absurd drills, of well filled booths, and whiskey patriotism, come over us in thinking of the strains that marked the time of the "hay-foot and straw- foot" of those civil times. Well! we recur to this merely to 78

observe that the organization is being revived and that from the assiduous practicings of these musical Africans (audible in our office from morn to dewy eve) their olden proficiency— save the mark— will soon be attained.

Slaughter's Sun Flower Band evidently did attain its "olden

proficiency;" a serenade of the offices of the Petersburg Daily Index

elicited favorable comments:

We were the recipients at "the witching hour" of last night of a most delightful serenade from Slaughter's Sun Flower Band, which discoursed most excellent music to the Index for a time— all too short for our ears. Our pressman stopped his machine, the foreman dropped his proofs, and we laid down our pencil while the music lasted— amd the compositor's fingers kept time to the merry strains of good old tunes. The musicians will accept our thanks."

The music provided by the band was appreciated outside the city limits as well. On the Fourth of July in 1867, the band headed a procession in Halifax. A man who attended the celebration forwarded a description of the event to the Petersburg paper;

Slaughter's band was employed by the colored people, and played for them during the day until about 11 o'clock at night, when their ball broke up. After this the band played for the white people, at their ball, until near daylight. The band then struck up the much admired tune of "Dixie," and went around town and awoke the people by their magnificent music."

The next report of the band dates from 1870, when it led the

Emancipation Celebration procession, an occasion of great jubilation for blacks and apprehension for whites.It is possible that this was not the bemd led by Richard Slaughter, who by then would have been seventy years old. By May 1871, William Slaughter, who was a barber as well as a musician, had taken on the leadership of a band.^®

Whether or not William and Richard were related and whether William 79

formed his own band or assumed leadership of Richard's band is not yet

known. A report of a serenade of The Petersburg’ Index office seems to

indicate that the band led by William Slaughter was a new venture:

We return our thanks to Slaughter's band for a delightful serenade tendered us last night. This band, numbering about ten musicians, under the leadership of Wm. Slaughter, is rapidly improving, and with a little more practice will soon become a splendid one. They are colored men of high respectability, and have won the esteem of our citizens. In addition to their brass band, they have a set of stringed instruments and are prepared to furnish music for pic-nic and ball parties. Let them be patronized.

Black benevolent societies and fraternal organizations, some of

which offered health care and burial provisions along with social

outlets,called on the band to play for various occasions, both in

and away from Petersburg:

The benevolent societies known as the "Good Samaritans," from Richmond and Norfolk, paid a visit to the society of that name, in this city, on yesterday, and were hospitably received. The Richmond society brought with it a colored band of music— The other organizations were accompanied by Wm. Slaughter's band of this city,— The party had a pic-nic at Cool Spring, across the river, and afterwards paraded through our principal streets in procession. These people were very orderly and quiet and seemed to enjoy their visit a great deal."

Another example dates from 1872:

The colored Masons of the city made an excursion to Richmond yesterday, in celebration and honor of St. Johns, [sic] the Baptist's Day. They left on a special train about 9 o'clock, accompanied by Slaughter's brass band and an immense crowd of the profane amd of women and children. The whole company was attired in gala garments, and wore their happiest and sunniest smiles. They went away in the evident confidence that notwithstanding the dust and heat, they would have a good time; and so we trust they did."

In 1873, the band— wearing new uniforms— returned to Richmond to participate in the celebration of the Fifteenth Amendment.^ 80

William Slaughter's band also played for solemn occasions, such as the funeral procession of a hack driver named Frederick Morrison, who

was escorted to his long rest in the cemetery in Blandford Sunday by one of the largest and most imposing funeral processions we ever beheld. Slaughter's brass band headed the line, and there were in the procession six or seven benevolent and secret orders of which the deceased was a member. Twenty- five carriages conveyed the mourners and the friends of the family, and there was a tremendous crowd following in the street and on the sidewalks. The procession must have been something like a mile in length.“

Since no reports of a Slaughter's band have been found after April

1873, the band that played for Richard Slaughter's funeral procession might have, consisted of former band members who reassembled for the occasion:

The remains were escorted to the cemetery by a large concourse of colored people in vehicles cuid on foot, and the band named after him preceded the procession discoursing appropriate amd solemn music. Their instruments were draped and the effect was very striking and impressive.

There is no mention of the funeral of William Slaughter, who died two years later. In his obituary, William, who seems to have been as highly regarded— within the limits of racial tolerance— as Richard, was described as

one of the best citizens of his race in Petersburg. He was ever courteous and polite and obliging, amd was possessed of an intelligence far above the generality of his class. For a great mamy years he was the leader of an excellent bamd in this city, which in the good times past was always engaged for service by the white people on occasions of balls and parties. Slaughter was known to almost every person in the community, amd was respected alike by white amd black.“ 81

One other Slaughter, named Robert, was also a musician.He

seems not to have led his own band, but played in the Petersburg Brass

Band (see below).It is not known if Richard, William, and Robert

were related.

Two other bands were active during the 1870s. One of these was

Coleman's Band, led by Alexander Coleman. Coleman evidently moved to

Petersburg shortly after the 1870 census was taken because his name

does not appear on record. The earliest report of his band dates from

late 1871 when the band led a funeral procession "performing

appropriately solemn airs."^** In January 1872, the band led the

Emancipation Celebration;^ and in May a report of a serenade prompted

favorable comments from The Petersburg Index:

We are grateful for the compliment of a pleasant serenade given our office last night by Coleman’s brass band, which discoursed several sweet airs for our benefit, and that of the neighborhood, in a style of much skill and charm. The band has greatly improved in execution of late, and gives fair promise of gratifying proficiency in the use of its instruments.

Within a month of this assessment, the band had the opportunity to perform outside the city.

Coleman's brass band rode into town full blast yesterday, on the Southside train, giving quite a martial and impressive character to the occasion. The musicians had been in attendance upon the celebration of a colored benevolent society in Farmville, which came off Wednesday, and which was largely attended by negroes from all that section of country, and many from Petersburg."

While the band reaped compliments during 1872, its leader received unfavorable, although colorful, mention in the press as the year was coming to a close: 82

Alas! that a leader should fall. Yet was Alexander Coleman, leader of the band called by his name, so overtaken at an early hour yesterday that arrested for drunkenness and fighting his wife, he was conducted by Capt. Donnan and Lieutenant McKenzie to the safe shelter of the jail. Shirtless and helpless through the rain he was conducted presenting no trace of that harmony or that melody which befits the "concord of sweet sounds."*

The regrettable publicity evidently did not produce any negative

effects on the popularity of the band because within a few weeks it

played for the Emancipation Celebration of 1873. In the fall of that

year, the band received high praise from the local press which stated

that the band "will compare favorably with any in the State, and is an

honor to this city.No reports of the bamd have been found from

1874 through 1878 even though city directories published during that

time list Coleman as a musician.

Another band active in the 1870s was that led by a young man named D. Layton Pride.Unlike the aforementioned bands, Pride's

Band was a string band, as we learn from the following 1873 report:

Moonlight and music were the theme of some pretty reflections by Mr. Shakespeare, of other days, and the same opportunity was afforded the Index-Appeal last night by a delightful serenade from Pride's string band; but as the Index-Appeal's Shakespeare was at home when it came, no more can be done them to acknowledge the compliment, and say that the music was very

Later descriptions of the band's proficiency written as results of newspaper office serenades were equally, if not more, complimentary.

A serenade in 1875 caused a reporter to write that

The manner of its [the band's] performance gave evidence of skill and taste in music in the highest degree. The notes sounded last night especially soft and sweet. Perhaps we were in a melting emd romantic mood. Be that as it may, we enjoyed the occasion largely, and do not care how often it is repeated/** 83

Probably the best compliment resulting from a serenade is one dating

from 1878; the band members are referred to as "all skilled and

trained musicians, auid their organization is one of the best in the

State.

As might be expected from the above accounts of its proficiency,

the bamd was in great demand for picnics and excursions. During the

summer of 1874, the Market Street Methodist Church (white) engaged the

bamd to play for a picnic and excursion held to raise funds for a new

organ.*® A report of a moonlight excursion down the Appomattox River

on the steamer called the "Cockade City" illustrates the band's

contribution to the merriment of such am event:

The enlivening notes of Pride's bamd caused the dancers to assemble, amd commence operations, and soon they were hard at it, floating gracefully through the mazes of the waltz, tripping merry quadrilles or enjoying the more stately delights of the dancers.

In the summer of 1877, the band played for a barge excursion to

Jamestown sponsored by the Knights of Pythias. The approximately four to five hundred people who went on the excursion spent the day dancing

"to the merry strains of Pride's string bamd, and in other innocent and pleasant ways."^ Other groups that engaged the services of the band for picnics, excursions, and other types of entertainments were the St. Paul's Female School (white)*^ amd the Hebrew Sabbath

School. **

Pride's band continued to be somewhat active at the beginning of the 1880s. In the fall of 1880, the band, still identified as a string band, was engaged to play for a "damcing party" at a hotel in 84

nearby Chester, Virginia.^ The band led the students of the St.

Stephen's Normal School (black) to their picnic the following

summer.*^ The last reported activity of the band dates from the fall

of 1882 at which time it played for the laying of the cornerstone of

the Blandford Mission, which was being erected by the Sunday School of

First Baptist Church (black).(A later string band, led by

Frederick Dabney,^ played for a german at Library Hall in 1888.

The band seems to have played for dances and picnics in Petersburg and

vicinity until 1898.^®

The Petersburg Brass Band was organized in the early 1880s (a

white Petersburg Brass Band had been active in the late 1860s; see

below). Little is known about the black Petersburg Brass Band®^

except that it purchased new uniforms in 1884,^ and in June of that

year, played for the funeral ceremonies of Captain John H. Hill.^

The presence of three active black military companies in

Petersburg helped to keep bands busy. The oldest of these companies

was the Petersburg Guards, organized on 25 June 1873;^* the other two companies were the Petersburg Blues and the Flipper Guards. The

drummer for the Guards was James Norris,

and a splendid drummer was he. He was graceful in step, soldierly in bearing, not very tall, but a drummer to the core.

The drummers for the Blues were Mack Morgan, described as "tall, well built, graceful in execution," and John Clarke, "a good drummer, but exceedingly severe on a drum head."®* A program that dates from a trip taken by the Blues to Providence, Rhode Island, in 1888 shows 85

that the company had other musical talent: the program lists a

quartette, "instrumental gems," and a bass solo sung by its Captain,

William H. Johnson; soprano Sissieretta Jones (listed on the program

as M'me. M, S. Jones) also performed.

These military companies often paraded in the streets of

Petersburg. Unfortunately names of specific bands are omitted from

many reports of parades.^® By the late 1880s, the brass band of the

Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute, which opened in 1883, had assumed at least some of the responsibility of heading these military parades. This band was organized during the 1888-89 school year by

U[lysses] S. G[rant] Patterson/"* a student who was given the rank of instructor, and who "directed the band and taught the fundamentals of instruments to young men interested in joining the group."®* Despite his faculty rank, Patterson received no salary until his request for one resulted in a decision by the Board of Visitors that he be paid

$18.33 per month.The school did not provide any financial support for the band until 1891, the year in which Patterson graduated and joined the faculty full-time, with a salary of four hundred twenty dollars per year.®^ When Patterson resigned after the 1891-92 school year,®* the band was led by Walter P. Steptoe, a student who had played in the beuid since the second year of its existence.®* The band seems to have been a student-led organization through the end of the century. In 1894, the school band played for the funeral of Major W.

F. Jackson, of the Petersburg Guards, which had become a component of the Second Battalion, Virginia Volunteers.®® 86

The local newspapers contain numerous references to bands

without supplying specific names; this reference from 1872 shows that

they do sometimes indicate race:

The colored band of this city entertained the people at the depot of the Atlantic, Mississippi, and Ohio railroad with several lively airs yesterday, prior to their departure for Farmville [Virginia] where their services have been engaged for a Masonic celebration in that city. '

Black bands played for such occasions as the procession of several

lodges of the black Odd Fellows,the laying of the cornerstone of

Gillfield Baptist and Oadt Street A. M. E. Z. Churches in 1878 and

1879, respectively,*8 and various excursions.**

Unfortunately, no lists of band members have been discovered.

The names of a few black musicians other than the ones already mentioned do appear in census reports and city directories; these men— no women are listed as musicians— were probably members of bands.

It is obvious from the small number of names available that most of the bandsmen did not depend on music for their livelihood. It is also not known how these musicians received their training, although it is likely that they received no formal musical instruction.

White Bands and Orchestras

One of the earliest white bands in Petersburg was the Petersburg

Brass Band, a name also used for a black band in the 1880s (see above). A report of a serenade of The Petersburg Index in 1867 refers to [William F.] Childress as the leader; the band 87

discoursed some most excellent music under our window last night. This band is rapidly improving, and bids fair to become one of the best in the State. It is composed entirely of young men, and many of them are skillful performers.

A later advertisement for the band identifies Childress in a different

manner:

THE PETERSBURG BRASS BAND are ready for all engagements, with String and Brass Instruments, Professor RUDOLPH, Leader. Apply to Wm. F. Childress, Captain, No. 76 Sycamore, opp. Tabb street.%

Before the end of the year, the béuid, now referred to as Childress'

Brass Band, gave a "Grand Instrumental Concert" at Mechanics' Hall,

under the direction of "Captain J. B. Smith, Leader of the Old Armory

Band of Richmond;" its program consisted "of a tasteful selection of

Operatic and other favorite airs."^^ The band seems to have been

inactive after this, but there is a reference in 1869 to Rudolph's

brass band, which played for the emniversary supper of the St.

Andrew's Society.This could have been Childress' band or another

band begun by Rudolph.

Only two reports, one each in 1868 and 1869, document the

existence of a band (referred to only as "the brass band") led by a

Professor Whittington. According to the 1868 report, the band

displayed "professional talent, which is of the highest order.In

1869, the band volunteered to play for a program consisting of

"dramatic representations, tableaux, dancing, and vocal and

instrumental music," which was held for the benefit of the Episcopal

Mission School.Whittington has not yet been identified, and the only other reference to him dates from April 1875, at which time he 88

was in charge of an orchestra that played for a performance by the

Petersburg Dramatic Association.^*

In 1873, [George] Poythress became leader of a brass band named

in honor of Joe Scott, the first commander of the fire brigade.An

article promoting the band reads as follows:

This excellent musical organization is making most laudable efforts to thoroughly equip themselves and to give Petersburg a band equal to any in the State. A number of new instruments have been received, the organization remodelled in a measure, and under the leadership of the accomplished Poythress, will soon realize their aim. In order to uniform themselves they propose entering into a contract with various orders eind societies for the advancement of money upon service to be rendered in future. This seems to us a very feasible scheme, auid we heartily commend it to those applied to as an important aid in securing a first- class band in this place, which is a great desideratum as all will admit.’"

Taken in isolation, this final comment gives the impression that there

was no band of any quality in the city. This was, however, not the

case, since Coleman's Band, active since at least late 1871, was said

in October 1873 to "compare favorably with any in the State, and is an

honor to this city."

In late September 1873, the Joe Scott Band played a serenade emd

its music

touched sympathetic chords in the soul of the Appeal, and almost moved its eyes to painless tears. Unluckily, the oratorical editor was absent, endeavoring, it is stated, to get a drink without a certified check, emd the pious editor, who was sick, was the only man of the staff on the ground. And hence no display of eloquence was added to the Voices of the Night on the occasion.'’

The "oratorical editor" was evidently on duty during a later serenade:

The soft stillness of last night and its monotony, too, were agreeably relieved by the dulcet strains of the Joe Scott brass band, under the leadership of Prof. Poythress, exercised in 89

serenading the Index-Appeal. We have heretofore been favorably impressed with the progress effected by this infant organization, but were not prepared to realize such advancement as the performance last night denoted. We trust these young men will be encouraged in their laudable enterprise of providing Petersburg with a good band— such a band as our city may be proud of. This organization comprises all necessary talent, and under the experience and skillful leadership of Prof. Poythress, will accomplish the most sanguine wishes of its friends.

Within one month of its organization, the band added stringed

instruments, causing the press to state that this would make the band

"ready to serve the public with music of the best character.No

report of a performance by the string bamd has been found.

The Joe Scott Band played for political meetings of the Kemper

Kampaign Klub prior to the 1873 gubernatorial election.®^ James

Lawton Kemper was a former Confederate major general who reui for, and

won, the seat of Governor for the Conservative ticket. A report of

the band's appearance at one of these events illustrates the hostility

that existed between the Conservative and Republican parties:

The Joe Scott brass band, which left Petersburg on last Friday morning in attendance upon Gen. Kemper, has returned to the city. They attended the Conservative leader to Farmville and thence to Buckingham Court-house, at which places the chieftain's voice rang forth in clamorous notes in defence of Virginia against Radical rule and ruin.

The béuid seems to have become defunct by the end of the year.

When the state militia in Virginia was reactivated in 1871, two white military companies were reorganized in Petersburg: the

Petersburg Artillery and the Petersburg Greys.®* The Artillery band was active by at least January 1875,®® and by late March, the band members, "ten in number," were issued new uniforms.®® Leadership of the band was incorrectly reported in the fall of that year: 90

The statement in this paper that Professor Poythress was to lead the Artillery band during the Fair, was a mistake. Professor P. has been engaged to perform with the band, but it has already a skillful leader and accomplished musician in the person of Mr. J. J. Hudgins.

During the summer of 1876, the band performed in the city park. Poplar

Lawn, at least three times. On one of these occasions.

The fine band of the Petersburg Artillery spent several hours last evening on Poplar Lawn, discoursing music to a large crowd of ladies and gentlemen, who assembled to hear it. In token of the treat thus voluntarily afforded the public, the members of the band were made the recipients of most acceptable refreshments, furnished by Mrs. Dr. Marable, Mrs. John Hobson, and Mrs. H. W. Baugh, to whom they desire to return thanks.”

The band, assisted by a band from Richmond, performed a concert at the

Academy of Music in January 1877.^ An announcement admonished the public to attend the concert, the object of which was "to furnish more suitable instruments for the only band our city can boast."

(Although no black military brass bands during this time can be identified by name, it is highly unlikely that there were none.) With the exception of the music for cin occasional excursion or parade, little is known of the Artillery Band’s activities until 1880, when it once again gave concerts at the park. The article that follows indicates that the band was not a continuous organization:

An effort is being made by a committee of well known citizens, to secure good music on the City Park during the summer evenings, and at the same time to perfect arrangements for the organization of a good band in our city. The committee is composed of Capt. S. W. Jones, Mr. George W. Hall and Mr. John Trusheim. The plan is to solicit subscriptions from our citizens for the purchase of a full set of new and improved instruments, to be held in trust by the Artillery Band, whose instruments are worn out and almost valueless. The band agree, in the event of the purchase of the new instruments, to play on the Park two evenings every week, for the entertainment of the large crowds that visit that resort. 91

We understand that the committee have already obtained subscriptions to the amount of $100, and that about $150 more is needed. This sum, we presume, céin be made up without difficulty, in small subscriptions, from the many people in this community who desire not only that Petersburg shall have a good bamd— something that it has long needed— but that the public shall have the benefit of good music free of charge on the Lawn. The movement is a good one, and commends itself to the people of Petersburg generally.

This effort received great publicity, and within a month the

announcement was made that

The fine new instruments, 13 in number, intended for the Petersburg band, have arrived in the city and are at Mr. Charles Leonard's, on Bank street. They will be delivered to the members of the band as soon as the requisite amount to pay for them has been raised. The instruments are fine ones and were purchased through Hr. Charles Leonard from the house of 6. Bruno & Sons, New York. They are brass with German silver trimmings. A meeting of the members of the Artillery band was held last night, and a Band Association was organized. The Association has secured the services of Prof. Wilhelmi, a skillful musician, as leader and musical director of the beind, with Mr. John J. Hudgins, Jr., as assistant. The material of the new band is good, and under the instruction and leadership of Prof. W . , will make the best band Petersburg has ever had. It is proposed also to organize a string band for social purposes, as also an orchestra for our Academy of Music. In both of which we wish success.

The instruments were turned over to the bamd within a matter of days and, before the end of the month, the first "open air concert" was gq performed. It was a success:

Fully fifteen hundred persons assembled on the Lawn last night to hear the open air concert given by the Petersburg Artillery Bamd, with their new instruments. The crowd was so dense auround the band, as to deaden the music to those at a distance. These concerts, which we understand are to be given for the benefit of the public two evenings in each week, will be very popular, and will increase the number of visitors to the Park. We understand it is proposed to raise, by small contributions, a sufficient amount of money to erect a music stand on the Park for the accommodation of the band. It will require only some $30 or $40 to do this, amd the stand would be an ornament to the Park.” 92

Along with the praise for the band, there was one disparaging comment :

Every body is delighted with the Band, and its musical instruments— except the people living in the immediate vicinity of the Piace where they practice. They are not so well pleased.”

Since the plan to organize a string band had come to fruition, both

string and brass music was heard at the concert held on 7 September.

It is unfortunate that newspaper accounts of the concerts, which

continued through September, never included titles of the selections performed. No record of the band has been found in 1881 or 1882, but records show that the band led the Artillery compemy in the

Washington's Birthday Parade^^ and played a concert in the park in

June 1883.W

Evidently Wilhemmi left the city sometime after the Artillery

Band was discontinued, but Hudgins, a native of Petersburg, remained and formed a band under his own name by 1887. It was in this year that the band headed the Petersburg Greys in a parade that marked

Petersburg's first observance of Memorial Day on 30 May, rather than 9

June.** At the beginning of 1888, Hudgins advertised that his band would be available to furnish music "for balls, parties and excursions at shortest notice."*** Two months later, Hudgins' string band serenaded the Daily Indsx-Appeal office.*** It seems that this band was inactive between summer 1889 and summer 1895.*** In 1896,

Hudgins' string band played for a german held in the chorus room of the Academy of Music after a play given for the benefit of the

Synagogue.*** It is not known if the band was active in 1897; in 1898 it played for at least two benefits for the West End Baptist Church 93

Building Fund. In 1899, the band reportedly played for the "First

Grand Moonlight Excursion" on the Steamer S. A. McCall. An

advertisement for the excursion specified that the beind would give a

concert and that there would be no dancing.Hudgins' band remained

active through the early 1900s, and by 1905 was called Hudgins's

orchestra.

The Petersburg Greys seem not to have had a band until the late

1880s.Since the Greys and the Artillery often paraded together,

the band of the latter company served the needs of both. At least

once when the two companies paraded together, the Artillery was led by

its band and the Greys by an unidentified black band;^**® in 1887, the

Greys were led by Hudgins' band (see above). Although the arrival of

a Captain J. G. King, called a "Champion Kettle Drummer," in the

spring of 1888 was anticipated because he planned "to get up for the

Grays a drum corps second to none in the United States,"^** nothing

further is known about this effort.

The Greys began to organize a band in September 1890 when the

Petersburg Musical Association announced that its plans for the season

included providing "instruments for the formation of a military band as early as practicable.Two days later, the Greys announced that a committee had been appointed to "solicit contributions for the purchase of instruments for the band it is proposed to organize,

The committee made measurable progress by the end of the month:

At a meeting of the Petersburg Grays held last night the band committee reported that five hundred dollars had been subscribed so far for the purchase of instruments and equipping the band. About three hundred and fifty dollars more will be required. It 94

was decided to call this week upon those who have subscribed to pay their subscriptions to the fund and on others who have not yet contributed. It is hoped that our citizens will subscribe liberally to the cause when waited on. The band will consist of twenty or more pieces with drum corps attached, under the direct training and leadership of Prof. Julius Reiss. The instruments which are to be purchased are to be owned by the Grays, but will be under the control of a committee from the company amd the subscribers.^^

Julius Reiss, of East Saginaw, Michigan, had been hired by the

P. H. A. to form an orchestra (see Chapter 7). It is not known if the

P. M. A. actually did provide financial assistance to the Greys or if

it paid Reiss to conduct the band. By mid-October, Reiss traveled to

New York to buy band instruments; the total cost of the instruments was eight hundred dollars, two hundred dollars more than the amount raised.The Greys planned a military bazaar for the following

February to help raise funds

to raise money to pay off a small indebtedness to provide overcoats for the company, to uniform and thoroughly equip the Greys brass band, to improve the armory and, in short, to make the Petersburg Greys the best volunteer company in the state.

In late May 1891, the Greys' Band and the P. M. A. Orchestra, both under Reiss’ direction, gave their first public concert (see

Chapter 7). The band performed two marches and, as an encore,

"Dixie.During the following summer, the bsmd played at West End

Park,^^® and in February 1892 headed its company in the Washington's

Birthday Parade.It is uncertain how long Reiss continued as the leader since the P. M. A . , which had brought him to the city and was supporting the military band, ceased to function in 1891. In 1892,

Reiss had an orchestra that played for balls, germans, and picnics.

It is not known if the members of this orchestra were the same as 95

those of the P. M, A. orchestra. Although Reiss' orchestra apparently

ceased to exist after that year, he remained in the city for a time

and negotiated for the lease of the Academy of Music in 1893 (see

Chapter

In December 1894, the Greys announced the decision to reorganize

a band and stated that the company still had its band instruments.^*

By early January 1895, the band had organized under the leadership of

John Hudgins.The eleven-member band had two cornets, three alto

horns, two tenor horns, two bass horns, one snare drum, and one bass

drum:

The Petersburg Greys['] new band has been organized with the following members: Leader, Professor John Hudgins; first silver cornet, John Hawkins; second cornet, Patrick Wells; solo alto, T. R. Saunders; first alto, Henry Ramsey; second alto, Alex. Titmus; first tenor, A. J. Saunders; second tenor, Herbert Savory; first base, T. R. Judd; second base, William Limeberg; baritone, Robert Rowland; snare drum, Robert Tench; base drum, --Moss."l

The Greys' bcind remained active after its reorganization; during

the summer of 1898, the fifteen-piece band played open air concerts, as the Artillery Band had done in 1880.^^^ These concerts prompted the band to "ask the park commissioners to have a stand erected on the park for their use and also that an electric light be placed near the standthere is no indication that the request was honored.

During the same summer, the band played for at least one moonlight excursion on the steamer McCall.

By the end of 1889, leadership of the band was taken over by W.

B. Thacker, "late of the Fifth Regimental band, of Calumet, Michigan" auid "a former resident of Ohio."^* A decision to change the band's 96

name to the Petersburg Citizens' Band was announced in January 1900;

during the same time, efforts were underway to raise funds for the

band.^^^ It is likely that the name change suggested that the band

would represent the city, not just the Greys; such a change might have

inspired more citizens to give financial support and allowed the band

more freedom to pursue a variety of activities. Subsequent references t?7 to the band, however, never use this proposed name."

During the summer of 1900, the band played free concerts at West

End Park that were sponsored by the Southside Railway and Development

Company.By late July, Thacker publicly announced that he was

severing his connections with the band^^^ (no reason was given for

this decision); the following fall, he was replaced by John Zaruba.^^

The bamd seems to have been active until around 1913, when the company

disbanded.

The A. P. Hill Camp, United Confederate Veterans, active from

1887 to about 1917, ordered six drums in March 1889 for its drum corps; members of the corps were taught by Theophilus "Toffie"

Tench,who had been "a member of the drum corps of Mahone's

Brigade.According to a brief history of the corps that was printed in 1917 when the corps seemed close to disbanding, the original corps consisted of

T. Tench, T. Tench, Jr., Samuel Tench, Oakley Tench, Herbert Tench, Robert Tench, Lennie Bentley, B. Lawrence, Samuel Brown, William Emory, John Hutchins, W. H. Savory, [and] Benj. McCaleb.K"

(The John Hutchins listed might possibly be John Hudgins.) This history also states that drums amd uniforms were purchased for the 97

corps in 1892, the drums from the Leonard Hardware Store at a total

cost of one hundred twenty dollars.^*

There were other white bands in the city in the 1880s. One of

these was the West End String Band, organized in 1885 and led by Hugh

S. Gresham, which was composed of Thad R. Hudgins, John D. Edwards,

and William F. Spot.^^^ Others were Sadler's String Band, which

serenaded the Daily Index-Appeal office in 1887^^^ and Lyman Smith's

String Band, mentioned in the Daily Index-Appeal in the summer of

1889.^^

Some of the above-named musicians played in more than one band

or orchestra, and some used their experience to train the next

generation. One of these was Herbert A. Savory, of the Petersburg

Greys' Band, who in 1902 organized the White Ribbon Cadet Band,^^® a

temperance organization active through at least 1917 that played "most

everything from ragtime to opera.Savory remained the leader

throughout the band's existence, and also briefly led the West End

Baptist Sunday School Orchestra.(An earlier leader of this Sunday

School Orchestra was Robert Rowlamd, also a former member of the

Grey's Band.^^^) If any of the prolific Tench family, of the A. P.

Hill Drum Corps, led other ensembles, nothing is known of it.

Bands from Richmond were often engaged to perform in Petersburg

for balls and germans. Of these, one of the most popular was

Kessnich's Orchestra. In addition to playing for social events,

Kessnich's Orchestra supplied the accompaniment for an amateur production of H. M. S. Pinafore at the Academy of Music in 1884 (see 98

Chapter 7). Reinhardt's Bamd was called on regularly from late 1889

to early 1890 to play for germans at Library Hall.^*^ Stein's

Orchestra seems to have taken up where Reiss' Orchestra left off in

playing for germans in the 1890s.

Conclusion

Both black and white citizens of Petersburg attended picnics,

excursions, parades, and political meetings; each of these types of

entertainment was enlivened by the music of bands. While black emd

white bands alike performed serenades and played for excursions, the

practice of bands leading funeral processions seems to have belonged

only to the black community. Concerts "on the Lawn," on the other

hand seem to have been performed only by white bands for white

citizens; it is unlikely that black citizens heard the concerts except

from a distance.

Black brass bands and string bands in Petersburg played an indisputably significant role in the lives of all of its citizens.

Despite the fact that commentaries on these bands found in white-owned newspapers reflect racial bias, the frequency with which the bands played for white as well as black citizens is evidence enough of their capabilities. Still, it is obvious that whites considered black bands acceptable for parades, picnics, and excursions, but usually preferred white bands and orchestras for entertainments of a more elite nature, such as germans and concerts. Also, the newspapers were generous with 99

their praises of black bands until a white band was established.

White citizens were especially proud of the bands associated with

white military companies, and were willing to provide financial

support.

The statements made in white-owned newspapers imply that white

bands were superior to their black counterparts. If the suggested

superiority was real, it would have come about because the white

community was willing to provide the funds needed to buy sets of

instruments and even import experienced musicians to teach and conduct

the band members. Perhaps the greatest irony of the development of

bands in Petersburg is that, despite the advantages enjoyed by some of

the white bands, it was the tradition of black bands that contributed

to the creation of a bsmd at Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute,

which, in turn, furthered the development of the college's music

department.

Notes

1. Petersburg Daily Index, 29 March 1866.

2. Petersburg Daily Index, 14 April 1866. This was probably Flotow's Martha.

3. A serenade is recorded in The Petersburg Index, 11 Aug. 1868. The band left in 1869 (The Petersburg Index, 22 March 1869). The regiment did not leave until after Virginia was readmitted to the Union. The Petersburg Index, 12 Feb. 1870.

4. One example of this was a parade by the band affiliated with the Duprez and Benedict minstrel troupe. The Petersburg Index, 25 Jan. 1872. 100

5. Daily Index-Appeal, 5 May 1884.

6. Daily Index-Appeal, 6 Dec. 1895.

7. Daily Index-Appeal, 15 Jan. 1898.

8. The Petersburg Index and Appeal, 25 Jan. 1877 calls the german "chief of the gay, gloved dances of the ton [fashionable society], and the admirers of the ton."

9. The Press, 2 Dec. 1859 includes a reference to Slaughter's brass band.

10. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 22 Jan. 1875. Although exactly when Slaughter gained his freedom is not yet known, he was evidently free prior to the Civil War. According to the 1860 Slave Schedule, E. G. Hinton owned only one slave— a young male mulatto who was a fugitive from the state. Hinton died in 1867. The Petersburg Index, 4 July 1867.

11. 1870 Census, 1st Ward, p. 79.

12. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 22 Jan. 1875. The "old Continental style of dress" is explained by a reference in a later quotation to "the red-coated fife-blower."

13. In James G. Scott and Edward A. Wyatt, Petersburg's Story: A History (Petersburg, Va,: Titmus Optical Co., 1960), 178, the following statement is included in a chapter on the events of the first attack on Petersburg on 9 June 1864: On Bragg's Hill, a band of Negro musicians under Philip Slaughter played "Dixie" and "The Girl I Left Behind" to boost the spirits of the defenders and to impress the enemy. No source for this information is given, and its validity is questionable.

14. The Daily Index, 31 Oct. 1865. "Hay-foot and straw-foot" is a reference to right foot and left foot. The term were military commeinds that, supposedly, originated from using hay and straw "to enable a rustic recruit to distinguish the right foot form the left." The Oxford English Dictionary, J. A. Simpson and E. S. C. Weiner, 2nd ed., 20 vols. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989), XX, 499-500 amd VII, 29.

15. Petersburg Daily Index, 21 Feb. 1866.

16. The Petersburg Index, 10 July 1867.

17. The first Emancipation Celebration Procession seems to have been held in 1867. An account of it is not available because the microfilm of The Petersburg Index for that year begins with 22 Jamuary. However, 101

the Petersburg correspondent to the [Richmond] Daily Dispatch, 27 Dec. 1866 reported the following: The freedmen have it in contemplation to have a grand celebration on the 1st of January. They will march in procession through the principal streets of the city. The occasion is looked forward to not without anxiety, lest some untoward accident may happen which may lead to painful consequences. Every precaution, however, will be used to guard against any breach of decorum. The 1868 celebration included a procession of between twenty-five and thirty societies and several speeches at the city park. {The Daily Index, 2 Jan. 1868. ) There is no record of a celebration in 1869. However, reports of these events can be found for 1870 through 1874. The Petersburg Index and Appeal, 11 Dec. 1877 called attention to the upcoming fifteenth anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and to the fact that it had not been observed lately.

18. William Slaughter was identified as a barber and musician in the Petersburg Index and Appeal, 22 Sept. 1877. When the census was taken in 1870, he was forty-eight years old auîd could read, but not write. 1870 Census, 1st Ward, p. 2.

19. The Petersburg Index, 17 May 1871.

20. Some benevolent societies were formed by free blacks before the Civil War; the Beneficial Society of Free Men of Color of the City of Petersburg, which was formed before 1852, "existed primarily to care for the sick, to pay death claims, and promote social group spirit" (Luther P. Jackson, "Free Negroes of Petersburg, Virginia," The Journal of Negro History, XII/3 (July 1927), 386. The Petersburg Index, 29 Aug. 1872 lists fifteen benevolent women's societies, such as the Oilfield Samaritans, the Sisters of Temperance, and the United Sisters of Saint Mathew [sic]. Some of these societies are also in a list of twenty-four societies printed in the Petersburg Index and Appeal, 7 July 1875. The large number of Masonic and Odd Fellows' lodges is shown in lists in The Lancet, 5 Jan. 1884 and the Daily Index-Appeal, 1 Jan. 1887. The latter list also includes the Order of St. Luke, Good Templars, and women's societies.

21. The Petersburg Index, 19 June 1871.

22. The Petersburg Index, 25 June 1872.

23. The Petersburg Index, 22 April 1873.

24. The Petersburg Index, 29 Oct. 1872.

25. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 23 Jan. 1875. 102

26. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 22 Sept. 1877. The reference to Slaughter having led a band for "a great many years" may indicate that the band was organized sometime prior to 1871.

27. According to the 1870 Census, 4th Ward, p. 73, Robert Slaughter was forty years old and could read and write. However, in the 1880 Census, Supervisor's District No. 2, Enumeration District No. 91, p. 5, his age is given as sixty.

28. The Lancet, 29 Nov. 1884.

29. In the 1870 Census, Richard and Robert are identified as mulattoes. The mark in the race category for William is illegible. The three men seem not to have been affiliated with the same churches. At the time of his death, William was stated to have been a member of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. On the day of Richard's funeral, it was announced that the service would be at Harrison Street Church; a report of the funeral indicates that it was held at Allen's Chapel. Whether there was any connection between Allen's Chapel and First Baptist Church is not known. Robert's funeral was held at Gillfield Baptist Church.

30. The Petersburg Index, 5 Dec. 1871.

31. The Petersburg Index, 2 Jan. 1872.

32. The Petersburg Index, 22 May 1872.

33. The Petersburg Index, 21 June 1872.

34. The Petersburg Index, 19 Dec. 1872.

35. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 2 Oct. 1873.

36. Pride's age is given as twenty-six in the 1870 Census, 1st Ward, p. 32.

37. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 10 Dec. 1873.

38. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 9 Oct. 1875.

39. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 20 June 1878.

40. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 12 June 1874.

41. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 17 June 1875.

42. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 1 Aug. 1877.

43. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 30 March 1878. 103

44. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 18 June 1879.

45. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 25 Oct. 1880.

46. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 24 June 1881.

47. Daily Index-Appeal, 28 Oct. 1882.

48. No evidence of the band has yet been found between summer 1891 and fall 1897. Dabney might have temporarily left the city. In J. H. Chataigne, comp., Chataigne's Petersburg Directory, 1888-89 (Chataigne, 1888), 134, Dabney is listed as a musician. There is no listing for him in the 1889-90 directory and the 1890-91 directory is unavailable. His name reappears in J. H. Chataigne, comp., Chataigne’s Petersburg Directory, 1891-92 (Chataigne, 1891), 145, but he is identified as a laborer. He is identified as a mason in J. H. Chataigne, comp., Chataigne's Petersburg Directory, 1893-94 (Chataigne, 1893), 113. In J. L. Hill Printing Co. 's Directory of Petersburg, VA, 1897 (Richmond, Va.: J. L. Hill, 1897), 148, the next one available, he is again listed as a musician. This coincides with newspapers accounts of the band.

49. Daily Index-Appeal, 28 Sept. 1888.

50. The last documented activity was a dance at a residence in nearby Prince George County in 1898. Daily Index-Appeal, 16 Jan. 1898.

51. It is not known if the Petersburg Brass Band was the result of an attempt to form the band that was announced in the Petersburg Index- Appeal, 9 Aug. 1881. According to this announcement, Capt. J. H. Hill, George Banks, John Stewart, Willis Pelham, Kit Martique, and Robert Pelham have been appointed a Board of Trustees to control a fund to be applied to the purchase of instruments for a proposed band. They promise if the instruments be secured to furnish music on the Park two nights in each week. Our people will gladly assist in a movement which will guarantee a good resident band. George Banks, J. H. Hill, and John Stewart have been identified as black. No information is provided about who appointed this Board. Since the three black military companies in Petersburg were formed into a regiment in 1880, with Hill as Colonel, it is possible that this was an effort made by the regiment. The last statement of the article is significant because it suggests that whites were willing to help establish a black band.

52. The Lancet, 17 May 1884.

53. The Lancet, 14 June 1884. 104

54. William H. Johnson, History of The Colored Volunteer Infantry of Virginia, 1871-99. N.p. 1923, 14.

55. Johnson, Colored Infantry, 15. Norris, born in 1846, was a barber. 1900 Census, Supervisor's District No. 4, Enumeration District. No. 93, Sheet No. 9A.

56. Johnson, Colored Infantry, 19.

57. Johnson, Colored Infantry, 18-19. This performance by Sissieretta Jones occurred at about the time that her career was beginning. Jones' family moved from Portsmouth, Virginia, to Providence, Rhode Island, in 1876. She made her New York début in April 1888 at Steinway Hall in a Bergen Star Concert, featuring Flora Batson. In May of that year, she made her début in Philadelphia at the Academy of Music. Later that summer, the Tennessee Concert Company arranged for her to tour the West Indies. It was during this tour that she gained the sobriquet "The Black Patti." Eileen Southern, Biographical Dictionary of Afro- American and African Musicians (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1982), 217-18.

58. Daily Index-Appeal, 24 April and 8 May 1883. The parades were usually held to celebrate the anniversaries of the companies.

59. William H. Ryder, "Music at Virginia State College, 1883-1966" (Ph.D. diss., The University of Michigan, 1970), 34. Ryder states that since most of the students were from the Petersburg area, credit for the interest in forming a band goes to the Petersburg Brass Band (p. 35).

60. Ryder, "Music at Virginia State," 35.

61. Ryder, "Music at Virginia State," 36.

62. Ryder, "Music at Virginia State," 37.

63. In the late 1890s, Patterson performed with Cleveland's, Haverly's, and Field's minstrel companies. After moving to Lynchburg, Virginia, in 1899 he directed music at a church and taught music. Southern, Biographical Dictionary, 301.

64. Ryder, "Music at Virginia State," 39.

65. Daily Index-Appeal, 24 Nov. 1894.

66. The Petersburg Index, 24 July 1872.

67. The Petersburg Index, 31 Oct. 1870.

68. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 13 Aug. 1878 and 30 Sept. 1879. 105

69. Following an announcement of an excursion sponsored by St. Stephen's Church to Weldon, North Carolina, there is a comment that the "colored population is sorely afflicted with excursions on the brain." {The Petersburg- Index, 10 Aug. 1871.) However, excursions were not just a pastime of blacks, and it was the popularity of summer excursions among the white population that prompted an astute local businessman to place an advertisement for a "Grand Excursion of the season to M. W. Pyne's Piano and Organ Warerooms. Daily Index-Appeal, 26 April 1886.

70. The Petersburg Index, 24 Aug. 1867. A report of a serenade that appeared in The Petersburg Index, 16 Oct. 1867, indicates that the band had been organized only for a few months.

71. The Petersburg Index, 4 Sept. 1867. Hugo Rudolph, age thirty- three, is listed in the 1870 Census, 1st Ward, p. 92 as a Professor of Music.

72. The Petersburg Index, 24 Dec. 1867. The price of a single ticket was fifty cents. Admission was one dollar for the combination of a gentleman and two ladies, and half price for children. The Old Armory Bamd referred to might be the Armory Band, affiliated with the Richmond Light Infantry Blues, mentioned in Charles Hamm, Music in the New World (New York: W. W. Norton, 1983), 286.

73. The Petersburg Index, 1 Dec. 1869.

74. The Petersburg Index, 15 Oct. 1868. In this report, the name used is "Whitting," however, "Whittington" is used in subsequent reports.

75. The Petersburg Index, 15 Nov. 1869.

76. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 21 April 1875.

77. Scott is identified as the first commander of the fire brigade in the Petersburg Index and Appeal, 11 Oct. 1873. In William D. Henderson, Gilded Age City: Politics, Life and Labor in Petersburg, Virginia, 1874-1889 (Lanhaun, Md. : University Press of America, 1908), 91, a black man named Joe Scott, who was identified as a member of the Petersburg Straightout (Republican) delegation during a local political campaign in 1880, is called "am undertaker, owner of rental property, and a band leader." No musician with this name has been found.

78. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 16 Sept. 1873. A musician named George A. Poythress, age twenty-one, is listed in the 1870 Census, 6th Ward, p. 34.

79. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 30 Sept. 1873. 106

80. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 5 Dec. 1873,

81. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 11 Oct, 1873.

82. The initials (K. K, K.) used by the campaign cannot be overlooked despite the fact that the Ku Klux Klan was not especially active in the state except during 1868, Michael Newton and Judy Ann Newton, The Ku Klux Klan: An Encyclopedia (New York: Garland Publishing: 1991), 585,

83. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 28 Oct. 1873. An earlier meeting was documented in the same newspaper on 17 Sept.

84. According to Henderson, Gilded Age City, 264-65, the Petersburg Artillery became part of the militia in November 1873, Reorganization efforts are noted in the Petersburg Index And Appeal, 13 Nov, 1873,

85. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 6 Jan. 1875,

86. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 31 March 1875.

87. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 18 Oct. 1875. Hudgins is listed as a carpenter in both the 1860 and 1870 census reports. 1860 Census, West Ward, pp. 180-81 and 1870 Census, 5th Ward, p. 15.

88. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 7 July 1875. The expressions "on the Lawn" and "on the park" frequently appeared in the local newspapers during this period.

89. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 12 Jan. 1877.

90. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 15 Jem. 1877.

91. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 24 June 1880. "On 14 May 1885 Captain John Trusheim reorganized the Petersburg Battery, now called the R. E. Lee Battery, Compamy E, First Battalion of Virginia Artillery." Henderson, Gilded Age City, 265.

92. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 20 July 1880. The spelling "Wilhelmi"may be incorrect. A John H. Wilhemmi is listed as a music teacher in J. H. Chataigne, comp. Chataigne's Petersburg Directory, 1882-83 (Chataigne, 1882), 188. A twenty-five year old John J. Hudgins, the son of John J. and Mary A. Hudgins, is listed as a musician in the 1880 census. Supervisor's District No. 2, Enumeration District No. 96, p. 31. Charles Leonard owned a hardware store that sold musical instruments (see Chapter 3).

93. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 23 and 30 July 1880.

94. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 31 July 1880. 107

95. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 3 Aug. 1880.

96. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 7 Sept. 1880.

97. Daily Index-Appeal, 23 Feb. 1883.

98. Daily Index-Appeal, 20 June 1883.

99. An announcement was made in the Daily Index-Appeal, 3 May 1887, that Memorial Day would be changed from 9 June to 30 May. This change was made to conform with the national celebration. Petersburg had used the 9 June date because that was the amniversaiy of the first Union attack on Petersburg. Commemoration of this day began with the actions of Miss Nora Fontaine Maury Davidson amd her students. Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg's Story, 276, quotes the following report from the [Petersburg] Progress-Index, 11 Feb. 1929: On June 9, 1865, Miss Nora amd the pupils of the Confederate School went to Blandford Cemetery to strew garlands upon the grave of those who one year before had laid down their lives in the defense of the city, and from that day until she was too enfeebled, she never ceased to observe the day. In April 1866 she and her school children took part in the first Memorial Day exercises ever held in this city. Mrs. Logan, wife of the gallant Federal general, who was in Petersburg at that time, gained her inspiration for the idea of National Decoration Day which is now in existence. In a letter to the Washington Post years later, Mrs. Logan frankly attributes to the women of Petersburg her idea of establishing one day to be celebrated by national observance.

100. Daily Index-Appeal, 9 Jan. 1888.

101. Daily Index-Appeal, 2 March 1888.

102. This might indicate that Hudgins was involved in the Petersburg Greys' band and/or the Petersburg Musical Association's orchestra (see Chapter 7).

103. Daily Index-Appeal, 18 Nov. 1896. Mattie L. Maddera provided the piano music for the german. Maddera, age 27, is listed as a music teacher in the 1880 Census, Supervisor's District No. 2, Enumeration District No. 97, p. 1.

104. Daily Index-Appeal, 21 April and 29 May 1898.

105. Daily Index-Appeal, 16 July 1899. A twenty-five cent ticket provided four hours of entertainment on the steamer. The band played for at least one excursion on this same steamer the following year. Daily Index-Appeal, 9 July 1900. 108

106. Daily Index-Appeal, 11 Jan. 1905. The orchestra played for a reception at Library Hall for the ladies of Petersburg, sponsored by the National Biscuit Company.

107. Reports of this company use "Greys" amd "Grays" interchangeably.

108. Daily Index-Appeal, 17 June 1884.

109. Daily Index-Appeal, 31 May 1888.

110. Daily Index-Appeal, 1 Sept. 1890.

111. Daily Index-Appeal, 3 Sept. 1890.

112. Daily Index-Appeal, 23 Sept. 1890.

113. Daily Index-Appeal, 16 Oct. 1890. The instruments were supposed to cost eight hundred and fifty dollars. The committee had received subscriptions for six hundred and fifty dollars.

114. Daily Index-Appeal, 9 Dec. 1890.

115. Daily Index-Appeal, 29 May 1891. The marches were "Hot Shot," by Rollinson, and "Fifth Regiment," by Ripley.

116. Daily Index-Appeal, 10 Aug. 1891.

117. Daily Index-Appeal, 23 Feb. 1892.

118. Reiss was manager of the Academy of Music during the 1892-93 season. The Academy was leased to Thomas Leath in July 1892 {.Daily Index-Appeal, 24 July 1892). An announcement of a coming attraction at the Academy that appeared in the Daily Index-Appeal, 14 Aug. 1892 referred to the new management of Leath and Reiss.

119. Daily Index-Appeal, 16 Dec. 1894.

120. Daily Index-Appeal, 8 Jan. 1895.

121. Daily Index-Appeal, 23 Jan. 1895.

122. The park, formerly referred to as "theLawn" or "Poplar Lawn," was at this time called "Central Park."

123. Daily Index-Appeal, 17 July 1898. There was no follow-up as to whether the stand was built.

124. Daily Index-Appeal, 27 Aug. 1898.

125. Daily Index-Appeal, 1 Dec. 1899. 109

126. Daily Index-Appeal, 27 Jan. 1900.

127. It is unclear if the Citizens' Band referred to in the Daily Index-Appeal, 25 Nov. 1906 and 21 May 1909 was associated with the Greys.

128. Daily Index-Appeal, 8 June 1900.

129. Daily Index-Appeal, 25 July 1900. In 1912, Thacker, then a resident of Farmville, returned to reorganize the band. Daily Index- Appeal, 31 Oct. 1912.

130. Daily Index-Appeal, 2 Sept. 1900. The spelling "Zernba" in the article is incorrect.

131. Daily Index-Appeal, 9 March 1889.

132. Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg's Story, 336.

133. Daily Index-Appeal, 13 May 1917.

134. In 1903, six snare drums and three bugles were ordered- The drums came from C. G. Conn, of Elkhart, Indiana. Daily Index-Appeal, 5 Feb. and 21 March 1903.

135. Daily Index-Appeal, 18 July 1885.

136. Daily Index-Appeal, 19 Aug. 1887.

137. Daily Index-Appeal, 24 July and 9 Aug. 1889.

138. Daily Index-Appeal, 22 Jam. and 27 April 1902.

139. Daily Index-Appeal, 2 March 1912.

140. Daily Index-Appeal, 23 Jan. 1914.

141. Daily Index-Appeal, 20 May 1913. Rowland's wife was the pianist.

142. Daily Index-Appeal, 1 Oct., 7 Dec., and 28 Dec. 1889 and 31 Jan. 1890.

143. Daily Index-Appeal, 25 Nov., 18 Dec., and 25 Dec. 1894 and 21 April 1895. CHAPTER V

PETERSBURG'S CHURCHES: MUSICAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Music in Petersburg was greatly enriched by its churches.^

Church music leaders in the nineteenth century made efforts to provide

vocal instruction, intended primarily to promote better singing during

worship services, and the results of this training were often

displayed in some forum outside of worship, usually in concerts

presented for the benefit of the church. Financial expenditures for

the purchase emd improvement of church organs also point to

aspirations for music of good quality.

Petersburg's White Churches

The congregation of Old Blandford Church (see Chapter 2) moved away from Blandford in 1802 and in 1803 the cornerstone of a new

Episcopal church was laid near the courthouse. This site was sold to the city in 1837 and a new building was erected in 1839. After this building was destroyed by fire in 1854, the congregation erected a structure on Union Street; this present location was consecrated in

1857.2 Confederate General Robert E. Lee attended services in this building during the Civil War, and after the war returned to the

110 Ill

church for his son's wedding/* In 1841, St. Paul's established a

mission there that became Grace Episcopal Church.*

The Methodist congregation erected its first structure in 1774;

a second one in a different location in 1788; and a third, on Union

Street, in 1818.^ Church records show that in 1820 the congregation

consisted of 111 whites and 55 blacks.* The Union Street Methodist

Church played a significant role in the establishment of the Methodist

Episcopal Church, South, which was caused by the slavery issue. In

1842, the white members of the congregation gave the site to the black

members (see below), moved, and established the Washington Street

Methodist Church.^ High Street Church and Market Street (now Trinity)

Church were established in 1844 and 1858, respectively, to fill needs

in other sections of the city.*

The Tabb Street Presbyterian Church congregation organized

around 1812; the first church was built in 1814; its second church,

built in about 1822, was burned in 1841; and its third and present

structure was dedicated in 1844.* The "massive walls and arch beneath

the portico" of the structure were said to have offered Petersburg's

citizens shelter from Union shelling.** In order to meet needs of the population in a different part of the city, members of Tabb Street

formed Second Presbyterian Church in 1851.**

A Baptist congregation organized in Petersburg around 1817 and worshipped in two structures in different locations before building

First Baptist Church on Washington Street in about 1855. After this structure was burned, the congregation rebuilt in the same location.**

Byrne Street Baptist Church was established in 1854 in another part of 112

TABLE 1

PETERSBURG'S CHURCHES

WHITE BLACK

Episcopal

St. Paul's Episcopal St. Stephen's Episcopal

Grace Episcopal

Methodist

Washington Street Methodist Union Street C. M. E. (formerly Union Street Methodist)

Market Street Methodist Oak Street A. M. E. Z.

Presbyterian

Tahb Street Presbyterian

Second Presbyterian

Old Street Presbyterian

Baptist

First Baptist First Baptist (on Washington Street) (on Harrison Street)

West End Baptist Gillfield Baptist

Third Baptist 113

the city, and before the end of the century this congregation moved

and became Second Baptist Church.

The first Catholic Mass was celebrated in the city in 1820; St.

Joseph's Catholic Church was dedicated in 1 8 4 2 . Temple Rodof Sholom

was formed in 1858, and when the synagogue was dedicated in December

1866 "All the Christian denominations, indeed, were well

represented.

Organs. Organists, and Concerts

Attention began to be given to music in some of Petersburg's

white churches almost immediately following the Civil War. There was

great activity in the areas of purchasing organs amd presenting

concerts, and in encouraging the development of choirs and improving

congregational singing. The churches, some of which had well-trained

musicians in their employ and as members of their congregations,

provided many of the musical offerings for the city-at-large.

Less than two years after the siege, the congregation of Teibb

Street Presbyterian Church began raising funds to purchase a new

organthe instrument was installed and ready for use in April

1868.1* The church's organist was Heinrich Noltenius, a tobacco merchant from Bremen, Germany, who had just settled in Petersburg; under his direction, provided at no charge, the music of the church

"took the foremost rank among the churches of the city.That the name of this newcomer was not mentioned in suiy of the newspaper articles during this time is interesting, considering that it would 114

become synonymous with musical excellence in Petersburg in years to

come.

A "Summary of work for the year from May 2, 1869 to May 1, 1870"

found in the records of St. Paul's Episcopal Church shows that the

church had purchased a melodeon.^ The church was fortunate to have

associated with it a number of musicians, including Noltenius^* and

Lossie Hill.^ In October 1871, F. C. Hahr (see Chapter 3) was

employed as organist.

Congregations were especially active in purchasing and repairing

their church organs during the 1870s. In 1872, the members of

Washington Street M. E. Church purchased an organ at the cost of

approximately three thousand dollars. The Petersburg Index recognized

the regrettable fact that the organ arrived just months after the

death of the church's minister. Rev. C. H. Hall, who had hoped to see

the instrument installed.^ The organ was overhauled in March 1875 by

an A. B. Chase,who soon took charge of the vocal instruction of the church's Sunday School.^ By May, Chase, who had been director of music at Christ Church in New Orleans, relocated to Petersburg.

In 1871, Market Street Methodist Church purchased what was referred to as a "large organ." The organ, about which no specifics were given, "was purchased in Baltimore, and is one that was made for a church in Dayton, Ohio, but was exchanged for a larger one.

Evidently, this instrument was a source of encouragement to the church's music program, because a few months later. The Petersburg

Index reported that the choir was practicing once a week "with the purpose of rendering its new organization more efficient. 115

Market Street Methodist attracted attention during the summer of

1874 when the women of the congregation held a two-week fair to raise

funds for an organ that would replace the one purchased in 1871.

Their efforts realized a total of $2 0 0 . 2 0 . At least one excursion

by train to Tidewater Virginia was sponsored by the church for the

benefit of the organ fund. No financial report of the trip has been

found, but its success can be judged by the fact that approximately

five hundred people took part, requiring eight passenger cars and one

box-car.2* Before the end of August, the church had signed a contract

in the amount of three thousand dollars with the New York based firm

of George Jardine & Son for a new organ, the delivery of which was to

be on 1 November.^® According to the Petersburg Index and Appeal, the

organ

is of the most improved pattern made by these distinguished manufacturers, and will undoubtedly possess a compass and truth of tone that few instruments in this section can equal.^

The organ was not delivered by the date on the contract. No

information has yet been found to indicate if the delay was in éuiy way

caused by the organ firm. The major, if not the sole, reason for the

delay was the decision of the congregation to construct am addition to

the church that would accommodate the large organ. At the end of

November, it was reported that a room to house the organ was to be

built behind the pulpit at a cost of seventeen hundred dollars.In

early January a progress report on the construction of a two-story

brick addition— not just a room— called the placement of the choir and

the organ behind the pulpit "a novel one for Petersburg.The arrival of the organ was quite an event: 116

Yesterday the magnificent new organ of the Market-street M. E. Church was received from the makers Messrs. Jardine & Co., New York. The instrument was constructed by these celebrated manufacturers, to order, at a cost of $3,000; and it is believed to be the finest in make and the fullest and most powerful in volume in the State of Virginia. It was originally intended to mount the new organ in the loft, opposite the pulpit, at present occupied by the choir, but its great size auid compass rendered another arrangement necessary. It was therefore decided to make an addition to the rear of the church, in dimension 18 by 20 feet, the lowest story to be converted into a study for the pastor, and the upper part to be used for the organ and the occupancy of the choir. The arrangement is a novel one, as the choir will sit behind the minister amd facing the congregation; but it will probably prove convenient and in no degree awkward. This addition to the church was made at a cost of $1,800/"*

The organ was

of full compass, with twenty-two stops amd nine hundred and sixty pipes. The case is of black walnut amd chestnut, finished in oil. The pipes are arranged in the open style and decorated in gilt and colors. Located in the rear of the pulpit and facing the congregation, it presents a very handsome view amd forms am ornament of great architectural beauty, which adds much to the interior appearance of the edifice. The cost of the organ was $3,000, exclusive of transportation and the expenses of Mr. Jardine, who has been engaged about ten days in putting it up. The case is sixteen feet high, twelve feet wide and fourteen feet deep. The couplers are operated by thumb knobs— a great convenience and one of recent design. The Messrs. Jardine will take the old organ at a valuation of $500 in part payment of the new organ.“

The installation of the instrument created a certain amount of civic pride;

TWO PETERSBURG CHURCHES, St. Paul's and the Market-street Methodist have magnificent organs of Jardine*s make, while the Lynchburg churches have not a single Jardine. They are all mere Sardines and not Jardines. And that's what makes us say what we do say.

The public eagerly awaited the concert organized by Heinrich

Noltenius and F. C. Hahr to both display the new instrument amd raise funds to defray its cost. The concert included not only the church choir, but a number of other musicians in the city, along with the 117

organ builder, Dudley Jardine.The main feature of the concert was

a demonstration of the organ's capabilities:

A THUNDERSTORM ON THE ORGAN,-We would advise all families in the neighborhood of the Market-street church to look well to their milk tonight. Mr. Dudley Jardine's representation of a "thunderstorm," on the organ is so like nature, that unless well protected, milk will certainly be soured by it."

The supposed thunderstorm succeeded in displaying the range of the

organ, but failed to achieve the desired effect:

Mr. Jardine's Thunderstorm was not so overpowering as a body might have expected, and we do not think any milk in the neighborhood was soured unless it was the milk of human kindness."

This failure was "a great relief; for nervous people escaped the

terror with which they had expected to be shaken."^®

The interest, as well as the curiosity, of Petersburg's citizens

caused them to brave "keen and biting weather" to attend the concert

in large numbers;*^ they were not disappointed:

Out of regard to the holy nature of the place, and in compliance with the express request of the pastor, there was no applause given, however, though on several occasions the temptation to bestow it was strong and the merits of the singers such as to richly deserve it."

The program included selections from Mendelssohn's St. John and

Elijah, and from Handel's Messiah. The performance of "The Heavens

are Telling" from Haydn's Creation reportedly caused the house to

shcüce while it "filled all devout hearts and moved all cultivated

tastes with an emotion of not less power and depth.In addition to performamces of organ and vocal music, there was a performance of "an

adagio for the violoncello from Mozart."^ According to the review of the concert, Heinrich Noltenius played the cello and was accompanied 118

by his brother, Conrad. This, however, is probably an error, because

It " Conrad was a cellist." No reports have yet been found to show whether the concert was a financial as well as a musical success. At least two excursions were sponsored by the Organ Committee that following summer, the first of which— on a train— raised four hundred dollars.^

Late in 1875, Noltenius and Hahr collaborated again to present two concerts performed by local talent at Tabb Street Presbyterian

Church.The audience attending the first concert filled the galleries as well as the main body of the church;*® the second, performed within a month's time, was considered "equal to the first.

The paths of Chase and Hahr crossed at St. Paul's Episcopal

Church in 1875. Vestry minutes dating from the spring and summer of that year indicate some unidentified problem with the music program.

In May, the vestry resolved

That the subject of the music of the church be referred to a committee of three with authority to employ a leader for the choir if they shall deem it desirable, on a salary not exceeding three hundred dollars per annum.

The concern of Hahr that his work as organist was "not desirable to some of the church officers and members of the congregation" prompted the vestry to issue a statement of "their high appreciation" of his talent. A music committee reported that it had employed Chase

to form a choir at St[.] Paul's Church, instruct the same in vocal music and lead the same in the regular services of the Church subject in all respects to the control of the Rector and Vestry auid also to instruct in vocal music, the Sunday school scholars of the Church at the rate of $300 per annum payable monthly, the control to be terminated upon thirty days notice by 119

either party, and submitted a written contract signed by Mr[.] Chase, which was read and ordered to be filed.'

A few days later, the vestry was presented with Hahr's resignation.

The vestry, unable to convince Hahr to withdraw his resignation,

offered the position to George W. Scott, "at a salary not exceeding

$300 per annum.In December, amateurs from Petersburg, Richmond,

and Norfolk presented a concert at the Academy of Music to raise funds

to improve the organ.^ Later fund-raising activities (see below)

suggest that perhaps these improvements were postponed.

In January 1876, the vestry released Chase, at his request, from

his duties as choir director with a statement of appreciation for his

services/"* A request for a salary increase from Scott soon afterward

may indicate that he had assumed extra duties as a result of Chase's

departure.^ In June, Scott informed the vestry that Richmond

organist Leo P. Wheat, at Scott's request, had offered to present a benefit concert for the organ. The vestry responded that it could not approve use of the church for any purpose other than Divine Worship, but offered to secure the Academy of Music for the concert. There is no evidence that the concert ever occurred/"*

Improvements were made to the St. Paul's organ in early 1877 by a Mr. Stuart, of New York, who was identified as the builder of the

Tabb Street organ. The improved organ was exhibited to an audience of invited guests during a program consisting of operatic, classical, and sacred selections performed by Noltenius, Hahr, auid Scott.By the end of the year, the vestry, faced with financial difficulties, was forced to reduce salaries, including that of the organist. 120

In addition to serving as organist at St. Paul's, Scott also

sang baritone in the synagogue choir, beginning about 1875 or 1876.^

In 1877, the members of the synagogue purchased an Estey organ,

"called the Harmonic Organ with four sets of reeds and 12 stocks

[sic], with a powerful sub-bass, filling the entire building."^

Hahr, Scott, and Noltenius combined efforts again in 1878 to

present a concert at Tabb Street Presbyterian. The concert was

sponsored by the Relief Association for the purpose of raising funds

for yellow fever sufferers.®® The net proceeds of the concert, for

which the church was filled to capacity, totaled $123.35.®^

In the spring of 1879, the vestry of St. Paul's appointed a

committee to investigate the "the best means of having the church

carpeted and the organ repaired."®^ Scott informed the vestry that

the lowest bidder for the job was L. M. Stuart, of New York, (probably

the same Stuart who had repaired the organ in 1877)®^ who had agreed

to clean, tune, and service the organ for three hundred twenty-five

dollars. During this time, the organist's salary was restored to the

amount it had been before the 1877 reduction. In September, the

church presented a concert at the Academy of Music to raise funds for

repairs to the organ. The work was eventually done in January 1880 by

"Messrs. Harrison and Gerard, from the well known organ factory of W.

M. Wilson, successor to Henry Erber [sic] & Co., New York."®® The work, which took at least two weeks, was described as follows:

The keyboard will be extended four feet into the gallery, and the instrument thoroughly cleauied, tuned and revoiced. The extended keyboard is a great improvement on the old style of sliding doors— the organist being enabled to hear the tones to 121

greater advMtage, thereby giving him better command of his instrument.

In 1880, Scott assisted Second Presbyterian Church in a concert

presented to display its new organ. The organ was built by Mr. T. C.

Hairston of the New York factory of William Wilson (see above).**

Scott was assisted by organists from Richmond and by "ladies and

gentlemen from the different choirs in the city."*^ This firm also

installed an organ at Grace Episcopal Church at about the same time.

The Grace church organ, which cost two thousand dollars, was

placed in the western gallery of the transept, immediately to the right of the chancel, which, for all purposes, was deemed to be the best location for it. The organ is of beautiful finish and adds greatly to the appearance of the interior of the church. Its dimensions are: 13 feet in width, 17 feet 6 inches in height, and 9 feet in depth. It contains two sets of keys, of 58 notes each; two third-octaves of pedals, and twenty stops. The case is of black walnut, of open Gothic design, with twenty- five speaking pipes. *

Upon learning that Richmond's Grace Episcopal Church had offered

Scott the position of organist at a salary of forty dollars a month,

fifteen dollars more than he was receiving from St. Paul's, the rector

of St. Paul's requested that the vestry increase Scott's salary with the hope of retaining his services. The vestry reported that a salary

increase was "inexpedient" and Scott, who was present at the meeting,

"tendered his resignation as Organist to take effect January next, which was accepted." Before the conclusion of the meeting, the vestry resolved that it

takes pleasure in recommending Mr. Scott as a gentleman, who while discharging his duty as a faithful officer, has well earned the reputation he enjoys of being a skillful and accomplished organist.** 122

Mary Simpson was engaged as organist for a period of three months, at

a salary of twenty dollars a month— half of Scott's salary (We do not

know whether the lower salary was based on her level of experience or

her gender). At the end of the three month period, the vestry asked

Simpson to continue for the rest of the year.^ By the summer,

Simpson requested repairs to the organ; before the beginning of 1882,

the organ was repaired by the firm of George Jardine & Sons— the same

firm that had built the Market Street organ— at a cost of one hundred

fifty dollars.

A new round of organ purchases began in 1883. In March, West

End Baptist Church raised funds for its new organ by holding an event

called a concert and jug breaking; it consisted of instrumental and

vocal music, including "some Welsh hymns rendered in Welsh.The

organ purchased by the church, at a cost of six hundred dollars, was

one that had been built by Ferris & Company, of New York,^ for a church in Portsmouth; the organ was determined to be too small for the

Portsmouth church.

The congregation of First Baptist Church purchased a new organ in October 1883 from the New York firm of H. L. Roosevelt at a cost of three thousand dollars;^ the instrument arrived in April 1884.

While First Baptist was purchasing a new organ, Tabb Street

Presbyterian was enlarging its organ, during which time a melodeon was used.^ The work was completed in May, and in August Noltenius performed an organ recital for an audience of invited guests. 123

The gentleman's mastery of this grandest of all instruments is too well known to require further mention at this time, but there is one thing for which he is to be much commended. While he entertains, he also educates, for he takes special care to bring before his hearers the works of the composers of all nations and of the most widely varied character, thus gradually continually nourishing the appreciation of good music.^

Noltenius was assisted by Scott, who

greatly contributed to the enjoyment of the favored few by letting his fine baritone be heard in Sullivan's "Lost Chord" which was given with excellent feeling and expression; Faure's "Palm Branches," and "God Have Mercy Upon Me" from the oratorio of St. Paul.

In 1889, the vestry at St. Paul's Church contracted with Frank

Roosevelt, of Baltimore, "to tune and regulate" the organ every six

months at a cost of twenty dollars per year.^ A year later, a

temporary organist had to be engaged, at a salary of twelve dollars

and fifty cents each month, to replace Mary Simpson, who had suffered

burns and was unable to play.*®

Market Street Methodist Church, which seemed not to have been very involved musically after the furor over the installation of the

Jardine organ in 1875, was the scene of an organ recital performed by

Laura Jones, assisted by vocalists, in 1895.®^

After about 1884 (the year in which Noltenius resigned his position at Tabb Street Presbyterian Church to devote more time to the

Petersburg Musical Association), churches seem not to have been as active in the presentation of concerts. Under the auspices of the

P. M. A . , concerts were presented regularly and it was no longer left up to the churches to provide "refined" entertainment, though some benefit concerts continued to be held. As has been noted, while some concerts in white churches were open to the white public, others were 124

concerts in white churches were open to the white public, others were

by invitation only. In the case of St. Paul's Church, concerts were

sponsored by the church, but held elsewhere on grounds of propriety,

as decided by the vestry.

Churches introduced a new type of entertainment in the

1890s— concerts of recorded sound; at least three such "Phonographic"

concerts were presented in 1892.^ The first of these was held in

February at First Baptist for the benefit of the Ladies' Aid

Society.^ The other concerts were held at West End Baptist®* and

Market Street Methodist.®® A concert held at Old Street Presbyterian

Church in 1897 featured recordings of speeches by Bryan and McKinley,

and music by the Marine Band.®® The following year, an entertainment

at Grace Episcopal Church included the more traditional vocal and

instrumental selections. In addition, "Mr. Lee Rogers gave several

fine selections with his graphophone which were very much enjoyed."®^

These concerts stimulated an interest that made these concerts— sometimes called Graphophone Concerts— popular into the second decade of the twentieth century.®®

Choirs and Congregational Singing

In 1870, Rev. William H. Hatcher, pastor of First Baptist

Church, organized a singing school, which met twice a week, to improve congregational singing.

Mr. Hatcher's class, we leam, numbers fully one hundred ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. Singing is a part of the worship of every church, but generally it is confined to too narrow a circle— the choir doing most of it, and the congregation at large very little. 125

In 1872, the congregation of First Baptist Church

adopted for its hymnal the Baptist Praise-book, for the Psalmist, which has been formerly used in the church, and in preference over the Baptist Hymn éuid Tune-Book, published by the Baptist Publication Society at Philadelphia. The Praise Book is published by A. S. Barnes & Co., at New York.

Within two weeks, T. S. Beckwith & Company announced that it had

received "a full supply" of the hymnals.

By at least 1871, the Sunday School officers at First Baptist

Church included a musical director,and in 1872 a cadbinet organ was purchased for the school.In 1873, the Sunday School of Washington

Street Methodist Church received musical instruction from Mr. True, who had been briefly engaged by the city's School Board to demonstrate his music method to public school teachers (see Chapter 3). It is not known if this instruction continued after True's departure from the city. During the spring of 1875, A. B. Chase, who had recently overhauled the church's organs (see above), took charge of the vocal instruction of this school. In December, Chase presented the children in the Sunday School, assisted by other local talent, in a performance of George Root's cantata. Flower Queen.^^

A February 1875 issue of the Petersburg Index and Appeal that claims that congregational singing was "a subject which is just now attracting much attention in our churches"*"* indicates that any early efforts in this area had long been abandoned and forgotten. According to this article. Rev. Dr. T. D. Witherspoon, pastor of Tabb Street

Presbyterian Church, addressed this issue and at that church "new hymn and music books combined have been distributed to enable the members to join in the singing.The issue of congregational singing 126

resurfaced at First Baptist Church in 1883 when the announcement was

made that it would be "introduced" at a service in May; the melodeon

was moved from the choir gallery to a position in front of the pulpit Û? stand to encourage the congregation to sing.

The size of the choirs in the various churches is not known. In

December 1877, the choir of St. Paul's Episcopal Church was joined by

a quartette from Haverly's Minstrels, who were scheduled to perform at

the Academy of Music.

Upon reaching the church they were introduced to seats in the choir, and the famous quartette, composed of Messrs. Dixon, Roe, Rapier and Freeth, participated in the singing. When the offertory was reached the quartette sang by themselves— Warren's Rock of Ages, amd such was the melody and skill with which it was rendered, that every one was impressed with the fact that such singing had seldom been heard in St. Paul's church before.

According to a report in a September 1880 issue of the Petersburg

Index and Appeal, the choir of St. Paul's had four members: Eliza

Pannill, sopramo; Mary Simpson, alto; J. William Friend, tenor; and

Thomas L. Morton, bass.** The choir was assisted by "some of the best singers" in the Wilbur Opera Troupe in November 1882 when that company was in the city to perform at the Academy of Music.In 1886, The

Rt. Rev. Mr. Randolph, an Episcopal bishop, wrote a letter to the

Southern Churchman, in which he commented that Petersburg's Episcopal churches were

to be congratulated upon their choirs and the kind of music rendered in their churches. The training in chorus amd Oratorio singing is observed at once in their method and style of church music. In St. Paul's church on Sunday morning you hear from a chorus choir the words of the chants amd hymns as clearly as you hear the words of Scripture from the lips of the minister. The voices are blended together by practice, amd strike the note as one voice, amd the chant is rendered with promptness and spirit 127

and musical expression[.l Church music like this is a spiritual power on a congregation.

The quality of this choir was due, in part, to the Petersburg Chorus,

which included many or perhaps all of the members of the church

choir.A choir of about forty members led by Noltenius sang for

the 1898 Easter services; it "did such good work that numbers were

heard to say that it brought back to mind the days of the old

Petersburg chorus.

In October 1895, the Daily Index-Appeal reported that

The rector of Grace church proposes to make a special feature in the various services of his church this winter.He has secured the services of Mr. Johnson Morriss, an experienced and successful choir master, for this purpose. The music of the Wednesday evening service will be rendered by a choir of young ladies, whose voices will be trained, and divided into four parts, 1st and 2nd soprano and 1st and 2nd alto. For the Sunday night service Mr. Ridout, the rector, hopes to have a specially trained choir of men and boys. The Sunday morning choir will be composed of a quartette and chorus. ”

Although no information has been found concerning the fate of this effort, there is documentation that, in 1896, the church had its first vested choir.

Petersburg's Black Churches

The First African Baptist Church (known later as First Baptist or Harrison Street Church) was organized in 1774 on the estate of Col.

William Byrd. When the congregation's meeting house was burned, it moved to Harrison Street in Petersburg.^* First Baptist Church dedicated its new structure in 1872^*% and in 1878, built a steeple 128

that was reported to be the tallest in the cityJ"® The present

building was constructed in 1863.^®^

The congregation of Gillfield Baptist Church had its origins in

Prince George County in 1788,

although statistics show that it was not recognized as a separate organization until the year 1797. At this time, whites and blacks worshipped together on terms of equality of which we know nothing today. The Church, which was organized in 1788, was known as Davenport. The first organization had a white membership, but blacks in the church, . . . [as] in many other places, greatly outnumbered the whites."'

When the Davenport Church disbanded around 1800, its members moved to

Petersburg and separated along racial lines. Luther P. Jackson cites

the great number of black members as the reason for their becoming

organized before their white counterparts (probably the group that

formed the white First Baptist Church). The black Baptists of the

Davenport Church (many of whom were free) formed the Sandy Beach

Church in Pocahontas before purchasing land in 1818 in an area known

as "Gill's Field." The cornerstone for Gillfield's fifth and present

structure on this property was laid in 1878 and the building was

dedicated in 1880.^^^ In 1874 the congregation laid the foundation

for a chapel, located in the rear of the proposed building site, which would be used until the main structure was completed.

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church is the oldest black Episcopal church in Virginia. Its congregation originated from a group of black communicants who moved from Warrenton, North Carolina, to Petersburg after the Civil War and began worshipping at Grace Episcopal Church where Churchill Gibson was rector. Caroline Wiley Bragg, one of the relocated blacks, and Gibson's son organized a mission on Old Poplar 129

Lawn (the city park) in a building that had been used by soldiers

during the war. The congregation began erecting an edifice in 1867

which was consecrated in May 1868

After the Civil War, many black members of the Union Street

Methodist Church congregation voted to leave the Methodist Episcopal

Church, South, and join the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church.

The Washington Street Methodist Church congregation (white), part of

the M. E. Church, South, still had control of the Union Street

building and took the issue to court to have the title of the building

transferred to the trustees of the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church

in America.^* A faction of the Union Street congregation resisted,

left the church, and began worshipping in a building on nearby Oak

Street. In 1874, this faction purchased property on Oak Street, built

a church, and in 1885 Oak Street A. M. E. Z. Church was dedicated.

Organs and Organists

When St. Stephen's Episcopal Church was consecrated in 1868, mention was made that the congregation had purchased "a fine new organ. Two years later, the church acquired an organ as a result of concerts given by the Tremaine Brothers, of New York, who had been engaged to perform vocal concerts at Mechanics' Hall.^^^ The review of their first concert, which cost seventy-five cents per ticket to attend, included the announcement that on the night of the second concert "the organ used will be given away to the church or society, receiving the largest number of votes. No information was 130

provided about how the votes would be cast, but, according to the

review of the concert.

When the tickets were counted, it was found that Grace church had received the greatest number, and St. Stephen's church was next in the list. The latter church being in greater need of an orgam, Grace church generously yielded all effort to obtain the organ in its favor; and to-night, the Concert Company will give their services gratuitously to aid this congregation in making the purchase.

The statement that the company would aid the congregation in

purchasing the organ contradicts the earlier one that the organ would

be given away. One can only speculate as to whether the policy was

changed or originally misrepresented. The organ went to St.

Stephen's; the act was recognized in a resolution:

That the pastor and vestry of St. Stephen's Church, for, and in behalf of the congregation, hereby tender their cordial thanks to the kind friends who were instrumental in helping them to obtain the organ of Messrs. Tremaine Bros., and assure them that their ready sympathy is greatly appreciated and will ever be remembered.

There is no clear evidence how the organ was acquired, but it is

possible that the amount collected from ticket sales was deducted from the cost of the organ, with the difference left to be paid. The company announced that it would return to the city the next week in order to perform another concert, the proceeds of which would be given to Grace church;^! there is no evidence that the concert was given.

In 1874, when the congregation of Oak Street A. M. E. Z. Church was preparing to dedicate its new edifice, the Organ Club held an entertainment to raise funds for its benefit.There is a reference to the use of a melodeon to accompany a vocal soloist during one of the exercises of Oak Street's Sabbath School in 1879.^^^ The 1885 131

dedicatory services of the church, for which organist Henry B.

Patterson and a choir of about twenty-four members provided music,

included the statement that "The church has a fine toned organ which

was purchased at a cost of $450.In 1886, the Sabbath School of

Gillfield Baptist Church contributed two hundred dollars towards the

purchase of an Estey organ for their sanctuary.Although no

specific information about the organ was given, later information

indicates that it was probably a reed organ.

A list of property owned by St. Stephen's Church compiled in

1885 includes two organs, valued at a total of four hundred dollars,

and two pianos, valued at a total of one hundred dollars.It is

possible that one of the organs had been recently purchased.

Virginia M. Morgan served as organist from an unknown date to about

December 1882;^^^ Mary E. Wallace (see Chapter 3) began her duties as

organist at some later time and probably continued until her marriage

to Rev. Mack Nelson in 1888,^^^ after which she briefly resided in

Richmond. Minutes of a St. Stephen's vestry meeting in June 1889

indicate that the church owed $1.50 to Nelson and an unknown amount to

Miss M. H. Johnson, who presumably had taken over the position of

organist after Nelson's departure.Minutes of the next month's meeting show that the first item of business was Johnson's resignation as organist, which was accepted by the Vestry to take effect on 1

August. Evidently the resignation had been anticipated because, at that same meeting, it was announced that Charlotte Warren and Mrs.

Nelson had offered their services to fill that capacity.Before the end of that meeting, a motion was made to use the remaining money 132

in the treasury— which amounted to $4.35— towards the indebtedness to

Johnson.Two months later, the vestry voted

to ask Mrs. Nelson to take charge of our organ a little longer. And at our next meeting a purse would be made up aa a present to her, and each member be requested to contribute."*

As plemned, at the next meeting each member was asked for a

contribution. At that same meeting, "It was moved that Mrs. Nelson be

appointed as organist for 1 mo. $ 4 . 0 0 . Nelson continued to serve

as organist through the early part of the next century.

Hymnals

Some information about the hymnals used by black congregations

from the late 1870s through the 1880s comes from newspaper reports of monthly Sunday School meetings. At a meeting of Oak Street's Sunday

School in 1879,

Hymns from the "number two" song book of Bliss and Sankey were well sung by the organist, J. R. Jordan, and the singing class.

The Sabbath School at Gillfield Baptist Church used Gospel Hymns,

1883. In the early 1870s, this school and those from First Baptist and Third Baptist had formed the Union Gathering

for the purpose of giving inspiration and impetus to Sunday School endeavors. Meetings were held in Rotarian disposition the first Sabbath of each month.

Sometime after the mid-1880s, the Gathering included Fourth Baptist and the Blandford Mission. The collection Gospel Hymns was used at some of these meetings, indicating that if this hymnal was not used at each of the churches, it was, at least, known to them.^^® Newspaper accounts of the Oak Street meetings^* and the history of Gillfield's 133

School outlined above confirm that these churches had Sunday School

choirs.

In 1872, First Baptist Church, which had used the Psalmist Hymn

Book since 1847, decided to adopt the Baptist Hymn and Tune Book.^^^

The white First Baptist Church had also used the Psalmist; in 1872

this congregation chose the Baptist Praise-book in preference to the

Baptist Hymn and Tune Book, published by the Baptist Publication

Society in Philadelphia.

Gillfield also used the Baptist Hymn and Tune Book, but the date of its adoption is uncertain.The books used early in the Sabbath

School were Sabbath School Harp, in use in and before 1868; Fresh

Laurels, 1873; and Royal Diadem, 1873.^*^ Music was am important part of the Sabbath School:

Where is the Sabbath School that has served its best purpose without music as one of its importamt drawing features? What type of music excels that made by the human voice? Music is much of the life of any religious organization, especially of the Sabbath School. The Gillfield Baptist is no exception. In fact, it has been one of its prime requisites. The school has been fortunate in securing the best books of their kind, two hundred to two hundred fifty at a time, cloth bound with two or three exceptions. Their bindings enabled them to hold together till their vitals were exhausted.

The school also had organized musical activities:

In the '70s, the school was accustomed to assemble on some Sunday afternoon, or on one evening in the week for learning our music preparatory for Sunday morning services. In 1871, Mrs. Elizabeth Smith was the school chorister. In 1874, the superintendent suggested the organizing of a choir to be composed of teachers and pupils. The suggestion was adopted, and the school had a regular choir for a few years. The school anticipated the doing of no harm, but its music was of such grade that some white residents of Brown Street declared that the music rendered by the school and the church tempted them to remain at their homes Sunday mornings, and they yielded to the temptation. 134

Concerts and Other Entertainments

In the years following the Civil War, churches presented

entertainments to raise funds. Two such entertainments were held at

the black Odd Fellow and Masonic Hall on Lombard Street in July 1869

for the benefit of St. Stephen's Church.Another entertainment,

consisting of vocal and instrumental selections, was given "in the

Hall over W. H. Lemoine's store, the proceeds of which will be devoted

towards putting some necessary repairs on St. Stephen's Church.

It is not clear if auiy of these were performed by members of the

church or by members of some supportive organization. In 1872,

Gillfield's Sabbath School presented "An Exhibition, consisting of

Declamation, Dialogues and Vocal Music;" admission fees were ten cents

for children ages twelve and under, and fifteen cents for others.

The following year, Gillfield's choir, under the leadership of William

G. Hastings, advertised that it would present a "Grand Concert" for

the benefit of the church. Admission for this concert, which was to

include "dialogues and speeches by small girls and boys," was twenty-

five cents.Another entertainment was presented by the church choir in December 1879 "to assist the choir in procuring books.

Hastings was still director of the choir.

One concert that attracted attention for non-musical reasons was that scheduled to be performed in 1875 by the choir of St. Stephen's church at the Academy of Music. The Academy's racially determined seating policy remained intact despite the fact that a black organization was using the building: 135

On Monday night next the choir of St. Stephen's church will give a concert at the Academy of Music, for the benefit of their church. The first floor will be reserved for white and the galleries for colored people. There are some excellent voices in the choir, and the public, who by their attendance will be assisting a good cause, may expect some really fine music.

Support for the choir's effort was intensified in a lengthy

announcement, which appeared on the day of the first concert:

The choir of St. Stephen's church . . . proposes giving concerts at the Academy of Music, to-night and to-morrow night. The persons composing this choir have been practicising [sic] diligently for some time past, and although they have received no assistance or instruction whatever, they have prepared themselves to execute two excellent programmes in capital style. This, we know, was the expressed opinion of a good judge of music who was present at their last rehearsal, and who remarked that they did wonderfully well considering the fact of their being self-taught. The concerts are for the benefit of St. Stephen's church, and we hope a handsome sum may be realized. The choir is to be much commended for its energy and enterprise, and we can promise our readers that if they attend they will spend a very pleasant evening, while they will, at the same time be aiding a good cause.

While these encouraging, if not patronizing, comments were being printed, a controversy over adherence to the seating policy was brewing among members of the congregation. The concert was postponed because "whites would be given preference as to seats in the Academy of Music.The Petersburg Index and Appeal commended those members of the congregation who did not contest the policy:

From a statement of the managers of the concert to be given to night, at the Academy of Music, for the benefit of St. Stephen's Church, it appears that they have been laboring to comply with the rules of the Academy and the usages of the place, in despite of malicious interferences from outside parties and the unwise dissatisfaction of some members. The managers still proclaim their intention, however, of giving the concert with the full programme originally announced, and we trust they will receive a liberal patronage. We can imagine it must have cost the Committee a considerable struggle to make headway against the igrnorance and prejudice of their own friends. They have persisted in their course, and by example they have set of a 136

decorous and moderate behavior on a subject of great delicacy, we think they can justly appeal to the support of the people of the city.^"

No other statements from the church have been found to clarify the

positions of its members on the subject. Evidently only one of the

concerts was performed, and the newspaper reported that nothing had

been heard

of the concert that was to have been given at the Academy of Music last night for the benefit of St. Stephen's church. One of our reporters, passing along the street about 9 o'clock, saw but three persons present in the auditorium. We fear the concert was not very liberally encouraged/^*

In 1880, churches provided sites for concerts that were

performed for reasons other them raising funds for their own benefit.

The first of these concerts, performed by the Blind Jubilee Singers, was given at Third Baptist.The singers also performed at

Gillfield Baptist:

The announcement that the Blind Jubilee Singers from North Carolina, would sing at the Oilfield Baptist church Sunday afternoon at 3 o'clock, attracted a very large assemblage— among whom were many whites, for whom special seats had been reserved. The Jubilee Singers are four in number— two males and two females— and all of them blind. They are colored, and were born in Wilson, N. C. Of a family of fourteen children, seven of them were born blind. The four in question showed a decided taste and aptitude for music and that taste was cultivated. They sang a number of pieces Sunday afternoon and were heard with close attention and interest by the large audience. The singing was very sweet and in entire harmony. The most remarkéible feature about it was their perfect imitation of the notes of the guitar and other musical instruments, which three of them would give as an accompaniment to the air sung by the fourth. The imitation was so perfect that most of those who heard the singers were at first deceived— believing that some one near them was playing the accompaniment on a sweet toned guitar. The occasion was much enjoyed— no little of the enjoyment being furnished by the fine singing of the choir of the church, who alternated with the blind quartette in singing. A liberal collection was given in aid of the singers.“ 137

Next, the singers, referred to as "the Williamson-Frater family,

consisting of the four blind jubilee singers and Benjamin Prater, a

deaf mute," performed at the Union Street Church.The Petersburg

Guards attended this concert as a group.When the singers returned

to the city in 1881 to perform at the Academy of Music, the public was

reminded that "many in our city, white and colored, have heard the

Blind Jubilee Singers, and know what they are. The singers

returned in 1888 and sang at the eleven o'clock Sunday morning service

at Third Baptist.

The 1890s pose a problem in terms of documentation of activities

among the black population of Petersburg, primarily because coverage

of its activities in the white-owned newspaper began to diminish.

Events that were covered were those of special interest to the white

community, such as those that occurred at Oak Street Church in 1893.

In March of that year, the following announcement appeared:

Rev. J. H. Manly, formerly pastor of one of the colored churches in this city, but now missionary secretary of A. H. E. Zion church, is in the city with a blind negro pianist, who is known as Blind Tom No. 2, and who will give a concert at Oak Street A. M. E. Zion church next Monday night. This Blind Tom is a cousin of the famous pianist and imitator, and like him is said to be a musical marvel."

A performer using the same sobriquet returned to the city in 1898 to give "a series of musical entertainments" at Zion Baptist Church.

In late April 1893, an appearance of Sissieretta Jones^^^ at Oak

Street A. M. E. Z. Church was announced, and the prediction was made that "there should not be a vacant seat in the building. The appearance of the soprano, who was at the pinnacle of her career, caught the attention of the entire population 138

Rarely, if ever, has a negro church contained an audience like the one that was gathered within the walls of the little Zion A. M. E. church on Oak street, last night. The edifice was packed to its utmost capacity, and while the majority of those present, of course, were negroes, there were no less than a couple of hundred of Petersburg's best white citizens who had been attracted by the fame of Mme. Sissieretta Jones, the "Black Patti.

Jones was accompanied by Mrs. Albert Wilson, who "also performed a

solo number on the piano. She is a performer of rare ability and gave

immense satisfaction to her audience.The performance also

featured recitations and musical selections performed by local talent,

including church organist Henry B. Patterson.

Soprano Marie Selika, assisted by Sig[.] Veloske^*® along with

"talent from Richmond and the Summer Normal,^* performed at Union

Street C. M. E. Church in July 1897 for the benefit of the black

Y. M. C. A. No review of the concert has been found. In 1897, Flora

Batson performed at Oak Street Church;^^ she shared the concert with

"Mr. G. S. R. Millar, the matchless Bass Singer and others."

Admission for the concert was twenty-five cents for adults and fifteen cents for children. The concert was well received:

At the Oak Street A. M. E. Zion church a concert will be given tonight, Tuesday, September 14th by Madam Flora Batson, who has sung here before to crowded houses of both white and colored citizens; and Mr. Millar, who sang at the above church last spring to the delight of a large audience. The concert tonight promises to be a rare treat. Seats will be reserved for white citizens who attend. The public is cordially invited. “

No reports of or response to the program have been found. The following year, the church engaged in a popular form of entertainment

(see above) by presenting "A Grand Graphophone Concert." The concert

"was well attended auid a grand success financially. 139

Conclusion

Despite the variety of denominations, origins, and economic

levels, Petersburg's churches perpetuated and enhanced an interest in

the presentation of music of good quality, whether in the course of

the worship service itself or in the realm of concerts. A concern for

congregational singing resulted in singing classes, and the results of

Sunday school training in music were displayed in programs and

exhibitions.

Many of the white congregations were already settled in

antebellum structures; they were more financially able than black

congregations in the 1870s and 1880s to either purchase new organs or

make substantial repairs to existing organs. Often, the installation

or completed repair of an organ was an occasion for a concert to

display the instrument and usually to raise funds for its purchase or repair. This kind of concert exhibited the best of local talent without regard to denomination. The concerts produced under the direction of Heinrich Noltenius, George W. Scott, and F. C. Hahr, and the musical cultivation of the congregations with which they worked encouraged the movement that resulted in the founding of the

Petersburg Musical Association in 1881. After the establishment of this association, concert activity shifted away from the church.

A number of entertainments that included music and recitations were presented by and for black congregations in the 1870s to raise funds to build new structures or repair existing structures. In these structures, blacks could attend performances by celebrated black 140

artists without being relegated to the gallery or limited in numbers.

The primary goal of church musicians was to provide music that

would enhance worship. To accomplish this goal, church musicians had

to educate their respective congregations; vocal instruction in the

Sunday Schools assured an early training that would develop as the

children grew into adulthood. The work of church musicians was

assisted by the financial and moral support received from their

congregations; this support came partly from a need in the city for

entertainments of high quality. In the years immediately following

the Civil War, white amd black churches alike provided "respectable

amusements" and stimulated the development of community musical

organizations. The musical standards set in the churches became the

basis of those for the community-at-large.

Notes

1. See Table 1. The churches mentioned in the chapter include all of the denominations in the city during the period, but not all of the individual churches; the churches discussed in detail were chosen on the basis of available information that was essential to this study.

2. James G. Scott and Edward Wyatt, Petersburg’s Story: A History (Petersburg, 7a.: Titraus Optical Co., 1960), 102-03.

3. Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg's Story, 278.

4. Scott amd Wyatt, Petersburg's Story, 103.

5. Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg's Story, 103.

6 . P. H. Drewry, The Story of a Church: A History of Washington Street Church at Petersburg, Virginia, 1773-1923 (Petersburg, Va.: Plummer Printing Co., 1923), 76.

7. Drewry, Washington Street Church, 85. 141

8 . Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg' Story, 103.

9. Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg's Story, 104.

10. Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg's Story, 280-81.

11. Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg's Story, 281.

12. Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg's Story, 105.

13. Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg’s Story, 105.

14. Daily Dispatch, 31 Dec. 1866.

15. The Petersburg Index, 14 March 1867. On this date appeared an announcement of a proposed concert as a fund-raiser.

16. According to The Petersburg Index, 8 April 1868, the parts of the organ, which had been shipped in about fifty packages, had been placed in the church. The organ was heard for the first time on Sunday, 19 April. The Petersburg Index, 21 April 1868.

17. Daily Index-Appeal, 25 March 1884. Noltenius served the church for seventeen years.

18. St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Summary of work for the year from May 2, 1869 to May 1, 1870; Virginia Historical Society. According to the entry, three thousand dollars had been raised for various purposes, including the purchase of the melodeon. Half of this amount had been used as payment of a debt. The cost of the melodeon was not given.

19. Noltenius married Mary B. Banister at the church on 21 Sept. 1869. The Petersburg Index, 28 Sept. 1869.

20. Hill, a communicant of the church, taught at St. Paul's Female School. By 1880, she opened her own music school. Petersburg Index- Appeal, 6 Sept. 1880.

21. St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Parish Register, 1 Oct. 1871 indicates only that the new organist began his work on that date. No name was given in the report, but other information supports that this was Hahr. An article in The Petersburg Index, 27 Dec. 1871 identifies Hahr as organist of the church: During religious exercises at St. Paul's Church, Christmas morning, some of the wreaths and festoons which decorated the choir caught on fire from the gas-lights, and but for being very promptly seen and extinguished by Prof. Hahr, the organist, the organ would have been seriously damaged, and the church itself might have been burned. The incident occasioned no sensation, as very few persons were aware of the occurrence. 142

22. The Petersburg Index, 8 Oct. 1872.

23. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 4 March 1875.

24. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 17 March 1875.

25. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 10 May 1875.

26. The Petersburg Index, 1 March 1871.

27. The Petersburg Index, 24 July 1871.

28. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 28 July 1874.

29. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 12 Aug. 1874.

30. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 27 Aug. 1874. George Jardine immigrated from England to New York in 1837. One year later, he received a gold medal from the American Institute for two of his organs. The firm became known as Jardine & Son in 1860 when his son, Edward G., joined him in his work. The work of the firm "was widely distributed in New York and the southern states." Barbara Owen, "George Jardine," The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, Stanley Sadie, ed., 20 vols. (London: Macmillan, 1980), II, 533.

31. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 27 Aug. 1874.

32. The Rural Messenger, 28 Nov. 1874.

33. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 9 Jan. 1875.

34. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 22 Jan. 1875.

35. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 8 Feb. 1875.

36. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 8 Oct. 1875.

37. Dudley was one of four sons of George Jardine, founder of the company. Orpha Ochse, The History of the Organ in the United States (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1975), 162.

38. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 9 Feb. 1875. According to Ochse, History of the Organ, 258, Dudley's brother, Edward G., took over the company in 1871. He was also a frequent recitalist for the inaugural programs of new Jardine orgams. His "Representation of a Thunder Storm" was evidently an effective piece for that sort of occasion.

39. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 10 Feb. 1875.

40. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 10 Feb. 1875. 143

41. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 10 Feb. 1875.

42. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 10 Feb. 1875. A more brief, but just as glowing, report appeared in The Rural Messenger, 13 Feb. 1875.

43. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 10 Feb. 1875.

44. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 10 Feb. 1875.

45. The Petersburg Index and Appeal, 6 Jan. 1876 commends Conrad Noltenius for his ability to play the violin and the violoncello.

46. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 12 June and 27 July 1875.

47. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 24 Nov. 1875.

48. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 26 Nov. 1875.

49.Petersburg Index and Appeal, 22 Dec. 1875.

50. St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Vestry Minutes, 12 May 1875; Virginia Historical Society.

51. St. Paul's, Vestry Minutes, 8 June 1875.

52. St. Paul's, Vestry Minutes, 21 June 1875.

53. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 1 and 4 Dec. 1875.

54. St. Paul's, Vestry Minutes, 4 Jan. 1876.

55. St. Paul's, Vestry Minutes, 8 Feb. 1876.

56. Since there was no organ in the Academy of Music, other arrangements would have been necessary.

57. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 7 March 1877. The organ blower at the church was a black man named George Lundy. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 25 July 1877.

58. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 6 Sept. 1880. According to this article, Scott was among those choir members re-engaged for 1880. All of the members had sung with the choir for the last four or five years.

59. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 19 Jan. 1877.

60. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 1 Oct. 1878. The southern states had been devastated by a yellow fever plague that fall and there were several fund-raising efforts to help the victims. The extent of the devastation was so great that a National Yellow Fever Commission was established in Washington, D. C. 144

61. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 7 Oct. 1878.

62. St. Paul's, Vestry Minutes, 14 April 1879.

63. This might have been one of five Stuart brothers active in New York. Levi U. Stuart became a partner in the Ferris firm in 1857 and took it over after Ferris' death. His brother, Louis, learned organ building in the Ferris shop. Ochse, History of the Organ, 278.

64. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 30 Jan. 1880. According to information in Ochse, History of the Organ, 256, William M. Wilson was Henry Erben's partner during this time. The Harrison mentioned might have been Lewis C. Harrison, who was superintendent of the factory and who, after Erben's death in 1884, took over the business.

65. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 30 Jan. 1880.

66. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 11 June 1880. "T. C. Hairston" might be an error. See note 64.

67. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 11 June 1880.

68. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 12 June 1880.

69. St. Paul's, Vestry Minutes, 11 Dec. 1880.

70. St. Paul's, Vestry Minutes, 1 March 1881.

71. Daily Index-Appeal, 26 March 1883. "Jug breaking" referred to breaking open the receptacles in which money had been collected. This reference to the singing of Welsh hymns seems to be an isolated case in Petersburg. West End Baptist Church, an outgrowth of First Baptist Church, was established in 1882. Scott and Wyatt, Petersburg’s Story, 286.

72. Ferris died in 1858. Ferris' partner, Stuart, used the name Ferris & Stuart for about two years afterwards. This organ was therefore built around or before 1860.

73. Daily Index-Appeal, 26 Oct. 1883. A conflicting report in the Daily Index-Appeal stated that the organ had been built for a church in Norfolk. The church purchased am organ in 1900. "It is a vocalion organ of twenty-five pipes and cost $1,200. It came in three boxes amd weighed about three thousand pounds." The Daily Index-Appeal, 17 Feb. 1900.

74. Daily Index-Appeal, 30 Oct. 1883. According to the Daily Index- Appeal, 9 April 1884, the cost was $2,600.

75. Daily Index-Appeal, 15 April 1884. 145

76. Daily Index-Appeal, 17 April 1883.

77. Daily Index-Appeal, 21 Aug. 1883.

78. Daily Index-Appeal, 21 Auçrust 1883.

79. St. Paul's, Vestry Minutes, 5 Feb. 1889.

80. St. Paul's, Vestry Minutes, ? May 1890. According to a treasurer's report made in January 1891, the total amount paid to the organist and assistant was three hundred seventy-five dollars, three hundred dollars per year for the organist and seventy-five dollars since June for the assistant. The report also indicates that thirty-six dollars was paid to the organ blower and fifteen dollars for tuning the organ in July. Reports of expenses for 1892, 1893, and 1897 show that the organist's salary remained at three hundred dollars. Other salaries (for rector, sexton, organ blower, etc.) also remained at the same or close to the same as in 1891. As of 3 November 1896, the organ was insured for $2,500. The building was insured for $16,500.

81. Daily Index-Appeal, 6 Feb. 1895. According to The Daily Index Appeal, 29 Sept. 1903, Jones was the organist of the church. This article announced her resignation.

82. These concerts probably came into existence because the costs of various machines that played recorded sound were too high for most families. New developments made by Columbia in 1894 brought the cost to about eighty dollars per machine. Within two years Easton had organized a broad network of dealers and distributors to sell machines and recordings to the home market. In 1896, a new illustrated catalogue listing thousands of recorded titles was published; and a new model of graphophone selling for only fifty dollars was unveiled. C. A. Schicke, Revolution in Sound: A Biography of the Recording Industry (Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1974), 36.

83. Daily Index-Appeal, 16 Feb. 1892. Receipts totaling about one hundred dollars were reported in the Daily Index-Appeal, 18 Feb. 1892.

84. Daily Index-Appeal, 24 March 1892.

85. Daily Index-Appeal, 25 June 1892.

86. Daily Index-Appeal, 24 June 1897. Old Street Presbyterian Church was established in 1876. Scott and Hyatt, Petersburg’s Story, 281.

87. Daily Index-Appeal, 11 Dec. 1898.

88. In 1913, the Petersburg branch of The Crafts Piano Company presented victrola recitals. According to The Daily Index-Appeal, 27 Feb. 1913, the manager of Crafts gave a victrola recital on the fourth 146

floor of Rosenstock's department store at which five hundred ladies were present. Another report, in The Daily Index-Appeal, 10 April 1913, shows that these recitals had become so popular that they had to be moved to the large rug and carpet room of the store.

89. The Petersburg Index, 28 March 1870.

90. The Petersburg Index, 29 March 1872.

91. The Petersburg Index, 10 April 1872.

92. The Petersburg Index, 7 Dec. 1871. At this time. Dr. A. W. Talley was elected musical director. Dr. John H. Hartman was elected to this position in 1878. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 4 Dec. 1878.

93. The Petersburg Index, 19 Oct. 1872.

94. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 20 Dec. 1875.

95. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 17 Feb. 1875.

96. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 17 Feb. 1875.

97. Daily Index-Appeal, 12 May 1883.

98. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 18 Dec. 1877. John Rapier and J. W. Freeth were mentioned as members ofthe United Mastodon Temperance and Benevolent Association, organized in November 1878 and composed entirely of members of Haverly's Minstrels. By Christmas, ninety per cent of the minstrel troupe were members of the association. The New York [Dramatic] Mirror, 8 March 1879.

99. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 6 Sept. 1880.

100. Daily Index-Appeal, 27 Nov. 1882.

101. Reprinted in the Daily Index-Appeal, 30 April 1886. It is assumed that the bishop was commenting only on the white Episcopal churches.

102. Daily Index-Appeal, 26 Dec. 1887. The choir had seven members: two sopranos, one alto, one tenor, and three basses. The small choir seems to have been normal for the city's churches during this period. Of these seven members, Lucy 6. Stone and J. William Friend were also members of the Petersburg Chorus. The organist, Mary Simpson, was also a chorus member. The other choir members are listed by last name only, but the combination of last name and vocal part sung provide some evidence that all of the remaining members of the church choir were also in the Petersburg Chorus.

103. Daily Index-Appeal, 12 April 1898. 147

104. Daily Index-Appeal, 1 Oct. 1895.

105. Daily Index-Appeal, 5 April 1896. The first appearance of the choir was on Good Friday.

106. "First Baptist Church: Celebrating More Than 218 Years of Christian Witness" (Flyer), 1992.

107. The Petersburg Index, 12 Nov. 1872.

108. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 10 July 1878.

109. "First Baptist Church."

110. Luther P. Jackson, A Short History of The Gillfield Baptist Church of Petersburg, Virginia (Petersburg, Va.: Virginia Printing Co., 1937), 5.

111. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 14 Feb. 1880. Through the early 1900s, the church's name was spelled "Oilfield."

112. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 31 July 1874.

113. The Petersburg Index, 26 July 1868. The present structure, on Halifax Street, was dedicated in 1918.

114. Drewry, Washington Street Church, 77. Black Methodists had organized the African Methodist Episcopal and African Methodist Episcopal Zion Churches because of the treatment received by blacks in the white Methodist churches. In 1860, there were still over two hundred thousand black members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. After the war, the M. E. Church, South allowed its black members to organize their own congregations and the Colored (now Christian) Methodist Episcopal Church was born in 1870. The A. M. E. and A. M. E. Z. churches considered the establishment of the C. M. E. church as another type of slavery, for whites still maintained control. Clarence E. Walker, A Rock in a Weary Land: The Africsin Methodist Episcopal Church During the Civil War and Reconstruction (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1982), 84 and 99.

115. Daily Index-Appeal, 11 July 1885.

116. The Petersburg Index, 19 May 1868. The structure cost about five thousand dollars.

117. An advertisement in The Petersburg Index, 20 March 1871 identifies C. M. Tremaine & Bro., of New York, as "manufacturers and dealers in piano fortes and agents for the Burdett Combination Organ." The cost of new cabinet organs listed was from forty-five to one thousand dollars. 148

118. The Petersburg Index, 12 Jan. 1870.

119. The Petersburg Index, 14 Jan. 1870.

120. The Petersburg Index, 4 Feb. 1870.

121. The Petersburg Index, 15 Jan. 1870.

122. Daily Index-Appeal, 4 July 1885.

123. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 28 Jan. 1879. These exercises were held monthly.

124. Daily Index-Appeal, 18 July 1885. The cost of the structure, which had a seating capacity of seven to eight hundred, was about twelve thousand dollars.

125. William Henry Johnson, A Glimpse of the Happenings of the Gillfield Baptist Sabbath School, Petersburg, Va. (N.p., 1928), 20. The Sabbath School also contributed two hundred seventy dollars for the purchase of a York piano, but the date of purchase was not given.

126. In 1902, church officials discussed the possibility of purchasing a pipe organ. The committee, composed of the pastor and deacons, determined that three thousand dollaurs for a pipe organ "would be too much of a burden at present, so they recommended the purchase of a reed organ at a cost not to exceed $200.00, temporarily and the choir to be seated to the left of the pulpit platform on the main floor." A little more than a month later, the church voted that the choir should return to its former place in the front gallery. The new organ was installed in the choir and Mrs. Nannie B. Johnson was elected the first organist of the church. The first pipe organ was not installed until 1917. Mrs. Johnnella Frazer Jackson, wife of Luther P. Jackson, served the church as its first pipe organist from February 1919 to March 1921. Luther P. Jackson, Gillfield Baptist Church, 23, 24, 33-34.

127. The Virginia Lancet, 3 Oct. 1885. The property list was included in a report of the work of the Rev. Giles B. Cooke, whose resignation from the church in order to become rector of a parish in Maryland was effective 1 October 1885. It is not known if the organ obtained through the Tremaine concert was still owned by the church.

128. The 1885 closing exercises of the church's Normal School included a recitation by Hattie Johnson titled "The new church organ." Daily Index-Appeal, 13 June 1885.

129. James S. Russell, Adventure in Faith: An Autobiographic Story of St. Paul Normal and Industrial School, Lawrenceville, Virginia (New York: Morehouse Publishing Co., 1936), 28. Russell, founder of what is now Saint Paul's College, married Morgan on 20 December 1882. 149

According to his account, Morgan was organist of the church until their marriage.

130. The newspaper clipping dated June 1888 about the marriage is located in Scrapbook, Henry Willian:s Papers, accession no. 0045-4, box 2; Archives, Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University. The marriage is documented in Register of Marriages; Bk. 1: 1854-1890, p. 153, license no. 73; City Clerk's Office, Petersburg, Va. Mary Wallace's age was given as twenty-two. Rev. Nelson had been ordained at Bishop Payne Divinity in Petersburg in June 1887. {Daily Index- Appeal, 11 June 1887.) Carrie Bragg, An accurate, early History of St. Stephen's Church, p. 12, Henry Clay Phillips Papers, no accession number; Archives, Virginia State University refers to Mary Wallace as having been "our organist for a long time."

131. St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Vestry Minutes, June 1889 (Date illegible). This might have been Hattie Johnson, mentioned in note 128, who received an award of distinction in music at the 1881 closing exercises of the church's Normal School, according to the Petersburg Index-Appeal, 1 July 1881.

132. St. Stephen's, Vestry Minutes, 1 July 1889. Warren, like Nelson, had been taught by Lucinda Bragg at the Normal School and had also received am award in 1879. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 30 June 1879.

133. St. Stephen's, Vestry Minutes, 1 Aug. 1889 indicate that the church still owed Johnson $38.47.

134. St. Stephen's, Vestry Minutes, 2 Sept. 1889.

135. St. Stephen's, Vestry Minutes, 14 Oct. 1889. At that meeting, a sexton was elected at the same salary. According to the Vestry Minutes, 14 April 1890, a motion was made to pay the pastor $8.33 1/3, and the sexton and organist, $4.00 each. The salaries seem to vary according to monies received. For instance, the Vestry Minutes for 10 Nov. 1890 show that $11.66 had been received. The salaries paid were as follow: $4.00 to the rector, $2.00 to the organist, $2.66 to the sexton. The remaining $3.00 went to pay the gas bill. According to the Vestry Minutes for 4 July 1899, Nelson, who received $4.00 for her services, had contributed $5.00 of the total $13.60 received.

136. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 28 Jan. 1879. Philip Bliss (1838-76) and Ira D. Sankey were evangelists who published the first collection titles Gospel Hymns in 1875. Gospel Hymns, Nos. 1 to 6 Complete, a collection of over 700 hymns, was published in 1895.

137. Johnson, Gillfield Baptist Sabbath School, 22. Third Baptist was established in 1842.

138. Daily Index-Appeal, 4 Oct. 1887, and 3 April and 9 Oct. 1888. 150

139. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 27 Jan. and 2 Nov. 1880.

140. The Petersburg Index, 22 Feb. 1872. In 1843 the American Baptist Publication Society published The Psalmist, a collection of almost 1,200 hymns. Complaints were leveled against the hymnal in the South and, in 1847, it was republished with hymns selected by southern ministers. (Harry Eskew, "Use and Influence of Hymnals in Southern Baptist Churches Up To 1915," Baptist History and Heritage XXI/3 (July 1986), 23.

141. Copies of the hymnal with the church's name stamped inside are located at the church, but the copies seen are missing title pages. According to Johnson, Gillfield Baptist Sabbath School, 26, all literature for the Sabbath School was purchased from the American Baptist Publication Society in Philadelphia. This was probably true also of other church materials. The National Baptist Convention, the first black Baptist association, was not formed until 1894; it established the National Baptist Publishing Board in 1896. Luvenia A. George, "Lucie E. Campbell: Baptist Composer and Educator," The Black Perspective in Music XV/1 (Spring 1987), 28.

142. Johnson, Gillfield Baptist Sabbath School, 14-15.

143. Johnson, Gillfield Baptist Sabbath School, 14. Johnson, born in 1858, had his name on the Sabbath School roll as early as 1861; he served as its superintendent for more than thirty years, beginning in 1900.

144. Johnson, Gillfield Baptist Sabbath School, 15. Brown Street is one of the borders of the church property.

145. The Petersburg Index, 26 July 1869.

146. The Petersburg Index, 10 April 1871.

147. The Petersburg Index, 5 Mar. 1872. The program was held at Mechanics' Hall.

148. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 16 Dec. 1873. The program was held "in the Building at the corner of Sycamore and Court-house avenue, lately occupied by the INDEX AND APPEAL." A flyer for the concert is included in Scrapbook, p. 83, William Henry Johnson Papers, accession no. 0057-3, box 18; Archives, Virginia State University.

149. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 25 Dec. 1879. The program was held at the Masonic Hall (black) on Lombard Street. A flyer is included in Scrapbook, p. 9, Johnson Papers.

150. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 17 June 1875.

151. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 21 June 1875. 151

152. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 23 June 1875. The statement was signed by D. W. Cain, Augustus Tabb, and another person (name not legible). David Cain was one of Caroline Wiley Bragg's four sons. Bragg, who helped to establish St. Stephen's Church, had two sons by her first husband and two by her second husband, Peter W. Bragg. The Braggs and Cains, therefore, comprised the founding family of the congregation.

153. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 24 June 1875. The conservative posture of the newspaper clearly comes through in its view of those members of the church who did not oppose the "status quo" as exhibiting "decorous and moderate behavior." The expressed preference was for blacks quietly to accept rules set for them.

154. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 25 June 1875.

155. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 21 and 25 Sept. 1880.

156. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 28 Sept. 1880.

157. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 29 Sept. 1880.

158. An advertisement in the Petersburg Index-Appeal, 28 Sept. 1880 instructed the members of the company to "assemble at armory Wednesday at 7 o'clock in full dress uniform with side arms to attend the concert."

159. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 14 Jan. 1881. The audience at this concert was "slim" and the "receipts barely met incidental expenses." Petersburg Index-Appeal, 18 Jan. 1881.

160. Daily Index-Appeal, 20 Aug. 1888.

161. Daily Index-Appeal, 25 March 1893. No corroboration that this performer was related to "Blind Tom" has been found. Manley was pastor of Oak Street Church.

162. The [Baltimore] Ledger, 3 Dec. 1898. This "Blind Tom the second" was accompanied by a Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong. The Ledger was founded and edited by George F. Bragg, Jr., the former editor of The Lancet. Bragg, by this time an Episcopal priest, had moved to Baltimore to serve as rector of St. James' Episcopal Church. The Ledger often carried Petersburg news. No accounts of these entertainments were found in the Daily Index-Appeal. Over eighty members of Third Baptist Church left that church, organized Zion Baptist Church, and purchased the Byrne Street Baptist Church (white) property in 1891. Daily Index- Appeal, 3 and 31 July 1891.

163. Jones was in the midst of a contractual dispute with her memager. Major James B. Pond. The contract that she had signed in June 1892 included a clause that stated that the contract could be renewed for 152

two years with the same terms as the original contract. The case was settled in Pond's favor. Jones left his management in the fall of 1893. Prior to her association with Pond, Jones was managed by James G. Bergen, who married Flora Batson in 1887. Bergen was known for arranging benefit concerts by black artists for black churches and other institutions. George R. Keck, "Promoting Black Music in Nineteenth-Century America: Some Aspects of Concert Management in New York and Boston," Feel the Spirit: Studies in Nineteenth-Century Afro- American Music, ed. George R. Keck and Sherrill V. Martin (New York: Greenwood Press, 1988), 162, 165-66.

164. Daily Index-Appeal, 27 April 1893.

165. The soprano's billing had changed from Mrs. Matilda S. Jones to Madame Sissieretta Jones by 1892. In 1892, Jones had sung at the White House and for the "Grand Negro Jubilee" at New York's Madison Square Garden. This latter performamce was repeated at New York's Academy of Music. Eileen Southern, Biographical Dictionary of African and Afro- American Musicians (Westport, Ct.: Greenwood Press, 1982), 217-18.

166. Daily Index-Appeal, 28 April 1893. According to Willia Estelle Daughtry, "Sissieretta Jones: A Study of the Negro's Contribution to Nineteenth Century American Concert and Theatrical Life," (Ph.D. diss., Syracuse University, 1968), 159, Jones had protested seating policies of white-owned theatres that forced blacks to sit in the galleries.

167. Daily Index-Appeal, 28 April 1893.

168. This was probably Selika's husband, a baritone who used the name "Velasco." Carolyne Lamar Jordan, "Black Female Concert Singers of the Nineteenth-Century: Nellie Brown Mitchell and Marie Selika Williams," Feel the Spirit: Studies in Nineteenth-Century Afro-American Music, ed. George R. Keck and Sherrill V. Martin (New York: Greenwood Press, 1988), 44. The spelling "Viloski" was used by Maud Cuney-Hare, Negro Musicians and Their Music (1936; reprint. New York: Da Capo Press, 1974), 223.

169. Daily Index-Appeal, 15 July 1897. Summer Normal Institutes, begun in 1882, were teachers' conferences. Separate institutes were held for white and black teachers.

170. Daily Index-Appeal, 14 Sept. 1897. In May 1896, Batson, Jones, and Selika performed for the Jubilee Concert that concluded the Grand Jubilee meeting held at Carnegie Hall by the A. M. E. Z. Church. H. T. Burleigh and a chorus of one hundred voices from the National Conservatory were among the other performers. William J. Walls, The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church: Reality of the Black Church (Charlotte, N. C . : A. M. E. Zion Publishing House, 1974), 556. 153

171. Daily Index-Appeal, 14 Sept. 1897. No evidence of previous performances in the city by Batson or Millar has been found.

172. Daily Index-Appeal, 22 Jan. 1898. CHAPTER VI

CONCERTS AND MUSICAL ORGANIZATIONS: 1865-1880

Post-bellum Petersburg seemed to crave a varied menu of

amusements and cultural delights, perhaps in a desperate attempt to

resume a spirit of normality and gentility after a period consumed

with destruction and chaos, and during a period threatened by changes

in political, economic, and social structures. The dichotomy between

social classes is well illustrated by the protests of affluent white

citizens against entertainments considered by them to be of a less

than acceptable nature. An even stronger dichotomy existed between the white and black races, despite similar social and economic status, and cultural interests; and when Petersburg's white citizens made efforts to elevate the cultural tastes of "the city," they ignored the black citizens. Reports of the cultural activities of Petersburg's black middle class in the white press help to reveal the racial attitudes of the period.

Recovery from the deprivations of the nine month siege included the purchase of church organs, the return of music teachers to the city, and the formation of bands. Efforts were made to improve the quality of musical talent engaged to perform in the city, to construct a suitable auditorium that would attract this talent, emd to organize

154 155

local musicians for the purposes of developing their abilities and

elevating the musical taste of the public.

The Advent of the Academy of Music

Shortly after the close of the Civil War, the desire for high

quality, "uplifting" entertainment was strong; The Daily Index voiced

this desire in July 1865:

Why does not somebody start the Theatre going in this city now[?] We have had several false alarms about this matter, and, as yet, can see no prospects for any amusements for our citizens for some time. The only amusements, now-a-days, are witnessed fights between soldiers and negroes, dogs and cats, game cocks, small boys, and now and then bootblacks. We are sure that there are a sufficient number of the worshippers of Melpomene, to justify any one in opening her temple in this city. Won[']t somebody make the start?^

A later complaint gives more insight into the types of amusements that were desired:

There is an actual and crying necessity in this city for some proper outlet for the craving for pleasure and the desire for enjoyments not domestic, which most people have. Never, in our recollection, has there been offered to the Petersburg public, for three consecutive nights, an opera worthy of the name, a theatrical exhibition above the ridiculous, or a concert offering any inducements to cultivated tastes. Externals have a great deal to do with these things. A nice house attracts managers and audiences equally, and the building here of a first-class edifice, with distinct accommodations for every class of attendants, would inaugurate a new era in our society. The edifice is half the battle; the other can be won by the owners of the Theatre, by controlling, themselves, the letting of the establishment.^

The city was not totally without "respectable" amusements in the months following the war; The Daily Index announced: 156

He are pleased to state to the citizens of Petersburg that we are going to have some amusements here— some worthy of attention, and not like recent negro troupes that have been in the city. The energetic and courteous manager of the Richmond Theatre, Mr. R. D. Ogden, has made arrangements to open Phoenix Hall with a first class company. He is going to put the Hall in a thorough state of repair, and have new scenery painted, and will spare no expense to make this Hall worthy of the patronage of the Petersburg public. Mr. Ogden's extreme popularity in Richmond is a sufficient guarantee that he does not do business in a slip-shod manner. Any one who has been in the New Theatre, in that city, can have some idea of Mr. O.'s abilities in that line/*

Within a few months, the management of Phoenix Hall had been taken

over by a W. S. Glenn, who was also associated with the Norfolk

Theatre.* Under Glenn's management, the theater hosted star actress

Jean Hosmer,^ who was "supported by the full company amd orchestra of

the Norfolk Theatre."* The disappointing nature of the remaining

programs in 1865 prompted the statement that

there has been nothing worthy of patronage since Miss Hosmer's engagement ended. We have almost despaired of ever witnessing the establishment among us of an elevated and refined dr^a. We must wait for the ship canal and the growth of the city.'

Performers identified only as singers of the New York Academy of

Music appeared in January 1866:

The Artists are among the favorite Opera Singers of the New York Academy of Music, performers whose names are celebrated in the musical world as masters of their art. It is not often that the refined and intelligent of our people are given the opportunity in Petersburg of attending a public amusement suited to their taste and culture, and we trust that they will ensure more frequent visits in the future from artists of talent and merit by convincing the managers of experimental performance that we have the taste to appreciate and the liberality to support an institution as pleasure-giving suid useful as a first class Opera Troupe. The character of the performance will be such as to ensure a well behaved audience; the rabble does'nt [sic] attend concerts where aria's and cavitina's in a Foreign language are 157

to be sung in a style equally foreign to their ears by persons who have made music a life long study. The programme is well selected, and, altogether, there is every reason why old Phoenix Hall, so long delivered over into the hands of the disreputable, should for one night be illumined by the beauty and intelligence of Petersburg.

Announcements of forthcoming appearances in March by The Grand Italian

Opera in II Trovatore and Faust prompted the observation that it had

been "years since the city has witnessed an opera."*

The performances by the opera compamy were not welcomed by all

of Petersburg's citizens:

The people of this goodly city have been all agog for a week or more in anticipation of the arrival of the Opera Troupe, the first performance of which takes place to-night at Phoenix Hall. But yesterday they were taken aback, and the ardor of many chilled by a counterblast against opera, circus, and amusements in general, from nearly all the pulpits of the city. It was doubtless a concerted movement on the part of the clergy. If it had been confined to Catholics and Episcopalians, it might have been accounted for in the fact that this is Passion week, when a more scrupulous regard to spiritual matters is enjoined by the rules of their churches. But it has been obvious for some time that all the churches have been setting their faces against public amusements with more earnestness than formerly.^®

Attendance reflected these protests:

There were, possibly, five hundred persons present— perhaps not more than four hundred— in a room capable of seating two or three times that number. They consisted in great part of the younger classes of society, including, it may be supposed, but a small proportion whose tastes have been educated to a high appreciation of scientific melody.^

Advertisements for appearances by Richings Grand Opera T r o u p e ^ at the New Theatre in Richmond in November caught the attention of opera-hungry Petersburg citizens and led reporters of the local paper to ask "Will not the Richmond Dispatch ask the Opera troupe to come over here for two nights next week?"^* The Dispatch replied: 158

We are compelled to inform our friends of the Index that at present the opera troupe have no idea of visiting Petersburg. Come over next week and hear them in our pretty little theatre, you and all your friends, Mr. Index.

In a more serious response, the Dispatch reminded the citizens of

Petersburg that before the war arrangements had been made with the

Petersburg Railroad Company for special fares to attend concerts in

Richmond and that Richmond theatre managers reduced prices for those

who could produce their railway tickets; it was suggested that similar

arrangements could be made for the current productions.^ There is no

indication that the suggestion was followed.

In the midst of this concern that Petersburg was not cible to host the opera troupe, Phoenix Hall was lost in a fire that began shortly after midnight on 18 November 1866. According to one report, the hall

contained much inflammable material; and the conflagration was the most magnificent we have had in this city for several years. The owner, Mr. Samuel Marks, was insured in the sum of $8,000, which will not half cover his losses. Independent of the building, much valuable property was destroyed, among which was $3,000 worth of patterns suitable to his profession of ornamental plasterer and moulder.

Speculation that the fire may have been an accident caused by the carelessness of performers who had left the building just over two hours earlier was abandoned in favor of the idea that the fire "may have been the work of cm incendiary.Sorrow over the loss of the building quickly gave way to the thought that it was an old building in a once central, but now isolated, location. The loss of Phoenix

Hall called special attention to the need for a theatre, particularly 159

one in a central location. The walls of the destroyed building were

torn down the following spring.^®

Mechanics' Hall was another site for amusements; with few

exceptions, these amusements were minstrel and burlesque shows and novelty acts. In July 1865, the hall hosted a performance by the

Nightingale Opera Troupe, "justly acknowledged by the press and the public the TEN SABLE STARS." No other information was given about the troupe, but an advertisement assured the public that its performance would "be of a CHASTE and MORAL CHARACTER, which the most fastidious persons may witness."1* That same month there was an exhibition of the Stereopticon.^® In September 1867, R. D. Ogden, formerly associated with Phoenix Hall, brought the Richmond Theatrical Company to Mechanic's Hall.^ During 1868, the hall hosted Marshall & Doyle's

Mikado Japanese Troupe,and a pianist named M. O'Reardon auid his invention called the Tumbleronicon.^®

However, this hall was not suitable. Little is known about the design of the hall; advertisements for amusements held there indicate that it had a dress circle, parquette, and colored circle. Soon after the organization of the Petersburg Musical Club (see below). The

Petersburg Index reported that two of the club's founders (Joseph Van

Holt Nash and Heinrich Noltenius) had rented the hall for the club,

and that under their direction, important repairs and alterations are being made to the Hall. The gallery has been taken away, and the room is to be entirely renovated from top to bottom. It will, of course, be let out by the association [club] for concert, theatrical and other purposes.'* 160

Nothing has been found about the results of these alterations. The

following fall, the Mechanics' Benevolent Association decided to make

further alterations:

The improvement is needed. The building has shed much of its skin, and the stores are low pitched, cramped and unsuitable for many kinds of business. The Association has not been in possession of the stores for some years, and until now have therefore been unwilling to expend much money upon them. We learn that Mr. Jos. Van Holt Nash, determined upon extending his business, will be the occupant of the larger part of the building, when renovated, and will use not only the Hall for the exhibition of his well known pianofortes— but the room also in the rear and above his present store now occupied by Mr. W. L. Watkins, will be fitted up and used by him as a piano-forte wareroom proper.

Entertainments were held regularly at Mechanics' Hall after

January 1870; they represented a wide variety of tastes: from the

Worrell Sisters Burlesque Comic Opera Company, the Sappho Blonde

Burlesque & Opera Bouffe Company, and LaHue's Carnival Minstrels to

the McCulloch & Brignoli Opera Company in II Trovatore, Madame

Lichtman's Opera Troupe (of New York), and Philip Phillips (knownas

the "the Singing Pilgrim").^** The hall also hosted the Ravel

Matinetti Troupe (pantomimists) and Wyman, the Wonderful (a wizard and

ventriloquist). Mr. G. L. Lowenthall, a dancing instructor, rented

the hall in November 1871^^ and soon advertised that it could be rented for balls, fairs, concerts, auid other occasions "at reasonable rates.

Even before the destruction of Phoenix Hall, locations for a suitable halJL had been suggested. As early as the fall of 1865, The

Daily Index suggested the Masonic Hall as a possible site despite the fact that its own operations were currently housed there auid a move 161

would cause considerable inconvenience. This inconvenience, however,

was considered insignificant in comparison with the great benefit that

such a hall would prove to be to the city.^* A serious search for a

site began after the destruction of Phoenix Hall, particularly after

the well known impresario Strakosch, unaware of the demise of the

Hall, wrote to inquire about arranging a performance there. This

request prompted this response from The Petersburg Index:

He [Strakosch] writes to know if he can get Phoenix Hall on the 6th of March, but unfortunately there has been no resurrection from its ashes, and the smoke-stained walls alone stand of a monument of its departed glory. He want a Hall in Petersburg. Business suffers because there is no place of amusement to which strangers can go while in the city. When people from the country come to town on business, they expect some recreation, and if we cannot give it to them, they will go where they can find it, and take their business with them. Our people must look to this matter, or consent to see the trade go beyond their reach.^

From this point on the press would first pull the heartstrings of those who wanted a hall that would encourage entertainments "to which mothers will not blush to take their daughters, and where their sons will not be likely to suffer contamination"^^ and next try to loosen the pursestrings of the "capitalists of Petersburg.

The first real step towards the long-awaited goal was taken in the summer of 1868 when the site of the Old Virginia Bank was purchased by C. W. Spicer "for the purpose, we hear, of erecting a public hall thereon.The property, located on Bank Street, was described as being one hundred and seventy feet deep and in a

"sufficiently central" location.But whatever anticipation the 162

purchase of the property might have generated, it soon languished, and

construction of the hall did not begin for two years.

The Petersburg Musical Club; A Cultural Catalyst

Despite flagging efforts to provide a suitable hall, the cause

of elevating cultural and, specifically, musical tastes in the city

was not abandoned, as the following announcement from September 1868

shows :

"PETERSBURG MUSICAL ASSOCIATION.— We are pleased to learn that an association bearing this name, has been organized in this city. It is composed of a number of ladies and gentlemen well known in the musical and social circles of Petersburg who have formed themselves into a club— as well for their own instruction and benefit as for the amusement and benefit of the public. It is contemplated to bring into this association a chorus of some forty or fifty voices.

Even though the local press often referred to this organization as the

Petersburg Musical Association, its official name was the Petersburg

Musical Club. According to its Constitution, written in May 1868, the

founders of the P. M. C. were

actuated by a desire to cultivate the art and science of music— more especially of classical music— and with a hope that by united and persistent efforts to this end, they may be instrumental in elevating the standard of musical taste in the community in which they reside . . .

The club had eight founders— five women and three men. Each of the three men brought to the club a knowledge of business. Heinrich

Noltenius (see Chapters 5, 7 and 8) was in the tobacco business;

Joseph Van Holt Hash (see Chapter 3) was a partner in E. P. Nash &

Co., a book store that also sold music and musical instruments;^^ and 163

Paul E. Lemoine was a merchant who, according to the 1870 Census,

owned personal property valued at one thousand dollars, and whose

family owned real estate valued at eighteen thousand dollars and

personal property valued at twenty thousand dollars.

The women founders were Mary F. Southall, Marion Meade, Hope

Alice Davis, Emma T. C. Davis, and Maggie Beckwith. Southall (later

Mrs. Giles B. Cooke; see Chapter 3), Meade (later Mrs. N. M.

Osborne),and Beckwith (see Chapter 3) were all music teachers.

Beckwith was a member of an affluent family that owned a book store

that eventually became the city's foremost music store. By the time

of the 1870 Census, her brother, Thomas, was the head of the household

and owned real estate valued at four thousand dollars and personal

property worth two thousand dollars.*® Nothing else is known about

Hope Davis, who married Olive B. Morgan in 1869,** and Emma T. C.

Davis, who married T. L. H. Young in 1873.*^

The objectives of the club, as stated in its Constitution, were

1st. The practicing and performing of music, both instrumental and vocal. 2d. The general elevation of taste for good and especially for classical music."

It continues as follows:

To accomplish these objects the Club shall have regular meetings during the season of eight months, from the first of October to the first of June. 1st. Private meetings once a week called Practicing nights, to which none but the members shall be admitted. 2d. Meetings once a month, called Entertainment nights, to which a limited number of listeners shall be invited by tickets. These meetings shall be held oftener if a majority favor it.** 164

Those who desired membership had to state this in writing, obtain the

approval of the director, and receive no more than one negative vote

from the club's members.Dues for women members were fifty cents on

admission and twenty-five cents each month; for men, one dollar on

admission and fifty cents each month.^ The "listeners" referred to

above were honorary members, who

may be admitted to the Club by a vote of three-fourths majority, and upon the payment to the Treasurer of five dollars for the season. They shall be entitled to two tickets of admission to the entertainments of the Club during one season, and shall not be entitled to other rights, nor be liable to the duties of the regular members.^

The club seems to have remained private; Article Nine in the club's

by-laws states that "No public concerts shall be given by the Club

except by the decision of four-fifths of the members present."*® In

November 1870 The Petersburg Index called the club "an institution

which addresses itself to the tastes and patronage of a comparatively

small circle only.The club had no pressing need to draw large

audiences; its entertainments were presented by local musicians, and there were few expenses. In May 1871, the club did perform a benefit

concert {featuring selections from Flotow's Martha) for Library Hall; tickets cost fifty cents each.®®

The club gave its first concert, "open only to subscribers,"®* on 29 October 1868 at Mechanics' Hall. In March of the following year. The Petersburg Index called attention to the work of the club: 165

This Association, recently organized under the leadership of Mr. Noltenius, is becoming very proficient in vocal music under the tuition of its accomplished leader, and the monthly concerts are attended by houses crowded with the very elite of the city, who give evidence of the most unbounded enjoyment,“

The successes of the concerts presented by the club at

Mechanics' Hall proved that the citizens of Petersburg had a strong

desire for good musical entertainment, and that a larger and more

suitable than that currently available was needed. In this way the

club helped to spur the call for a public house that had been first

sounded in the fall of 1865,

The Academy of Music; Construction and First Season

The activities of The Petersburg Musical Club probably helped to

further define the purpose of a new hall. The first suggestion that the hall be called the Academy of Music seems to have been made in the fall of 1869 in a letter from "a well-known citizen," signed only with the initial "N" (probably Noltenius), that appeared in the newspaper,^ The author makes references to both the economic and cultural benefits of such a hall to the city, and reiterates the

assertion that no city in America as large as ours is provided with fewer pleasant and attractive places for rational and innocent enjoyment and amusement; for mental refreshment from the toils of the day, than this city of Petersburg, All artists, and companies of artists, of any reputation and character, who visit the other cities of our State and all of our Southern cities, go around or go through this place without stopping for they say that it is so dead and old foggish that it has not enterprise enough even to build a decent hall for first-class exhibitions or entertainments. 16(

A few months later, his observations were proven accurate when it was

reported that the Chapman sisters, scheduled to perform at Mechanics'

Hall,

declined to fill their engagement on the ground that they could not play upon a ' table.* Rather a severe hit at the only public stage we have in Petersburg— auid a hint that the accommodations offered here are much too cramped to induce good performers to visit our city.

By summer 1870 some positive action was taken to alleviate this

embarrassing situation. On 14 June the following article, headed "THE

ACADEMY OF MUSIC TO BE BUILT," appeared:

On Saturday evening a majority of the stock subscribed to the Academy of Music . . . [was] represented in the persons of a number of our citizens at the office of Mr. Cuthbert. The meeting was called to order, the proceedings of former meetings were read by the Secretary, Mr. Jos. Van Holt Nash, and reports from committees appointed on sites, plan, and by-laws, were duly accepted. The meeting proceeded to the election of officers and directory, which resulted in the selection of C. W. Spicer, President, auid H. C. Davis, C. T. Williamson, J. P. Williamson, S. A. Plummer, R. Ragland and J. C. Drake, as Directors, for the ensuing year. The Committee on Sites reported meuiy pieces of property— one of Mr. A. G. Mcllwaine, corner of Sycamore and Wythe streets; the lot of Mr. Mallory, on Tabb street, upon which the stables of Messrs. Morriss & Branch now stand; the lot and building known as the old Exchange on Bank street; the lot and building of Mr. Spicer, the old Virginia Bank, &c. After much discussion of the relative merits thereof, it was found that the Committee could not report accurately the cost of building upon each of the sites offered, and the meeting adjourned for further action to Thursday evening next.”

At a meeting of the stockholders held on Thursday, 16 June, the decision was made to use the Old Virginia Beuik site.^ The next meeting resulted in the announcement that the work, expected to cost twenty five thousand dollars, would be finished by 1 December.^® 167

However, about one and a half months later, they realized that it

would be impossible to complete the work by that date/"*

By 23 August an announcement appeared stating that construction

of the Academy would soon begin. The interior of the building— with a

design drawn by Lybrock & Gibson of Richmond— was described as a

smaller-scale version of that of Niblo's Theatre in New York.*** The

local press proudly proclaimed that the building would "rival in

appearance and beauty similar buildings in any Southern cities of like

population as our own:"

The building will be of brick, covered and blocked off to represent stone. Its dimensions will be 57x135 feet, and running up 43 feet above the street. A broad platform and steps at the front, will lead through three large doors to the vestibule, office, &c., which will occupy about twenty-eight feet of the front portion of the house. Side entrances will lead to the colored gallery, the first gallery and the dress circle. The audience room, composing the dress circle, parquette and musicians' stamd, will measure 54x52 feet clear. The parquette will slope gradually towards the stage, and will be, as well as the galleries above, somewhat in the form of a horse shoe."

The upper gallery, "intended solely for the colored people," would have wooden pew seats and the first gallery, two private boxes.

The initial phase of construction went well and the foundation walls were nearing completion within a month's time.*^ But the rapidity with which the work began soon slowed because of a lack of funds and the estimated completion date of late January or early February p a s s e d . *3 in the meantime, programs of the 1870-71 concert season were held at Mechanics' Hall. At the end of the season, the

Mechanics' Association leased the building for one year to G. L.

Lowenthall, a dancing master.** Having lost the use Of Mechanics' 168

Hall, the Petersburg Musical Club moved its programs to Library Hall.

By the end of 1871, Lowenthall was advertising that Mechanics' Hall

could be rented for "balls, soirees, lectures, fairs, concerts or

theatrical performances, at reasonable rates.

There was concern in late March 1871 that the stockholders of

the Academy were considering giving the building to a theatrical

company if it would agree to see the work through to completion:

We are surprised to learn that the public spirited citizens who undertook this work have entertained an idea of making such a sacrifice of pride and independence. It were far better for all concerned to borrow the amount necessary to complete the work and give a mortgage on the property as collateral security. If it should pass from the control of its present owners, the object of making it a first class place of amusement would be defeated; for the lessee would strike for dollars and cents, regardless of its subsequent reputation. Raise the money yourselves, gentlemen. Don't let the property be depreciated.”

A meeting of the stockholders held before the end of April

resulted in the decision to borrow ten thousand dollars in order to complete the building.^ The path was still not a smooth one; progress at meetings was delayed by absent stockholders who did not turn in their proxies so that business could be transacted.*** At the

June meeting, the old directors resigned and new ones were elected.**

Frustration and anger were evident in the response of the press to this action, quoted as follows:

It is hoped, and believed, that the new Directors will push the work forward to completion, and thus put an end to the premeditated speculation of those who have been "watchful in the cause," purely through selfish motives. These men are known, cuid the eye of the public watches them.'® 169

These new directors were also inactive, and public frustration

about the work left incomplete work steadily increased during the

summer. In early July, their inactivity led to the suggestion that

the building should be auctioned so that the "premeditating

speculators" could buy it;^^ near the end of the month. The Petersburg

Index demanded action:

ACADEMY OF MUSIC.— What is the new board of Directors of the Academy of Music doing? Have they given up all idea of completing the building? It seems so. We understand from reliable authority that a member of the old board made them a proposition to furnish the necessary means to complete the building; but they refused to accept it. Now, for the sake of our city, we should think something would be done with this matter. It is very poor encouragement for strangers who visit our city with a view of making their future residence here among us to see the Academy of Music in an unfinished state, and upon enquiry, to find out that it has remained in this condition for six months or more.

These comments were quickly followed by observations that the building was "cui eye-sore"^^ and "a standing disgrace to Petersburg.

In Auçrust 1871 it was announced that arrangements had been made to complete the Academy.By the end of August, work had progressed enough to buoy hope that the building would be ready for occupancy by

1 October.^* This date, however, came and went without the doors of the Academy opening to the public. At a stockholders' meeting held on

18 September, the following resolution was made:

That the Board of Directors are hereby authorized to borrow a sum not exceeding ten thousand dollars at a rate of interest not exceeding ten per cent to complete and furnish the building and pay its obligations and to give notes or bonds for the same secured by deed of trust, and they are hereby authorized to execute a deed of trust on the property for that purpose. 170

On 25 September, the directors met and resolved

That the President or Vice President proceed at once to have a deed of trust drawn for the following purposes, first to secure six thousand dollars to be borrowed by the Academy of Music and second to secure the amount borrowed from different persons as agreed to be loaned by them for the term of five years to an amount not exceeding ten thousand dollars. '

As a result of these decisions, the directors entered a deed of trust

with John Mann and Charles S. Stringfellow, with the stipulation that

in the event of default in the payment of notes, the property would be

sold at public auction.^ During this transaction, work continued to

progress; the building, once an eyesore, was perceived as a truly

significant part of the city's future:

He are gratified to state that there is more building going on in Petersburg at the present time than for several years past, and we can but feel that it is but the starting point of the prosperity that is bound to characterize the growth of Petersburg. Who can deny, the statement that Petersburg will present more attractions to strangers to linger within her limits this winter than at any period since the war. With good streets, the Academy of Music, the Skating Rink, a new Billiard Hall, a ladies ten pin alley, and a Southern Association in our midst, the "little Cockade city" will compete with "big Richmond" without much difficulty.

Soon, announcements about the imminent completion of the building appeared. The building, still not quite completed, was "lit up" for the first time on the night of 17 October.^ shortly after that event, it was announced that Ford's Comedy Combination Troupe, of

Ford's Opera House in Baltimore, would open the Academy the following week with performances of a comedy (Serious Family) and a farce (Your

Life's in Danger) Despite the fact that the hall had a seating capacity of seven hundred and fifty to one thousand persons, there was apprehension that the hall, upon its opening, would not accommodate 171

the crowd.83 The long-awaited opening of the Academy of Music, which

occurred on the night of 24 October 1871, was unfortunately not devoid

of major problems, including a "misunderstanding" that resulted in

Ford's orchestra not being available. Despite the problems, the bad

weather, and a performance by The Cockade Minstrels (a local troupe)

at Mechanic's Hall,** "the opening performance was played to a full

house and received hearty encomiums from a cultivated and capable

audience."

Col. Wm. Cameron delivered am address couched in most graceful terms, congratulating our community upon revival among us of the drama amd confidently anticipating that interest in its return to our midst which the audience did not fail to show. There can be no doubt that a public benefit of no small value is conferred upon us by the opportunity afforded by the Academy of Music to our citizens, pure amd elevating. There are those who condemn, in one sweeping gesture, all dramatic entertainments. Such people neglect the plain fact that amusements must be had, if men do not find it pure, they will have it impure amd to oppose the Academy of Music is inevitably and directly to aid and abet the Theatre Comique."

The performance did not receive a good review; the company was said to have "played carelessly."**

Public enthusiasm for the Academy waned shortly after its opening; these comments appeared in The Petersburg Index:

"The outside of our Academy of Music is very pretty." Yes," said a critical friend, who was not too critical to walk with a "local," "and 'tis well 'tis so, for nobody ever sees the inside of it." To this we could make no reply. It is a handsome front, and nothing more can be said, for since Bishop and his Burlesque-Farce-Comedy [Ford's company] has left us, a most deadly silence and emptiness has fallen upon the Academy. If the directors will only bring somebody for us to see or hear???! !*’ 172

Two weeks later, the Petersburg correspondent to Richmond's Daily

Dispatch erroneously reported that the Academy

has had some tenant almost uninterruptedly since its opening, and the entertainments, theatrical and otherwise, have been generally well attended.

The Academy really begsm to be used on a regular basis in

December, the month when the Petersburg Musical Club presented its

second entertainment of the season there. January was particularly

busy, with performances of the Old Reliable Company (a theatrical

company), pianist Blind Tom (Thomas Bethune), and the Duprez and

Benedict Minstrel Troupe. The month ended with a momentous event, a

concert by the Theodore Thomas orchestra. One week before the concert. The Petersburg Index announced that ticket sales would begin in two days:

We make this announcement, because there has already been a rush for seats, and it is not generally understood that they cannot now be procured. We fear the Academy of Music will not begin to hold the great number in the community who desire to hear this Concert.

The first day of ticket sales prompted this statement:

If any profane outsider doubts the prevalence among us of a pure and cultivated musical taste, we proudly point to this scramble for tickets to Theo's orchestral circus, and triumphéintly demand that a pin be stuck there.

The remainder of the season included performances by the Peak Family

Classical and Comical Concerts and Original Swiss Bell Ringers, the

Richings-Bernard Opera Troupe, the Berger Swiss Bell Ringers, and

Skiff and Gaylord's Minstrel Company. Drama was provided by Junius

Brutus Booth and his company. 173

The Academy of Music had a positive influence on the amusements

offered by the Theatre Comique, active by at least March 1871, when it

hosted a prizefighter. After a female minstrel troupe performed at

the theater the following May, the local press printed a satirical

report about how the theater's manager, Samuel Collier, had absconded with the theater's funds, leaving "his company to pay their own

salaries, and the city printers to whistle for their little bills.

Details of the amusements presented at the theater are not known, but when the theater opened under new management in 1872, the public was informed that there would be an

entirely different character of performance to that heretofore to [sic] vogue there. We are assured that nothing indelicate, in word or act, will be allowed, and that the public may expect a select entertainment.

This trend continued, and in the fall of 1873 it was announced that the manager, William H. (Paddy) Miles was arranging for entertainment that would provide "a source of genuine enjoyment, unalloyed by anything of an immoral tendency.During this time the theater, known as the Petersburg Varieties, had its own stock company which presented dramas, farces, burlesques, comic operas, burlettas, amd interludes. It seems that the theater closed in the spring of

1875 when its then manager (a Mr. Shields)

disappeared with what funds had been taken at the door, leaving the actors and actresses to provide for themselves and perform or not as they pleased.

AC The company soon disbanded. 174

The Petersburg Musical Club; The Final Season

The first season of the Academy of Music was to be the fourth

and final season of the Petersburg Musical Club. At the beginning of

the season, the club announced that the number of concerts for the

season would be reduced from eight to six, and that the membership fee would be reduced from five dollars to four dollars; this fee was considered "very cheap, considering the character of the entertainments given by the club.”

The season opened at Library Hall on 7 November with a program that included selections from II Trovatore.^^ The second entertainment, given on 22 December, was at the new Academy of Music

(see above). The concerts remaining in the season were performed at either Library Hall or the Academy. The final concert, held on 24

May, featured selections from Bellini's Norma', by this time it was

"generally conceded" that the club was "the best managed, the best drilled and most successful of all similar organizations in the state." Its dependence on the abilities of Noltenius became clear when, at the beginning of what would have been the club's fifth season, this announcement was made by the club's treasurer, Paul

Lemoine:

Owing to the many engagements of its Director the Petersburg Musical Club deems it expedient to suspend its entertainments for the present. It will continue however, as an organization, and as soon as practicable will resume the entertainments for the benefit of a kind and appreciative public. 175

However, the club did not resume its entertainments and seven years

would pass before another musical organization of its type would be

attempted.

The Academy of Music: 1872-1880

The deed of trust entered into by the original Academy directors

with Mann and Stringfellow in October 1871 was in effect until April

1876, at which time the property was put up for public auction because

of a default in the payment of notes. The financial difficulty that

had shortened the 1875-76 season at the Academy was attributed to the

"general decline and decay of business thrift all over the country

since the recent panic" and a lack of patronage."^! The highest bid

of fifty three hundred dollars was made by local businessman Charles

H. Cuthbert,who entered into a deed of trust with Charles B.

Starke.In March 1877, Cuthbert retrieved the property through a

deed of release,and the following September sold it to the New

York firm of Williams, Black, and Company for six thousand dollars.

The firm hired local printer and former Academy board member John B.

Ege as manager;^** Ege served in this capacity until his death in

August 1886.^**^

The types of entertainment offered at the Academy did not change with the changes in ownership. Minstrel shows of various types were frequent guests of the Academy. When Duprez and Benedict's Minstrel

Company played the house in 1877, it had the special added attraction 176

of having a Petersburg native, George H. Edwards, as a member.

Edwards' brother Sam, a member of the Petersburg Amateur Minstrels,

performed with the company, "on the bone end," while it was in

town.^*'^ Other companies that appeared at the Academy included

Callender's Georgia Minstrels, Haverly's Minstrels, Emerson's

Minstrels, Heywood's Minstrels, Madam Rents' Female Minstrels,and

Barlow, Wilson, Primrose and West's Minstrels. The Academy also hosted novelty acts such as wizards and pantomime troupes. Top- spinning, balancing and ball tossing were featured when Ganger's Royal

Yeddo Japs and Blaisdell's European and American Specialty Troupe performed in January 1877.^^*' Buffalo Bill included Petersburg on his

Southern tour in 1878, and returned in 1880.

Programs of a classical nature were also presented at the

Academy. In the fall of 1872, Ole Bull, billed as "The King of

Violinists," graced the stage.The Holman Opera Troupe and

Adelaide Phillip's Grand Opera Troupe both performed in November

1875.^^^ The Mendelssohn Quintette Club performed twice in 1879, in

January and May;^^^ and several productions of H. M. S. Pinafore were presented at the Academy during the 1879-80 season,in September by

Ford's Juvenile Pinafore Opera Company and the Templeton Star Alliance

Company,and in December by Haverly's Chicago Church Choir Pinafore

Company.Hayes' Juvenile Pinafore Company appeared in the

117 spring. 177

Local productions of Pinafore were also given. In November

1879, the Petersburg Amateur Pinafore Company performed a stag version

of the opera with orchestral accompaniment provided by Kessnich's

orchestra of Richmond. This was a rather unusual performance:

Pinafore has been presented on the boards of the Academy several times, by excellent companies, and many of our people have seen the opera in other cities, but they have never seen it as it will be produced tonight. The cast is entirely of gentlemen, many of them known to the community as fine vocalists, whose voices are heard every Sabbath in the church choirs of the city.— They will all appear in proper c[o]stume. And so will the sisters and the cousins and the aunts, who, by the way, are young gentlemen in excellent training.^*

Despite the "theatrical inexperience of the young people," the performance was well accepted, and three more performemces were given.In January 1880, the amateur group received an invitation from W. T. Powell, manager of the Mozart Academy in Richmond, to perform the opera there.

Other local talent also performed at the Academy; some concerts performed by Petersburg musicians were for the benefit of church projects (see Chapter 5). In 1877, A. B. Chase, a local music teacher, directed a "Grand Vocal, Instrumental and Operatic Concert by prominent artists and amateurs of Richmond, Norfolk and Petersburg, including the new English Opera of COX AND BOX. The return of

Mary Tuck, a Petersburg native, from her vocal studies in New York attracted much attention in the spring of 1879 when the soprano, assisted by F. C. Hahr (see Chapters 3 and 5), made Petersburg her first stop on a tour of Southern cities.Soon after this concert, a group of Petersburg amateurs, including Mrs. William B. Hill and 178

George W. Scott, performed a concert that was successful enough to

warrant being repeated.“

Black performers, in addition to those involved in minstrel

shows, were also engaged to perform at the Academy. Blind Tom, who

appeared during the Academy's first season, returned at least twice

more. In January 1876 Blind Tom performed two concerts; he played

to a large, intelligent and appreciative audience. If it were possible, he has improved since he last visited Petersburg, and shows himself to be the perfect master of the pianoforte. He plays with a brilliancy and delicacy that is marvellous. And he sings well too. His every piece met with applause, in which, to the amusement of the house, he heartily joined himself."*

A month after this appearance of Blind Tom, the Academy hosted the

"Hampton Colored Students,a singing group composed of students

from Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute (now Hampton

University). When Uncle Tom's Cabin was performed in December 1877 by

Slavin's Uncle Tom Combination and Original Georgia Cabin Singers,^* it was announced that the company included "a number of colored men— some of them former citizens of Petersburg. The singing is represented to be good.

The access of Petersburg's black citizens to the Academy was limited, and when it was given a strict seating policy was enforced.

Protests of this policy have been recorded. One such protest (see

Chapter 5} concerned the refusal of the Academy managers to relax the policy when the building was being used in 1875 for a concert by the choir of St. Stephen's Church (a black congregation). An earlier example appeared in the Petersburg Index and Appeal on 16 February

1874: 179

A NEW PHASE OF CIVIL RIGHTS--On last Saturday night the secretary of the Academy of Music had occasion to force a lewd negress from a seat which she had taken, to the parts reserved for her, whereupon she proclaimed her purpose of entertaining suit against the Academy for damages under the civil rights bill. This is a new phase of the bill.

No other report about this matter has been found. About a month

later, a related situation was presented;

It has been urged by several respectable colored people, and it seems to us with good reason, that the portion of the Academy of Music set apart for the colored people should be so divided that the rude, rowdy and disreputable element might be excluded from the decent and well-behaved portion. Many respectable colored men are deterred from carrying their families on account of this forced association and annoyance. The matter is certainly well worth the attention of the directors.

The appointment in early April of someone to serve as "special

policeman and keeper of the Academy" in order "to maintain good order"

indicates that the gallery was not the only section in which rowdy

behavior was exhibited.

Tickets for the "colored gallery" were advertised primarily for minstrel shows and novelty entertainments. Some few reviews of programs specifically mention the presence of blacks in the audience; these were perhaps used as "proof" of the preferences of blacks. A striking example is the review of a performance by Callender's Georgia

Minstrels— advertised as having "Genuine Negroes." It reads:

The Academy of Music was packed and jammed from pit to dome on Saturday night, on the occasion of the appearance of Callender's Georgia Minstrels. The first floor of the hall was filled with whites— among whom were many ladies. The two galleries were reserved for the colored people, who crowded into them to the number of several hundred. The performance, generally speaking was very good— if we may expect the concert part, which was indifferent. The jokes were fresh and much enjoyed, and the acting and dancing excellent. The audience were kept in an almost continuous roar of laughter. The colored people in the 180

galleries seemed wild with delight, and gave vent to t^eir feelings in the most rapturous applause and cheering."'

This illustrates the prevailing attitude that blacks would only attend and appreciate certain types of performances. While attendance was blocked at other programs, this particular one caused the admittance of blacks to two galleries, rather than the customary one.

The Mendelssohn Musical Association

The Academy of Music, especially after the demise of the

Petersburg Musical Club, really did little to meet the expectations of those who had called for offerings of an uplifting nature. In October

1879, the members of the old club were requested to meet, with the purpose of reorganizing under the leadership of Miss Antonia Dickson, a native of Scotland who had just recently moved to the city with her younger brother (William K. L.) and sister (Eva).^^^ This announcement appeared one month after the departure of Noltenius and his family for a one-year visit to Europe.Dickson was readily welcomed by the community, as this excerpt shows:

We have had the pleasure of hearing Miss Antonia Dickson play— both upon the "Grand Pedal Organ" and piamo, and we are prepared to add our humble testimonial to the brilliant list of eminent musical judges from all of the most distinguished institutions of the musical world, who have pronounced her an artiste of the first grade, and deservedly occupying a position in the front rank of her profession. She plays in beautiful style, her execution remarkable for ease and brilliancy; her playing is full of dash and fire— characterized by an emotional warmth, which reminds one of glorious Clara Schumann— yet without losing anything of technical perfection. She executes her music accurately and from memory. No one, in listening to her, doubts for a moment that 181

she is equal to the technical requirements of the most difficult compositions. Her renditions of Chopin's brilliant polonaise evinced the happy ability to interpret this very unique master in a most vivid and rare correctness. In another place our readers will find Miss Dickson's advertisement. We are pleased to introduce so gifted a lady to our people, and extend to her a most cordial welcome, trusting that she may not find, in her new home among us, an uncongenial atmosphere for the exercise of her "divine art.""*

According to the advertisement referred to above, Dickson held "First

Class Diplomas" from institutions in Germany and England, and was one

of only three women to have received a diploma from the College of

Organists in London.

The reorganization of the club included a change in name to the

Mendelssohn Musical Association. (No reason has been found for this change, but it seems likely that the members simply desired to emulate other musical organizations that had been named for composers.)

Support for the new association was encouraged by the local paper, in which the public was informed that the association's

constitution provides for a series of "Musicales" to be steadily held in some public place. We wish our Mendelssohn every success, and see no reason why Petersburg cannot sustain an art enterprise as her sister city of Richmond has so long done in her attractive "Mozart." Even Manchester has her "Beethoven." All honest cuid well directed efforts for the advancement or cultivation of what is pure in art, should receive the commendation of every true musician and the patronage of our people."*

The association's first concert, scheduled just two weeks after the reorganization meeting and performed at the Academy, included vocal and instrumental solos and small ensembles, and was given for a

"benevolent purpose." The performance of Pinsuti's "Spring Song" by the new twenty-voice chorus "was given with fine effect and admirable 182

f i n i s h . The first official concert of the season was held the

following January. There was much attention paid to the preparations

for this concert, which featured Ella Rives. Rives, the daughter of a

former resident of the city, had just returned to this country from

Milan, where she studied voice. The following is an excerpt from the

New York Express that was reprinted in the local paper:

Miss Ella Rives, a young Virginia lady, who has recently arrived in this city after a course of instruction under Signor Albites in Italy, sang for a private party of musicians in Col. W. A. Pond's hall yesterday afternoon. She possesses a remarksübly facile execution, and a voice that is fresh, pure, and sympathetic. After a brief visit to her native city Miss Rives will return to New York, and her presence in the concert room is certain to be welcome.

Some months later, this performance was mentioned in the Galveston,

Texas Eeifs when Rives, who by then was living in Texas, was preparing for a concert in that city.

Miss Rives, after the most expensive and thorough training in this country, became the favorite pupil of Signor Albitis and Madam Gazzaniga, and spent several years under their training at Milan, Italy, and has received high compliments from Adelina Patti and many of the great artists of the musical world. Having returned to America too late for an engagement this season she accepted an invitation to make her debut under the auspices of the Mendelssohn musical association of Petersburg, Va., and shortly afterward she was honored with three hearings before the Mozart musical association of Richmond, being the only soloist in her debut. The musical critics attest that her reception in Virginia was a grand success."*

According to the program of the concert. Rives sang two solos; the remainder of the program featured local musicians, including Dickson and her brother. The chorus of the association performed "When He

Cometh" from Rossini's Stabat Mater. 183

The second concert, given in April, had been postponed from

February due to the "continued indisposition of the Directress.

This concert, featuring only local instrumental and vocal talent, was

given for the benefit of the Appomattox Commandery, No. 6, Knights

Templar, who marched to the concert in full uniform.Included

among the performers for the concert were Dickson's sister and

brother.The concert prompted these comments:

The Mendelssohn is now in encouraging condition, well balanced, and rings with quite a musicianly intonation. It is capable of important works— choruses worthy of their study and performance. They have a directress who will not be content until a greater progress has been made amd a successful career assured for the Association/'**

A third concert, scheduled for late May, was a benefit for a woman

whose daughter had died in a fire.**® Even though the offer of the

benefit was declined, the concert took place as scheduled.**®

Prior to the date of the concert, however, the following

announcement appeared:

Owing to the unavoidably frequent interruptions to which the practicings of the Mendelssohn Association have been subjected, it has been decided to postpone further meetings for this season. The practicings of the Association have been held in a room over the store of Messrs. T. S. Beckwith & Co., to whom and their courteous assistants the Association are indebted for many favors.*

The "Mendelssohn" was no more.

Even though the Mendelssohn Musical Association came about from the reorganization of the Petersburg Musical Club; its existence is igrnorei in an 1884 history of vocal music in Petersburg— more specifically, a history of the Petersburg Musical Association, 184

organized in 1881. The author of this history writes that the

Petersburg Musical Club

lived, with more or less varying fortunes, am active life for four years, when it lapsed into a sleep, as it were, from which it was to awake, a decade later, regenerated and with new vigor.

The primary difference between the Petersburg Musical Club and the

Mendelssohn Musical Association was that the concerts of the latter were not restricted to those who had applied for and been elected to membership. Even though each organization had a chorus, the concerts of both seem to have depended primarily on solo and ensemble performances (because of the limited advertising done by the

Petersburg Musical Club, it is difficult to know exactly what was performed). Both organizations were successful in satisfying and, at the same time, creating a desire for concert music of good quality in the city. As will be seen in later chapters, these efforts were essential not only in whetting the musical appetites of the citizens, but also in providing the music and business directors with the experience needed to lay a foundation for the musical enterprises that were to bring attention to this region.

Performances in the Black Community

Although the managers of the Academy of Music and the members of the Petersburg Musical Club and the Mendelssohn Musical Association preferred to believe that Petersburg's blacks would not be interested in cultural matters, members of the black community were involved in 185

numerous social and cultural pursuits by the late 1870s.These

pursuits included the organization of social, literary and musical

organizations such as the Chorannesse Literary and Social Club,

organized in July 1878,^^^ and the short-lived Bruce Literary and

Social Club, organized in September 1879.^^^ By February 1879, the

Chorannesse Club had fifty-six members— thirty-one men and twenty-five

women. The activities of the club included holding debates and

planning a library.Among the officers of the club were members

of a musical board: Lucinda Bragg Peters, Virginia M. Morgan, and

Henry B. Patterson.Although no details are given, this board was

probably responsible for planning the musical portions of the programs

held by the club.

Among the musical organizations of the late 1870s was the

Aeolian Club, which seems to have become defunct before the end of the decade. The earliest recorded activity of the club was a concert given by the club for the benefit of the A. M. E. Zion Church. The concert consisted of a "collection of new and popular songs, choruses, ballads, quartetts and duets. The only report of the club's activity in 1877 was the election of officers, which included Henry

Patterson, president, and Edward Peters, treasurer.In 1878, the club performed a concert during a feast given to raise funds for the

Petersburg Blues. 186

The Vocal Echo Club, Star Club, and the Glee Club were other

organizations that were active in the late 1870s. The Vocal Echo Club

and Star Club had become active sometime prior to the summer of 1878

when they sponsored an excursion on the James River:

Two of the base ball clubs of this city will go along and play a match game at the place of landing, and an open air concert will be given by the clubs getting up the excursion.” '

In the fall of the same year, the Glee Club, following a practice of

the bands, serenaded the newspaper office, which reported that "they sing remarkably well and it was a real pleasure to hear the airs they sang. The club will accept our thanks. The Vocal Echo Club serenaded the newspaper offices at least twice in 1879. From the first of these serenades, we learn that "The members of the club are all good singers, and their voices blend very harmoniously."^*

These singing clubs laid the foundation for the musical associations that were to appear in the 1880s. The differences between these singing clubs and the white musical associations, and the reasons for these differences are obvious: the white community had at its disposal conservatory-trained musicians and the financial support of affluent local businessmen, neither of which was available to the black community. While whites might have been somewhat amused, or intrigued, by the cultural and educational endeavors of blacks

(enough to comment on them), they continued to believe that there was a limit to what blacks could actually achieve. Blacks, however, did achieve success despite the barricades at the doors of the library and concert halls. 187

In the white community, the void between the period of the

Petersburg Musical Club and that of the Mendelssohn Musical

Association was filled with concerts either performed at churches or

performed by church members at the Academy. Heinrich Noltenius,

George W. Scott, and F. C. Hahr are remembered as leaders of church

music and of community musical activities. Similarly, the development

of musical activities in the black community was led by church

musicians. While both white and black churches provided musical

instruction— whether formal or informal— the need in the latter was

greater because of the lack of black music teachers or whites willing

to teach black students.

Conclusion

Ironically, the Academy of Music, built in response to a desire for entertainments suitable for "cultivated tastes," immediately became host to amusements instead of concerts. However, it was because of the building that concerts performed by professional and local talent could be presented in the proper environment. Through continuing efforts of local music lovers, the desire for quality concerts increased by 1879, thus laying the foundation for appearances by celebrated artists during the next decade.

Needless to say, efforts to raise the quality of entertainments did not include Petersburg's black citizens. But despite the

Academy's racially based seating policy and the admission restrictions 188

for concerts presented by local white talent, Petersburg's blacks did

not remain unaffected by the increase in musical activity. As will be

better illustrated in Chapter 7, this exclusion of blacks increased

their incentive to provide for themselves that which was being denied.

Drama played a predominant role in the early history of the

city; but music began to gain in importance in the 1850s, though

developments in this area were interrupted by the Civil War. Despite

political, social, and economic struggles after the war, Petersburg's

citizens made efforts to emulate national musical trends; they

established musical clubs and built an Academy of Music where

nationally known performers— from minstrels troupes to concert artists

such as the Theodore Thomas orchestra and Ole Bull— appeared. As in

the progress toward the completion of the Academy, progress in the

establishment of Petersburg's musical taste was often deferred.

However, these efforts continued, and by the late 1870s Petersburg was

on the threshold of gaining its reputation as a musical city.

Notes

1. The Daily Index, 8 Jul. 1865. Melpomene is the Muse of tragedy.

2. The Daily Index, 25 Oct. 1865.

3. The Daily Index, 31 Jul. 1865. R. D'Orsey Ogden was acting manager of Franklin Hall, known as the "Richmond Varieties," when the Richmond Theatre was burned in January 1862. John Hill Hewitt, manager of the Richmond Theatre at the time of the fire, moved his theatrical company to the "Varieties" until the Richmond Theatre was rebuilt the following year. The "Varieties" closed after the war. In January and February 1865, Ogden's dramatic version of Verdi's II Trovatore was presented at the theatre in 1865 (Albert Stoutamire, Music of the Old 189

South: Colony to Confederacy [Rutherford, N. J. : Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1972], 188 auid 190). Ogden, who was also an actor, took over management of Phoenix Hall while the Richmond Theatre was undergoing renovation. The Daily Index, 2 Aug. 1865.

4. The Daily Index, 9 Oct. 1865 identifies Glenn as lessee and manager in an advertisement for a performance at the theater. The Norfolk Theatre operated between 1792 and 1833, when it was sold to the Methodists to be used as a church. It was the Opera House, in use after 1856, that became known as Glenn's theatre during the Union occupation of Norfolk, which began in the spring of 1862. James R. Hines, "Musical Activities in Norfolk, Virginia, 1680-1973" (Ph. D. diss., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1974), 152, 158, 193, and 194.

5. Hosmer gained star status in Philadelphia in 1858 with her performance in Romeo and Juliet', she retired from the stage soon afterward. Her appearance in Petersburg predates her portrayal of "Camille" on 29 May 1866 in New York; sources cite this New York performance as her return to the stage. (T. Allston Brown, History of the American Stage [reprint. New York: Benjamin Blom, 1969], 185 and James Grant Wilson and John Fiske, eds. Appleton's Cyclopædia of American Biography, 1 vols. [1887-89; reprint, Detroit: Gale Research Co., 1968], III, 268.) According to the advertisement in The Daily Index, 4 Nov. 1865, Hosmer's "only compeer" was Charlotte Cushman. Cushman (1816-1876) began her career as an opera singer, but became an actress after straining her voice. She resigned from acting several times, the first in 1840. In 1871, she began a career as a dramatic reader. Wilson and Fiske, Appleton’s Cyclopædia, II, 41-42.

6. The Daily Index, 4 Nov. 1865.

7. The Daily Index, 11 Dec. 1865.

8. Petersburg Daily Index, 24 Jan. 1866. The New York Academy of Music opened in 1854, burned down in 1866, and reopened in February 1867. F. 0. Jones, ed. A Handbook of American Music and Musicians (1886; reprint. New York: Da Capo Press, 1971), 5.

9. The Daily Index, 19 March 1866.

10. Daily Dispatch (Petersburg Correspondent), 27 March 1866.

11. Daily Dispatch (Petersburg Correspondent), 28 March 1866.

12. Caroline Richings made her operatic debut in 1852, and successfully performed in operas until 1867, when she married tenor P. Bernard. Sometime after 1873, she taught in Baltimore and Richmond. Jones, Handbook, 144. 190

13. Reprinted from the Petersburg Daily Index in Daily Dispatch, 14 Nov. 1866.

14. Daily Dispatch, 16 Nov. 1866.

15. Daily Dispatch, 19 Nov. 1866. Above this article was one concerning the participation of members of the opera troupe in services at First Presbyterian Church and St. Paul's Cathedral in Richmond on the previous Sunday.

16. Daily Dispatch (Petersburg Correspondent), 20 Nov. 1866.

17. Daily Dispatch (Petersburg Correspondent), 20 Nov. 1866.

18. The Petersburg Index, 10 May 1867.

19. The Daily Index, 12 July 1865. One of the ten performers listed is a Prof. Whiddon. It is not known if this is the Prof. W. H. Whiddon who directed the orchestra for Jean Hosmer's performance at Phoenix Hall in November 1865.

20. The Daily Index, 27 July 1865.

21. The Petersburg Index, 23 Sept. 1867. Ogden is identified as lessee and manager in an advertisement for Mechanics' Hall in The Petersburg Index, 25 Nov. 1870; it is not known how long he held that position.

22. The Petersburg Index, 3 Jan. 1868.

23. The Petersburg Index, 27 June 1868.

24. The Petersburg Index, 22 Sept. 1868.

25. The Petersburg Index, 10 Nov. 1869.

26. Phillips primarily sang sacred songs; he also composed hymns and other religious pieces. In 1871, he edited a hymnal for the Methodist church. Jones, Handbook, 137.

27. The Petersburg Index, 22 Nov. 1871.

28. The Petersburg Index, 1 Dec. 1871.

29. The Daily Index, 6 Nov. 1865.

30. The Petersburg Index, 27 Feb. 1866.

31. The Petersburg Index, 7 Sept. 1867.

32. The Petersburg Index, 3 Oct. 1867. 191

33. The Petersburg Index, 28 July 1868. The president auid directors of the bank conveyed the property in trust to David J. Saunders and Samuel C. Tardy on 8 February 1867. The sale of this property to Spicer by Saunders and Tardy is recorded in Deed Book No. 31, pp. 319- 320; City Clerk's Office, Petersburg, Va. Spicer, the highest bidder at public auction, paid $4,270.

34. The Petersburg Index, 28 July 1868.

35. The Petersburg Index, 22 Sept. 1868.

36. Constitution and By-Laws of The Petersburg Musical Club (Petersburg, Va.: J. E. Routh & Co., 1868, 1; Centre Hill Mansion, Petersburg, Va.)

37. W. Eugene Ferslew, comp.. Second Annual Directory for the City of Petersburg, 1860 (Petersburg, Va.: George E. Ford, 1860), 104. According to the 1870 Census, 4th Ward, p. 86, Nash, age thirty-six, had a personal estate valued at fifteen thousand dollars.

38. 1870 Census, Ward 4, p. 28.

39. The Daily Index, 13 Sept. 1865 lists Marion Meade as assistant in music at a private school operated by Mrs. Pannill.

40. 1870 Census, Ward 3, p. 28.

41. The Petersburg Index., 23 July 1869. The Petersburg Index, 23 July 1869. According to 1870 Census, 2nd Ward, p. 27, Morgan was a bookkeeper.

42. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 25 Sept. 1873.

43. Petersburg Musical Club Constitution, 3.

44. P. M. C. Constitution, 3-4.

45. P. M. C. Constitution, 6.

46. P. M. C. Constitution, 5.

47. P. M. C. Constitution, 6. At five dollars a month for two season tickets, these honorary members paid less than thirty-two cents per concert.

48. P. M. C. Constitution, 8.

49. The Petersburg Index, 2 Nov. 1870.

50. The Petersburg Index, 8 June 1871. 192

51. The Petersburg Index, 29 Oct. 1868.

52. The Petersburg Index, 1 March 1869.

53. The Petersburg Index, 19 Oct. 1869.

54. The Petersburg Index, 19 Oct. 1869.

55. The Petersburg Index, 9 Feb. 1870.

56. The Petersburg Index, 14 June 1870.

57. The Petersburg Index, 18 June 1870. The purchase of the property by the Academy directors from Spicer at a cost of $6,500 did not occur until 26 October 1870. Deed Book No. 34, pp. 58-59; City Clerk's Office, Petersburg, Va.

58. The Petersburg Index, 20 June 1870.

59. The Petersburg Index, 10 Aug. 1870.

60. After the War of 1812, William Niblo bought lamd in New York City and turned it into a public ornamental garden. Niblo later built the Sans Souci Theatre in the center of the garden and opened it on 4 July 1827. The popularity of this theater encouraged Niblo, in 1829, to build a larger theater, with a seating capacity of twelve hundred. This theater was burned in 1846 and rebuilt in 1849; it was the city's oldest theater when it was razed in 1895. William C. Young, Documents of American Theater History, 2 vols. (Chicago: American Library Association, 1973), I, 78, and Gerald Bordman, The Oxford Companion to American Theatre, 2nd ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1992), 506.

61. The Petersburg Index, 23 Aug. 1870.

62. The Petersburg Index, 16 Sept. 1870.

63. The estimated time of completion was given in a statement printed in The Petersburg Index, 31 Aug. 1870. A report that the work was "very far from completion" appeared in the same source on 13 Feb. 1871.

64. The Petersburg Index, 18 April 1871. Lowenthall offered $450, while the Petersburg Musical Association offered only $250.

65. The Petersburg Index, 1 Dec. 1871.

66. The Petersburg Index, 20 March 1871.

67. The Petersburg Index, 26 April 1871. 193

68. The Petersburg Index, 9 June 1871.

69. The Petersburg Index, 13 June 1871. The new Board of Directors was composed of George B. Davis, Alexander Donnem, Joseph B. Dunn, John B. Ege, Capt. W. E. Hinton, John Q. Jackson, H. B. Parker, and Reuben Ragland. The only director left from the original board was Ragland.

70. The Petersburg Index, 13 June 1871.

71. The Petersburg Index, 3 July 1871.

72. The Petersburg Index, 27 July 1871.

73. Daily Dispatch, 24 Aug. 1871. (Written in Petersburg 23 Aug.)

74. The Petersburg Index, 2 Aug. 1871.

75. The Petersburg Index, 12 Aug. 1871.

76.The Petersburg Index, 23 Aug. 1871.

77. Deed Book No. 33, pp. 684-85; City Clerk's Office, Petersburg, Va.

78. Deed Book No. 33, p. 685.

79. Deed Book No. 33, p. 685.

80. The Daily Progress, 6 Oct. 1871. According to anearlier article in The Progress, 8 Aug. 1871, the Academy was one of the improvements in the city used as an example that "Petersburg would soon become a place of attraction for strangers, and then we might hope to have a live city."

81. The Daily Progress, 18 Oct. 1871.

82. The Petersburg Index, 23 Oct. 1871. This was probably John T. Ford, who managed several theaters, including Ford's Theatre in Washington and the Academy of Music in Philadelphia in addition to the Holliday Street and Ford's Theatres in Baltimore. Bordman, The Oxford Companion to American Theatre, 267.

83. The Daily Progress, 21 Oct. 1871.

84. The Petersburg Index, 24 Oct. 1871.

85. The Petersburg Index, 25 Oct. 1871.-Cameron's association with the Academy is unknown. However, he was a prominent citizen who served as mayor of the city from 1876 to 1881, in which year he became governor of Virginia. 194

86. The Petersburg Index, 25 Oct. 1871.

87. The Petersburg Index, 10 Nov. 1871. C. B. Bishop was a featured performer with Ford's company.

88. Daily Dispatch (Petersburg Correspondent), 23 Nov. 1871.

89. The Petersburg Index, 23 Jan. 1872.

50. The Petersburg Index, 26 Jan. 1872. The desire to prove the existence of "taste" among the citizens of Petersburg might have been undermined by the reference to "Theo's orchestral circus."

91. The Petersburg Index, 23 May 1871.

92. The Petersburg Index, 6 Feb. 1872.

93. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 13 Oct. 1873.

94. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 12 April 1875.

95. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 13 April 1875.

96. The Petersburg Index, 11 Oct. 1871. Incorrect information about the number of concerts had been given in the same paper two days earlier.

97. The Petersburg Index, 17 Oct. 1871.

98. The Petersburg Index, 8 Nov. 1870.

99. The Petersburg Index, 24 May 1871.

IOC. The Petersburg Index, 5 Oct. 1872.

101. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 10 March 1876. The Panic of 1873 began in the fall of that year, and the depression that followed was "one of the worst in American history." Over eighteen thousand businesses failed in 1876 and 1877; the depression lasted until about 1878. Allan Nevins, "Panic of 1873," Dictionary of American History, 7 vols., rev. ed. (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1976), V, 207.

102. Deed Book No. 37, pp. 539-40; City Clerk's Office, Petersburg, Va.

103. Deed Book No. 37, p. 540.

104. Deed Book No. 38, p. 595.

105. Deed Book No. 38, p. 596. 195

106. Ege was already in the position at the time of the transfer of property. His appointment was announced in the Petersburg Daily Appeal, 23 Dec. 1873.

107. Reference to Ege's death was made in the account given about the purchase of the Academy by the Petersburg Musical Association. A Briet History, The Charter, and the Constitution and, By-Laws of the Petersburg Musical Association (Petersburg, Va.: Fenn & Owen, 1890, 10; Centre Hill Mansion, Petersburg, Va.).

108. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 6 March 1877. George Edwards died at the age of fifty-six in Denver, Colorado, where Elitch's Troupe, with which he was performing, disbanded. According to an article that appeared after his death, Edwards joined Kunkel's Minstrel Troupe in Petersburg at the age of eighteen. He later performed with Dupriest [Duprez] & Benedict and Thatcher, Primrose & West. Daily Index-Appeal, 8 Oct. 1895.

109. According to Robert C. Toll, Blacking Up: The Minstrel Show in Nineteenth-Century America (London: Oxford University Press, 1974), 138, The all-woman cast, prominently displaying their legs and bodies through snuggly fitting tights, performed the basic minstrel show supplemented with special attractions of their own. One of the attractions in their two performances in Petersburg was the Ccin-can. The Petersburg Index and Appeal, 15 April 1875 reported that on the first night the audience was composed entirely of men. "Not a lady was present in the hall except a few colored specimens in the gallery." The following appeared in the Petersburg Index and Appeal, 2 April 22 1875: The can-can at Petersburg, Va., is described as "a riotous orgie [sic], in which indelicacy and indecency reach their furthest limit," and yet the show is crowded nightly with those sedate old Petersburgers. — Cincinnati Times. There is a slight error here. The show was crowded the first night by men who wanted to see whether they could take their wives to it the second night. On the second exhibition the audience was thinner than the dresses of the performers.

110. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 8 Jan. 1877.

111. The Petersburg Index, 21 Nov. 1872. Ole Bull first visited America in 1843. In November, he gave a concert in New York. "During the month of December he gave concerts in New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Richmond and Petersburg." Jones, Handbook, 27.

112. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 18, 22, and 26 Nov. 1875.

113. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 30 Jan. and 23 May 1879. 196

114. H. M. S. Pinafore was first performed in America on 25 November 1878 in Boston. In a few months, it had taken "over the leading cities by storm." Because of the many pirated versions, a London production was given at New York's 5th Avenue Theatre on 1 December 1879. Geoffrey Smith, The Savoy Operas: A New Guide to Gilbert and Sullivan (London: Robert Hale Ltd., 1983), 62.

115. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 5 and 24 Sept. 1879.

116. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 11 Dec. 1879.

117. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 30 March 1880.

118. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 7 Nov. 1879.

119. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 8, 15 and 21 Nov. 1879.

120. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 22 Jan. 1880.

121. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 1 Feb. 1877.

122. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 19 and 24 April 1879.

123. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 1, 13 and 16 May 1879.

124. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 29 Jan. 1876.

125. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 3 March 1876. The performance was also announced in the Southern Workman, 7/3 (March 1876), p. 18 According to this source (the school's newspaper), the group was "composed of the two Classes who made the two and a half years' campaign."

126. The appearance of a group of black performers in a stage version of Uncle Tom's Cabin seems to have occurred in 1876. This group was later identified as Slavin's Original Colored Georgia Singers. Thomas L. Riis, "The Music and Musicians in Nineteenth-Century Productions of Uncle Tom's Cabin," American Music IV/3 (Fall 1986), 275.

127. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 5 Dec. 1877.

128. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 16 Feb. 1874.

129. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 21 March 1874.

130. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 6 April 1874.

131. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 24 Sept. 1877. 197

132. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 30 Oct. 1879. All three were born in Scotland; their parents were also born there (1880 Census, Supervisor's District No. 2, Enumeration District No. 95, p. 13). In this census record, Antonia's age is given as twenty-five. Sometime after leaving Petersburg, she and her brother collaborated on a biography of Thomas A. Edison {The Daily Index-Appeal, 30 Aug. 1903). W. K. L. Dickson assisted Edison in the development of motion pictures (Craig H. Roell, The Piano in America, 1890-1940 [Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1989], 50). W. K. L. Dickson married Petersburg native Lucie Agnes Archer, a former music teacher and author. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 1 Sept. and 24 Dec. 1880, and 11 May 1881.

133. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 29 Sept. 1879.

134. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 29 Oct. 1879.

135. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 29 Oct. 1879.

136. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 21 Nov. 1879. Manchester is now a part of Richmond.

137. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 21 Nov. 1879.

138. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 21 Jan. 1880.

139. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 3 May 1880.

140. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 22 Jan. 1880.

141. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 13 Feb. 1880.

142. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 21 April 1880.

143. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 22 April 1880.

144. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 23 April 1880.

145. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 28 April 1880.

146. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 29 April 1880.

147. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 17 May 1880.

148. Daily Index-Appeal, 29 May 1883.

149. The following is stated in Lawrence L. Hartzell, "The Exploration of Freedom in Black Petersburg, Virginia, 1865-1902," The Edge of the South, ed. Edward L. Ayers and John C. Willis (Charlottesville, Va. : University Press of Virginia, 1991), 138: 198

Social organizations of all types spramg into being during the late 1870s and 1880s, while there had been only a single such organization during the antebellum period. Over three hundred blacks in the city supported thirteen Masonic lodges. Blacks also organized chapters of the Odd Fellows, the Knights of [sic] Templar, and the Independent Order of St. Luke's, one of the most visible black self-help organizations in America. Other social societies included the Sisters of David éind the Beaumonde, Ugly, and Callioux clubs.

150. The first anniversary of the Chorannesse Club was announced in the Petersburg Index-Appeal, 9 July 1879. The origin of the name is not known, and at least three different spellings of it have been found.

151. The organization of the Bruce Club was announced in the Petersburg Index-Appeal, 19 Sept. 1879. The club was named in honor of Blanche Kelso Bruce, the first black senator to serve a full six-year term, preside over the house, and to sign the nation's currency. Bruce was born on a plantation in Farmville, Virginia, in 1841; his master moved his family and his slaves to Missouri before the Civil War. As servant of his master's son, Bruce had received an education; during the war he founded the first black elementary school in Kansas. His term in the senate began on 5 March 1875; he first presided over that house on 14 February 1879 when the vice-president was absent. Bruce worked to improve the navigation on the Mississippi River and advocated granting Indians full citizenship. Maurine Christopher, America's Black Congressman (New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Co., 1971), 15-17, 21-22.

152. The statement is made in the Petersburg Index-Appeal, 12 Feb. 1879 that "The society expects to give a grand feast soon for the benefit of procuring a library."

153. Lucinda Peters, Virginia M. Morgan, éind Henry B. Patterson have been identified in Chapter 5,

154. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 29 April 1876.

155. Petersburg Index and Appeal, 25 July 1877.

156. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 4 June 1878.

157. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 15 July 1878.

158. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 29 Nov. 1878. 199

159. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 29 Mar. 1879, This account also mentions that the club was from Pocahontas, a section of Petersburg (formerly an island) that was populated by blacks. Prior to the Civil War, Pocahontas was occupied by free blacks auid Indians. CHAPTER VII

CONCERTS AND MUSICAL ORGANIZATIONS: 1880-1900

The decade of the 1880s was the most musically active period in

the history of Petersburg. The laborious birth of the Academy of

Music at the beginning of the previous decade was well worth the

effort, for it was this building that became the center of activities

that were to influence not just Petersburg, but other Virginian cities

and the state of North Carolina. The motivating force in this development was the Petersburg Musical Association, established in

1881. This association, which grew out of the efforts of the old

Petersburg Musical Club, not only brought to the city some of the most celebrated artists of the era, but also encouraged emd developed local talent to a degree that was heralded and held up as an example of excellence.

In May 1882, the P. M. A. began sponsoring music conventions to which were invited representatives from other musical associations in

Virginia and North Carolina. These conventions led to the inauguration of annual music festivals in May 1884. Petersburg, which hosted these events through 1891, gained a reputation as a city that not only had a proficient chorus, but could rely on its businessmen to provide generous financial support for musical endeavors. The successes of the conventions and festivals contributed to the general

200 201

success of the association, especially in those years in which the

regular season entertainments were not well supported by the

Petersburg public. (The events and far-reaching effects of the

conventions and festivals will be given special attention in Chapter

8.)

This chapter will focus first on the histories of the P. M. A.

and the Academy of Music. As will be seen, the efforts of the

P. M. A. to elevate the musical tastes of Petersburg's white citizens

did have an effect on the Academy's offerings. Together, the two

sources of entertainment mirror the musical trends of the age. The

histories of the P. M. A. and the Academy of Music became intricately

intertwined when the Academy was purchased by the association in

September 1886. For this reason the histories of these institutions

are divided into two sections, 1880-86 and 1886-91. The P. M. A.

continued for a time as proprietors of the Academy even after the

association proper had become defunct at the end of the 1890-91

season. The history of the Academy after this time includes chamges

in management and ownership until the end of the century.

It is tempting to concentrate on the P. M. A. and the Academy of

Music to the total neglect of other white musical enterprises in the

city, but to do so would misrepresent the influence of the

P. M. A. in its role as music educator for the community. Some of the major musical presentations produced by groups other than the P. M. A. are therefore included. Similarly, it would be easy to ignore the musical efforts of the black citizens of Petersburg, who were categorically excluded from P. M. A. events and selectively excluded 202

from the "more refined" entertainments held at the Academy of Music.

This exclusion did not discourage Petersburg's black population from

initiating its own cultural enterprises.

Establishment of the Petersburg Musical Association

The 1880-81 season at the Academy of Music offered the usual

variety of entertainments. Among the concerts presented were those by

the Mendelssohn Quintette Club, the Strakosch and Hess Grand Opera

Company, the Listemann Concert Company, and Carreno's Grand Operatic

and Concert Company. There were also performances by two juvenile

opera companies. But despite the fact that the 1880-81 season at the

Academy offered more concerts and fewer minstrel shows them in

previous seasons, there remained in the city the desire for concerts

on a regular basis, and for a way to emulate musical enterprises elsewhere:

There is enough first class musical talent in Petersburg to form a fine amateur concert organization, and our people would be glad to see some such association organized here, as the Mozart in Richmond[,3 with a view to giving the community the benefit of a high order of music at stated periods during the season for public assemblages. Will not some of the leaders in musical circles think over this matter, and organize an association which will bring credit to our city. There is no doubt that all the encouragement necessary would be extended by the public.^

The Petersburg Index-Appeal announced that "some of our leading business amd professional men" had begun an effort to form such an organization, and that

the plan proposed for its management is to be similar to that upon which the Mozart Association, of Richmond, is conducted— by subscription. The originators of the scheme hope to obtain enough subscribers to place the rate of subscription within the 203

reach of all. It is proposed to have two entertainments each month and to use all or part of the Richmond orchestra, and occasionally to secure the services of the Richings-Bernard Opera Company, in connection with these entertainments.^

The meeting to effect organization, for some reason not indicated, was

"interrupted before any action was taken.A notice of this foiled

attempt included encouragement to pursue the project, along with the

following suggestion:

Our people would find such an association a source of pure, refined entertainment. With it we would not be dependent upon the whims of travelling troupes for our concerts and operas. We could easily support one here in our midst. The one thing needful is concerted action. If the movement were entrusted to the heads of business men, and managed on purely business principles— as the Mozart Association of Richmond is governed— there would seem to be every reason in the world for its successful organization and the maintenance of such an association. The recent additions to the scenery at the Academy would give am amateur troupe the advantage of good stage setting and appropriate scenery. It is hoped that efforts will be made to organize and maintain such an association.

Three days after this appeared, a meeting was successfully held/" and

the Petersburg Musical Association was officially formed on 26 August

1881.

As the article above suggested, the association was "entrusted

to the heads of business men." Seven of the thirteen men chosen as

members of the Board of Directors were among the most successful

businessmen in the city: three of them— John Q. Jackson, John McGill

and Heinrich Noltenius— were tobacco merchants; James S. Gilliam, Jr. was a dry goods merchant; Anthony Rosenstock owned a business in which

"dry and fancy goods" were sold;* and Thomas Whyte held the office of cashier at the Planters and Mechanics Bank, of which another director,

James T. Young, was president (Young was also a partner in J. T. Young

& Bro., a watchmaking and jewelry business, and in A. A. Allen & Co., 204

a corn and flour mills enterprise). Of the remaining six members,

three (John H. Claiborne, H. G. Leigh, and David I. Steel) were

physicians, two (Alexander Hamilton and William B. Mcllwaine) were

lawyers, emd one (George W. Scott) was a music teacher. One of the

physicians, Leigh, resigned before the first meeting of the board and

was replaced by F. C. Hahr, a music teacher.^ A second physician

(Claiborne) resigned before the meeting at which the officers were

elected and was replaced by T. S. Beckwith, Jr,® whose business, T. S.

Beckwith & Co., sold pianos, organs, and printed music in addition to

books and stationery items. The Board that actually functioned during

the first season of the association, therefore, was made up of eight

businessmen, two lawyers, two musicians, and one physician. Less than

two weeks prior to the last entertainment of the season, Scott

resigned and was replaced by J. William Friend,* who was associated

with his family shoe and boot business, E. G. Friend & Co.

All three of the tobacco merchants were elected to prominent

positions on the board. Jackson was elected to serve as president, as

chairman of the Committee on Finance cind Business, and as a member of

the Committee on Music. The position of vice-president went to

McGill. Noltenius, who was the only one of the directors who had also

served as a director of the old Petersburg Musical Club, was elected

to chair the Committee on Music. Gilliam was elected treasurer and

Scott, secretary (when Friend replaced Scott as a director, he also

assumed the position of secretary). When in the winter of 1882 the

Board passed a resolution to increase its number to twenty-five,** the new members were also business or professional men. 205

With the resignation of Scott, the board had only one member

(Hahr) who made his living as a musician. This number was reduced to

zero near the beginning of the third season with Hahr's resignation,

which was caused by his change of residence to Richmond.From this

time until the dissolution of the association, the musical decisions

were left in the hands of Noltenius, who, in 1888, voiced his belief

that "private society" determined the success of the promotion of

musical interest in a community, and that "professional musicians

cannot be depended upon.The belief that musical associations

required strong business leadership was expressed repeatedly throughout the existence of the P. M. A. In a document printed by the association in 1890, for example, the statement is made that musical associations "should be formed everywhere by the lovers of music" and that "the leading, practical business men should direct and manage them on sound business principles, with earnest zeal and broad views.

The statement of purpose that was announced to the public soon after the organization of the P. M. A. read as follows:

The object of the association is to encourage the culture of music in our community by giving annually from October to June, a series of entertainments— probably eight or ten— at which our best home talent will assist, and for which artists from other parts— both vocal and instrumental— will be engaged, as far as the means placed at the disposal of the association will permit. The Secretary will call upon the public for subscriptions, and it is sincerely hoped that the community will assist the association in carrying out its objects on the most liberal scale.

The public did, indeed, liberally and enthusiastically support the efforts of the association, so much so that its directors were able to 206

begin a series of concerts, with the first one scheduled for October

1 8 8 1 In a review of that concert, the local press commented that

The association has cause to feel gratified and encouraged with the success of their first entertainment, and of the disposition of the people to extend the most liberal patronage.

Arrangements for two other concerts were made by the middle of

October.^

In addition to the support received from the general public, the

P. M. A. received both verbal and tangible support from the old

Petersburg Musical Club, the members of which met soon after the

organization cf the new association. In accordance with the

constitution of the club, its dissolution would have resulted in the

sale of its property, the proceeds of which sale would be "given to

the Petersburg poor."^® However, in this meeting, which was presided

over by Noltenius, it was reported that the balemce of $791.20 in the

treasury would be spent for the purchase of a grand piano that would be made available for use by the P. M. A. The following resolutions were made:

First, That the music belonging to the club shall be freely amd unreservedly loaned to the Petersburg Musical Association, free of charge. Second, That our musical Director is hereby authorized to invest the funds of the club, as far as may be necessary, in his judgment, in the purchase of a Concert Grand Piano, and that the latter shall be loaned to the Petersburg Musical Association free of charge, provided the latter association will obligate itself to take proper care of the piano and always to keep it fully insured against all risk from fire.

At the beginning of the 1884-85 season, this piano, along with music belonging to the club, was turned over to Noltenius "in trust for the

P. M. A. to be presented at the proper time.The members of the 207

club perceived the P. M. A. and not the "Mendelssohn" as a

continuation of the old club (see Chapter 6). A history of the

P. M. A., printed in 1890, describes the relationship between it and the Petersburg Musical Club and the P. M. A . :

The new Association may justly be called the child of the old Club, for nobly did the latter provide a becoming outfit, by placing its whole stock of Music at the disposal of the young institution; yea, more, by purchasing a fine new Concert Grand Piano, and leaving it, free of charge, to the child. And in the fall of 1884, the child became the bona fide heir, for by unanimous action of its members the old Club dissolved and bequeathed all its property without reserve to the Petersburg Musical Association. The latter has proved itself worthy of this confidence, by faithful work for the cause of Music, not only within the limits of its own community, but outside of the latter also.^

The Petersburg Musical Association: 1881-1886

The article that announced the first three concerts of the

P. M. A.'s inaugural season included information about membership in the association. The two categories of membership and manner in which non-members could attend concerts were explained as follows:

The first class shall be known as regular members and shall pay an annual membership of five dollars, and a monthly fee for eight months in the year of one dollar. This class shall be entitled to vote at the meetings of the association, shall be joint owners of the property, and shall also be entitled to three tickets for each entertainment given by the association during the season. The second class shall be known as contributing members, and shall pay one dollar per month for eight months, and shall be entitled to two tickets for each entertainment given by the association during the season. The subscribers will be informed through the "Index- Appeal" when free of charge, they can upon presentation of their tickets secure reserved seats both in the lower hall and the first gallery. Should not the whole seating capacity of the lower floor of the Academy be taken up by the subscribers, then— and only then— will single tickets be sold for each entertainment at one 208

dollar each, including reserved seats, if the latter be secured before 6 o'clock on the evening of the entertainment.

The first concert featured celebrated Boston pianist William H.

Sherwood, assisted by Annie E. Beese, contralto, and Charles Fritsch, tenor, both of New York. According to a review of the concert, the

audience that attended "crowded the main hall and filled the first gallery.After this concert, the P. M. A. directors

resolved that the Petersburg Musical Association, being a private association, only members— both regular and contributing— can apply for single tickets for any of their friends who may desire to attend one of the entertainments.

Also after the first concert, a special class of ticket designated as

"scholar's," which could be obtained by music teachers for their pupils, was offered. The cost of a season ticket for the seven concerts remaining in the season was $2.65. (This meant that the cost per concert was about thirty-eight cents; the cost per concert for regular season tickets was fifty cents, and tickets purchased at the door were either seventy-five cents or one dollar each.)

The second concert featured Teresa Liebe, violin, and her brother, Theodore Liebe, cello. This concert marked the first appearance of the Petersburg chorus. The review of the concert included the following comments:

One of the principal features of the evening was the choruses sung by the Association. They were delightful pieces of music, rendered in perfect harmony, evenly balanced in the several parts, and evidenced the most careful culture and training.

In the constitution of the P. M. A., which was printed in 1890, the chorus was identified as 209

an independent body, separate and distinct from the P. M. A. It makes its own rules and regulations, which are very few and are dictated by common sense and an earnest devotion to the work to be accomplished. '

The P. M. A. furnished the chorus with a rehearsal room and music. In

return, the chorus was expected to perform at regular intervals for the P. M. A.

For its third entertainment, the P. M. A. engaged Madame

Chatterton-Bohrer, "harp virtuoso of London," and Eugene Weiner, flute.Just prior to this concert, the public was informed that

a wrong impression is sometimes made by the remark that every seat is taken; this is a great mistake. The best seats for seeing and hearing are decidedly those in the first gallery— meuiy prefer them to any in the house— and if ever the necessity should arise, a part of the stage could be easily changed into an addition to the auditory whereby the seating capacity of the Academy for concert purposes would be increased considerably. We trust therefore that none will be kept from joining the association by a fear or belief, that there are no seats left. The association is very far from this goal as yet.^'

At the beginning of 1882, the infant musical association demonstrated its fervor by making a noteworthy attempt to persuade the famed Adelina Patti to perform in Petersburg. Noltenius suggested to the board that the P. M. A. offer her between eight hundred and one thousand dollars.The newspaper account of the response reads:

A definite answer has been received from the agent of Madame Ad[e]lina Patti, which puts at rest all doubts and anticipation about her coming to our city. She will come with pleasure— if the Association will pay her $8,000 for one concert! the usual amount her company receives. Estimating that the Academy would furnish 800 seats including the two galleries, this amount would require an average price of $10 per ticket. We admire the pluck of our Association in making an offer for Madame Patti, and we especially commend the Association for their efforts to furnish our people with first-class music. We also commend their prudence and wisdom in rather surrendering the pleasure of hearing Madame Patti, than in attempting to secure her at $8,000. We will all content ourselves with less expensive music. 210

According to the Daily Index-Appeal, the P. M. A.'s attempt to engage

Patti received negative attention from the Boston Post:

Patti has recklessly thrown away a chance to set Nicolini up in business. The citizens of Petersburg, Va., offered her $400 and a ton of peanuts to sing there, but she wouldn't accept the offer. And Nicolini an Italian, too! Just adapted to the peanut stand business!

The response from the Daily Index-Appeal reads:

Reckoning a ton of peanuts as worth $200, it would seem that we offered Patti but $600 to come here. The offer was equivalent to five tons, which would have made her Italian husband a regular peanut prince. She has, however, sung to Petersburg audiences in days gone by, at a much lower figure. We well remember paying fifty cents to hear her sing in Phoenix Hall, when the entire proceeds of the concert would have barely paid for one ton of peanuts, at the price they now command. And yet we are told that coelvun, non animum mutant, qui trans mare currant.

During the period of the Patti saga, the P. M. A. announced that

its fourth concert would be performed by Alisa Giorno, soprano; G. M.

Giorno, baritone; Fritz Gaul, violin; and Louis Blumenberg, cello.

Petersburg's response to the "Patti peanut accusation" was published on the same day that the P. M. A. announced that famed piemist Julie

Rivé-King would appear in its fifth concert/** Other artists scheduled to appear were Karl Kegel, clarinet, and Eva Mills, a

Washington, D. C. soprano. The Royal Hand Bell Ringers performed for the sixth concert.*^ The seventh concert featured pianist Antonia

Dickson, former director of Petersburg's Mendelssohn Association. The chorus also performed for this concert; its rendition of Andreas Jakob

Romberg's cantata Lay of the Bell was a success.

The choruses were sung in a manner alike creditable to the members as to their capable and industrious leader, whose labors were well rewarded by their [sic] manner in which the choral numbers were sung. Very few know the long and patient drill which good chorus singing demands, nor the peculiar skill and 211

adaptation required by the leader. Mr. Noltenius is worthy of all credit for the good work he has done and is doing, not only in the routine work of the rehearsals of the society but in making good classic music take the place of ephemeral trash and cultivating among the people a taste for the best description of music. '

The last concert of the regular season was performed by Abbie

Whinnery, soprano; Piedro Ferrandi, "baritone-buffo;" Charles Werner,

cellist; and the chorus. The final appearance of the chorus for the

season was at the annual meeting of the P. M. A . , at which President

Jackson reported that for its first season, the P. M. A. had a membership of 198 (41 regular and 157 contributing).^^ No information was given on the scholar's category. The report also indicated a balance in the treasury of $101.00.

One month before the first concert of the 1882-83 season, the membership stood at 152 (35 regular and 117 contributing),^® a number that increased to only 188 (42 regular and 146 contributing). In addition, 27 scholar's season tickets were sold.®® It was during this season that a charge was imposed for reserved seats: the charge on the first day that tickets were available was twenty-five cents, reduced to fifteen cents on the second day and ten cents on the third day; after the third day, seats could be reserved at no charge. According to statistics given at the annual meeting, attendance at the concerts ranged from 466 to 545. Fees paid to artists engaged for this season totaled $2,086.66 compared with $1,555.00 for the previous season.*®

The artists for the 1882-83 season included Teresa Carreno, piano; Edward Remenyi, violin; E. A. Lefebre, saxophone; the

Chatterton-Bohrer Concert Company; auid the New York Philharmonic Club.

The Petersburg chorus performed for four of the eight concerts. Its 212

first appearance was in November, at which time it performed Remenyi's

own composition, "Hymn of Liberty," under his direction. Just before

the chorus performed at the April concert, the Daily Index-Appeal

predicted

that if the interest now so evident continues, and the same zeal and love for their work animates the members in the future, the day is not far distant when the Petersburg society will rank among the best of the vocal organizations of the South.

Edward Remenyi returned during the P. M. A.'s 1883-84 season.^

Other artists that appeared during the season included the Boston

Concert Company, the Mendelssohn Quintette Club, and four unidentified

artists from Patrick Gilmore's Band. The chorus continued to improve

and garner praise: in anticipation of the December concert, a writer

for the Daily Index-Appeal commented that

By dint of earnest perseverance, studious application and intelligent effort, directed and elevated by an able amd zealous leader, the association has reached, in an incredibly short time, a proficiency which enables it to encompass works that offer more then ordinary difficulties, and which give promise of still greater achievements at no distant day. Evidence of this advancement will be given at the next concert which takes place on the 28th instant, by the production of Gade's cantata "The ErlKing's Daughter," a composition replete with choicest melody, yet presenting difficulties which none but the qualities above indicated could overcome.

At the March concert, the chorus performed selections from Haydn's

Creation, Mozart's Requiem, and Mendelssohn's 95th Psalm; according to a review, the chorus

proved again that there exists in our midst a vocal organization which is an excellent nucleus for one of larger proportions, and which, in the near future, will occupy an enviable position among similar societies, not only in the south, but elsewhere. Viewed in whatever light, this last concert was a flattering success.^ 213

Early in the 1884-85 P. M. A. season, the directors were faced

with a problem; they explained that

The urgent need of the association is an increase of its regular membership, for with its growth its expenses have increased. For a chorus of twenty or thirty or fifty singers the purchase of books and sheet music was already a considerable item, but now, when it counts over eighty singers, when, before the close of the present season, it may number a hundred, and when, in another year, it is hoped to increase this to even a hundred and fifty, this outlay becomes an item of such magnitude that only steady and unstinted liberality will enable it to meet the demands made upon the association's exchequer.”

The only membership figure found for this season is 131, reported in

November just days before the second concert of the season. Artists to

appear during the season included the Meigs Sisters, a vocal quartette;

Camilla Urso, violin; and Zelie De Lussan, soprano. In late April, the

P. M. A. announced that the agents of the Hungarian Gipsy Band, which

was to have performed the seventh concert, had canceled the performance

with no explanation. The directors decided that time prevented

scheduling another performance; because they were busy with late

preparations for the upcoming music festival (see Chapter 8) they

decided to cancel the eighth concert as well.

Despite these changes in the series, the annual president's report was enthusiastic.

The history of our society during the past year shows what may be done with perseverance, energy and intelligence, even under adverse conditions. So far as the active membership is concerned, its growth has been all that we had a right to expect. Depression in business, frequently so fatal to enterprises like ours, has failed to retard our progress. For once, at least, the ideal soars triumphant over the material. And, ladies and gentlemen, believe me, that I mean to be guilty of no cheap flattery when I say that the work of these active members is as gratifying in its growth as in the increase in numbers. I think we all feel that our chorus has come to that stage of its existence when we can withhold from it what in slang phrase is called "taffy;" it has outgrown that amateurish condition which calls for indiscriminate praise and 214

expects all its shortcomings to be overlooked; it no longer needs the glare of the red light, but can bear the steady ray of the day. Far be it from me to claim that our chorus is perfect. Absolute perfection, alas, is not achieved in anything sublunary, and even comparative perfection is only gained by sustained effort. But we can say, without laying ourselves open to the charge of exaggeration, that our chorus has made surprising progress in its work.'

The progress made by the chorus was reflected in the works performed.

At the December concert, the chorus made history:

In the great northern cities, as well as in England, France and Germany, it is customary to perform during Christmas week one of the great oratorios, most frequently the grandest one of all, "The Messiah," by Handel. Our readers will remember the "Hallelujah" so grandly sung at the festival. The chorus will repeat this, and besides, will sing three or four Christmas choruses from the "Messiah" with several solos as connecting links. This music has never been rendered in Virginia, and the public will no doubt appreciate the enterprise of the chorus in preparing it with so much care.^'

More than a week before the opening concert of the 1885-86 season, the active membership of the P. M. A. was one hundred twenty five.

Artists engaged for the season included Camille Urso's Concert Company,

Major J. B. Pond's Operatic Company, and Archduke Joseph's Hungarian

Gypsy Band. The most unusual of the offerings for the season was a

"Rock Band" concert performed by the Till Family.*® Along with the more traditional vocal selections performed, the Tills featured an instrument called the "Rock Harmonicon," described as a configuration of weathered, stone slabs that were played in a manner similar to musical glasses. 215

The Academy of Music: 1880-1886

The presence of the P. M. A. resulted in a wide variety of

entertainments at the Academy of Music. As mentioned above, the 1880-81

season of the Academy did not offer as many minstrel shows as it had in

previous seasons; but when the P. M. A. began presenting concerts during

the 1881-82 season, the Academy once again concentrated on minstrel

shows and comic and dramatic productions. The Academy management also

favored minstrel shows during its 1882-83 season, but there were also

performemces by three opera companies: the Wilbur Opera Troupe, Gorman's

Opera Company, and Charles E. Ford's English Comic Opera Company.

During the 1883-84 season there were attempts to offer more varied

programming: there were minstrel performances, theatrical productions,

and appearances by various opera companies. In November 1883, the

Wilbur Opera Company performed Olivette, Mascotte, and portions of

Pirates of Penzance and lolanthe. February 1884 brought Minnie Hauk in

Act III of Carmen, while April brought a production of Flotow's Martha

by the Emma Abbott Opera Company smd Strauss' The Queen 's Lace

Handkerchief by Patterson's New York Opera Company. Solo artists

included Thomas "Blind Tom" Bethune and Emma Thursby.

The 1884-85 Academy season was not of the same quality as that of

the 1883-84 season. As usual, the season opened with a minstrel

performance, but drama and comedy dominated the season. Among the minstrel companies that performed during the season was Lilly Clay's

female minstrels in a production titled "An Adamless Eve.(A local minister protested that the posters advertising the production were 216

obscene.^) In contrast with the previous season, only one opera

company (the Carleton English Opera Company) was engaged.

The 1885-86 Academy season brought back Thomas "Blind Tom"

Bethune, who attracted "quite a large audience.In October, the

Bijou Opera Company performed The Mikado and Blanquette's Chimes of

Normandy.^^ In January, there was great anticipation of the Americaui

Opera Company, under the management of Max Strakosch, but its

performance of Faust was a definite disappointment. According to a

review of the performance,

in general and in detail it was a miserable travesty of the grand production it pretended to represent. To speak of it in every way below mediocrity would be to give it a "very nice notice."

The Mikado was performed once more before the close of the season, this time by the National Ideal Company.^

The Petersburg Musical Association: 1886-1891

As a result of the success of the 1884 and 1885 "Music Festivals of Virginia and North Carolina," which had been held at Petersburg's

Academy of Music, the Petersburg Musical Association undertook a most ambitious project during its 1886-87 season. At one of the sessions of the 1885 convention, Noltenius had suggested the need for "a larger and more commodious building for our festivals.

That the associations in the two states should have such a building— the ownership permanently vested in the Petersburg association and the building located in this city— was a scheme very near to the heart of all the people of the "Cockade City." Consequently after much deliberation the directory of the Petersburg association had arrived at a plan which they thought to be feasible. Already they had guaranteed them the sum of five thousand dollars and more money would be forthcoming. If the plan 217

was practicable, the new building would be ready next May in time for the festival, if the other associations in the state could furnish the measure of aid which was expected from them. The festival association was prepared to furnish perpetuating, transferable life memberships, and it was a part of their plan to have the various associations in Virginia and North Carolina purchase one or more of these memberships, the funds thereafter to be raised by concerts, fairs and other entertainments. If the state festival association could raise the sum of $25,000 in this manner, it would at once go to work to build a $50,000 hall, securing the other $25,000 by a mortgage— the interest on which it could easily pay. This, of course, would locate permanently the festivals in Petersburg.

Noltenius was named "a committee of one to issue a circular letter

addressed to the musical associations and people of the two states,

asking their co-operation in the plan outlined in his speech.But

no further information concerning such a joint effort by the

associations to construct a building in Petersburg has been found.

At the 5 June 1886 meeting of the P. M. A. Board of Directors, a

building committee was appointed "to consider the feasibility of

building a Music Hall, and ascertain all possibilities pertaining

thereto;"^® it was realized that entering into a project of such

mammoth proportions would require the association to become

incorporated. By the end of the month, the board, after having studied

the report of the building committee, decided that the time was "an opportune one to approach our citizens with the solicitation of

subscriptions for a new Music Hall."®* However, the board seems not to have been occupied with the subject of a new building again until the following summer.

In July 1886, a circular was distributed to announce the Kirmess

(fair) that would be held in November for the benefit of the building fund.®® According to the circular, six thousand dollars of the 218

estimated amount needed (between forty-five and fifty thousand dollars)

was already in hand. In September, Noltenius and Jackson bought the

Academy of Music^^; its previous owners (the New York firm of Williams,

Black, and Company) had decided to sell the building after the death of

manager John Ege.^ Noltenius later explained to the directors

that whereas it had come to his knowledge that the owners of the Academy of Music were carrying on negotiations, which, if effected, would take the control out of the hands of Petersburg, probably result in lowering its standing to such am extent as to exclude all higher class of performances & attendance, & moreover render it difficult for the PMA to procure it on reasonable terms, if at all, for purposes necessary to its existence, & being unable to lease it, he and Mr. Jackson had jointly purchased it in the interest of the PMA, for $5000 through the agency of Mr. Jno. Dunn, that the Asso might not be known in the matter.

The directors unanimously decided

That the purchase of the Academy of Music by Messrs. Jackson & Noltenius for the PMA is hereby approved by the Board of Directors, with thanks to the gentlemen & that it is hereby agreed that as soon as it is in the power of the PMA they are to pay for same, with 6% interest from date of purchase, deed delivered to the Assoc & that efforts for building new hall be in no wise lessened on [account] of this purchase.

The board appointed Charles Curtis, working under a committee of management, as local agent of the Academy.

Amidst the enthusiasm over the prospect of a new building, the

P. M. A. continued with its plans for the 1886-87 season, which opened

in October with a concert by the Hungarian Gipsy Band.^ in November, the regular concert season took a back seat to the Kirmess. This event, which occurred in the Academy, provided myriad activities in which the public could be engaged. There were nine booths with articles for sale, some of them provided by donors from other cities, including New York and Boston. At one of the booths, there was on display 219

a picture of Mr. Noltenius encircled by a horse shoe made of the hair of the ladies and gentlemen of the chorus of the Petersburg musical association.

The Kirmess entertainments included music by the five-member Dorich's

band of Washington, D. C. , "a Mikado fan drill and chorus," and a

performance of an operetta titled "The Rebellion of the Daisies." Among

the guests that crowded the Academy each night of the event was the wife

of Governor Lee.*^

The gross receipts of the Kirmess totaled six thousand dollars;

less the two thousand dollars in expenses, the Kirmess added four

thousand dollars to the music hall fund, for a total of twelve thousand

dollars.*8 At the 5 February 1887 meeting of the board, a motion was

carried to give the net proceeds from the Kirmess to Noltenius and

Jackson "to credit on account of purchase of [the] Academy of Music.

As the board concluded the business matters of the Kirmess, it turned

its attention to obtaining a charter for the association. At its 27

November 1886 meeting, the board was informed that

the court could not grant a charter to a Benevolent Association & consequently the application would have to go before the Legislature. Mr. Noltenius moved that the court be requested to draft a Charter (for presentation to the Legislature) to be submitted to this Directory in about three weeks.

Meanwhile, the concert season continued with performances in

December by the Weber Quartette and the Petersburg chorus. The Alpine

Choir and Tyrolese Company performed in early January. The next two entertainments, the fifth and sixth, were advertised as different from the regular fare, primarily because of the great part taken in them by local talent; the artists engaged for the fifth concert were Mr. and

Mrs. Hermann Hovermauin, bass and soprano, but most of the concert was 220

presented by local talent; for its sixth concert the P. M. A. engaged

Harold Rudolph, a pianist from Baltimore, and Frank H. Cunningham, a

vocalist from Richmond (illness prevented Cunningham from

performing)the Petersburg chorus and local soloists performed "that

charming beautiful Fairy Tale, "Klearchen of Eberstein" composed by

Joseph Rheinberger."^* The chorus performed again at the seventh

concert in early March. Artists engaged for this concert were Jennie

Lind Muller, pianist, and Kate Scott, soprano.The final concert of

the season featured Annie Thompson, a Washington soprano; Giuseppe

Vitale, violin amd mandolin; amd Signor V. Fannelli, harp.

Between the last two concerts of the season, the P. M. A. board

was busy obtaining a charter. After the draft of the charter was read

at the 10 March 1887 meeting, the board decided to adopt it "for the

purpose of having it passed by the State Legislature."^ On 24 March,

the Daily Index-Appeal informed the public that the P. M. A. had been

granted a charter, which had as of that date not yet been printed.

The article quoted a circular that had been distributed among the

members of the legislature. According to this circular, the directors

wished to add instrumental instruction to the vocal, amd for this purpose hope to be able, at an early day, to engage competent instructors. Classes will be formed in which the various orchestral instruments will be taught. This musical education will not fail to have a refining influence, it will make the homes more attractive amd homelife more beautiful. While those who have the means will be expected to pay a moderate price for this instruction, the poor, but talented, will get it free of charge.

The circular continued to explain that any profits from such am

enterprise would be used

in the interests of the cause of music amd for the purpose of enlarging its field of usefulness. None of the net income will be divided amongst the directors or members of the association. Its 221

property will serve the aims set forth as long as there shall be a Petersburg musical association. The latter is in the broadest and most literal sense a "benevolent musical educational society." Its usefulness will be much increased by a charter; under which, relieved of all taxation it can extend its work for the benefit of rich and poor, young and old.'®

As reported by President Jackson at the annual meeting, the charter

authorized the P. M. A. "to hold property to the amount of thirty

thousand dollars, exempt from taxation."

At the same time that the directors were working on the charter,

they realized in February that it would take two to three more years to

raise enough money to build a new hall, and they decided to investigate

the possibility of remodelling the Academy. Their interest in the

latter led them to

a Mr. Oscar Cobb of Chicago who had been asked to come here & had come to look at the Academy & estimate the cost of remodelling same, according to the needs & aims of the PMA.

By the March meeting, Cobb had submitted his plans and an estimate of

fifteen thousand dollars; the directors then voted on the two options presented by the Hall Committee— one favoring the practicality of the remodelling plan and the other "objecting on account of the location of the Academy of Music, the alleged possibility of a more suitable site being obtainable for the building of an entirely new Hall." The remodelling plan won by a vote of fifteen to two.

Soon afterward Noltenius announced this decision to the Petersburg

Chorus, and

explained that if the original idea were adhered to, many years must elapse before the funds necessary for the erection of a creditable structure could be obtained, and, therefore, it had been deemed best to utilize the funds now in hand for the reconstruction of the Academy in such a manner as to convert this building not only into a first-class theatre in every respect, but 222

also to make it answer the larger and more important purpose of serving as a suitable home for the Petersburg Musical Association and for the execution of its work. An architect who has had much experience in the building of theatres was recently in the city and is now engaged in the preparation of plans for the remodelling of the Academy. The new building is to have an ordinary seating capacity for 900 persons, but will be so constructed that upon certain occasions, such as music festivals, accommodation for 2,000 persons can be provided. There is to be a hall for chorus rehearsals, in the arrangement of which special attention will be paid to acoustics and ventilation. The theatre is to be provided with all the modern appliances, and if the electric light is brought to the city, the Academy will have that also. It is also the intention of Mr. Noltenius to have a large organ for the use of the chorus and for recitals, &c. From the meagre outlines given, the people of Petersburg will see that in the near future they will have a "temple of the muses" that will bear comparison with the best structures of its size in the country. It is understood that the changes are to be made in time to have the Academy ready for use by next October.

The change in plan from building to remodelling was apparently well received by the public, but the estimated completion date of October was not to be met.

By the end of May 1887, it was announced that improvements in the

Academy would begin in a few days and that the building would extend about sixteen feet towards the street and also be made about seven feet wider. At the June board meeting, Noltenius reminded the directors that the board still owed a balance of $595.51 on the purchase of the

Academy;^ the balance was paid out of the Music Hall fund. When questioned about the progress of the remodelling effort in September,

Cobb responded that the work was progressing "very slowly, but quite satisfactorily, so far as construction and stability of work are concerned."** In order to allay the fear of fire, he added that he would do

all in his power to have the proscenium of the Academy dividing the auditorium from the stage, as nearly fire-proof as possible, and if it can be brought within a reasonable expense he should 223

sincerely and earnestly advocate a drop curtain, painted upon fire-proof asbestos. He further wished to inform the people of Petersburg that the top of the stage and the top of the auditorium would each be provided with large smoke escapes.

Cobb also described the number of ways in which people would be able to

exit the building in the event of fire. The lower floor was designed to

have

openings that can be escaped through in all directions, at the sides, front amd rear, while the balcony, gallery and annex have a combined exit of not less than 44 feet. "The management in the future, as in the past," said Mr. Cobb, "are disposed to take advantage of all modern appliamces that will make life under all circumstances safe and secure."”

Progress, indeed, was being made on the completion of the

building. By mid-September, the building committee approved the sketch of the drop curtain, submitted by Sosslander, "one of Chicago's best known scenic painters."®^ The curtain was

very artistic in design and rich in treatment. The front ground represents graceful draperies thrown back from a rod, giving a view of a Roman landscape with the castle of St. Angelo on the right and St. Peter's in the distant background. Other architectural features are presented on the left. If properly carried out, of which there is no doubt, it will be one of the handsomest drop curtains in the country.

A later report indicated that the cost of the curtain was about three hundred dollars.®* The committee also approved sketches and bids for

"frescoing amd other decorative work" that were submitted by Mitchell &

Halberg, also of Chicago.*®

The interior decorations will be in the now all-fashionable romanesque style, the ceiling having a blue ground with rich gold border design. The walls are to be in neutral tints, olive and gray, the decorations around the proscenium being especially elaborate. The side walls, conservatory, vestibule, &c. will also be suitably embellished. All the frescoing in the auditorium proper will be done by hand. 224

With the original date of completion well past, reports on the

progress of the work appeared with more frequency. The beginning of the

regular P. M. A. concert season was postponed with the hope that the

building would be completed by October; the season opened on 1 November

with a performance by the Kanya Gaza Hungarian Gipsy Quartette.A

temporary site for the concerts was announced:

Until the completion of the new Academy of Music the P. M. A. entertainments will take place at Library Hall, which acoustically and otherwise is admirably adapted for musical performances. A regular box sheet has been drawn and printed and seats will be reserved atMitchell's according to the old tried P. M. A. plan. As during the erection of the new Academy of Music there will be an absence of the usual public entertainments and amusements it is hoped that many who have not attended the P. M. A. entertainments heretofore will do so this season.

The public's perception that Library Hall was unsafe affected P. M. A.

membership figures; by 12 November there were only forty-two members in

comparison with one hundred twenty-five the previous season.** The

season continued with concerts featuring Teresa Carreho in November and

the Mendelssohn Quintette Club in December.

In late November, it was estimated that work would be completed

within two months.** The deed transferring the property from Jackson

and Noltenius to the P. M. A. was not drawn up until 15 November.**

According to this deed, the P. M. A. did not pay any interest on the

amount originally paid by Jackson and Noltenius, as the minutes of the

board had already indicated. The president's report of the 1887-88

season shows that the approximately $26,200 required for the purchase and subsequent renovation of the Academy was raised by the Kirmess, the

selling of thirty-three perpetual regular memberships at two hundred 225

fifty dollars each, and the issuing of eleven one thousand dollar

bonds.^

In December, the directors were busy making plans for the formal

opening of the Academy.Before the end of the month, it was

announced that the U. S. Marine Bauid, led by John Phillip Sousa, would

furnish the music for a german to be held after the inaugural

performance.** The final issue of the Daily Index-Appeal for 1887

included an advertisement for the 9 January 1888 grand opening performance:^* general admission was listed at one dollar; reserved

seat, fifty cents extra; and private boxes, containing six seats, twelve dollars. The advertisement specified that only ten seats could be reserved at one time. Four days before the opening of the Academy, the press compared it to a beehive:***

Workmen of every class are busy in all parts of the house. Carpenters, cabinet makers, painters, gas fitters and scenic artists are working like steam engines, day and night, to put the beautiful hall in fitting condition for the opening next Monday. In the rehearsal room also matters are being pushed, for there Terpsichore will be their reigning muse, after Melpomene shall have ended her sway in the great hall.*^

On the day of the opening, the event was touted as

an event of more than ordinary importance. It marks the consummation of an enterprise which could be carried to a successful issue only through the appreciative liberality of the citizens of Petersburg, and the fact that the building stands ready today, fair in proportions and rich and tasteful in adornment, speaks for the progressive spirit that animates the people of the Cockade City, and which sustained and encouraged those who had charged themselves with the immediate task of erecting so large, so handsome and so well equipped a structure.*

"The end crowns the work!" began the report of the Academy's dedication.*** A downpour of rain did not dissipate the brilliant spirit of the long-awaited event. Although invitations to the governors 226

of Virginia and North Carolina and to some various musical associations

of both states were answered with regrets, an enormous crowd gathered.

The raising of the curtain at eight o'clock revealed

the chorus grouped in a semi-circle, amphitheatrically around the Marine Band orchestra, of Washington. The stage represented a handsome interior, specifically painted for this purpose, and lighted up by a large chandelier which descended from the ceiling. Loud and long applause greeted chorus and orchestra, and it had barely subsided when Professor John Phillip Sousa, conductor of the Marine Band, stepped forward, baton in hand, and was heartily welcomed. At his request the audience rose, and with the glorious strains of the "Hallelujah" chorus from Handel's "Messiah" the concert began.

The concert was punctuated by addresses given by P. M. A. director

Alexander Hamilton smd the architect. Here is an excerpt from

Hamilton's dramatic address:

In this home of Art and rational pleasure shall float the wondrous strains of Beethoven and Mozart, the fantasies of Wagner, the tender songs of Mendelssohn, the devout grandeurs of Handel, the rippling melodies of Italian Opera, the whole treasure of harmony that the world has gathered will here be poured out for our pleasure and instruction. And other delights are in store for us; here, shall Rip take his nap of twenty years, and Dundreary drawl his slow enquiries; here, shall Ariel flit at Prospéré's [sic] command, Hamlet vex his gloomy soul in sad soliloquy, Cordelia soothe a father's grief with a daughter's love, and all the wondrous procession of fancy and the imagination shall here walk their brief hour before you. The tinselled shows that cheat you on the stage shall lead you captive. We are but children of a larger growth, cuid the actors but the conjurors of illusion, who please you all the more, the more they cheat.

Cobb, in his address, explained that on his first visit to the city he had been cautioned to remain quiet about the purpose of his visit.

After the concert, which closed with Mendelssohn's "Hymn of Praise," many of the members of the audience attended the german in the Academy's rehearsal hall (by September 1887 this hall was called the conservatory). 227

The fourth P. M. A. concert was the first of the regular season to

be held in the Academy. This was a concert performed by "The Boston

Stars," a group consisting of a cornetist, soprano, reader, and

pianist.The remaining four concerts in the series featured local

talent. Slight attendance at the sixth concert was attributed to the

observance of Lent.

The chorus also appeared to have been affected by lent or something else, for quite a considerable number of its members, especially those of the sterner sex, were eminently conspicuous by their absence. As a result, Mendelssohn's "Hymn of Praise" which occupied the lion's share of the programme and which was already handicapped by the absence of orchestral accompaniment, was not sung with that volume of sound that lends to such a composition its imposing character. Moreover, it was not rendered with that vigor and clearness to which we have become accustomed in the performances of our chorus. Now and then there was a spurt that, despite the thinned ramks, reminded one that, after all, it was the famous Petersburg chorus that was singing; but, taken as a whole, it was rather a colorless and spiritless effort, and it must be noted with regret that, for the first time within our recollection, the chorus failed to do itself justice.

The seventh entertainment consisted of readings of Shakespeare's

Midsummer Night's Dream accompanied by "Mendelssohn's original music.The final concert featured local instrumental and vocal soloists, rather than the chorus.

The project taken up by the P. M. A. for the 1888-89 season was the development of an orchestra. In early August 1888, an announcement was made that an entertainment called a "Gramd Chutta Mehla," a

"Hindoostan word for fancy bazaar," would be held for two weeks in

November in order to raise funds to purchase orchestral instruments.

At the annual meeting, however. President Jackson reported that the event, which raised eight hundred dollars, was held "for the purpose of 228

replenishing the finances of the P. M. A., depleted by the many expenses

incident to the preparation of our new home.

Early in the 1888-89 season, the P. M. A. announced its intention

"to give to the public this season a maximum of first-class

professional, and a minimum of home talent.In accordance with its

self-assumed role as music educator, the association advertised that

children under age fifteen and teachers of established schools would be

able to purchase season tickets at a cost of two dollars each. But the

desire of the association to expand its influence was not well

supported, a fact noted in President Jackson's annual report, in which

he stated that the encouragement given for the opening concert,

performed by Belgian violinist Ovide Musin, "was so small that we were

compelled to rely for our next two musicales upon the efforts of our

amateurs, who responded generously to the call of the association."^*

He also reported that "owing to the lack of support only six musicales

were given instead of eight as heretofore. The season resulted in a loss

which had to be made up from other sources."**^

Small audiences during the P. M. A.'s 1888-89 season prompted the

directors to revise the types of entertainments offered. The new plan was made public in late May 1889:

At an expenditure of $250 for each attraction, a series of eight entertainments may be organized, musical performances by the best companies, interspersed at due intervals with lectures, readings, etc., by the most eminent talent. It is proposed to let the citizens themselves determine the price of admission to this course, in the following manner: If they [the public] will take 500 tickets to each entertainment, the price will be 50 cents; if they will take 750 tickets to each entertainment, the price will be 37 1/2 cents; if they will take 1,000 tickets to each entertainment, the price will be 25 cents. 229

At the annual meeting. President Jackson, in reference to the circular

printed concerning the plan, encouraged support of the new system by

stating that

Each additional subscriber gained diminishes the cost to all, and I would urge each member of the association[,] perpetual, regular and contributing, to promptly return his name on one of the checks accompanying the circular, to Mr. J. Wm. Friend, and to ask his friends and acquaintances so to do. If this be done the interest in the P. M. A. season which seemingly flagged during the last year will be revived, and the next season will mark the beginning of a period of greater prosperity and usefulness than the P. M. A. has ever known.

In late June, the directors decided to

divide the city into eight districts, and to appoint eight committees of two directors each to call upon the citizens. It is absolutely important for the committees to finish their work in time to report to the directory by the 8th of July, and it is, therefore, earnestly hoped that the responses to their applications will be prompt and generous.

Just before the beginning of the 1889-90 season, announcements

were made that if a season ticket was purchased, the cost of each of the

eight entertainments would be twenty-five cents; tickets purchased for

single entertainments would cost seventy-five cents each. By mid-

September, eight hundred subscribers had been obtained for the season;^^ by early October, that number had increased to over nine hundred.

This notice makes clear that the desire to increase the numbers at the entertainments did not lead the directors to consider allowing blacks the opportunity to attend:

Who in this community has ever believed it possible that a course of first class, refined, intellectual entertainments could or would be arranged in our small city of 12,000 white inhabitaints at the low cost of twenty-five cents? 230

About one week before the first entertainment, for which Jules Levy,

cornet, was engaged, the announcement was made that

the P. M. A. committee in charge of arrangement has decided that no subscribers will be admitted after the first entertainment at any time during the season, except at the full subscription price of two dollars, no matter if one, two or more entertainments of the course shall have taken place already. It is, therefore, for the interest of all who have not subscribed already, to hand in their names at once. “

The success of the P. M. A. in attaining its goal is illustrated by the

comments made in the review of the Levy concert:

"Standing room, only!" Such was the condition of things at the Academy of Music last night. Every seat was filled. Away up to the very last row in the annex stretched the sea of faces.

After the opening selection of the concert, P. M. A. director W. P.

McRae came before the audience of between twelve to fourteen hundred and gave a brief address, which included the following comments:

By this cordial support of the entire community, we have been enabled to secure for the coming season a superb series of attractions, attractions which, but for this united and enthusiastic effort, would have been far beyond our reach. In the selection of our course we have striven, as far as possible, to accomplish that most difficult of humaui tasks, the pleasing of every taste. The gifted musician, the brilliant lecturer, the mirth-provoking humorist, all appear on our programmes. Every lover of what is refined in public amusement will here find something which will affect him pleasure.

The remaining attractions for the season included the Boston Symphony

Orchestra Club; the Boston Ideal Banjo, Guitar and Mandolin Club;

British lecturer Max O'Hell; and the Bernhard Listemann Club. As usual, the chorus and other local musicians also performed.

The success of the 1889-90 season buoyed the ardor of the directors and, at the annual meeting, their ambitious plans for the

1890-91 season were unveiled. One of these plans was the long desired institution of an orchestral program. In December 1889, the directors 231

had contacted Julius Reiss, of East Saginaw, Michigan, to arrange for

him to direct such a program. According to President Jackson's report,

Reiss had already begun forming an orchestra composed of local young men

and that this orchestra and other local performers were to provide "four

entertainments of light popular music" in June, July, August, and

September of 1891.^^* Jackson also reported that the night before the

meeting the directors had decided to set aside funds for the purchase of

instruments and for

the free instruction on the viola, violoncello and contra bass of six boys and young men of the ages of fourteen to seventeen years, such as have talent and industry, but may not have the means to pay for instruction. A committee of three members of the directors and two citizens not directors will have charge of this new movement looking towards the establishment of a benevolent school of music. This committee will also devise rules and conditions under which this free instruction is offered.“

The P. M. A. would be reimbursed for this instruction "by having the orchestra assist at the entertainments given by the association."^^*

Despite all of the plauis, the 1890-91 season did not begin with the enthusiasm that characterized the previous one. Response to the first concert of the season, which featured the Lotus Glee Club, was disappointing:

While last season the house was filled almost to the extent of its whole seating capacity at every entertainment, there were hardly more than four or five hundred persons present last evening. As the Rev. J. F. Twitty remarked, who addressed the audience, just before the close of the concert, in behalf of the P. M. A. directory, this series of cheap entertainments cannot be continued, if the number of subscribers to the same is not largely increased. It is only by liberal patronage on the part of the public that cheap and good amusements can be arranged for by the P. M. A."' 232

After this concert, a group identified only as "gentlemen interested in

the Petersburg Musical Association" met to discuss increasing attendance

during the season.

An interesting discussion took place and it was the generally expressed opinion that the principal reason why more subscriptions had not been secured was the omission by the directors of such a personal canvass as was made last year. It was determined by those present that a special canvass should now be made and a meeting of the directors was called for Wednesday afternoon to arrange the details of that canvass. It was felt on all hands that to allow such a course of entertainments as is proposed at such low prices to be discontinued for lack of support would be humiliating to the municipal pride of every citizen of Petersburg, as well as a serious loss to the pleasure-loving public. Those who are solicited for subscriptions should be reminded that they will not this year lose the first entertainment as they would have done in other years, but that their tickets will be good from the second until the thirteenth entertainments. After this year it is the general determination of the association to put the subscription list in the hands of a regularly appointed collector who will personally solicit the renewal of subscriptions as they expire.^

Such efforts, however, yielded meager results. The final concert of the season, held on 19 May, featured two sopranos— Maud Watts, of Lynchburg, and Lizzie Taylor, of Norfolk.^* Because the concert was scheduled during the time that the Episcopal Council was meeting in Petersburg the program of the concert consisted primarily of sacred music and a special invitation was sent to the members of the Council in an effort to increase ticket sales.

Following the regular season of concerts, the P. M. A. attempted to act on its plan to present concerts by the orchestra and other local performers during the summer months. In late May, the orchestra and the brass band of the Petersburg Greys', both under the direction of Julius

Reiss, were featured in concert. In addition, there were solos by ten- year-old cornetist Hugh W. Beckwith, of Petersburg, and Armine Hamner, a 233

Richmond s o p r a n o . ^*0 The success of the concert was proven by calls

for a repeat performance, which seems not to have occurred.These

concerts were to be the last for the P. M. A.

The association that had been created in an environment of high

expectation surrendered almost unnoticeably. The local press that had

so faithfully advertised and supported the association and its efforts

provided no farewell for this institution that had brought prominence to

the city.

During its reign from 1881 to 1891, the P. M. A. was successful

in its efforts to educate the public. In 1883, for example, a complaint

was lodged against the "quadruple appearance" of a pianist during a

concert because of the "strain" he put on the audience to listen to

selections that were "so severely classic as to be comprehended by those

only whose musical education approaches that of the performer

himself.By the end of the 1883-84 season, the following

observation was made:

The good the association is doing cannot be measured, for its influence is felt in every home, in every choir, in every church. The children are finding out, almost unconsciously, the difference between good and indifferent music. Thus progress is made by all; a progress due to the Petersburg Musical Association, to its unflinching faithfulness to its high aims.^"

Complaints were often made about those in the audience whose demeanor prevented others from fully enjoying the concerts. The following is one of the more descriptive accounts of such a problem:

The pleasure of the evening was marred to a great many who were seated in the centre of the hall by the incessant chattering of a dude and dudine who took this method to display both their ignorance of good music and their lack of good manners. Two or three girls, about 11 years of age, were guilty of the same impropriety and ought to have been taken home and sent to bed." 234

Unfortunately, there continued to be violators of proper concert

etiquette, prompting the directors, at times, to take drastic action.

During the 1886-87 season, the decision was made that to maintain order

there will be a committee from the directory of the association at every performance, and any person who shall be guilty of disorderly conduct will be arrested and brought before the mayor to be dealt with according to the law. A word to the wise is sufficient.^

Either the word was, indeed, sufficient or the threat not enforced, for

no reports of arrests have yet been located.

The Academy of Music: 1886-1891

Because of the change in ownership of the Academy in 1886, few

entertainments were scheduled for the season. The season had opened

before the sale of the building with a performance by Wilson & Rankin

Minstrels; two other minstrel companies performed in November and

January; and a production of Dumas' play Monte Crista was scheduled for

March.

Wilson & Rankin's Minstrels returned in January 1888 to open the

1887-88 season (this was the first occasion on which the black citizens

of Petersburg were allowed admittance to the newly renovated

Academy).^* According to a review of the performance, the Academy

"was packed from parquette to annex.The next performance was

given by the National Opera Company in mid-February.The Campanini

Grand Operatic Concert Company, under management of Italo Campanini, appeared in late February. The low attendance at each of these operatic 235

performances was attributed to the Lenten season. This question was

posed after the second performance:

What inducements can present themselves to managers to offer to the public of Petersburg attractions of the very highest order of talent, if the public does not show a greater and more practical appreciation of their liberality?

A similar problem of attendance during Lent also affected the P. M. A.

season. The Academy's season seems to have ended in March with a

performance by McIntyre & Heath's Minstrels.

The 1888-89 season still offered performances by minstrel

companies. Probably one of the more unusual artists engaged for the

season was Alice J. Shaw, billed as "the famous whistling

primadonna. Shaw's company of performers included a violinist, a

singer, and pianist. When "The Boston Ideals" performed Victor Masse's

new opera. Queen Topaz, in January, the audience filled every seat in

the house and "even the annex held quite a respectable contingent.

The Academy offerings for the 1889-90 season reflect the P. M. A. plan to offer a variety of entertainments in order to attract larger audiences. There was a return to engaging more minstrel and burlesque shows. In early February 1890, the Emma Abbott Opera Company returned to the city. The company almost rejected the offer because the city had gained a reputation of not supporting other companies. The plan of engaging a variety of entertainments continued for the 1890-91 season.

Within the first three months of the season, the Academy hosted

Cleveland's Consolidated Minstrels, several dramatic productions, and the Marie Greenwood Opera Company in a production of Suppé's Boccaccio. 236

The Academy of Music: 1891-1900

Despite the unofficial demise of the Petersburg Musical

Association, the Academy remained its property and responsibility. The

1891-92 season was quite active and offered to the Petersburg public

minstrel, operatic, and theatrical companies. The Minnie Hauk Grand

Opera Company, called "the strongest lyric organization in this

country," appeared in November.The company performed Carmen and

Cavalleria Rusticana.

The Academy was leased by the P. M. A. to Thomas G. Death for the

1892-93 season at a cost of one thousand dollars, "with the privilege of

two additional years at a rental of $1,200."^*^ Both Death and Julius

Reiss acted as managers for the season. The start of the season was

slow, and by early February there appeared in the Daily Index-Appeal the

information that the Academy's management had made contact with three

opera companies and would be

willing to bring all three of these companies here, if they can obtain a reasonable guarantee against loss. To this end they will open a subscription for a season of three performances— March 6, March 16 and March 26."^

The response roust have been encouraging because the season continued with appearances by the Digby Bell Opera Company, the Robin Hood Opera

Company, and the Packard Opera Company.

In 1893, the troubled P. M. A. entered into a deed of trust with

Alexander Hamilton amd W. P. McRae in order to pay off an eight thousand dollar bond, with interest, to local tobacco businessman David

Dunlop;^^ in case of a default in payment, the Academy was to be sold at auction. In June 1893, the P. M. A. advertised the availability of 237

the Academy, "the only theatre in a city of 25,000," for lease for a

period of one or more years.In early August 1893, the Daily Index-

Appeal reported that no lessee had been found for the Academy,

though W. P. McRae, chairman of the hall committee, had received

inquiries from several interested persons. For instance, George Arthur,

of New York, wrote on 19 June in response to an advertisement in the New

York Clipper-}^^ Arthur was willing to send a "cash or collateral

security" in order to be retained as the lessee.A lease was

forwarded, but returned by Arthur, who would not abide by the clause

granting the P. M. A. twenty days during the season.Inquiries came in June from many other localities, including Cleveland, Ohio;

Torrington, Connecticut; Providence, Rhode Island; Philadelphia,

Pennsylvania; and Decatur, Illinois.

An announcement made on 12 August states that the season will open on 22 August with a performance by Al. G. Fields' Minstrels, but that the number of attractions for the season is uncertain.In late

August, Manager Julius Reiss explained why the building had not been let. The reasons included the rent of one thousand dollars per year or, per performance, fifty dollars and "all running expenses, which amount to ten dollars more."

At this rate the management would incur a loss even at a paying business, of not less than four to five hundred dollars. We did mêüce the directors an offer of $800 a year. Although even this amount means the assumption by us of a considerable risk, we were willing to chance it rather than deprive the people of Petersburg of every opportunity to enjoy dramatic entertainments.

P. M. A. President Jackson commented

that it was out of the question for the association to rent the academy for less than $1,000 a year. "We must have that amount," said he, "to pay the interest on our debt, insurance and the 238

ordinary current repairs. We cannot get away with less, and if we cannot get that we must sell the building.""*

As might be expected, few programs were scheduled for the Academy for

the 1893-94 season. It is not clear whether Reiss or someone else managed the Academy for the succeeding two seasons, but programs were

offered fairly consistently. An appearance by the Schumann Lady

Quartette in January 1895 was advertised as having been "secured by some

lovers of good music.Following this concert, a guarantee fund was established in order to bring opera to the city.*^® The effort resulted in appearances by the Marie Tavery Grand English Opera Company and the Seabrooke Opera Company. The 1895 season opened with an appearance by the Manhattan Opera Company.The feature of the slim season was a concert by "Sousa's Peerless Band.

Leath seems to have had some type of association with the Academy during the 1896-97 season. In July 1896, for instance, an advertisement for an appearance of Barlow Brothers Minstrels stated that the performance would be given under the auspices of Leath, who is identified as the manager of the Richmond Theatre.^* The appearance of the Sisson Comedy Company for one week beginning in late November was also arranged by Leath.**® In late December, the Academy had to be sold at public auction because of defaults made in payments to David

Dunlop. The first bid was only three thousand dollars.*** The highest bid, in the amount of five thousand dollars, was made by Dunlop.**^

The sale over, Mr. Dunlop was seen by the INDEX-APPEAL reporter and asked what he intended to do with the Academy. He promptly replied that he should convert it at once into a tobacco stemmery. He stated that he should have more windows put in the building and the necessary floors laid. He added that he had advertised the property for sale in different papers, but that the people of Petersburg had not manifested enterprise enough to spend ten 239

thousand dollars to maintain a place of public amusement. He said that he was not in the show business, knew nothing about it and therefore the only use he had for the Academy was to convert it into a stemmery for his own use. Mr. Dunlop told the reporter that the Academy was very convenient to his tobacco factory on Old street and that he should concentrate all of his stemmeries in the city there as soon as the building had undergone the necessary changes. He held a mortgage of eight thousand dollars on the Academy. The Academy of Music was built about the year 1873 and rebuilt in 1887. The total cost of the building from first to last has been something over $40,000.

An article from 5 January 1897 indicates that the manager of the

Academy was a Mr. French, and quotes him as stating that

he would book no more theatrical attractions for Petersburg. He said that he had been informed by the present owner of the Academy of Music that the work of converting the building into a tobacco factory would be commenced on the 15th inst. All the companies that have been already booked to appear here this season have been cancelled. The list includes many first class shows. While the theatre goers of Petersburg will doubtless be seized with genuine regret at the announcement it looks now as if the die is cast and the place that so long knew them in the days of public amusements, will soon know them no more."*

Plans to begin the conversion on the fifteenth were changed to the

beginning of February.Then the Academy again received a temporary

reprieve :

We are authorized to state that on account of the lateness of the tobacco season the contemplated changes in the Academy of Music building will not be made until after the first of May next. The keys have been delivered to Mr. W. E. French, and he alone is authorized to rent out chorus hall and the stores beneath, auid to make terms with the managers of attractions wishing to come to this city. Some very good attractions are booked for the very near future.

The changes were never made and Dunlop, who knew nothing about show

business, remained the owner of the building until 1903.^^^

In June 1897, the Daily Index-Appeal announced that the theater had been leased from Dunlop by Leath and would be managed by Charles

Curtis.Sousa's band returned to the city during the 1897-98 240

season, but the schedule showed a preference for theatrical, rather than

musical, productions. This tendency prevailed through the close of the

decade.^*

Miscellaneous Musical Entertainments: 1880-1900

One year before the organization of the Petersburg Musical

Association, the Young Men's Christian Association (white), organized in

March 1880, began a series of entertainments called the Star Course.

These entertainments, held either at the Academy of Music or the

y. M. C. A. Hall, included lecturers, elocutionists, art exhibits, and

concerts. An announcement of the first season, which cost four dollars

for eight lectures and concerts, stated:

The Association does not desire or expect to profit one dollar pecuniarily by this course, neither does it expect to go in debt to procure these literary and musical entertainments. The object is to educate the public tastes to a higher standard, if possible, and in doing this the Association is only carrying out the objects from which it was organized.

The need to educate the public was reinforced by belief that

that only third or fifth class entertainments of any kind are given in Petersburg, euid that as a general thing we have little in the way of intellectual or really good amusements. The fault, we imagine, is mostly with the people themselves. They now have the opportunity to enjoy something above the usual standard. Will they avail themselves of it?“ ^

The first concert seems to have been one performed by the Arbuckle

Concert Company at the Academy of Music in January 1881. The next concert, performed in February, was given by the Bernhard Listemann

Concert Company. Among the other performers engaged by the Y. M. C. A. were Boston's Redpath Concert Company, the Remenyi Grand Concert 241

Company, and the Katharine Ridgeway Concert Company. This effort of the

Y. M. C. A. continued through the early twentieth century.

H. M. S. Pinafore and Pirates of Penzance were produced by local

performers during the 1880s. In May 1882, Pinafore was performed under

the management of George W. Scott, with a cast composed of singers from

Washington, Richmond, and Petersburg.The following fall, Scott

announced another production of the same opera, casting himself as the

Captain. Accompaniment was provided by Kessnich's Orchestra, of

Richmond.In September 1884, Kessnich's Orchestra again accompanied

an amateur production of Pinafore. The performance was considered a

success and was repeated for the benefit of employees of the peanut

factories that had been destroyed by fire in late July. This benefit performance raised a net amount of $501.45, which was donated to two hundred twenty-five families.When the opera was performed again in the fall of 1889, it was referred to as "Perennial P i n a f o r e . in

1889, an amateur group, under the direction of J. William Friend and

Eliza Simpson, produced Pirates of Penzance, Reinhardt's Orchestra of

Richmond was engaged to provide the accompaniment.

Musical Activities in the Black Community

Petersburg's black citizens also made admirable efforts to promote music of good quality; the leaders of these efforts were Carrie W.

Bragg, James R. Jordan, Henry B. Patterson, and Charles C. McKenzie.

Bragg was the only one who made a living as a music teacher, and the only one who is known to have received formal musical instruction (see 242

Chapter 3); Jordan was a sexton, Patterson a tailor, and McKenzie a

painter.They were members of Petersburg's middle class, what the

white-owned newspapers often referred to as the "respectable colored

citizens." This reference reflects the attitude that the endeavors and

accomplishments of blacks should be judged within the limits of "the

race;" it was this attitude that caused the exclusion of blacks from the

city's major musical events.

In Alexander Hamilton's address given on the occasion of the

opening of the remodelled Academy of Music in January 1888, the primary

reason cited for the success of the Petersburg Musical Association was

its democratic spirit. He specifically stated that the

success has been largely due to the thorough democracy, inthe proper sense of the word, of our association, in which no caste, clique, or class has governed or been recognized more than another; in which all who had the true spirit within them to promote their own welfare and that of the association, have been welcomed and given a position strictly according to their works; in which there has been, no north and no south, no democrat, no republican; no high and rich; no low and poor; in which no sectarianism has raised its malignant head, for the association belongs as fully to the Jew as to the Gentile, to the saint as to the sinner; in it the Presbyterian and the Roman Catholic, the Baptist and the Episcopalian, the Methodist and the Lutheran, and all other creeds known unto us, have clasped hamds amd moved forward with a noble impulse and united effort to accomplish a common good, and they have done it.

This democracy, in its "proper sense," did not factor in Petersburg's black citizens, as is made evident by the following entry taken from the

February 1884 minutes of the P. M. A. board:

Whereas, Some of the most respectable colored people of this city have expressed a desire to attend the concerts of the P. M. A. Resolved, That the matter of admitting a limited number of colored people to the second gallery be left to the discretion of the committee on Finance & Music under such conditions as they see advisable. 243

No other entry regarding this matter was made until just under eight

months later. It reads:

The admission of the colored people to the 2nd gallery of the academy was discussed. After much debate the matter was laid on the table pending an application from them, as twas considered that the asso. had done its part.^

Evidently, this matter remained a private one between the "respectable

colored people" who made the initial request and the directors, for no

newspaper accounts have yet been found. The only reference to blacks

being excluded from activities sponsored by the P. M. A. is one that

appeared in The Lancet. The statement simply reads as follows: "The

white people's Musical Convention of Va and North Carolina has been in

session for several days."^®^ The policy of the P. M. A. remained

intact for the duration of its existence, as previously illustrated by

the statement dating from the beginning of the 1889-90 season showing

that only the twelve thousand white residents were considered in the

campaign to sell season tickets. That statement puts into perspective

one made within the same week concerning that season's first

entertainment, which stated that the audience

was composed not only of what the Jenkinses generally designate as the elite, but of all classes of the good people of the Cockade City. It was a thoroughly cosmopolitan, and entirely democratic audience. (The word "democratic" is used, of course, in its broadest, not in a party sense.)“

This omission from P. M. A. entertainments did not discourage members of the black community from taking part in musical events. A number of singing organizations were active in Petersburg in the 1880s.

While some of these organizations were called "clubs" and others

"associations," there were only minor differences in the organizations themselves. These organizations, which had small memberships, engaged 244

in serenading and providing music for various occasions in the

community. Concerts were presented on an irregular basis, often for

some benevolent purpose, and featured solo and small ensemble singing

rather than choral performances. As will be seen, there were a few key

people who not only belonged to, but were in leadership positions in

more than one group. Even though lack of complete documentation about

these organizations prevents us from knowing exactly when an

organization began and ended its activities, they all existed within a

span of a few years, making it possible for someone to be involved in

more than one at a time.

Music-making was not confined to musical organizations. Even

though none of the literary associations in the 1880s seems to have had

a musical component, as did the Choronnesse Club in the late 1870s,

their programs occasionally included music. One example of this was a book reception held in early 1883 for the benefit of the [James G.]

Blaine Literary and Library Association. It was reported that

Misses Susie B. Hill, M. W. Wallace and Carrie W. Bragg, discoursed some very sweet and charming music during the exercises.

Information about black musical clubs in the 1880s is not plentiful. Very little notice is given them in the white-owned city newspaper after 1881. Lack of attention to the musical activities of the black community could have been the result of a consuming interest in the development of the white Petersburg Musical Association and its chorus. Two other possible reasons that the owners of the newspaper felt that there was no need to cover these activities: whites would not be attending them, auid interested blacks could read about them in The 245

Lancet. The articles that are available include little information

about the specific selections performed.

Two singing clubs that had been formed in the 1870s and continued

into the early 1880s were the Vocal Echo Club and the Glee Club, both of

them apparently composed of young men. An announcement of a benefit

concert for the Union Street M. E. Church given in 1880 by the Vocal

Echo Club promised the performance of "several laughable pieces.

In 1884, the club sang during a flag presentation to the Petersburg

Guards^G and also during a political mass meeting.In spring of

1885, the club performed a benefit concert for Joseph P. Evans at the

Academy of Music.The concert "was quite largely attended. The

rendition of several of the pieces were greeted with storms of

applause.

The Glee Club was a particularly active organization. Some of the

publicity that the club received was the result of a serenade that it

performed for the offices of the Petersburg Index-Appeal in 1881

In fall of 1882, a concert by the club was announced in The Lancet:

We have before us one of the programmes of a Concert to be given by the Glee Club, printed at this office. The lovers of refined music should certainly make use of this opportunity and attend the grand musical recital given by the Glee Club, in order to procure means to finish purchasing the Piano which they will use that night. We have heard the Music which they will sing on the occasion, and were almost surprised to think we have such wonderful musical genius. The price of admission has been placed at the small sum of twenty cents, and we see no reason why the Hall should not be packed. Go and carry a young lady with you, and assist the enterprise. We will be there with ours. Mr. C. F. Coleman is business manager. We will cheerfully furnish all desired information on the subject.

The reference to the purchase of a piano in this announcement indicates that the club had an established meeting place. No other report of the 246

club appeared until the Daily Index-Appeal announced that the club would

present an entertainment during Easter 1885. ‘ No review of such an

entertainment has been found. In April 1885, the club, "accompanied

with guitar music by Messrs. Robt. Watts and W. N. Jackson," performed

\t\ at a benefit for the Petersburg Guards.*

The Lancet profited from a benefit concert given by the club at

Ramsdell Block in May 1885. The issue of The Lancet that immediately

preceded the concert contained several advertisements for the event, in

addition to the statement that the persons involved with the weekly

earnestly solicit the patronage of the public for this entertainment assuring them of a most enjoyable time and what ever financial benefit may be turned over to us will be used in improving and making the LANCET more presentable and newsy. Those who are friendly disposed to the paper can do us a good which will be highly appreciated, by attending this most excellent concert."*

The concert was

composed of the following well known gentlemen, Me[s]srs. John W. Twine, Robert Watts, P. W. Montague, Chas. T. Myers, John Thomas, Joseph Easter, David L. Brewer and Prof. H. B. Patterson assisted by Misses Florence S. Tyler, Ella A. Chissell and Carrie W. Bragg. The concert was a success, financially and otherwise, emd the "Glee Club" and THE LANCET for whose mutual benefit the proceeds are devoted most heartily appreciate the favorable and flattering patronage bestowed upon them, by a well select audience of Petersburg's most appreciative citizens. The entire program was executed with so much precision and exactness that it is quite a task to single out any single piece. Many of the pieces were difficult music and required extraordinary care in their rendition, and those in charge proved themselves equal to the emergency.*”

According to a detailed report of the concert, its program consisted of vocal solos and duets, a guitar duet, recitations, "a farcical play," and "the swinging of Indian Clubs." 247

The exercises of the evening were concluded with the beautiful song and chorus Good night but not Good bye which for harmony, elegance and grace was not excelled by any of the former pieces."*

The last documented activity of the Glee Club was a reception given by

its members for the women who assisted them in this concert.

Two singing organizations formed in the early 1880s were named in

honor of contemporary celebrated black musicians— Marie Selika and

Thomas "Blind Tom" Bethune. Even though both of these organizations

were short-lived, their existence is significant in two ways. First,

the decision to honor these musicians in this manner illustrates a

determination to express racial pride, as this statement from The Lancet

shows :

We congratulate the Selika Club in selecting its name. It shows that they appreciate the wonderful auid genuine talent of their own race."*

Second, the decision to call the organizations "associations" rather

than "clubs" (even though "club" is used in the above quotation) may

indicate a movement towards a more formal structure them the clubs had.

They may also have believed that the term "association" connoted

something more refined. The Selika Musical Association, whose president was Carrie Bragg, was also significant because it seems to have been the only musical organization exclusively for women. The last known activity of this club was its appearance at a celebration of the

Petersburg Guards in the spring of 1883,"* when it was assisted by organist J. R. Jordan. All that is known about the Bethune Musical

Association is that it was formed at the beginning of 1883."* 248

At the time that J. R. Jordan assisted the Selika Musical

Association, he might still have been involved in the activities of the

Excelsior Singing Club, for which he served as organist when the club

performed for a Sunday School Meeting at Oak Street A. M. E. Z. Church

in 1 8 8 1 The only other report dates from 1885, when the club, of

which William Walker was president, participated in "a friendly singing

match" with the Blandford Violin Club, led by Richard M u r r a y . w o

other evidence for this Violin Club has been found.

The Elite Singing Club was active by at least the fall of

1882.^®^ The director of this association was Charles C. McKenzie; its

accompanist was J. R. Jordan. The Lancet encouraged its readers to

support the effort:

We understand that the Elite Singing Club of this city intends giving to our citizens a fine musical treat sometime soon. The club has among its members some very sweet and charming voices, and they desire to raise means to purchase éui organ. Such a laud[a]ble undertaking should meet with our approval.

As the date of the promised attraction neared, this statement appeared:

The Elite Singing Club will give a feast on Tuesday and Wednesday evening. They will have all the delicacies of the season. The committee, consisting of Misses Ida Burwell, Katie Washington, Belle Jackson, and others, will be on hauid with their charming and magnetic voices to enliven the occasion. Boys, don't forget to curl your hair.'"

According to a very brief review of the event, "Everything passed off very nicely. The ' elite? of the city were there.No mention was made of the financial results of the evening.

A new stage of black musical organizations began with the formation of the (black) Petersburg Musical Association, which seems to have brought together the best-known talent of the community. Their choice of the same name as that used by Petersburg's white citizens is a 249

clear illustration of how they felt about the racial dichotomy that

existed. The earliest notice concerning this association dates from the

spring of 1883, when it participated in the anniversary celebration of a

benevolent society. Because the activities of the Elite Singing Club

seem to end just before those of the Petersburg Musical Association

begin, and also because McKenzie and Jordan were the leaders of both

groups, it is possible that the name of the organization had simply been

changed to emulate— or aggravate— members of the white association.

In the spring of 1883, the association was under the leadership of

Jordan.^* By the fall, however, it was under the direction of Charles

McKenzie. McKenzie was given credit for the fact that the association

had "added several young stars," and it was predicted that the

association would "shine forth as the best in the city.Soon after

this prediction was made, it presented its first concert, which was held

at Oak Street A. M. E. Z. Church. The association performed

to a well attended emd appreciative audience. A nice selection of songs were arranged on the program which were charmingly rendered."

The participants listed in the review included six women and three men.

Carrie Bragg "presided with grace and dignity at the piano and took quite active part in the singing and acquitted herself nobly.The organization benefitted its members, as a comment on the performance of

Nannie Brewer, Ella Chissell, and Charlotte Coleman shows. This was probably their first time singing in public

and they certainly deserve credit for the clearness and distinctiveness with which they performed their different paurts, they have made marked improvement since their connection with the Association."2 250

The review concludes with the statement that "Much credit is due to the

Musical Director who has labored zealously for the vocal improvements of

the young.

When the association elected officers at the end of 1883, its

members decided to retain McKenzie as the director, with Robert Allen as

assistant director.^* Carrie Bragg and Nannie Brewer were elected

pianist and assistant pianist, respectively. Brewer, along with Maggie

Green, also served as vice president. James M. Coleman was elected

president; the Sergeant-at-Arms was George F. Bragg, Jr.; and W. H.

Johnson was recorder.Before the end of the year, the association

performed at a Chesterfield County school for Johnson's pupils.The

last documented activity of the association was its annual entertainment

at Scott's Hall in September 1884;

A very large and select guest composed the assembly, and the crowd amused themselves in sundry ways concluding with an excellent supper. Some very nice singing was had on the occasion. The address of welcome was delivered by Mr. Geo. F. Bragg[,] Jr.“ ^

Some of the musical talent mentioned thus far was called upon to

perform for occasions at Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute.

Similarly, the talents of V. N. C. I. students, many of whom were

Petersburg residents, some of them included in the groups above, contributed to the musical life of Petersburg's black community. In the

1890s, students occasionally supplied music for meetings of the black

Y. M. C. A. For instance, music was provided by the Normal School

Quartette at a Y. M. C. A. meeting in 1892.^^® Later in the decade, the school choir sang for a public meeting held by the Y. M. C. A. at

Zion Baptist Church.^* Just before this performance, a group of women 251

students gave a concert at High Street Baptist Church for the benefit of

the minister.

The Y. M. C. A. became an important forum in the black community

in the 1890s. Literary exercises held by the organization in 1895

included debates, readings, and music by a group called the Harmony

Club, about which nothing is known.Later that year, "A Grand

Benefit Entertainment" was held at the rooms of the Y. M. C. A. ; among

the performers was Carrie Bragg Campbell, who performed an instrumental solo, and also played with a trio and a quartet.The following year, the organization celebrated its sixth anniversary with a program at First Baptist Church that included music by the Viola Club and by a chorus.The success of, and support for, the work of the

Y. M. C. A. is made evident by its move in early 1900 to larger quarters in Ramsdell's Block. Here the organization had available to it a large reading room and an auditorium with a seating capacity of four hundred.The association made good use of its quarters in the coming years. Its programs included recitals by soprano E. Azalia

Hackley^^ and violinist Joseph Douglass.^* Several programs also included singing directed by J. R. Jordan.

A short-lived organization that provided a forum for the display of musical talent was the People's Literary Society, which was formed in

February 1890. Among the officers elected at the initial meeting were

Musical Directors Carrie Bragg and H. B. Patterson.When the first meeting of the Society was held at Oak Street Church, "Solos were sung by Dr. J. H. Manly [sic] and Prof. Tate. Prof. H. B. Patterson presided at the organ. 252

In late November 1890, the Daily Index-Appeal printed an article

concerning the formation of the Petersburg Musical and Social Club,^^®

That the article referred to the founders of the club as "a number of

gentlemen" and did not specify race was unusual. The race of some of

the officers named was identified by a search through city directories,

in which blacks were indicated with asterisks. The musical director of

the club was Robert W. Allen, probably the same Robert Allen who had

been assistant director of the black Petersburg Musical Association. No

other information about the club has been found.

The 1890s brought to the public's attention the musical talents of 231 Christmas Evans, the young son of Joseph Evans. In late December

1890, the Daily Index-Appeal carried the following article:

Petersburg has a musical prodigy, says Robin Adair in the Richmond Dispatch, in the person of a blind colored boy named Christmas Evans, a son of the late Joseph Evans, who at one time represented this city in the state senate, and who subsequently ran as an independent candidate for congress against Colonel James D. Brady, republican, emd Dr. George E. Rives, democrat. . . . The colored boy for a number of years has been a newspaper carrier. Though entirely blind he travels about the city from street to street and from house to house with perfect ease and always delivers the papers to his sixty or seventy subscribers regularly on time, travelling alone auid never having met with a mishap. He is possessed with a great talent and love for music auid takes to almost any instrument naturally. Though never having received the advantages of instruction he performs with great skill and accuracy upon the harp, the fife, the violin, the bugle and can imitate with his voice the orgaui, the steam piano auid shows other accomplishments, which if properly cultivated would redound to his advantage."

While this report comments on Evauis' ability to play musical instruments, another one concentrates on his imitative abilities:

[Christmas Evans] gave an entertainment at the Southern Hotel on Tuesday night, at the request of the proprietor. He imitated a brass band, church organ, steam calliope, drum and fife and the bugle, with the mouth harp. Among the pieces played was a medley of "Yankee Doodle," "The Girl I Left Behind Me" and "Dixie." This 253

was greatly appreciated by the large number of northern travelers who were the guests of the hotel. He also played into the telephone from the hotel to Burke's drug store the following pieces: L"]Kappa's March,["] "Marguerite" and "The Last Rose of Summer.

His credibility as a musician was strengthened when Evans performed in

Petersburg with his Afro-American Concert Compauiy in 1902.^^*

At least two celebrated black artists of the century performed at

Oak Street A. M. E. Z. Church. They were Sissieretta Jones and Flora

Batson, in 1893 and 1897, respectively. For each concert, seats were

reserved for whites who wished to attend.Marie Selika, assisted by

her husband, gave a concert for the benefit of the black Y. M. C. A. in

1897; the concert was held at Union Street C. M. E. Church. (See Chapter

5.)

These endeavors provide insight into life in the black community in late nineteenth-century Petersburg. Their primary purpose, literary as well as musical, was to provide a "cultivated" entertainment worthy of an ever strengthening black middle class. The leaders of the organizations were, generally, the leaders of the community itself: the musical directors and accompanists often were not only the music leaders of their respective churches, but leaders in military companies, in schools, and in myriad social, fraternal, and political organizations that were also established during this period. Membership in one of these musical organizations, therefore, was probably a validation of social class even more than of musical talent.

The information currently available indicates that the music performed by these organizations was primarily of a popular nature. The programs show that the concerts, which were often held for the financial 254

benefit of some political or social cause, consisted of much solo and

small ensemble singing. Despite the fact that these organizations were

not involved in the performance of oratorios or other works of

magnitude, they did promote musical instruction amd provide a medium in

which less experienced members could learn from more experienced ones.

Since there were few opportunities for blacks to study music formally,

this exchange of knowledge was beneficial to the musical development of

the community.

Conclusion

The final two decades of the nineteenth century represent the

climax and conclusion of the white Petersburg Musical Association's era

of greatness. The P. M. A. undoubtedly met its original objective of

encouraging "the culture of music" in the community by providing

entertainments in which the "best home talent will assist, amd for which

the artists from other parts . . . will be engaged." Petersburg, not

unlike other cities of this time, depended upon a native German, in the

form of Heinrich Noltenius, to lead the way in achieving its high

musical standards. The impact of Noltenius (see Chapter 8) is

acknowledged in a history of the P. M. A . , where it is noted that the

reason for the adjournment of the old Petersburg Musical Club ras the

inability— due to health as well as business reasons— of Noltenius to

continue in his position as conductor. The reference continues with the statement that "a suitable successor did not present himself at that time, or later.Despite the attention received by the Mendelssohn 255

Musical Club and the work of its director, Antonia Dickson, Noltenius

seems to have been the only person in whom the musical community of the

city had confidence— almost reaching a level of blind faith. Along with

the "Noltenius factor" the success of the P. M. A. depended on the

support and persistent efforts of the directors of the P. M. A.,

steadfastly led by President John Q. Jackson. As of March 1890, four of

the original thirteen directors and seven of those twelve elected when the directory expanded continued to serve.The influence of this group of men reached far beyond the geographical boundaries of the city of Petersburg, causing the city to be in the enviable position of setting the standard for musical excellence for Virginia and North

Carolina.

But the primary leadership of the association did not change.

While consistency has its advantages, so does the occasional change of perspective. For instance, the directors reacted to reduced attendance at concerts by offering a different plan, while "new blood" might have been able to anticipate changing trends in entertainment. Among these trends was an increasing curiosity about recorded sound that enticed people to attend phonographic and graphophone concerts (see Chapter 5).

While the P. M. A. was successful in educating the public about music, the directors could have better secured the association's longevity if they, as prominent businessmen in the community, had made a true effort to call for the inclusion of music in the public school curriculum. This action could have provided the P. M. A. with a much larger population of possible subscribers. Even though music education had been an early consideration of the conventions, it soon got "lost in 256

the shuffle" because of the enthusiastic response to the festivals (see

Chapter 8).

The P. M. A. directors had several accomplishments to their

credit: a reputable concert series, a well-trained and highly respected

chorus, successful music festivals, a newly renovated hall, emd a

promising orchestra. The festivals alone were major undertakings, and

each year the directors tried to improve emd enlarge on the previous

year's event. During the 1887-88 season, the directors assumed other

mammoth tasks: the Kirmess, the renovation of the Academy of Music, and

the inaugural program for the "new" Academy. Although a manager was

appointed for the Academy, he had to report his actions to the

directors. Were the directors too ambitious, did they allow their

ambition to override the sound business principles by which the

association was to operate, and did they overestimate the support for

their efforts over the years? Each of these factors may have

contributed to the P. M. A.'s end.

Strict adherence to racial segregation by the P. M. A. directors

meant that Petersburg's black citizens could not attend the P. M. A.

concerts, and it also meant that the P. M. A. deprived itself of

potentially larger audiences that might have extended the life of the

organization. However, lack of adherence to racial segregation would

not have been tolerated by the P. M. A. "elite," despite any advantages

that it might have produced. The attitude of the P. M. A. on this issue

serves as a prime example of racial discrimination harming those who discriminate as well as those who are discriminated against. 257

As shown, the white community did not have a monopoly on the

desire to cultivate musical abilities and awareness. The musical

interests of Petersburg's black citizens enriched the music of the city,

for without these interests citizens— black and white— might have been

denied the privilege to hear Sissieretta Jones and Flora Batson. Like

the P. M. A. concerts, the programs featuring these celebrated musiciauis

included local talent, thus offering amateurs the opportunity to observe

professionals closely and learn from them. Both communities had key

people upon whom they relied. Heinrich Noltenius, George W. Scott, and

Laura Jones were names that were synonymous with musical leadership for

whites, while for blacks it was Henry B. Patterson, Charles C. McKenzie,

J. R. Jordan, and Carrie W. Bragg. Even though black musical

organizations did not exist on the same scale as the P. M. A. and did

not perform oratorios and operas, their activities broadened the place

of music in the city and added another dimension to the social dynamics of the period.

Notes

1. Daily Index-Appeal, 22 July 1881.

2. Daily Index-Appeal, 2 Aug. 1881.

3. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 13 Aug. 1881.

4. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 13 Aug. 1881.

5. Petersburg Musical Association Records, 16 Aug. 1881; Centre Hill Mansion, Petersburg, Va.

6. J. H. Chataigne, comp., Chataigne’s Petersburg Directory, 1882-83 (Chataigne, 1882), 154. 258

7. P. M. A. Records, 31 Aug. 1881.

8 . P. M. A. Records, 7 Sept. 1881.

9. P. M. A. Records, 11 May 1882.

10. P. M. A. Records, 6 Dec. 1882 indicate that a resolution was approved to change the number of directors from 13 to 21. This could merely be an error on the part of the secretary. It could, however, indicate a change in the decision between 6 Dec. and 22 Dec., on which date the new directors were actually elected, according to A Brief History, The Charter, and the Constitution and By-Laws of the Petersburg Musical Association (Petersburg, Va.: Penn & Owen, 1890, 21; Centre Hill Mansion, Petersburg, Va.).

11. P. M. A. Records, 20 Sept. 1883.

12. Daily Index-Appeal, 12 May 1888.

13. P. M. A. Constitution, 4.

14. Daily Index-Appeal, 10 Sept. 1881.

15. P. M. A. Records, 23 Sept. 1881.

16. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 26 Oct. 1881.

17. Daily Index-Appeal, 18 Oct. 1881. The featured performer announced for the third entertainment was pianist Teresa Carreno. However, Carreno did not appear until the 1882-83 season.

18. Constitution and By-Laws of The Petersburg Musical Club (Petersburg, Va.: J. E. Routh & Co., 1868, 6; Centre Hill Meuision, Petersburg, Va.).

19. Daily Index-Appeal, 29 Sept. 1881.

20. P. M. A. Records, 29 Sept. 1884.

21. P. M. A. Constitution, 3. A similar text is also found in the history of the P. M. A. printed in the Program, Third Musical Convention and First Music Festival, for Virginia and North Carolina (Petersburg, Va.: John B. Ege, 1884, 23; Petersburg Public Library).

22. Daily Index-Appeal, 18 Oct. 1881.

23. Daily Index-Appeal, 26 Oct. 1881.

24. Daily Index-Appeal, 14 Nov. 1881.

25. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 25 Nov. 1881. 259

26. P. M. A. Constitution, 5-6,

27. Daily Index-Appeal, 23 Dec. 1881.

28. Daily Index-Appeal, 28 Dec. 1881.

29. P. M. A. Records, 15 Dec. 1881.

30. Daily Index Appeal, 18 Jan. 1882.

31. Daily Index-Appeal, 15 Feb. 1882. "Nicolini" was the stage name of the French tenor Ernest Nicolas. He was Patti's traveling companion for a number of years before marrying her in 1886, after her divorce from the Marquis de Caux. Elizabeth Forbes, "Adelina Patti," The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie, 20 vols. (London: Macmillan, 1980), XIV, 303-04.

32. Daily Index-Appeal, 15 Feb. 1882. This Latin text, from Horace's Epistles, Book I, Chapter 11, line 27, has been translated as: "They change their clime, not their disposition, who run across the sea." John Bartlett, Familiar Quotations, Emily Morrison Beck, ed., 14th ed., rev. and enlarged (Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1968), 123.

33. Daily Index-Appeal, 23 Jan. 1882.

34. Daily Index-Appeal, 15 Feb. 1882.

35. Daily Index-Appeal, 13 March 1882.

36. Daily Index-Appeal, 29 April 1882.

37. Daily Index-Appeal, 6 June 1882.

38. P. M. A. Records, 28 Sept. 1882.

39. Daily Index-Appeal, 5 June 1883.

40. Daily Index-Appeal, 5 June 1883.

41. Daily Index-Appeal, 30 April 1884.

42. P. M. A. Records, 20 Nov. 1884. The 1883-84 membership totaled 171.

43. Daily Index-Appeal, 21 Dec. 1883.

44. Daily Index-Appeal, 26 March 1884.

45. Daily Index-Appeal, 15 Oct. 1884. 260

46. Daily Index-Appeal, 9 June 1885. "Sublunary" means "existing or situated beneath the moon" or "of or belonging to the world." J. A. Simpson and E. S. C. Weiner, eds. , The Oxford English Dictionary, 20 vols. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989), XVII, 42.

47. Daily Index-Appeal, 22 Dec. 1884.

48. Daily Index-Appeal, 28 Jan. 1886. References to this "Rock Band" concert are used as fillers in The Sonneck Society Bulletin XVIII/3 (Fall 1992), 101, 107, and 135.

49. Daily Index-Appeal, 10 Sept. 1884.

50. Daily Index-Appeal, 22 Sept. 1884.

51. Daily Index-Appeal, 19 Sept. 1885.

52. Daily Index-Appeal, 5 Oct. 1885.

53. Daily Index-Appeal, 28 Jan. 1886.

54. Daily Index-Appeal, 18 May 1886.

55. Daily Index-Appeal, 15 May 1886.

56. Daily Index-Appeal, 15 May 1886. It is not clear what was meant by "festival association;" the information available indicates that the delegates who attended the conventions rejected the idea of joining into one association.

57. Daily Index-Appeal, 15 May 1886.

58. P. M. A. Records, 5 June 1885.

59. P. M. A. Records, 30 June 1885.

60. Daily Index-Appeal, 12 July 1886. The circular for the Kirmess had been read previously at a board meeting (P. M. A. Records, 22 June 1886). "Kirmess" is a variant of "kermis," which comes from "kermesse." "Kermesse" was "the mass or service on the anniversary of the dedication of a church, on which also was held a yearly fair or festival." In parts of Germany, it became a periodical fair. In the United States, this fair was usually held as a benefit. (Simpson and Weiner, The Oxford English Dictionary, VIII, 460 and 394.) A description of a Kirmess in the Boston Evening Transcript, 15 April 1887 begins with the statement that "Boston did not invent the Kirmess, but Boston has perfected it." The booth and entertainments for this Kirmess, held in Boston's Mechanics' Hall, were similar to those at the Petersburg Kirmess.

61. Deed Book No. 48, p. 98; Clerk's Office, City of Petersburg. 261

62. P. M. A. Constitution, 10.

63. P. M. A. Records, 23 Sept. 1886. The transfer of ownership from Williams, Black & Company, who had purchased the Academy in 1877, to Noltenius and Jackson is recorded in Deed Book No. 48, pp. 98-100.

64. P. M. A. Records, 23 Sept. 1886.

65. Just days before this performance, the P. M. A. had 28 regular and 51 contributing members (P. M. A. Records, 14 Oct. 1886). Before the end of November, these numbers had increased to 138 regular and 84 contributing members. P. M. A. Records, 27 Nov. 1886.

66. Daily Index-Appeal, 4 Nov. 1886.

67. Daily Index-Appeal, 11 Nov. 1886.

68. Receipts amd expenses were reported in P. M. A. Records, 20 Nov. 1886. A full report was made in the Daily Index-Appeal, 2 Dec. 1886.

69. P. M. A. Records, 5 Feb. 1887.

70. P. M. A. Records, 27 Nov. 1886.

71. Daily Index-Appeal, 10 Jan. 1887. Petersburg and Richmond were the only cities in the south in which this compamy was scheduled to appear.

72. Daily Index-Appeal, 17 Jan. 1887. Mrs. Hovermann is identified as the sister of Anton Koerner, conductor of the St. Cecelia orchestra in Norfolk, Virginia. A chorus called the St. Cecilia Society was established in Norfolk in 1882. Its first director, Newton Fits, did not accept the position after the first season and was succeeded by Anton F. Koerner. An orchestra was established during the 1884-85 season. James R. Hines, "Musical Activity in Norfolk, Virginia, 1680- 1973" (Ph.D. diss., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), 225- 26 and 228.

73. Daily Index-Appeal, 11 Feb. 1887.

74. Daily Index-Appeal, 7 Feb. 1887.

75. Daily Index-Appeal, 3 March 1887.

76. P. M. A. Records, 10 March 1887.

77. Daily Index-Appeal, 24 March 1887.

78. Daily Index-Appeal, 24 March 1887. 262

79. Daily Index-Appeal, 7 June 1887. The charter may be found in P. M. A. Constitution, 16-17. According to this, the Act to Incorporate was approved 11 April 1887.

80. P. M. A. Records, 23 Feb. 1887. A native of Maine, Cobb became known as a specialist in designing theatres in the 1870s. Henry F. Withey auid Elsie Rathbun Withey, Biographical Dictionary of American Architects, Deceased (Los Angeles; New Age Publishing Co., 1956), 129.

81. P. M. A. Records, 10 March 1887. A member who had left prior to the vote "stated his approval of the remodeling scheme except that part of same calling for extension of the front of the building to the street."

82. Daily Index-Appeal, 16 March 1887.

83. P. H. A. Records, 13 June 1887.

84. Daily Index-Appeal, 10 Sept. 1887.

85. Daily Index-Appeal, 10 Sept. 1887.

86 . Daily Index-Appeal, 10 Sept. 1887.

87. Daily Index-Appeal, 17 Sept. 1887.

88. Daily Index-Appeal, 17 Sept. 1887.

89. Daily Index-Appeal, 25 Nov. 1887.

90. Daily Index-Appeal, 17 Sept. 1887. In the P. M. A. Constitution, 11, the names are given as Mitchell cuid Hallbach. However, these spellings are also incorrect. According to John W. Leonard, ed. The Book of Chicagoans : A Biographical Dictionary of Leading Living Men of the City of Chicago (Chicago: A. N. Marquis & Co., 1905), 254 and 413, their names are Otto W. Mitchel and J. Fred A. Halbach. A native of Germany, Mitchel settled in Chicago in 1873 and learned his trade with Fred M. Atwood. Halbach, born in Indiana and educated in Ohio, lived in Chicago from 1877 to 1880 and also worked with Atwood. Halbach worked with Pettier & Stymus Co. in New York from 1880 to 1885. He returned to Chicago in 1885 and joined with Mitchel to establish a decorating and furnishing business. According to Susan L. Porter, "King for a Day: The Faurot Opera House of Lima, Ohio," The Allen County Reporter XXXXIII/1 (1987), 18 and 20, Atwood (name given here as Fred N. Attwood) frescoed the walls and ceiling of that opera house, which was also designed by Cobb, who was hired for this job in 1881.

91. Daily Index-Appeal, 17 Sept. 1887.

92. Daily Index-Appeal, 24 Oct. 1887. 263

93. Daily Index-Appeal, 24 Oct. 1887.

94. P. M. A. Records, 12 Nov. 1887.

95. Daily Index-Appeal, 25 Nov. 1887. A report made at a board meeting indicated that the building would be ready for occupancy by 2 January 1888. P. M. A. Records, 28 Nov. 1887.

96. Deed Book No. 49, p. 302; City Clerk's Office, Petersburg, Va.

97. Daily Index-Appeal, 5 June 1888.

98. P. M. A. Records, 5 Dec. 1887.

99. Daily Index-Appeal, 30 Dec. 1887.

100. Daily Index-Appeal, 31 Dec. 1887.

101. Daily Index-Appeal, 5 Jan. 1888.

102. Daily Index-Appeal, 5 Jan. 1888.

103. Daily Index-Appeal, 9 Jan. 1888.

104. Daily Index-Appeal, 10 Jan. 1888.

105. Daily Index-Appeal, 10 Jan. 1888.

106. Daily Index-Appeal, 10 Jan. 1888.

107. Daily Index-Appeal, 10 Jan. 1888. According to the Daily Index- Appeal, 12 Jan. 1888, while Cobb was addressing the audience a cowardly sneak thief was behind the scenes rifling Mr. Cobb's overcoat pockets, which contained a long folding book, with some valuable papers and about $22.50 in cash.

108. Daily Index-Appeal, 12 Jan. 1888.

109. Daily Index-Appeal, 7 March 1888. There are no hints given as to what the "something else" might have been.

110. Daily Index-Appeal, 14 March 1888.

111. Daily Index-Appeal, 9 Aug. 1888.

112. Daily Index-Appeal, 4 June 1889.

113. Daily Index-Appeal, 15 Oct. 1888.

114. Daily Index-Appeal, 4 June 1889.

115. Daily Index-Appeal, 4 June 1889. 264

116. Daily Index-Appeal, 29 May 1889.

117. Daily Index-Appeal, 4 June 1889.

118. Daily Index-Appeal, 24 June 1889.

119. Daily Index-Appeal, 18 Sept. 1889.

120. Daily Index-Appeal, 17 Oct. 1889.

121. Daily Index-Appeal, 16 Oct. 1889.

122. Daily Index-Appeal, 23 Oct. 1889.

123. Daily Index-Appeal, 24 Oct. 1889.

124. Daily Index-Appeal, 13 June 1890.

125. Daily Index-Appeal, 13 June 1890.

126. Daily Index-Appeal, 23 June 1890.

127. Daily Index-Appeal, 25 Oct. 1890.

128. Daily Index-Appeal, 4 Nov. 1870. Added to the eight regular entertainments were the four proposed summer concerts by local talent. The thirteenth entertainment might have been the annual meeting, for which the chorus always sang. In the past, anyone who became a subscriber after the first entertainment still paid for a full season ticket. Presumably, according to this plan, those who became subscribers after the first entertainments paid only for those remaining.

129. Daily Index-Appeal, 19 May 1891.

130. Daily Index-Appeal, 25 May 1891.

131. Daily Index-Appeal, 12 June 1891.

132. Daily Index-Appeal, 28 Feb. 1883.

133. Daily Index-Appeal, 5 May 1884.

134. Daily Index-Appeal, 21 Apr. 1884.

135. Daily Index-Appeal, 15 Dec. 1886.

136. Daily Index-Appeal, 16 Jan. 1888. would be "given the opportunity to see the Academy" was the final statement in a brief article titled "Carpets for the Academy of Music." 265

137. Daily Index-Appeal, 19 Jan. 1888.

138. Daily Index-Appeal, 17 Feb. 1888. According to the Daily Index- Appeal, 28 Feb. 1888, the National Opera Company had become defunct.

139. Daily Index-Appeal, 21 Feb. 1888.

140. Daily Index-Appeal, 11 Jan. 1889. In 1893; Shaw, "La Belle Siffleuse," toured India, Japaui, South Africa, and Australia. The New York Dramatic Mirror, 21 May 1893.

141. Daily Index-Appeal, 7 Feb. 1889.

142. Daily Index-Appeal, 17 Nov. 1891.

143. Daily Index-Appeal, 24 July 1892. Leath was an experienced theatre manager who, in 1890, was referred to as "one of the best equipped managers in the state." The Lynchburg News, reprinted in the Daily Index-Appeal, 28 1890.

144. Daily Index-Appeal, 8 Feb. 1893.

145. Deed Book No. 55, p. 558; City Clerk's Office, Petersburg, Va.

146. Daily Index-Appeal, 7 June 1893. For business purposes, the entire population, not just the white population, was given.

147. Daily Index-Appeal, 9 Aug. 1893.

148. According to the advertisement, the Academy can be leased for a term of one or more years, beginning Aug. 1, 1893. It is the only theatre in the city, of 25,000 inhabitants, has a seating capacity of 1,242, and was renovated, in 1888, at a cost of $22,000. To a satisfactory tenant the rent will be low. New York Clipper, 10 June 1893, p. 228.

149. Arthur to McRae, 19 June 1893, Petersburg Musical Association Papers; Centre Hill Mansion, Petersburg, Va.

150. Arthur to McRae, 23 June 1893, P. M. A. Papers.

151. Letters of inquiry are among the P. M. A. Papers. There is also a letter from The Chicago Dramatic Journal, identified as the only dramatic publication between New York and Frisco, and which circulates among 5,000 managers and is largely read by the profession in general. Will quote you a rate of 10 cents per line, $1.25 per inch per issue. It is not known if the advertisement was placed. The Chicago Dramatic Journal to P. M. A. Directors, 10 June 1893, P. M. A. Papers.

152. Daily Index-Appeal, 12 Aug. 1893. 266

153. Daily Index-Appeal, 25 Aug. 1893.

154. Daily Index-Appeal, 25 Aug. 1893. The terms of $1,000 per year or $50 per night were reported in The New York Dramatic Mirror, 26 Aug. 1893.

155. The Daily Index-Appeal, 17 Jem. 1895 commented that efforts had been made for three years to engage the artists, who had been awarded a medal at the Chicago Exposition in 1893.

156. Daily Index-Appeal, 29 Jan. 1895.

157. Daily Index-Appeal, 25 Oct. 1895.

158. Daily Index-Appeal, 10 Dec. 1895.

159. Daily Index-Appeal, 30 July 1896.

160. Daily Index-Appeal, 29 Nov. 1896.

161. Daily Index-Appeal, 24 Dec. 1896.

162. Deed Book No. 59, p. 354; City Clerk's Office, Petersburg, Va.

163. Daily Index-Appeal, 24 Dec. 1896.

164. Daily Index-Appeal, 5 Jan. 1897.

165. Daily Index-Appeal, 19 Jan. 1897.

166. Daily Index-Appeal, 9 Feb. 1897.

167. Transfer of ownership to Joseph W. Seward is recorded in Deed Book No. 66, p. 665.

168. Daily Index-Appeal, 23 June 1897.

169. The Academy had various managers during the first two decades of the next century, and a vauriety of musical and dramatic programs were presented. Vaudeville and "picture shows" were also featured.

170. Daily Index-Appeal, 8 Sept. 1880.

171. Daily Index-Appeal, 8 Sept. 1880.

172. Daily Index-Appeal, 5 May 1882.

173. Daily Index-Appeal, 26 Sept. 1882.

174. Daily Index-Appeal, 16 and 28 Oct. 1884.

175. Daily Index-Appeal, 22 Nov. 1889. 267

176. Daily Index-Appeal, 27 April 1889.

177. McKenzie had also been a lieutenant on the city police force and a letter carrier for the Post Office. His election in 1884 as Commissioner of the Street Department prompted The Lancet, 19 1884 to state that "the Color line has been wiped out in the Street Department;" this offer appeared in another place in that same issue: "Our columns are open to cuiyone white or black who will define what is drawing the color line."

178. Daily Index-Appeal, 10 Jan. 1888.

179. P. M. A. Records, 8 Feb. 1884.

180. P. M. A. Records, 29 Sept. 1884,

181. The Lancet, 31 May 1884.

182. Daily Index-Appeal, 23 Oct. 1889.

183. There were at least three black literary organizations: the Petersburg Lyceum, the Acme Literary and Social Club, and the [James G. Blaine] Literary and Library Association.

184. The Lancet, 27 Jan. 1883.

185. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 19 Nov. 1880. The evening's entertainment included an "exhibition and feast by the Petersburg Social Club."

186. Daily Index-Appeal, 3 May 1884.

187. Daily Index-Appeal, 28 Aug. 1884.

188. Running as an Independent in the 1884 Congressional race (see Chapter 2) depleted Evans' personal funds. When he died in 1888, he owned no property. Luther P. Jackson, Negro Office-Holders in Virginia (Norfolk, Va.: Guide Quality Press, 1945), 14. The advertisement in the Daily Index-Appeal, 28 April 1885 reads: "Music, Merriment and Mirth - Grand Concert by Vocal Echo Club." General admission was twenty-five cents, with reserved seats ten cents extra. Admission was twenty cents for seats in the first gallery, and fifteen cents for seats in the second gallery.

189. The Lancet, 9 May 1885.

190. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 17 May 1881.

191. The Lancet, 11 Nov. 1882.

192. Daily Index-Appeal, 28 Feb. 1885. 268

193. The Lancet, 18 April 1885.

194. The Lancet, 16 May 1885.

195. The Lancet, 23 May 1885.

196. The Lancet, 23 May 1885.

197. The Lancet, 30 May 1885.

198. The Lancet, 9 Dec. 1882.

199. The Lancet, 28 April 1883.

200. The Lancet, 6 Jan. 1883. The most recent performances of Bethune in Petersburg prior to the organization of this association were in January 1872 and January 1879. He returned to perform in the city on 18 March 1884 and 18 September 1885.

201. Petersburg Index-Appeal, 3 Aug. 1881. A list of officers for an Excelsior Social Club was published in the Daily Index-Appeal, 16 Oct. 1883. It is possible that "Social" is a misprint for "Singing," but the names of the officers listed are not names of known members of any of the musical organizations.

202. Daily Index-Appeal, 25 July 1885.

203. Daily Index-Appeal, 23 Sept. 1882. Even though the organization is referred to as the "Elite Musical Association" subsequent documentation refers to it as the "Elite Singing Club."

204. The Lancet, 21 Oct. 1882.

205. The Lancet, 28 Oct. 1882. This final sentence is a reminder to the young men to look "sharp."

206. The Lancet, 4 Nov. 1882.

207. A list of "Colored Orders & Societies," printed in the Daily Index-Appeal, 2 Jan. 1883, includes the "Elite Sewing Club." This evidently was a printing error because C. C. McKenzie was named as president of the club. Miss M[aggie] Green was named as secretary.

208. The Lancet, 19 May 1883.

209. The Lancet, 29 Sept . 1883.

210. The Lancet, 13 Oct. 1883.

211. The Lancet, 13 Oct. 1882.

212. The Lancet, 13 Oct. 1883. 269

213. The Lancet, 13 Oct. 1883.

214. The Lancet, 8 Dec. 1883.

215. In [William Henry Johnson], A Bird's Eye Vie» of Happenings in the Life of William Henry Johnson of Petersburg, Virginia (Petersburg, Va.: Owens Printing Co., 1927), 14, Johnson recalls his affiliations with singing clubs: My membership was in one serenading club, Chas. L. Claiborne, leader. I went out with them one evening, sang till 9 p. m., then went home. Never did I go out again. Bob Jones, Chas. Coleman, and I used to get together at times and spend an hour or two in song. These were the height of my club aspirations, with one or two musical organizations.

216. The Lancet, 22 Dec. 1883.

217. The Lancet, 13 Sept. 1884. The word "guest" may be used here to mean "group" or "company."

218. Daily Index-Appeal, 21 March 1892.

219. Daily Index-Appeal, 1 May 1897.

220. Daily Index-Appeal, 30 April 1897. The receipts from the concert totaled $17.50. There is no indication as to whether these students represented an authorized school organization.

221. Daily Index-Appeal, 18 Jan. 1895.

222. Flyer, William H. Johnson Papers, accession no. 0057-3, box 15, folder no. 492; Archives, Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University.

223. Daily Index-Appeal, 29 Oct. 1896. No other information about the Viola Club has been found.

224. Daily Index-Appeal, 29 April 1900.

225. The Daily Index-Appeal, 19 April 1903.

226. The Daily Index-Appeal, 5 July 1904. Douglass, the grandson of Frederick Douglass, studied at the New England Conservatory of Music and in Europe. Maud Cuney-Hare, Negro Musicians and Their Music (1936; reprint. New York: Da Capo, 1974), 229.

227. According to a notice for one meeting, Jordan directed a choir of twenty women. The Daily Index-Appeal, 6 Nov. 1904.

228. Daily Index-Appeal, 21 Feb. 1890. 270

229. Daily Index-Appeal, 1 March 1890. Hanley was the pastor of Oak Street Church. It is not known who Tate was.

230. Daily Index-Appeal, 25 Nov. 1890.

231. According to the 1880 Census, Supervisor's District No. 2, Enumeration District No. 94, p.11, Joseph Evans had five sons. "Christmas" was probably one of the two youngest ones— John C., age 9, or Charles S, age 4.

232. Daily Index-Appeal, 23 Dec. 1890.

233. Daily Index-Appeal, 25 Dec. 1890.

234. An announcement that appeared in the Daily Index-Appeal, 13 April 1902 read as follows: Christmas Evans, the Blind Wonder, who is a native of Petersburg, and is well remembered as the blind newspaper carrier, will appear at the Academy of Music tomorrow, in a well selected programme. The entertainment, we are assured, has real merit and is well worth attending. The lower part of the Academy will be reserved for whites, and the prices are very reasonable. This performance was followed by two benefit concerts, one each at the white Y. M. C. A. Hall, for the Home for the Sick, and at the black y. M. C. A. Hall, for Oak Street A. M. E. Z. Church. (Daily Index- Appeal, 18 and 22 April 1902.) The last performance by the compéiny seems to have been given at Central State Hospital, a mental hospital, and was "much enjoyed by several hundred of thepatients. (Daily Index-Appeal, 1902.) Although the Daily Index-Appeal, 13 April 1902, states that the company was "composed largely of local talent," the issue from 24 April, 1902 states that the company included Mme. Robinson Cornick, Black Patti's only rival; Walter H. Cornick the famous baritone; Prof. Phil. C. Cohan, the celebrated violinist, and others.

235. When Paul Laurence Dunbar read his poetry at Oak Street in 1901, "the galleries of the church were set aside for the whites amd were well filled." Daily Index-Appeal, 7 June 1901.

236. Program, The Third Annual Musical Convention and First Music Festival for Virginia and North Carolina, 23. The same history appears in the 1890 Constitution.

237. P. M. A. Constitution, 21. CHAPTER VIII

THE ANNUAL MUSICAL CONVENTIONS AND MUSIC FESTIVALS

OF VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA

The Petersburg Musical Association initiated the Annual Musical

Convention of Virginia and North Carolina in 1882 by inviting delegates of musical associations in these two states to meet in

Petersburg to discuss ways in which their respective associations could best cultivate the musical tastes of their constituents by both presenting professional talent and developing local talent. The annual festivals, begun in 1884, proved the success of the associations in these areas. The festivals included the participation of the various associations, but they were financed and organized by the host city— Petersburg. Each year the festival attracted more attention than the previous year; the conventions, which had succeeded in most of their objectives, disappeared after 1889. Cooperative participation in the festivals by the various associations ended after the 1890 festival; the last festival, in 1891, was a local event of more modest proportions than its predecessors.

271 272

The Musical Conventions of Virginia and North Carolina

The musical conventions organized and hosted by the Petersburg

Musical Association were business meetings during which delegates from

various musical associations discussed ways in which the associations

could best promote the elevation of music in their respective cities.

This use of the term "convention" was entirely different from that

normally associated with music during the nineteenth century; a

"convention" was ordinarily a meeting of singing school teachers

during which they would discuss pedagogical methods and rehearse music

that would be performed at the end of the meeting. Even though the

meetings in Petersburg took the term out of its normal context, they,

like the singing school conventions, were held for the purpose of the

cultivation of musical tastes.

Convention Delegates

Musical associations in Richmond, Lynchburg and Norfolk accepted the invitations sent by the P. M. A. for the first convention, at which fourteen delegates— five from Petersburg, four each from

Richmond and Lynchburg, and one from Norfolk— met in the parlor of

Petersburg's Young Men's Christian Association on Wednesday 31 May

1882

to devise some plan of concerted action whereby the best interests of their respective association could be served in the matter of the engagement of artists to assist in the various concerts given by the societies, and to promote the general welfare of musical interests in the cities represented.^ 273

The specific names of the associations represented at this convention

are not provided in available documents, but a comparison of the names

of these delegates with those who attended the 1883 convention

indicates that the visiting associations at the 1882 convention were

the Richmond Mozart Association, the Lynchburg Mozart Association, and

the Norfolk Star Course.

Eighteen delegates representing seven associations attended the

1883 convention. The visiting associations were Richmond's Mozart

Association and Organists' Association, Norfolk's St. Cecilia Society

and Star Course, Lynchburg's Mozart Association, and Farmville's

Handel Musical Association. According to the Daily Index-Appeal,

North Carolina was not represented because

There are but three singing associations in that State, who, in reply to the invitations sent, express the great interest they take in the common cause, but regret that they are unable, this time, to participate in the work of the Convention.^

Two North Carolina associations— the Salem Philharmonic Society and the Wilmington Arion Musical Association— accepted their invitations to the 1884 convention, but the delegates from Wilmington were unable to attend. North Carolina was represented at each of the conventions until 1889. West Virginia was represented in 1889 by Parkersburg's

Choral Society; it is not known if the society was invited or if the fame of the festivals prompted a reguest to participate.

The associations represented at the various conventions varied from one year to the next, but there were some that remained fairly constant: Richmond's Mozart Association (1882-87), Norfolk's St.

Cecilia Society (1883-86, with the St. Cecelia Orchestra represented 274

in 1888), Lynchburg's Mozart Association (1882-84, 1886, 1888)^ and

Farmville's Handel Musical Association (1883-86). Two associations

that participated in the conventions were organized by former P. M. A.

directors: Suffolk's Philharmonic Association (1886-89), organized by

George W. Scott;^ and Richmond's Hahr Musical Society (1888),

organized by F. C. Hedir for his pupils emd composed of forty active

and fifty honorary members, all of whom were admitted by invitation.*

The minutes of the conventions provide information about the

participating associations. For instance, in 1885, the delegate from

the Hampden-Sydney College Music Club "said they had no idea of

forming a society of any force until Mr. Noltenius wrote to them.

In 1886, the delegate from Richmond's Mozart Association reported that the association had a membership of nine hundred fifty and had built a new hall at a cost of forty thousand dollars.* This association had six hundred members in 1888 and was in an "eminently prosperous" financial condition, but unable to sustain a "good, permanent chorus;"? by 1889 it was no longer an active (performing) association, but

simply a contributing organization. It provides entertainments at stated intervals. The association has an amateur orchestra, but the members of the orchestra are not members of the association.

During the 1885-86 season, Lynchburg's Mozart Association was

in better condition now than ever before. Last year the association was somewhat in debt, but the association had been able to discharge this debt and also cible to purchase a fine Weber grand piano.’

In 1886, the delegate from Farmville's Handel Musical Association gave a favorable account of the support of music in that city amd stated 275

that the association "hopes to grow steadily and to enlarge its

usefulness;"^ however, Farmville was not represented at future

conventions. The 1886 report from Norfolk's St. Cecilia Society

indicated

considerable interest in musical affairs, and this interest was in some measure created by Messrs. Moody and Sankey, the revivalists emd evangelists, for whom a great choir had been recently organized by Prof. Newton Fitz. The society has a very fine orchestra. All that is needed is to apply the Methodist principle to Mr. Noltenius and change his circuit every year, or leave him in Norfolk for a while at least."

At the 1888 convention, this society, which had suffered "severe struggles in the past," was "hopeful.The Raleigh, North Carolina,

Philharmonic Association gave monthly concerts during the 1885-86 season and sustained an orchestra.

Not all the reports from associations were positive. Despite the good condition of Richmond's Mozart Association in 1886, its

Oratorio Society had been forced to suspend its rehearsals until the next season, at which time it hoped to be able to reorganize;^* the society was never again represented at the conventions. In 1888, the

Beethoven Musical Association of Oxford, North Carolina, reported that it had no leader and was "unsure" of its prospects.*^

Convention minutes show that cities in Virginia and North

Carolina shared a common interest in music; this interest manifested itself in many successful musical associations. The conventions held in Petersburg stimulated the work of these associations and probably led to the creation of more of them than would have otherwise existed. 276

The Business of the Conventions

The primary objective set by the P. M. A. for the first

convention was to establish a system through which the musical

associations could contract professional artists to perform for their

individual concert seasons. The delegates at the 1882 convention

chose Petersburg's Heinrich Noltenius as their general manager, whose

responsibility it was "to correspond with first class talent and

ascertain at what price it can be secured.The delegates resolved

that they would

respond promptly to Mr. Noltenius' notifications of any proposals, whether they are willing to share the expenses, and if so the maximum amount each association will pledge itself for. After a decision has been reached and the manager has made an engagement, the associations which have responded favorably shall be bound for the amounts so pledged.^

The establishment of this cooperative effort to engage artists prompted discussion of whether or not the associations needed to combine into one,

to be called the Combined Musical Association of Virginia, or some similar title, but a majority were in favor of leaving each association to act, so far as might be, independently of any central organization, and the report was finally adopted as it stood.

An attempt was made at the 1884 convention to form

A union of the several associations of Virginia and North Carolina under a constitution and by-laws, which will leave each association perfectly free as to its own management, but which will systematize the efforts for the promotion of the interest of music, which will, for the benefit of the annual conventions (after the third one in 1884), establish a common treasury, equalizing their expenses for the several associations (some of which come from longer distances than others) according to their membership, thus dividing the profits or sharing the losses, and which will elect the committee to have charge of the arrangements and programme for the next meeting. Ill

Noltenius was asked to send a more complete explanation of this

suggestion to the associations so that they might respond at the next

convention. The issue seems not to have been discussed at any future

convention.

In his role as general manager, Noltenius told the delegates at

the 1883 convention that the engagements made by him "were part and

parcel of history and were before the public,"^'* and recommended that

the artists engaged should be

placed side by side with the local choruses, so that the latter might have the benefit of artistic support and at the same time, be incited to approximate the same perfection.

Noltenius continued as general manager and, in 1884, reported on

the advantage that had resulted from the concentration of the musical forces of Virginia and North Carolina, and gave several illustrations. For instance, he said, "we [the P. M. A.] have had the Remenyi concert company, which if employed on our own hook would have cost $300, whereas it only cost the associations $133 each. The Mendelssohn Quartette club we have also had, and but for an union of the associations this company would have cost each association $300, whereas it did not cost them but $150.“

In 1885, Noltenius admitted that his job as general manager had been made difficult because some of the officers were negligent in attending to the business of their respective associations; they were slow to solicit subscribers and were unable to inform him of their needs for the season. Noltenius asserted that

Musical associations should be conducted on purely business principles. Perhaps all of them have in their directories some who feel that in asking persons to become subscribers they are begging. He did not look at it in that light. The only way to carry on business is by activity and promptness. In this connection Mr. Noltenius paid a compliment to the officers of the [Richmond] Mozart association, who, he said, had always been very prompt in their business transactions with the manager (the speaker).“ 278

Reasons given by delegates for delays varied: Norfolk's St. Cecilia

Society explained that "they had some of their funds swallowed up in

one of the banks of Norfolk which had failed;" while Hampden-Sydney's

College Musical Club reminded the convention that it was a student

organization and could not "be counted on to give public

entertainments."2* At the 1887 convention, Noltenius

suggested the advisability of the various associations adopting a plan at the beginning of the season for a given number of entertainments, as it would enable him to make more satisfactory engagements of artists."

Noltenius resigned as general manager in 1888 because he found

the position "too heavy a burdenupon his suggestion, the delegates chose Hr. John Tyler, chairman of the committee on music for

the [Richmond] Mozart Association, as their new manager. At the final convention, Tyler reported that only four associations— all from

Virginia— had cooperated in securing artists during the previous season. 27

The objective of the 1882 convention to create a circuit of performers was successful; musical associations that would have been unable to afford the standard performance fees were able to present

"first rate" talent to their constituents. The service was rendered for a small fee to associations that benefitted from the services of the general manager, a fee of usually no more than ten dollars per year which helped to defray miscellaneous costs. 279

The Public School Music Issue

A new issue on the agenda for the 1883 convention was the

introduction of vocal music in the public schools. This cause was

fervently taken up by the Daily Index-Appeal, which printed an

editorial that featured a lengthy extract from William L. Tomlins'

article, "On the training of children's voices," from a periodical

called The Nineteenth Century; the article had received "the high

endorsement of so eminent a judge as THEODORE THOMAS." In the article,

Tomlins points out the deficiencies of public school music

instruction, especially the harm done to children's voices by teachers

who are not competent in vocal training and to the emphasis on the

mechanics of note-reading instead of the development of musical

awareness. In his response to the extract, the editor suggests that

Tomlins' essay should influence the way in which music is taught in

the schools:

It is not intended, we take it, to teach artistic singing, in the generally accepted meaning of that term, but only to awaken in the child a love for music which may exercise a softening and refining influence.

The editorial challenges:

Let it, therefore, be introduced in the public schools of Virginia, and let Petersburg, by reason of the proud eminence she has already acquired in the domain of song, téüce the initiative.M

Despite the press coverage of the topic, the delegates decided to

postpone its discussion "until some future day.

A similar quasi-interest in the topic was reflected in the

P. M. A. minutes in the months before the convention. In Jauiuary

1883, the directors decided 280

that a committee of three be appointed by the President at his earliest convenience who shall examine into the advisability of recommending to the School Board of this city the introduction of music as a branch of education to be specially taught in the free schools, and that said committee shall embody their views into the form of resolution or a report to be acted upon by the Board of Directors at a meeting to be called for the consideration of such resolution or report.

Four months later, the chairman of this committee reported that no

contact had been made with the School Board.There is no evidence

that the P. M. A. ever addressed the topic again.

This issue was the most well publicized one of the 1884

convention. Norfolk delegate Newton Fitz told the delegates about his

experiences teaching music in private and public schools; but there

seems to have been only limited discussion of the topic before the delegates resolved "That it is the sense of this convention that whenever proper instruction can be procured music should be taught in all our schools.They discussed no agenda for action.

The topic reappeared at the 1885 convention; once again an editorial printed in the Daily Index-Appeal called special attention to the importance of this topic and called for the delegates to

speak out boldly in favor of having music taught in the free schools of Virginia and North Carolina[,] that is, music in its lower branches, the rudiments of musical notation, emd class singing in 1, 2, 3 and 4 parts.

The editorial, noting the "lukewarm acquiescence" of the delegates at previous conventions, championed the cause by stating that

if the convention really have the cause of music at heart, if it proposes to do effective work towards giving good music a home among the people by creating a taste for it, it must begin with the children." 281

The delegates appointed a committee to study the subject in 1887 and

Fitz "delivered a concise but highly instructive and interesting

discourse on the training and education of children.Once again no

action was taken. The discussion was tabled at the last convention in

1889.

Other Convention Business

The 1882 convention adjourned with the delegates agreeing that the general manager, Noltenius, had "plenary powers" and, "whenever necessity demanded," he "could issue a request for another

Convention;there was, then, no sense that the conventions would be annual and there was no need to discuss convention sites. At the 1883 convention, Noltenius invited the delegates to return to Petersburg the next year; a delegate from the Richmond Mozart Association suggested moving the convention to Richmond; a delegate from

Richmond's Organists' Association voiced his opinion

that if the next convention or the next one after that, were to be held in Petersburg, the representation of delegates would dwindle down more and more. He had heard a great deal of discussion on this subject, and he really thought that it would be for the interest of the association to extend the field for holding conventions.

The delegates appointed a committee of three— two from Petersburg and one from Richmond— to decide the question.By October, the P. M. A. board learned of the decision to hold the third convention in

Petersburg.^ At the 1884 convention, Noltenius gave his opinion

that it would be best to have the convention and festival next year in some other city than Petersburg. He knew the association in Petersburg would attend wherever it might be held. 282

The delegate from Norfolk's St. Cecilia Society expressed his desire

for the next convention to be held in that city; the concluding

statement of the convention report was, "It is probable that the next

convention will be held in Norfolk.

Noltenius informed the P. M. A. board in January 1885 that

Norfolk was unable to host that year's convention and festival; the

board decided that Petersburg should "take the matter in hand" so that

the events would not canceled.At the 1885 convention, the

delegates agreed with Noltenius' suggestion that the associations be

given until 1 July to submit invitations to a committee to have the

1886 convention held in their cities; the convention was again held in

Petersburg, and the question of convention site was never discussed

again.

The Convention Entertainments

In preparation for the first convention, the P. M. A. board appointed a committee of five directors to attend to the delegates after their arrival.^ After the delegates concluded the business of the convention, they were first entertained by the P. M. A. at the

Petersburg Club,^^ and then escorted to Tabb Street Presbyterian

Church for an organ recital by Noltenius.

The P. M. A. board plemned two concerts, an organ recital, amd a reception for the 1883 convention. The first concert, scheduled for the night preceding the business sessions of the convention, featured the Petersburg Chorus, the New York Philharmonic Club, and visiting artists Zelie de Lussam, soprano; Eva L. K. Dickson, contralto; 283

Charles Kaiser, Jr., tenor; and Ivan E. Morawski, bass.After the

concert, the delegates, performers, members of the P. M. A., and other

invited guests attended a reception at Library Hall.

Upon entering the hall, one might have imagined himself in a fairy land, so chaste, yet fanciful, were the decorations. At the end of the hall a large stage had been constructed, its flooring strewn with moss and rushes, and a miniature wood of sweet smelling pine trees had been so artistically arranged as to present the appearance of a sylvem bower. At the south end was a pyramid of floral designs of every variety, and all around the hall the walls were fairly crowded with flowers and garlands and wreaths, and many colored festoons of airy gauze, while appropriate legends told that the place, for the evening was dedicated to Polyhymnia.*

After an address of welcome, the Petersburg chorus presented a brief

musical program:

A most amusing part of this entertainment was "The Bird Cantata," in which three ladies and two gentlemen assumed the respective parts, in costume, of the nightingale, the magpie, the cuckoo, the parrot and the raven.”

The next day, an organ and vocal recital in which various

performers, including some of the delegates, participated was given at

Tabb Street Presbyterian Church during the delegates' afternoon recess. The closing concert of the convention featured Richmond's

Mozart Amateur Orchestra

composed almost exclusively of youths reuiging from 12 to 18 years, who have been playing together but about four months, under the leadership of Prof. Kessnich. and under the able directorship of Mr. Charles L. Siegel.”

Vocalists from Norfolk, Richmond, and Lynchburg also performed. The total expenses for the concerts and recital amounted to six hundred dollars. The cost of admission to all of the entertainments was one dollar; for one concert and the recital, seventy-five cents. 284

The Advent of the Festivals

The term "festival" was first used at the 1883 convention. As

part of his report as general manager, Noltenius recommended that the

choruses of the associations perform with the professional artists

engaged during the regular season concerts so that the choruses

might have the benefit of artistic support and at the same time, be incited to approximate the same perfection. He also suggested the institution of prize contests, the judges to be selected from outside of Virginia and North Carolina. All this, he said, would tend to the creation of one grand chorus which might render oratorios, accompanied by the best orchestras and under the leadership of acknowledged masters.“

After some discussion, the delegates resolved that professional

artists and local talent should perform side by side; that the

formation of choruses would assist in the elevation of "general musical taste;" that each association appoint a committee responsible for recommending "those choruses [choral selections] which are best suited to promote the high musical aim of the association;" and

That the several choruses shall render their compositions selected for the benefit of all, at annual conventions in which all the choruses shall be united in one grand chorus for the rendering of musical works, both secular amd sacred, under the leadership of some eminent conductor and accompanied by the very best orchestra, and thus the way may be paved for the holding of annual music festivals on a scale which may favorably compare with those held in the North, East and West.

Noltenius and Jackson served on the Committee on Music for the

1884 Festival. At the 1884 convention, the delegates initially resolved that the musical directors of all of the associations should form a committee to decide the selections to be performed by the joint chorus as well as by the individual choruses.In keeping with the 285

desire to maintain the independence of each association, the delegates

amended this resolution:

That a committee of three be appointed from among the musical directors of the several musical associations represented in this convention, whose duty it shall be to arrange the programme for the next annual festival, selecting the joint choruses to be sung on that occasion, and leaving to the musical director of each association the choice of music to be sung by the respective associations.

It is not known who served on this committee. Reports of subsequent

conventions do not indicate that the delegates were involved in the planning of the festivals; Petersburg was the host city, amd the

P. M. A. assumed the responsibility of organizing the events.

The Music Festivals of Virginia and North Carolina

When the P. M. A. organized the first Festival of Virginia and

North Carolina in 1884, it attempted to emulate the well known festivals in larger cities. After the middle of the nineteenth century, festivals were often of gargantuan proportions; primary examples were the Peace Jubilees of 1869 and 1872 in Boston organized by Patrick S. Gilmore and conducted by Carl Zerrahn. The first of these boasted a chorus numbering ten thousand and an orchestra of one thousand; these figures were doubled for the next festival. The program of the sixth biennial Cincinnati May Festival, held in 1884, denounced this "Barnum and Bailey approach" to festival planning:

One cause of the success of the Cincinnati May Festivals is to be found in the fact that their motive has always been something loftier than the sensationalism which is the too frequent product of the tendency to the combination that now pervades nearly all activities-artistic no less than social, commercial. 286

and political. The aim has not been simply to create periodically a popular excitement by bringing together vast numbers of performers and vast audiences. The influence of such low-born efforts can not fail to be injurious to art amd its votaries. Artistic culture is best advanced by expositions which give true and faithful expression to whatever form of art is being practiced."

This five-day festival, with a chorus of over six hundred and a

guarantee fund of sixty-six thousand dollars, was, however, no small

affair.

A leader in the festival movement who was to become a prominent

figure in the festivals held in Petersburg was Carl Zerrahn, who had

come to the United States as a flutist with the Germania Musical

Society. After this society disbanded in 1854, Zerrahn accepted the

position of conductor of Boston's Handel and Haydn Society (organized

in 1815). The society held its first festival in 1857; in 1865 ainother

festival was held to celebrate the society's fiftieth anniversary.

After this, triennial festivals were held until 1883, when low

attendance at festival concerts caused a deficit of six thousand

dollars. As the minutes of the Society record,

music in Boston had become so much more plentiful and cheap than it was in the days of the earlier festivals. Think how amply the best musical appetite must have been satiated by the now- established system of twenty-four Symphony Concerts, with twenty-four public rehearsals of the same, making forty-eight such concerts, in every musical season! Then there were classical chamber concerts of all kinds. These, taken all together, gave, so to say, the primacy to instrumental music. But there is also to be taken into account the competition with the old Society not precisely on its own ground, but to a considerable extent so, on the part of smaller societies (each, to be sure, of special character), like the Cecilia, the Apollo, and the Boylston Club.

Another reason was the length of the festival. The minutes of the annual meeting reflect the following sentiment: 287

In no one of our cities have we the large class of people of wealth and leisure, free, as in Europe, to devote a whole week to attendance on a feast of oratorio. Even our wealthy families are busy and grudge time for such things. More than that, the famous musical festivals abroad, at all events in Germany, rarely if ever exceed three days in length. Why not content ourselves with that more modest plan?

Although Zerrahn is more difficult to locate in twentieth-

century books on American music than Gilmore, he was certainly closely

associated with a number of successful festivals. According to a

contemporary source, Zerrahn

was called to San Francisco to take charge of the musical festival held there during that year L1877], which made his reputation a thoroughly national one.

Proof of his reputation can be found in an April 1890 issue of The

Boston Evening Transcript, which reported that Zerrahn was presently involved with the New Hampshire State Music Festival and was already engaged to conduct festivals in Concord and Weirs, New Hampshire;

Bradford, Pennsylvania; Burlington and Rutland, Vermont; and

Petersburg, Virginia.^ Zerrahn possessed traits that assured successful outcomes:

A well-trained musician, quick to recognize shortcomings, but at the same time fully conscious that some of these must be overlooked in order to gain the maximum of attainment possible from a body of amateur singers, brought together at weekly intervals during a portion of the year; with eminently good judgment as to what he could command; with unfailing patience and good-humor, and many popular qualities, Zerrahn soon won and has always kept the esteem and confidence of the chorus, whose members will bear from him a sudden and sometimes sharp rebuke, or a playful bit of sarcastic comment, which from any one else would rouse their opposition and generate ill-feeling.

This esteem was also deeply felt by festival participants in

Petersburg. 288

The Inaugural Festival: 1884

In October 1883, the P. M. A. directors decided to assume the

task of presenting a festival in the "fullest confidence" that the

citizens of Petersburg would contribute to the guarantee fund and

provide housing for festival participants.^^ The citizens of

Petersburg lived up to the expectations of the P. M. A, directors by

financing a guarantee fund in the amount of ten thousand dollars. In

his report at the annual meeting held within weeks of the close of the

Festival, P. M. A. president John Q. Jackson attributed the readiness

of the citizens to finance the fund to the musical education they had

received through the efforts of the association. Because of this education, according to Jackson, Petersburgers

are no longer content to listen to mere "tunes;" mere sing-song compositions fail to satisfy their musical palate which, by degrees, has become more fastidious and finds but little taste in aught but material well seasoned and well served."

The printed program of the festival has 146 guarantors listed. Twenty- five of these listings are businesses. Other proof of interest in the event is the response of the public to ticket sales. As indicated in an article announcing the first day of ticket sales for the event, the demand for tickets was "very great, not only in the city, but elsewhere in the state.On that first day of sales, more than one- third of the seats in the Academy of Music had been taken.In anticipation of this response, the P. M. A. directors authorized

Noltenius to reserve seats for delegates representing the various musical associations before the box-sheet was open to the public. 289

In addition to supporting the event by providing financial

support and by attending the various concerts, the citizens of

Petersburg were also asked to afford visitors to the city every

hospitality imaginable. The local press encouraged individuals and

businesses to decorate their homes and stores with bunting éind flags

so that the city would "present a holiday appearance."^ From the

very beginning, the festival was looked upon as more than culturally

enriching:

It will be a feast of soul as well as of music. It will bind closer ties of friendship already existing, and will be instrumental in forming new ones.

Four visiting choruses joined with the P. M. A. chorus for the

festival to form a chorus of 150 to 175 voices. Although North

Carolina was represented at the convention, only Virginia was

represented at the festival itself. The visiting choruses that

performed were the Mozart Association and Concordia Glee Club of

Lynchburg, the St. Cecilia Society of Norfolk and the Gesangverein

Virginia of Richmond.^ The orchestra, under the direction of H. R.

Palmer, numbered twenty-four.

The stage of the Academy has been entirely cleared of all its usual appurtenances. The curtain taken away, and the entire space transformed into what, but for the pink background, one might designate as a forest scene. A huge roof serving as a sounding board covers the stageC.] By skillful and tasteful arrangement this roof is made to appear as a sky at night, fleecy clouds floating in space, while stars and the circle of the moon glitters among these. On the sides are placed pieces of scenery representing woodland, the background as already stated, is of pink color, beautified by a golden lyre, surrounded by laurel wreath and by a number of ingeniously arranged musical instruments, while festoons of light material and various designs in flowers lend a pleasing diversity to the picture. The prosceni[u]m arch bears on either side the monogram initials of the Petersburg Musical Association, and huge stands of flowers. 290

bouquets, hanging baskets and potted plants place the front of the stage in pleasant contrast to its other features.

The fronts of the galleries in the main hall were covered with

photographs of concert artists and musical instruments.

The festival consisted of three concerts and a piano recital at

the Academy of Music, and an organ recital at First Baptist Church.

The first concert opened with the united chorus, unaccompanied,

singing "Old Hundredth." The chorus was joined first by the

audience, and then by the orchestra. A reporter wrote, "Within the

limits of our good city, that grand old choral[e] never before found such sublime u t t e r a n c e . The concert continued with Beethoven's

Egmont Overture, which was the first work listed on the printed program. Vocal soloists for the evening were Zelie de Lussan, soprano, auid Ivan Morawski, baritone, who were accompanied by pianist

George W. Colby. Instrumental soloists were H. Singerhoff, violin, and Theodore Hoch, cornet. The Gesangverein Virginia was the only chorus that was not featured during the concert. The united chorus, accompanied by the orchestra, concluded the concert with Max Bruch's

"Fair Ellen." Soloists for this were de Lussan and Morawski.

This was beyond all question the piece de resistance of the evening. It was superbly sung, and it is difficult to say to whom most praise is due, whether to orchestra, chorus, soloists, or leader. All did so nobly that like acknowledgement is due to all."

The response to the concert led to one complaint: the enthusiasm of the audience for the solo performances precipitated so many encores that the length of the program was greatly extended. 291

On the afternoon of the second day of the festival the noted

organist Frederic Archer, assisted by some of the guest vocal and

instrumental soloists, gave a recital at First Baptist Church. A

second concert with orchestra was held that night. Pianist Julie

Rivé-King performed a recital at the Academy on the afternoon of the

third day of the festival.

The opulence of the final concert rivalled that of the inaugural

concert:

At night the Academy presented an unusually brilliant spectacle. Beautiful women faultlessly attired, with jewels flashing from many a shapely neck and arm; the bright colors of flowers and decorations; the more than ordinarily evident spirit of joy pervading that gay assemblage, made a remarkable impression upon each one and served to create the enthusiasm which found vent whenever fitting opportunity offered.

The concert opened with the united chorus performing Mendelssohn's

"95th Psalm." As in the opening concert, each chorus except the

Gesangverein Virginia was featured. The second half of the concert

was opened with Weber's magnificent "Jubilee" overture. It was unquestionably the most superb orchestral performance of the festival, and was received by [the] audience with great enthusiasm.

The united chorus concluded the concert with Handel's "Hallelujah"

chorus.

Before the performance of this final chorus of the evening,

Noltenius came before the audience to express his appreciation to the performers. As he left the stage he received such a spontaneous ovation that he was forced to return to the stage to accept the rather wild display of gratitude of the audience. 292

Cries of "Noltenius" sounded upon every side and when Dr. Palmer fairly drew that gentleman upon the stage there came round upon round of applause and clapping of hands and there was a sea of waving handkerchiefs in front and on the stage. Dr. Palmer proposed "Three cheers for Mr. Noltenius" and they were given with a hearty good will. Then some gentleman in the audience, fired by the spirit of the moment, cried out again, "Three cheers for Noltenius," and they rang out with undiminished force. The "Hallelujah" chorus got a chance at last. '

This acknowledgement of the work of Noltenius was merely a hint of

what was to come during the coming years of the festivals. The work

of Noltenius caused President Jackson, in his report at the annual

meeting of the P. M. A . , to claim:

The name auid fame of Noltenius are treasured in every home in the state of Virginia where the love of music has an abiding place. The newspapers of other cities speak of him with every mark of appreciation and accord to him that acknowledgment of the services he has rendered in the great work of popularizing good music which is so eminently his due.

The Second Festival: Signs of Growth

After Norfolk decided that it could not host the 1885 festival

(see above), Noltenius told the P. M. A. directors that

nothing was left but abandonment of the idea, or for Petersburg to take the matter in hauid. It was obvious that to omit the Festival would be a great injury to the cause of music in our midst, and to have it, two principal things must be ascertained, namely the prospect as to the entertainment of participants, and the willingness and ability of the public to raise a guarantee fund or provide a cash contribution sufficient to insure against loss.'®

A committee of three was designated to solicit contributions and within one week's time a fund of seven thousand two hundred dollars was reported.This response was remarkable, especially considering

that the 1884 festival had had a deficit,®® and it was encouragement enough for the board to decide to proceed with plans for a festival. 293

Support for the project continued to grow, and by early April the fund

had increased to $10,150. News of the success of the campaign for the

fund evidently traveled quickly, although not always accurately. The

Lynchburg News responded to one error as follows;

The [Baltimore] American gives our city credit that belongs to Petersburg. The practical and prosaic money men of Lynchburg would be horrified at the idea of subscribing $10,000 to a musical enterprise. No, sir; no such foolishness as that for them. It is a tight pinch for us to keep up a little Mozart society.

The faith of Petersburg's citizens was not misplaced; the

investment in the festival proved to be an astute financial decision.

By early May the local press was able to report that

A great many enquiries come from here, there, and everywhere, as to price of tickets, day and mode for reserving seats, board at the hotels and boarding houses.

The report includes the statement that an order of season tickets had

been received from Charleston, South Carolina. Alert businessmen

did not let the advantages of the festival escape them. For instance,

the officers of the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad advertised that,

for a fee of two dollars, people interested in attending the concerts

could ride special trains that would return to Richmond "immediately

after every concert."®^ Once these transportation arrangements had been made, tickets were made available to Richmonders by placing a box-sheet in a store in that city.

Petersburg businessmen demonstrated creative methods of advertising their merchandise prior to and during the days of the festival. Saal's Gentlemen's Store, for instance, advertised

"Allegretto" and "Symphony" scarfs, as well as "Basso Profundi" 294

pleated bosom shirts.®^ The increase in the number of participants

and subscribers also meant a profit for the local hotels and

restaurants. An article printed for the purpose of rallying local

support for the festival concludes with a clear reference to the

financial gains to be had, stating that, for the festival planners the

work

is a labor of love, and that is more reason why every resident of the Cockade City should consider it a duty as well as a privilege to aid the directors of the Petersburg Musical Association and those associated with them in an undertaking, the faultless carrying out of which cannot but redound to the glory and advance the prosperity of the city.

The 1885 Festival was clearly planned to be superior to its

predecessor. The orchestra was enlarged to thirty members and, more

importantly, the players engaged were to be from one established

organization, the Peabody Orchestra of Baltimore. As in 1884,

renowned artists of the day, including pianist Teresa Carreho and organist Clarence Eddy, were engaged to perform. Possibly the most daring and, ultimately, most beneficial decision made by the festival planners was to engage Carl Zerrahn as the festival conductor. In

Zerrahn the planners had an expert festival conductor and one whose reputation could attract artists of the first rank as well as attention from a variety of locations that might otherwise overlook activities in Petersburg.

The 1885 Festival opened with an afternoon organ concert at

Market Street M. E. Church.^ The audience, "largely composed of ladies,"G* filled the church to capacity. 295

Although rain poured down with but few and brief intervals pretty nearly all day, yet they came auid in such large numbers as left no doubt of their unflagging zeal in the cause they had espoused.

The first evening concert of the festival was also plagued by bad weather.

It rained and rained and rained; it rained in streams and torrents until the streets flowed like rivers, and everybody that ventured out was threatened with becoming a "demnition moist, unpleasant body." However, Petersburgers and their guests were more than equal to the occasion, and the steady roll of carriages and the crowded street cars showed that the music- loving folk were not going to let a little thing like a deluge keep them at home. As a consequence, the Academy was filled from parquette to third gallery. Richmond's reserved seats were all occupied and many were the visitors from Norfolk, Lynchburg, Farmville, and even from more distant localities, like Washington and Baltimore."

Reminiscent of the opening of the 1884 festival, this first evening concert also began with the singing of "Old Hundredth." The program included performances by the Lynchburg Concordia Glee Club, the

Petersburg Chorus, aind the united chorus.

Remaining programs of the festival included a piano recital, a chamber music recital, and two evening concerts by the orchestra and choruses. The festival was a financial success, and its success was also measured in other ways:

All that has been anticipated from it, has, we think, been realized. It has been a season of unalloyed enjoyment; it has furnished an opportunity for demonstrating how rapidly and how thoroughly the taste for music of a high order has gained ground in this state; it has served to cement more closely the bonds of friendship between Petersburg and other communities; it has tended to give a further impulse to the general determination to foster the art divine and raise it up on the loftiest pedestal. 296

Festival Successes; 1886-1890

The financial success of the 1885 festival was repeated at each

of the festivals from 1886 to 1890, though details such as performers'

fees aind other expenditures are not known. Receipts from the 1887

festival totaled $3,247.95 and expenditures $3,131.94, leaving a

balance of $116.01; gross receipts for the 1888 festival totaled about

$4,200, "a sum more than sufficient to pay all the expenses, and hence

the generous guarantors will not be called on for a dollar.The

1890 festival was also a financial success aind the contributors to the

twelve thousand dollar guarantee fund were spared any financial

burden.^

High attendance figures made it possible for the P. M. A.

directors to keep admission fees reasonable. An explanation of a

"slight advance" of admission fees for the 1887 festival performances

over those of 1886 informed the public that the cost was still only

one-third that of a similar series in Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore

or New York. A set of tickets for the entire festival cost $3.50

{$1.00-$1.50 extra for reserved seats); tickets for individual

performances cost from seventy-five cents to $1.25 (twenty-five cents

extra for a reserved seat)By 1890, season tickets for the

festival cost five dollars, if purchased the week before the festival; nine dollars if purchased later.**

Attendance figures (which included audience, performers, and miscellaneous personnel) for the 1887 festival totaled 6,195;** those for 1888, 7,692;** and for 1889, 7,095.** There were many reasons for the especially high attendance figures in 1888: the newly renovated 297

Academy of Music (see Chapter 7), the successes of previous festivals,

and the anticipated presence of Governor and Mrs. Lee of Virginia and

Governor and Mrs. Scales of North Carolina, who had been invited by

the P. M. A. directors. The P. M. A. had also invited President and

Mrs. Grover Cleveland; they were unable to attend, but a report of the

invitation in the New York World brought additional attention to the

event.

The 1889 festival— referred to as the city's "annual

jollification"— attracted more out-of-state attention than ainy of its

predecessors:^^

Almost every newspaper, north and south, is taking notice of the festival, and generally very kind words of appreciation and good wishes are added. Never before has the festival management received so many letters from leading newspapers, stating that they will send their reporters, and requesting that seats be reserved for them. One leading musical weekly will reserve from two to four pages for an extended report of the festival, with cuts of the Academy, conductor and artists (it wishes also a cut of the courteous, efficient chairman of the committee on homes), and all this unasked and gratis. Communications have been received already at this early date from the Charleston (S. C.) World, Boston (Mass.) Leader, Baltimore Sun, Roanoke Times, Washington Post, Abingdon Virginian, Washington United Press, New York Keynote, Richmond Baton and others.

In its preview of the festival, the Washington Post found a political purpose to the festival:

This is a sort of move in the solid south that is calculated to do more good and advance southern interests, and promote northern sympathy more than all the diplomacies of political parties. The revival of musical interests in that section shows that the south is rapidly emerging from the somberness of the past, and regaining her old-time delight in social emd artistic life. That her people have time and inclination to restore the amusements and pleasures of which they were such famous devotees in the old days is a most cheerful sign. When the people of the south give musical festivals and her northern neighbors go down and help them out in the enterprise with their appreciation and money, the race 298

question will be solving itself, and the blue and gray will have melted into one tone.

The Post was represented at the festival by its musical critic, Harry

L. West;^**^ the Baltimore Sun by Mary Evans, "a bright young aspirant

for journalistic fame, a pupil of the Peabody Conservatory of Music

and an accomplished performer on the violin.

The 1890 festival was a success despite competition with other

musical events: Richmond held its first May Festival in the early part

of the month, and North Carolina was preparing for its first festival

in June. Richmond's Gesangverein Virginia declined an invitation to

participate in the festival because its members were busily preparing

for the one in Richmond.A musical association in Salem, North

Carolina responded that it would not be represented at the convention

or festival because of its busy schedule, which included preparing for

that state's first music festival in Charlotte.

A major conflict with the third day of the festival was the

unveiling of the Robert E. Lee monument in Richmond; festival planners allowed for this by not scheduling an afternoon recital on that day as

in the previous two years. Special trains ran that day to transport

an estimated three thousand people from Petersburg to Richmond.

The monument exercises began at 3:45 p.m. even though the end of the parade did not reach the grounds until after 5:00 p.m.southbound trains left Richmond at 5:30, 6:30, and 7:30, making it possible for people to arrive in Petersburg in time for the 8:30 concert.Some out-of-town guests, among them the two delegates from the Washington, 299

D. C. Choral Society, planned to attend the monument exercises and

then travel to Petersburg for the festival.

The P. M. A. received a number of negative responses to its

invitations to participate in the festival. The Norfolk and

Portsmouth Oratorio Society explained that it was not in a position to

participate, but hoped that it would reorganize the following year.^^^

The association in Roanoke also hoped to be organized at a later date,

and the ones at Abingdon Academy and in Danville had disbanded.An

A. L. Nelson at Lexington's Washington and Lee University explained

that the school's association did not organize that season, but

expressed his desire to attend the event.Cities in North Carolina

also declined: Wilmington had been unable to organize a musical

association, and the association in Oxford, which participated the

previous year, had disbanded.Greensboro's Choral Society had also

failed:

our Director lost heart & gave up. it was a spasmodic effort, male voices were not to be found capable of reading. Ladies were plentiful and able, but not 4 males could be found who could read sufficiently to make any headway & the few who could got tired of trying over & over.

The special festival guests would also be absent; North

Carolina's Governor Fowle responded:

My visit to your delightful city in 1889 upon the occasion of your Sixth Musical Festival, was one of the most enjoyable occasions of my life— and I can assure you that it is with great regret, that I feel impelled by public affairs to decline the courteous invitation you have sent me, to be with you this year.“ '

Virginia's Governor McKinney, unable to attend because of events

surrounding the monument unveiling auid other official duties, wrote 300

that he hoped that his wife would be able to attend.McKinney's

support of the festival was illustrated by his granting Noltenius'

request to allow members of the chorus affiliated with the Petersburg

Greys, a military company which had been ordered to a nearby county

for some unstated reason, to remain in Petersburg until after the

final performance.

Despite everything, the 1890 festival was a success. A review

from Weldon, North Carolina, read:

The seventh annual music festival was held at Petersburg last week. All have been successful, but this one was probably the best of all. The interest shown in these festivals is not confined to Petersburg, but is felt throughout Virginia and a large part of North Carolina, and their influence is growing into am ever widening circle. They are not only occasions of pleasure, but they develop the higher attributes of human nature, refine it and make people better. Let the good work go on.^^

This was just the type of response that the people of Petersburg wanted; an editorial printed in the Daily Index-Appeal just as the festivities were beginning quoted a German verse

which means: Where people sing, there you may dwell in ease. For bad men have no songs with which to please.

The festivals met the primary objectives of promoting music of good quality, elevating the musical tastes of the public, and emulating the great music festivals of larger cities. They also bolstered civic pride, gave the city the opportunity to host state leaders, allowed Petersburg society to see and be seen, and benefitted city merchants. 301

A Festival Innovation: The Children's Concert

The 1887 festival introduced a Children's Concert, a concert

that became an important feature of future festivals. Each of the

concerts featured a chorus of from three hundred to four hundred fifty

children and included performances by the orchestra and soloists. A

review of the concert claims that

the little ones had the lion's share of the work; it must be called the children's festival now, because they carried off the lion's share of the glory.

The review also explains that

It was not merely the novelty which the presentation of so large a juvenile chorus offered, but the really artistic performance of these children that served to impress the audience. It was fully shared by Mr. Zerrahn who was most demonstrative in his expressions of delight and declared repeatedly that this surpassed anything that he had ever seen or heard. Too much credit cannot be awarded to Mr. Noltenius and the young ladies who have had the training of these little ones for the excellent work and infinite patience, the result of which was the great treat with which the audience was regaled yesterday afternoon.

At the 1888 festival, the Academy of Music was filled to capacity for a Children's matinee.

If it be said that a personal interest brought a large portion of the people to the Academy; that they came not because they were essentially concerned about music, but rather because some of their children were in the chorus, that furnishes a most powerful reason why the children's festival should be a permanent feature of future festivals, because in that way the little songsters would become missionaries, as it were, in the cause of music in their several homes, and thus gradually, almost imperceptibly, a musical sentiment would be built up in the community which would go far to sustain for many years to come, the public interest in the work of the Petersburg Musical Association."4

The chorus consisted of four hundred children— "three-fourths of them girls, ranging in age from six to sixteen years.Included in the 302

program was Hummel's Fairy Cantata, At the close of the concert,

Zerrahn addressed the chorus:

Dear children: I am going to leave for Baltimore early in the morning, but I cannot part from you without thanking you for the attention which you have given me and for the delight which your beautiful singing has afforded me. I can assure you that I have heard many children's choruses, both in this country and in Europe, and I have heard nothing that can compare with your singing. The nearest approach to it was the singing of a chorus of twelve hundred children in San Francisco, but even that was not as perfect as yours. Continue, I beg of you, as you have begun and you will reach as near perfection as it is possible for human voices to attain. Once more, dear children, I bid you good bye.“^

The children's chorus of 1889 numbered four hundred fifty, fifty of

whom were from Suffolk; the Academy "was literally packed from pit to

dome" for the concert.In 1890 the children's matinee was called

"the glory of the whole festival.The four-hundred-voice chorus

included only twenty-five or thirty boys.^^^ The Petersburg children

were joined by children from the Farmville State Normal School aind the

Suffolk Female Institute.

Responses to the Festivals

The music festivals held in Petersburg from 1884 to 1890 became

synonymous with unrivalled musicianship, hospitality auid splendor; they championed the cause of music in Virginia and North Carolina; they attracted the attention of and were the source of envy for other localities. Norfolk was an early and continuous supporter of the festivals; in 1884, the Landmark observed:

Petersburg is neither noisy nor demonstrative; but when good works are required, in peace or war, the "Cockade City" never fails to render a good account of herself. We have a case in point before us today, we dwell upon this with pride and 303

pleasure, for our sister of the Appomattox shows herself a friend of art in a manner which assumes neither doubt nor question. She is now holding her Musical festival, and the evidence of her zeal is found not only in the work of preparation and the hospitality of her citizens, but in the large fund she has subscribed ($10,000) to provide for all contingencies. . . . The people of Petersburg understand that music is a conservative force in morals, a discipline to the intellect, a solace and comfort to individuals [sic] aind to masses; and hence the noble display she is now making for the edification of the state.

The Lynchburg News claimed that "the whole State owes what it is

musically" to the P. M. Just before the 1886 festival, the

Richmond State praised the festival:

In no southern state has musical art made such steady progress as it has made in Virginia. One department of music— opera— has been popular in New Orleans for many years, but New Orleans cannot boast of music festivals equal to those held annually in Petersburg. The festival given last May under the direction of Mr. Zerrahn, with Mr. Noltenius as the leading spirit, would have done credit to many of the large art centres of the north and west. 133

During the 1886 festival, the State predicted: "Petersburg will soon be to Virginia what Boston is to New England or Cincinnati is to the

Ohio Valley— the great music centre."13^

The festivals provided incentives for localities to develop choruses capable of performing in them. Reports of delegates at the conventions often indicated that their respective associations were working towards the goal of participating in the festivals. In 1886, the delegate from the Henderson, North Carolina, Musical Association reported that a chorus was being formed "and next year it is expected to have a chorus at the festival ;133 its chorus sauig at the next two festivals. This desire was also expressed by the delegate from 304

Abingdon’s Musical Association in 1888;^^^ the association's chorus

performed in the 1889 festival.

Attention to the festivals extended beyond participating cities;

in 1890, the Philadelphia Press noted that "The Virginian city is not

as populous as Philadelphia, but she can whip us so far as music is

concerned;" to which the Daily Index-Appeal responded:

"Not so populous as Philadelphia!" Well, we should say not. For festival purposes Petersburg has a population of not over 12,000; Philadelphia at least a million, or 83 times as much.^

The music critic from The [Baltimore] Sun used the term "astonishing"

to describe how a city the size of Petersburg could gather "together the various musical associations from the neighboring towns to have musical festivals that compare favorably with those held in larger cities.""B

The 1891 Festival

The impact of the festivals was made evident in comments that appeared when it was thought that the 1891 festival would be cancelled. No official reasons for the possible cancellation of the festivals were given by the P. M. A. directors. Richmond newspapers suggested that the reasons included a poorly attended concert season, general economic problems, "want of interest in chorus practicing,"^* and "Mr. Noltenius's poor health."^*® The Daily Index-Appeal printed the statements found in the Richmond newspapers, but neither confirmed nor denied them; no minutes of the P. M. A. board exist from this period. 305

In January 1891, the Danville Register recognized that the

festivals had been influential

all over the state in elevating the popular standard of music, and have to that extent been a public benefit. We are surprised that the people of Petersburg should abandon the festival. It has become a Petersburg Institution and has been a splendid advertisement for the Cockade City.

Similar, though more thorough, remarks appeared in the Richmond State:

The Cockade City not only led Virginia in music, but it led the south, without a single exception. The festival last season was the best that was ever held, and would have done credit to Boston or Cincinnati. Baltimore is a musical city, but we are certain that Baltimore has never had a more elegant tone banquet than this one referred to.^^^

By the end of March, the P. M. A. began efforts to raise a guarantee fund for a series of concerts on 30 April and 1 May "to take the place of the music festival which was necessarily postponed until next year. The fund would make it possible to engage a thirty-two member orchestra, to be directed by Ross Jungnickel, and vocal soloists to perform

three entertainments, viz: an orchestral and vocal concert on Thursday night; a matinee with children's chorus, orchestra and soloists on Friday afternoon, and Mendelssohn's grand oratorio "St. Paul" on Friday night.

Almost a month later, the term "festival" was hesitantly used to describe these concerts:

Petersburg does not, as a rule deign to confer the title of music festival upon anything that does not occupy its attention for a whole week, yet for convenience's sake this term may be used in speaking of the series of concerts which will be given on Thursday and Friday of next week. "

At first ticket sales were encouraging;^^* when they began to decline the public was informed that 306

the festival will be a financial failure, and that the directors of the P. M. A. will have to call upon the guarantors to redeem the pledges which they so readily made. If that must be done Petersburg must say good-bye to all future festivals and the choruses of which we have been so proud will sing the swan song that heralds their dissolution. Thenceforward our music-loving people, when they wish to hear any grand musical work, may prepare to add the price of a railroad ticket to Richmond to the cost of their admission tickets. *

According to the review of the opening concert, the audience was

"not as large in numbers as customary on festival nightsno mention was made of attendance at the remaining two concerts. At each

of the last two concerts on Friday of the festival, an announcement was made that, since the orchestra had to stay in the city until

Sunday, it would perform a concert, assisted by the soloists and the children's chorus, on Saturday night; this concert attracted the

"largest audience of the week.Amid the enthusiasm over the performance, during which several encores were requested, a solemn note was cast when Noltenius, after having just conducted the children's chorus, spoke the following words; "Ladies and gentlemen, does this mean the going to sleep of the children's chorus? Please ponder.

The "Noltenius Factor"

The name Noltenius is prominently linked with the P. M. A. and its festivals; would the festivals have existed without him? He brought to the P. M. A. expertise as a businessman and a musician, along with the social status earned by his marriage into an established Petersburg family.Perhaps his greatest asset, at a time when Germans dominated the American music scene, was that he was 307

a native German; within a few years of his arrival in Petersburg, the

name Noltenius was synonymous with music performance of the highest

quality.

As director of the Petersburg Chorus, Noltenius played an active

role in the festival performances. The chorus continually set a

standard of excellence; the Richmond State ranked it

second to none in the United States. Boston, New York, Baltimore and Cincinnati may have choruses larger but the 140 singers trained by Mr. Noltenius have well-nigh reached perfection.

The music critic for The [Baltimore] Sun claimed:

It is not an exaggeration to say that the expectations of those who had never before heard the performance of this association were far exceeded in tonight's work. The chorus is in thorough trim, and sing with understanding and intelligence."

According to the Daily Index-Appeal,

A correspondent writing from Worcester to a Boston paper, after referring to the great work Mr. Zerrahn has done in New England for the past thirty-six years, says: "He (Zerrahn) is now especially interested in the society at Petersburg, Va., where he has conducted a festival for five years. This town appears to possess a really superb chorus, which is well supported by the Baltimore Philharmonic Orchestra— Mr. Zerrahn considers it the best chorus in America.

Convention delegates recognized the abilities and success of

Noltenius; they chose him as their general manager and, when Noltenius resigned from this position in 1888, adopted resolutions that cited his work as "the greatest value to the cause of music in the two states.Also in 1888, a discussion of what a musical association required to achieve success prompted a Richmond delegate to state that its leader "must have something of personal magnetism, of manner, of firmness; he must have the power to draw and keep the people together." Another Richmond delegate 308

sketched briefly how Mr. Noltenius had built up the Petersburg Musical Association; how he had kept a steady purpose in mind, and added that if a model were wanted of how to build up a musical association, it could be found nowhere in the world so good as right here in Petersburg.

Noltenius used the same qualities to plan the festivals that he

had used to build the P. M. A. and to train the Petersburg chorus. As

the 1888 festival was beginning, a reporter for the Daily Index-Appeal

reflected on the reasons for the success of previous festivals and

concluded that they were due to the "energy, perseverance, good

judgement and still better management of the Petersburg Musical

Association" and the "appreciative intelligence, the unfaltering

faith, the generous support" of Petersburg's citizens.

Equal with all these, if not above them, rises the untiring devotion of Mr. Noltenius, which was the leaven that leavened the whole mass, and whose disinterested zeal set a noble example, while his remarkable musicianly talent was a factor without price and without value in the accomplishment of the finished results that lie before us today.

Extended Influence of the Festivals

In 1909, William L. Radcliffe, a former resident of Petersburg and current resident of Richmond who was managing "many of the most important music festivals of the South" scheduled for that spring, offered Petersburg amother chance to host a festival. The Daily

Index-Appeal expressed the sentiment that there had been no one since

Noltenius able to

take the lead in rallying the scattering forces. It is gratifying to know that in a former Petersburg boy, Mr. W. L. Radcliffe, who is doing more perhaps throughout the South Atlantic States than any other Southerner to promote an interest in good music, has such a leader been found. There is much truth in the old adage, "cast thy bread upon 309

the waters and it will return after mauiy days." Twenty-five years ago Mr. Radcliffe, then but a boy, was among those who attended the great festival here when a chorus of nearly five hundred voices sang Handel's immortal "Messiah." In speaking to a representative of this paper he says he has never forgotten the impression made upon that memorable night, nor the later impressions made upon him by the self-sacrificing, enthusiastic work of Mr. Noltenius.

A review of the opening concert, as might be expected, included

references to festivals of past days.

Conclusion

The festivals seemed to have disappeared with as little fanfare— at least in print— as the conventions. Perhaps the reason why the festivals seemed to have just ceased without any notice was that the indomitable spirits of Noltenius and his followers did not believe that the end had come; their faith in "the cause" had after all revived the Petersburg Chorus in 1893 (see Chapter 7). Or, perhaps, they realized that the time for the days of grandeur had passed. Even when the chorus was revived, it was not as large as it had been previously. While the festivals emulated those in the west and north, their musical significance might have been accompanied by a sense of recapturing the "glorious days" of the antebellum south. As those days were often looked back on with fond remembrance, so, too, were the festivals.

One reason for the discontinuation of the festivals may have been that they did their job too well. As already indicated, associations that had formerly participated in the festivals in 310

Petersburg had begun to hold their own festivals. The last Petersburg

Festival and the Richmond Festivals of 1890 and 1891 illustrate a

trend toward a more streamlined, less opulent festival plan than that

followed in Petersburg from 1884 to 1890. One might recall the

comment made at the 1883 annual meeting of the Handel and Haydn

Society concerning the inability of most people to attend a week-long

series of concerts.

When the economic condition of the city in the late 1880s is

considered, the question that should probably be asked is: How did the

festivals succeed as long as they did? With large numbers of people

expected to attend from other cities, the festivals most likely

boosted the city's revenue temporarily, and this encouraged the

guarantors to take a risk. However, when these numbers were reduced—

because of the failure of certain musical associations in other cities

or growth of certain other associations to a point that they were too

involved in their own activities to participate in the festivals— and when the economy continued to decline in Petersburg, the festival became a risky venture. The festivals were expensive enterprises, and only a great amount of return would have made their continuation possible.

The preferred term for the end of the conventions and festivals is "discontinuation" and not "failure." The object of those fourteen men who gathered in Petersburg's Y. M. C. A. Hall in May 1882 had been met, probably beyond even their own expectations. The white public had been exposed to and educated by the performances of some of the more prominent artists of the day, and aspiring local musicians had 311

had the opportunity to perform with these artists and profit from

their experiences. The festivals had, "for one, brief shining

moment," returned Petersburg to the glory it had attained in the days

before the Civil War.

Notes

1. Daily Index-Appeal, 1 June 1882.

2. Daily Index-Appeal, 26 May 1883. Noltenius reported to the P. M. A. board that, although no delegates from outside of Virginia were expected, "gratifying interest in the occasion was manifested by several of the N. C. cities." Petersburg Musical Association Records, 2 May 1883; Centre Hill Mansion, Petersburg, Va.

3. Daily Index-Appeal, 14 May 1886.

4. Daily Index-Appeal, 11 May 1888.

5. Daily Index-Appeal, 29 May 1885.

6 . Daily Index-Appeal, 14 May 1886.

7. Daily Index-Appeal, 11 May 1888.

8 . Daily Index-Appeal, 25 May 1889.

9. Daily Index-Appeal, 14 May 1886.

10. Daily Index-Appeal, 14 May 1886.

11. Daily Index-Appeal, 14 May 1886.

12. Daily Index-Appeal, 11 May 1888.

13. Daily Index-Appeal, 14 May 1886.

14. Daily Index-Appeal, 14 May 1886.

15. Daily Index-Appeal, 11 May 1888.

16. Daily Index-Appeal, 1 June 1882. 312

17. Daily Index-Appeal, 1 June 1882. At the 1883 convention, Noltenius asked the delegates to trust his judgement in securing artists {Daily Index-Appeal, 30 May 1883).

18. Daily Index-Appeal, 1 June 1882.

19. Daily Index-Appeal, 29 May 1884.

20. Daily Index-Appeal, 30 May 1883. Noltenius never presented detailed reports at the conventions.

21. Daily Index-Appeal, 30 May 1883.

22. Daily Index-Appeal, 29 May 1884.

23. Daily Index-Appeal, 29 May 1885.

24. Daily Index-Appeal, 29 May 1885.

25. Daily Index-Appeal, 13 May 1887.

26. Daily Index-Appeal, 11 May 1888.

27. Daily Index-Appeal, 23 May 1889.

28. Daily Index-Appeal, 29 May 1883.

29. Daily Index-Appeal, 30 May 1883.

30. Petersburg Musical Association Records, 19 Jan. 1883.

31. P. M. A. Records, 21 May 1883.

32. According to James R. Hines, "Musical Activity in Norfolk, Virginia, 1680-1973" (Ph.D. diss., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1974), 219, Fitz had begun teaching in Norfolk by 1867 and continued until about 1900.

33. Daily Index-Appeal, 29 May 1884.

34. Daily Index-Appeal, 28 May 1885.

35. Daily Index-Appeal, 28 May 1885.

36. Daily Index-Appeal, 14 May 1887.

37. Daily Index-Appeal, 1 June 1882.

38. Daily Index-Appeal, 30 May 1883.

39. Daily Index-Appeal, 30 May 1883. 313

40. P. M. A. Records, 19 Oct. 1883.

41. Daily Index-Appeal, 30 May 1884.

42. Daily Index-Appeal, 30 May 1884.

43. P. M. A. Records, 8 Jéun. 1885.

44. P. M. A. Records, 27 May 1882.

45. The Petersburg Club was a social club formed in 1873 "by a small coterie of the most prominent men in the city." James G. Scott and Edward A. Wyatt, Petersburg's Story: A History (Petersburg, Va. : Titmus Optical Co., 1960), 307.

46. Daily Index-Appeal, 29 May 1883.

47. Daily Index-Appeal, 29 May 1883.

48. Daily Index-Appeal, 29 May 1883.

49. Daily Index-Appeal, 30 May 1883. Siegel was a delegate for Richmond's Mozart Association at the convention.

50. Daily Index-Appeal, 7 May 1883.

51. Daily Index-Appeal, 30 May 1883.

52. Daily Index-Appeal, 30 May 1883.

53. Daily Index-Appeal, 29 May 1884.

54. Daily Index-Appeal, 30 May 1884.

55. Sixth Biennial Musical Festival, at Cincinnati: May 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24, 1884 ([Cincinnati]: Festival Association, 1884), 16-17.

56. Charles C. Perkins and John S. Dwight, History of the Handel and Haydn Society, of Boston, Massachusetts (1883-1913; reprint. New York: Da Capo Press, 1977), I, 449-50.

57. Perkins and Dwight, Handel and Haydn Society, I, 450.

58. F. 0. Jones, ed. , A Handbook of American Music and Musicians (1886; reprint, New York: Da Capo Press, 1971), 181.

59. The Boston Evening Transcript, 28 April 1886.

60. Perkins and Dwight, Handel and Haydn Society, I, 164.

61. P. M. A. Records, 26 Oct. 1883. 314

62. Daily Index-Appeal, 10 Jun. 1884.

63. Daily Index-Appeal, 15 May, 1884.

64. Daily Index-Appeal, 16 May 1884.

65. P. M. A. Records, 14 May 1884.

66. Daily Index-Appeal, 26 May 1884.

67. Daily Index-Appeal, 22 May 1884.

68. The associations and their members are listed in Program, Third Musical Convention and First Music Festival, for Virginia and North Carolina (Petersburg, Va.: John B. Ege, 1884; Petersburg Public Library).

69. Daily Index-Appeal, 27 May 1884.

70. Daily Index-Appeal, 28 May 1884.

71. Daily Index-Appeal, 28 May 1884.

72. Frederic Archer (b. 1838; Oxford, England) came to the United States in 1881. "As an organist he has complete control of his instrument and a wonderful facility of sight playing." Jones, Handbook, 8. First Baptist Church purchased a new H. L. Roosevelt organ at a cost of $2,600 in October 1883. It was installed in the spring of 1884. Daily Index-Appeal, 30 Oct. 1883 and 15 Apr. 1884.

73. Rivé-King, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio was "generally conceded to be one of the first pianists in America and equaled by few of her sex in the world." Jones, Handbook, 145.

74. Daily Index-Appeal, 30 May 1884.

75. Daily Index-Appeal, 30 May 1884.

76. Daily Index-Appeal, 30 May 1884.

77. Daily Index- Appeal, 10 June 1884.

78. P. M. A. Records, 8 Jan. 1885.

79. P. M. A. Records, 15 Jan. 1885.

80. The deficit was mentioned at the 1885 P. M. A. annual meeting {Daily Index-Appeal, 9 June 1885). At the 1885 convention, Noltenius stated that the 1884 festival had raised about $2,300 in ticket sales, but about five hundred dollars had been lost "by reason of the failure of one of the banks in Petersburg."Daily Index-Appeal, 30 May 1885. 315

81. P. M. À. Records, 15 Jan. 1885.

82. Reprinted in Daily Index-Appeal, 16 April 1885.

83. Daily Index-Appeal, 11 May 1885.

84. Daily Index-Appeal, 11 May 1885.

85. Daily Index-Appeal, 12 May 1885.

86. Daily Index-Appeal, 26 and 27 May 1885.

87. Daily Index-Appeal, 7 May 1885.

88. A large organ built by the Jardine Company had been installed in the church in 1875.

89. Daily Index-Appeal, 28 May 1885.

90. Daily Index-Appeal, 28 May 1885.

91. Daily Index-Appeal, 28 May 1885.

92. Daily Index-Appeal, 30 May 1885.

93. Daily Index-Appeal, 5 June 1888.

94. Daily Index-Appeal, 13 June 1890. By mid-February 1890, $11,000 had been pledged to the guarantee fund. Daily Index-Appeal, 17 Feb. 1890.

95. Daily Index-Appeal, 9 April 1887.

96. Daily Index-Appeal, 23 May 1890.

97. Daily Index-Appeal, 7 June 1887.

98. Daily Index-Appeal, 5 June 1888.

99. Daily Index-Appeal, 4 June 1889.

100. The [New York] World, 10 April 1888.

101. Daily Index-Appeal, 21 May 1889.

102. Daily Index-Appeal, 9 May 1889.

103. Reprinted in the Daily Index-Appeal, 8 May 1889. This may have been the editorial referred to by Washington, D. C. lawyer Wm. B. King in his request for information about thefestival. King to P. M. A., 7 May 1889, P. M. A. Papers; Centre Hill Mansion, Petersburg, Va. 316

104. A letter from West to W. P. McRae, 10 May 1889, P. M. A. Papers states West's intent to cover the festival. Another communication from West, dated 14 May 1889, contains information about his travel plans.

105. Daily Index-Appeal, 22 May 1889.

106. Gesangverein Virginia to P. H. A., 10 April 1890, P. M. A. Papers.

107. Salem, N. C. to P. M. A., 8 April 1890, P. M. A. papers. There was no convention in 1890.

108. Daily Index-Appeal, 30 May 1890.

109. The Richmond Dispatch, 30 May 1890 describes the scene as follows; Here were gathered 10,000 or 15,000 veterans, many, many thousand sons of veterans, and volunteers and women and children, until the aggregation was so vast that it almost seemed the south had by some mighty power been gathered up at the ends and all its population poured out upon that green sward around the monument. The event garnered attention from many areas. The Richmond Dispatch, 1 June 1890 carried articles that had appeared in Baltimore, Cincinnati, Charleston (West Virginia), Augusta, Atlanta, and Norfolk. An article about the coming event appeared on the front page of The New York Times, 10 May 1890.

110. Daily Index-Appeal, 27 May 1890.

111. Ernest King (secretary, Washington, D. C. Choral Society) to Noltenius, 6 May 1890, P. M. A. Papers.

112. Norfolk & Portsmouth Oratorio Society to P. M. A., 2 May 1890, P. M. A. Papers.

113. Communications dated 2 May, 30 April and 17 April 1890, respectively, P. M. A. papers.

114. Nelson to P. M. A., 17 April 1890, P. M. A. papers.

115. T. M. Emerson (Wilmington, N. C.) and Oxford, N. C. to P. M. A., both 3 April 1890, P. M. A. papers.

116. Greensboro, N. C. Choral Society to P. M. A., 15 April 1890, P. M. A. papers.

117. Fowle to P. M. A., 1 May 1890, P. M. A. papers. 317

118. McKinney to N. T, Patteson (P. M. A. director), 17 May 1890, P. M. A. papers. From the letter it is clear that members of the P. M. A. had made a visit to Richmond to offer a personal invitation.

119. Daily Index-Appeal, 30 May 1890.

120. Reprinted in Daily Index-Appeal, 6 Jun. 1890.

121. Daily Index-Appeal, 27 May 1890.

122. Daily Index-Appeal, 12 May 1887.

123. Daily Index-Appeal, 12 May 1887.

124. Daily Index-Appeal, 12 May 1888.

125. Daily Index-Appeal, 12 May 1888.

126. Daily Index-Appeal, 12 May 1888. According to William Arms Fisher, Music Festivals in the United States: An Historical Sketch (Boston: The American Choral and Festival Alliance, 1934), 22, when Zerrahn conducted the 1878 festival in 8an Francisco, the festival was extended to include a concert by three thousand public school children.

127. Daily Index-Appeal, 25 May 1889.

128. Daily Index-Appeal, 31 May 1890.

129. Daily Index-Appeal, 31 May 1890.

130. Daily Index-Appeal, 31 May 1890.

131. Reprinted in the Daily Index-Appeal, 28 May 1884.

132. Lynchburg News, 2 June 1885.

133. Reprinted in the Daily Index-Appeal, 1 May 1886.

134. Reprinted in the Daily Index-Appeal, 13 May 1886.

135. Daily Index-Appeal, 14 May 1886.

136. Daily Index-Appeal, 11 May 1888.

137. Daily Index-Appeal, 20 May 1890. This response is unfair because it compares the white population of Petersburg with the total population of Philadelphia.

138. The [Baltimore] Sun, 22 May 1889. 318

139. Reprinted from the Richmond Dispatch in the Daily Index-Appeal, 9 Jan. 1891.

140. Reprinted from the Richmond State in the Daily Index-Appeal, 29 Jan. 1891.

141. Reprinted in Daily Index-Appeal, 10 Jan. 1891.

142. Reprinted in Daily Index-Appeal, 29 Jan. 1891.

143. Daily Index-Appeal, 31 Mar. 1891. No reason has been found to explain why the festival had to be postponed.

144. Daily Index-Appeal, 31 Mar. 1891.

145. Daily Index-Appeal, 24 Apr. 1891.

146. Daily Index-Appeal, 28 April 1891.

147. Daily Index-Appeal, 29 April 1891.

148. Daily Index-Appeal, 1 May 1891.

149. Daily Index-Appeal, 4 May 1891.

150. Daily Index-Appeal, 4 May 1891.

151. Noltenius married Mary B. Banister, granddaughter of Colonel John Banister; Banister was Petersburg's first mayor.

152. Reprinted in the Daily Index-Appeal, 9 May 1887.

153. The [Baltimore] Sun, 24 May 1889.

154. Daily Index-Appeal, 17 May 1890.

155. Daily Index-Appeal, 12 May 1888.

156. Daily Index-Appeal, 12 May 1888.

157. Daily Index-Appeal, 9 May 1888.

158. The Daily Index-Appeal, 9 May 1909. Noltenius died 15 September 1905. John Q. Jackson, the other pillar of the P. M. A., died on 27 July 1899.

159. The Daily Index-Appeal, 11 May 1909. CHAPTER IX

CONCLUSION

A study of the musical activities of Petersburg shows that with

few exceptions the city can serve as a microcosm of most late nineteenth century trends. In the early nineteenth century, northern cities, such as Boston, Philadelphia, and New York, grew considerably, and it was in these cities that had been prominent ever since the

American Revolution that some of the major musical trends of the century began. They attracted European, especially German, immigrants, many of whom became the musical leaders of the nation.

But European culture was only one of many influences on the musical interests of Americans in the nineteenth century. Among these other influences was slavery, from which came the "plantation songs" and minstrelsy. The technological advances of the Industrial Revolution led to developments in musical instruments that changed the configuration of bands, encouraged the development of orchestras, and stimulated the organ-building industry. Mass production placed instruments into the hands cind homes of Americans more quickly and cheaply than before. By the end of the century, technology made recorded sound a reality; while this gave more people exposure to professional musical performances, it also gradually replaced active

319 320

music-making with passive listening. Yet another influence was the

Civil War which increased the popularity of bands. After the Civil

War, Americans began a healing and rebuilding process that included an

appetite for both "refined" concerts and entertainments of mammoth

proportions.

Americans were engaged in different kinds of private aind public

musical activities that reflected these influences: there was a

growing preference for large organs, congregational singing, and

vested choirs in churches; organs found their way into synagogues; public school administrators began to accept vocal music instruction as a necessary component of the curriculum; black college vocal ensembles perpetuated the singing of spirituals; amateur musical organizations were established; concert artists and their companies were promoted, sometimes with a Barnum and Bailey-like flair; and spring music festivals brought together professionals and amateurs to perform major musical works. Concert halls and opera houses hosted a variety of entertainment; from opera to burlesque, and from the

Theodore Thomas Orchestra to bellringers.

Who laid the foundations for these musical activities, and who determined the direction that the musical interests of Petersburg's citizens would take? Private music instructors. Musical instruction was not included in the public school curriculum until the twentieth century. The children of white middle and upper class families had studied with the many white private music instructors in the city 321

since before the Civil War. Musical instruction for blacks seems to

have begun in the late 1870s at St. Stephen's Normal School.

As church musicians, these instructors exerted their influence

in a number of ways: they provided musical instruction for the

children in the Sunday Schools, they encouraged congregational

singing, and they trained the church choirs. In addition to

cultivating a high standard for music during the worship service, the

church musicians also presented concerts; the amateur performers

benefitted by having opportunities to develop their abilities and the

listeners by the exposure to music of good quality. These efforts were made in white and black churches alike; this despite the fact that black congregations did not have the advantage of formally trained musicians until the 1880s. The churches served as forums for local musicians, and gave them the opportunities to gain the experience and confidence necessary to exhibit their talents.

Churches helped to establish the musical leaders of the community:

George Scott, F. C. Hahr, and Heinrich Noltenius in the white churches; and Carrie Bragg, James R. Jordan, Charles C. McKenzie, and

Henry B. Patterson in the black.

The enterprise of music instructors and church musicians stimulated the growth of musical organizations that were comprised of amateur musicians from various churches. These organizations allowed singers to develop their musical abilities and provided regular opportunities for them to display what they had learned; at the same time, their audiences were both entertained and educated. 322

Petersburg's amateur musicians exhibited abilities to perform major

musical works in a manner that was generally praised by fellow

citizens and strangers alike. As the promotion of music in the

churches had led to the creation of these organizations, so the

efforts of the organizations further improved the level of the quality

of church music. Also, the musical instruction that had made all of

this possible was increasingly sought after as the expectations of the

public for music of good quality were raised.

What were the sources of financial support necessary to sustain

these musical activities? Because of the steadily declining economic

condition of the city after the Civil War, the answers to this question serve as significant testimony of the commitment of

Petersburg's citizens to the cause of music. Also, because there was great disparity between the resources available in the white and black communities, the answers are critical in comparing the activities of the two races.

In the decade following the war, white congregations were able to raise large sums of money to purchase organs built by some of the best known firms; they were also able to engage experienced musicians.

Substantial financial support was given continuously to support such undertakings as the construction and later extensive renovation of the

Academy of Music, and the establishment of musical organizations such as the Petersburg Musical Association and the Petersburg Greys Band.

At a time when the attention of local businessmen could have been consumed with more "practical" matters, several of them dedicated 323

their time, energy, and resources to the promotion of music; the

dedication of the members of the P. M. A.'s Board of Directors

elicited comments in newspapers in other localities. While this

dedication was admirable, it cannot be overlooked that some of these

businessmen profited financially from the increased interest in music.

Petersburg's black citizens, on the other hand, lacked

comparable resources. During the time that white congregations were

installing expensive organs in their antebellum edifices, their black counterparts were constructing much needed buildings; the amounts raised to do this were considerable. Black bands were generally private enterprises; bands that were associated with military companies, unlike white military bands, did not have sets of instruments purchased for them and experienced directors brought in to train them. Black musical organizations were much smaller than the white P. M. A., and their entertainments consisted primarily of solo and small ensemble singing instead of choral performances of major works. A comparison of the musical activities of the two races must therefore be based on the initiatives taken and the long range effects, rather than only on the performances themselves.

In what social contexts were these diverse musical activities presented? Bands provided music for picnics, dances, parades, and excursions; and they also gave concerts. Black and white congregations alike sponsored entertainments, usually intended to raise funds either for the churches or for some other benevolent purpose. Black musical organizations presented concerts and performed 324

for programs sponsored by various civic groups. In the white

community, the Petersburg Musical Club focused on the development of

local amateur musicians who presented concerts for select audiences;

the Petersburg Musical Association initiated a concert series and a

plan of annual music festivals that featured professional musicians

who would serve as models for the amateurs to emulate. Each was

successful in its own way: the black bands and vocal organizations

encouraged the creation and growth of the music department at Virginia

Normal and Collegiate Institute, and the efforts of the P. M. A. , which stimulated musical interests in and beyond Petersburg, were

recalled decades after the demise of the organization. The end of the grand music festivals in the early 1890s did not sicpial an end to the

interest in music, but rather a turn towards more modest events.

Does a study of the musical activities of the period provide any insight into Reconstruction politics and the prevailing racial attitudes of the period? The musical activities of Petersburg's black citizens during Reconstruction are especially revealing. Federal actions taken to grant civil rights to blacks generally made them objects of suspicion and harassment, but their struggles did not deter them from their cultural pursuits; The Lancet encouraged them in this direction. While blacks arçrued to gain admission to concert halls and theaters, whites perpetuated their belief that blacks were not interested in "refined" entertainments. The space reserved for blacks in the Academy of Music was limited and, as originally outfitted, uncomfortable. Future improvements in the area usually reserved for 325

blacks were made in the knowledge that for certain events, whites

would occupy this area once the capacity of the auditorium was met.

However, before the end of the century well-known black concert

artists appeared in programs held in Petersburg's black churches, and

some of Petersburg's black citizens performed on the same programs with them.

The white-owned city newspapers reported on black musical

activities, but how? They tell us cLbout "unbleached musicians" and

"musical Africans;" they capitalize on black attendance at minstrel shows while The Lancet rarely advertised this kind of entertainment.

As much as the work of the P. M. A. was publicized, the request made by blacks to attend P. M. A. concerts seems to have been confined to the minutes of the board; when the board attempted to increase the number of subscribers in 1889, it offered a new plan, but limited its canvassing to the city's white population. The white-owned newspapers often reported on black bands that entertained whites, since they were performing a role that was "accepted" and expected. Little is found in these sources about the black singing clubs; they were of no use to the white community unless they were performing serenades. What is known about these clubs and the musical associations that developed later primarily comes from The Lancet; this probably indicates that whites were curious about the activities of blacks in the years after the war, but were reluctant to take seriously any attempts by them to achieve "cultivation." No deprecating comments appeared in print when 326

blacks formed their own "Petersburg Musical Association"— the white

community simply ignored it.

It is remarkable that Petersburg was so musically active after

the war; the city was plagued with political instability that often

bred violence and an economic condition that was steadily declining.

A survey of musical activities, particularly in the 1880s, shows that

the city was "in step" with the nation. Petersburg had the P. M. A;

this was a viable musical association whose work was comparable with

those in larger northern cities and whose influence extended beyond

the city's boundaries. It was the board of the P. M. A. that called

on their counterparts in other cities in Virginia and North Carolina

to unite to bring prominent artists to the region at reasonable

prices. The associations provided mutual encouragement to present

"first class talent" to their constituents amd to develop choruses

that would be able to perform in festivals similar to those in

Cincinnati— a city more than eleven times larger than Petersburg.

The most outstanding musical events held in Petersburg were the

festivals, which set the city apart from other cities in the region.

Although the festivals depended on the cooperation of musical

associations from other localities, they were entirely organized by

the P. M. A. directors, and the funds were cpiaranteed by citizens of

Petersburg. Despite the fact that the first festival ended with a deficit, the event continued, was expanded, and soon captured the attention and respect of cities as distant as Boston and Philadelphia.

It is regrettable that John S. Dwight discontinued the publication of 327

his Journal of Music just as the P. M. A. was formed; such attention

might have had an effect on the events themselves, and might have

helped Petersburg retain its status as a center of musical activity.

Petersburg's first festival in 1884 began just three days after

the close of Cincinnati's sixth biennial festival; it came the year

after Boston discontinued its triennial festivals. Unlike Cincinnati

and Worcester, where festivals have continued, and Boston, where the

festivals failed only because its citizens were inundated with other

concerts, Petersburg did not continue to enjoy its reputation as a

musical city. Other cities in Virginia auid North Carolina that had

benefitted from the festivals went on to hold their own festivals and,

in later years, to establish professional musical organizations.

There are a number of reasons why the P. M. A. and the city's reign as

a music center ended: the P. M. A. directors had overextended

themselves, had depended too heavily on the fervor of one man

(Noltenius) for inspiration, and had taken on too many major projects

at one time. And, in any case, it seems unlikely that the musical

successes could have continued while the economic state of the city

continued to decline.

Petersburg, Virginia, deserves a place in the annals of American music as both a mirror of predominant national musical trends and a catalyst for the promotion of those trends in its geographical region.

Late nineteenth-century Petersburg had a static population of about twenty thousand and a declining economic base; geographically distant from the major music centers, it was in no position to take chances 328 with the unknown. But the extent to which Petersburg's citizens involved themselves in these activities in the late nineteenth century demonstrated a remarkable ambition for a time of economic, political, and social instability. APPENDIX A

SKETCHES OF SELECTED PETERSBURG MUSICIANS

Number(s) after name indicate chapter(s) in which name is found

Anthony, Lucinda (Lucie) B. Bragg Peters Adams Walker (3, 6) - b. 1860, Warrenton, NC; d. 1932; Baltimore, MD; from about ages 6 to 13, educated in Salem, NJ; taught amd presided over the music at St. Stephen's Normal School (c. 1877-79); left Petersburg sometime after 1880; composed songs and piano pieces; an editor of the Musical Messenger; graduated from Meharry Medical School (1907); varied career in education and medicine.

Beckwith, Maggie S. (3, 6) - taught piano, voice, and guitar (from ca. 1867); one of eight founders of the Petersburg Musical Club (1868)

Bragg, Carrie W. - see Campbell

Bragg, Lucinda B. - see Anthony

Brewer, Nannie - see Johnson

Campbell, Carrie W. Bragg (3, 7) - b. 1865; studied music at St. Stephen's Normal School; piano teacher from 1883; active member of musical organizations; student and music teacher at Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute

Chase, A. B. (3, 5) - overhauled Washington Street Methodist Church's organ (1875); moved to Petersburg (1875) and taught music to the students at the church; left the city sometime after 1877

Childress, William F. (4) - listed as leader of Petersburg Brass Band (1867); later identified as the Captain of the band

Coleman, Alexander (4) - b. 1850s; leader of a brass band (1870s)

329 330

Cooke, Mary F. Southall (3, 6) - piano teacher; operated a school in English, French, Latin, and Music with Annie Stallard (1867); one of eight founders of the Petersburg Musical Club (1868); married rector (Giles B. Cooke) of St, Stephen's Episcopal Church; taught music at St. Stephen's Normal School (by 1884)

Dabney, Frederick (4) - leader of string band (from late 1880s)

Davis, Mary Wallace Nelson (3, 5) - b. ca. 1866; studied music at St. Stephen's Normal School; organist at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church (1880S-C.1906)

Dickson, Antonia (6) - b. ca. 1855 in Scotland; pianist and organist; arrived in Petersburg 1879; directed the Mendelssohn Musical Association; left Petersburg after 1880

Evans, Christmas (7) - son of Joseph P. Evans, a letter carrier, also served in House of Delegates (1871-73) and State Senate (1874- 75); younger brother of William W. Evans, first a barber then a lawyer, also served in House of Delegates (1887-88); blind from birth; performed on a number of instruments; imitated musical instruments with mouth harp; performed with the Afro-American Concert Company in early 1900s

Friend, J. William (5, 7) - worked in family's boot and shoe business; member of choir at St. Paul's Episcopal Church (ca. 1887); served on Board of Directors of the Petersburg Musical Association; performed in a local production of Pirates of Penzance (1889)

Hahr, Frederick Charles (3, 5, 6, 8) - b. in Sweden; d. 1915 in Richmond; studied Music and Fine Arts in Sweden; arrived in Petersburg in 1871; organist at St. Paul's Episcopal Church; taught music at the Petersburg Female College (1871-79) and St. Paul's Female School (from 1872); operated a music school (from 1881); served on Board of Directors of the Petersburg Musical Association (1881-83); moved to Richmond (ca. 1883), but continued association with Petersburg; organized the Hahr Musical Society in 1888

Hartley, Laeta (3) - studied piano with Laura V. Jones at the Petersburg School of Music (until about 1896); later studied in New York, at The New England Conservatory of Music (1899-1900; won Chadwick Sight Playing Medal)

Hastings, William G. (5) - choir director at Gillfield Baptist Church (1870s)

Hudgins, Jefferson (2) - b. ca. 1828; carpenter; member of a band organized in the city in 1859 331

Hudgins, Jr., John J. (4) - son of Jefferson Hudgins; leader of Petersburg Artillery Band (ca.l875-early 1880s); leader of Hudgins' Band, later Orchestra (from late 1880s-early 1900s); leader of Petersburg Greys' Band (1895)

Johnson, Nannie Brewer - active in musical organizations as singer emd pianist; organist at Gillfield Baptist Church from 1886

Johnson, William Henry (3, 5, 7) - b. 1858 in Petersburg; bass; graduated from Hampton Institute in 1878; taught in Petersburg Public School System; active in musical organizations and Gillfield Baptist Church Choir; officer in Petersburg Blues; Major, 2nd Battalion (Volunteer Infantry); Sunday School Superintendent at Gillfield Baptist Church

Jones, A. E. (Bettie) (3) - niece of Laura Virginia Major; taught music at the Southern Female College (1871-early 1880s); taught at the Petersburg School of Music

Jones, Laura - see Witherspoon

Jordan, James Randall (3, 7) - sexton; conducted singing at Oak Street A. M. E. Z. Church; organist for Elite Singing Club and Selika Musical Association; in early 1900s, conducted singing for meetings of the black Y. M. C. A.

McKenzie, Charles C. (7) - b. ca. 1839; d. 1911; painter; officer in Petersburg Guards and Flipper Guards; Lieutenant on city police force; Commissioner of Street Department

Major, Laura Virginia (Jennie) (3) - b. 1838 in Petersburg; d. 1919 in Petersburg; graduate of the Petersburg Female College; taught music at the Petersburg Female College (1867-70), Southern Female College (1871-early 1880s), and St. Paul's Female School (from 1882); began her own music school (later known as the Petersburg School of Music) in the early 1880s; resigned from teaching in 1914 (age 76)

Meade, Marion - see Osborne

Morgan, Virginia M. - see Russell

Nelson, Mary Wallace E. - see Davis

Noltenius, Conrad (5) - b. 1841 in Bremen, Germany; d. 1876 in Petersburg; brother of Heinrich Noltenius; cellist 332

Noltenius, Heinrich (5, 6, 7, 8) - b. 1840 in Bremen, Germany; d. 1905 in Petersburg; entered the tobacco business at age 17; took charge of a tobacco business in South America at age 24; moved to New York after the Civil War; moved to Petersburg by 1868; worked in the tobacco export business; organist at Tabb Street Presbyterian Church (resigned 1884) and St. Paul's Episcopal Church; one of the eight founders of the Petersburg Musical Club (1868-72); served on the Board of the Directors of the Petersburg Musical Association (1881-91); director of the Petersburg Chorus (1881-91)

Nordendorf (de), Charles Chaky (3) - b. 1839 (neé Karl Sauer, inherited his father's title) in Austria; d. 1884 in Richmond; served in Austrian army until 1862; came to America (possibly Virginia) by 1863; used engineering skills to help the Confederacy; taught music, composed, and published a music periodical; lived in Danville, Lynchburg, Petersburg, and Richmond

Osborne, Marion Meade (6) - music assistant at Mrs. Pannill's private school (1865); one of the eight founders of the Petersburg Musical Club (1868-72)

Patterson, Henry B. (3, 5, 6, 7) - b. ca. 1850; tailor; organist at Oak Street A. M. E. Z. Church; active in a number of musical organizations; assisted with music for commencement exercises of the city's public schools

Patterson, U. S. G. (4) - as a student, began a band at Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute, continued as member of faculty (1888-92); later performed with various minstrel troupes; after 1899, taught music in Lynchburg, Virginia

Peticolas, Charles L. (2, 3) - b. ca. 1830; organist at St. Paul's Episcopal Church (ca. 1860); taught piano, voice, organ, violin, and guitar; tuned and repaired pianos; agent for Hazelton Pianos and for Peloubet, Pelton and Compsuiy reed organs; taught music at the Petersburg Female College (1870)

Poythress, George (4) - leader of the Joe Scott Brass Band (1873)

Preot, Arnaud (2) - b. in France; d. 1873 in Danville (Virginia); lived in America for about 30 years; taught at Petersburg Classical Institute; composed songs, including one set to the poem at Old Blandford Church

Pride, D. Layton (4) - leader of a string band (1870s-early 1880s) 333

Reiss, Julius (4, 7) - brought to Petersburg from East Saginaw, Michigan, in 1890 by the Petersburg Musical Association to teach orchestral instruments and lead an orchestra; leader of Petersburg Greys' Band; leader of his own orchestra (after 1891); manager of Academy of Music (early 1890s)

Rowland, Robert (4) - member of Petersburg Greys' Band (1895); leader of the West End Baptist Church Sunday School Orchestra (1913)

Rudolph, Hugo (4) - b. ca. 1837 in Prussia; leader of the Petersburg Brass Band (1867)

Russell, Virginia M. Morgan (5, 6) - daughter of Peter G. Morgan, a shoemaker and storekeeper, also served in House of Delegates (1869-71) and on Petersburg City Council and School Board; taught at St. Stephen's Normal School (from 1879); organist at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church (before c. Dec. 1882)

Savory, Herbert A. (4) - member of Petersburg Greys' Bamd (1895); organized the White Ribbon Cadet Band (102-ca. 17); leader of the West End Baptist Church Sunday School Orchestra (1914)

Scott, George W. (3, 5, 6, 8) - organist at St. Paul's Episcopal Church (1875-76); baritone; member of synagogue choir (from about 1875); began music classes for boys and young men (1882); served on Board of Directors of the Petersburg Musical Association (1881-82); organized the Suffolk (Virginia) Philharmonic Association in 1886

Simpson, Jane (Mrs. William S. Simpson, Jr.) (2) - piano teacher (ca. 1859-ca.70)

Simpson, Mary (5) - daughter of Jane and William S. Simpson, Jr.; choir member and organist (from 1881) at St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Slaughter, Richard (2, 4) - b. ca. 1800; d. 1875; fifer; leader of bcuid; active as a musician from c. 1815 to 1875

Slaughter, Robert (4) - member of Petersburg Brass Band (1880s)

Slaughter, William (4) - barber; leader of band (after 1871)

Southall, M. F. - see Cooke

Stallard, Annie (3) - b. 1834 in Bath, England; d. 1908 in Petersburg; moved to Petersburg around 1851; piano teacher; operated a school in English, French, Latin, and Music with Mrs. M. F. Southall; taught music at St. Stephen's Normal School (ca. 1881) 334

Tench, Theophilus "Toffie" (4) - member of the drum corps of Mahone's Brigade; leader of the A. P. Hill Camp, United Confederate Veterans, Drum Corps (from 1887)

Thacker, W. B. (4) - affiliated with the Fifth Regimental Band of Calumet, Michigan; former resident of Ohio; leader of the Petersburg Greys' Beind (1889-1900)

Tyler, Florence (3, 7) - studied music at St. Stephen's Normal School; active in musical organizations

Wallace, Mary E. - see Davis

Warren, Charlotte (3, 5) - studied music at St. Stephen's Normal School; available as organist at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church

Whittington, ? (4) - leader of a band, known only as "the brass band," active in 1868 amd 1869

Wilhelmi [Wilhemmi], ? (4) - leader of the Petersburg Artillery Band (1880)

Witherspoon, Laura Jones (3) - niece of Laura Virginia Major; graduated from the Southern Female College in 1877; taught at the Petersburg School of Music APPENDIX B

PERFORMERS ENGAGED BY THE PETERSBURG MUSICAL ASSOCIATION AND THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC: 1881-1891

* marks Festival Artists + marks performers for special P. M. A. concerts

Names are Listed in Alphabetical Order According to Season

VOCALISTS

P. M. A.

1881-82: Annie E. Beese, Piedro Ferrandi, Charles Fritsch, Alisa Giorno, G. M. Giorno, Eva Mills, Abbie Whinnery

1882-83: Lizzie Arbuckle, MacGrave Coxe, Kate Percy Douglas, E. W. Hoff, (Mrs.) E. W. Hoff, Emma Howe, Zelie de Lussan, Carrie E. Mason, Susie Macaulay, Ivan Morawski

1883-84: Mme. E. H. Allen, *William Courtney, MacGrave Coxe, Perle Dudley, Jennie Dutton, Cora Giese, Charles Kaiser, *Zelie de Lussan, Ivan Morawski (also Festival), *Amy Sherwin, Hattie Louise Simms, Stephan Steinmuller

1884-85: *Emma Detweiler, Zelie de Lussan, *Carl E. Martin, Nellie L. McCartee, *Whitney Mockridge, Francis H. Noyes, *E. Aline Osgood, Charles H. Thompson

1885-86: *Mrs. Barron-Anderson, Hattie J. Clapper, *Chester Cole, William Courtney, Jessamine Hallenbeck, *Ida Hubbell, *Carl E. Martin, Edward O ’Mahoney, *Louise Pyk, *Charles H. Thompson

335 336

1888-87: *William Courtney, ♦Louise Elliott, Hermann Hovermann, Mrs. Hovermann-Koerner, ♦Carl E. Martin, ♦Alta Pease, ♦George 0. Prehn, Kate Scott, Maud Starkweather (also Festival), Annie L. Thompson

1887-88: Anne Carpenter, ♦Wilbur Gunn, Medora Henson-Emerson, Charles Kaiser, ♦Carl E. Martin, ♦Julia O ’Connell, Jessie Edna Olliver, ♦R. 0. Owen, ♦Kate Neal Scott, ♦Effie Stewart, Annie Louise Whitcombe, Caroline Zeiss

1888-89: ♦D. M. Babcock, ♦Gertrude Edmands, ♦Elizabeth Hamlin, ♦Clarence E. Hay, Mary R. Kunkel, ♦Helene Livingstone, Mme. Biro de Marion (Mar. and Apr.), ♦George J . Parker

1889-90: ♦Jennie Dutton, ♦Clarence Hay, Rosa Linde, William J. Lavin, Stella Levy, ♦Virginia P. Marwick, ♦Whitney Mockridge, Augusta Ohrstrom, ♦Jennie Patrick-Walker, Lillian Carll Smith

1890-91: ♦Gustav Berneike, ♦Thomas Lloyd Dabney, ♦Emma Heckle, Lizzie Taylor (of Norfolk), Maud Watts (of Lynchburg), ♦Marion Weed

Academy

1883-84: Emma Thursby

VOCAL ENSEMBLES

P. M. A.

1882-83: Weber Quartette (G. A. Daggett, W. E. Paine, G. R.Titus, W. L. Vinal; Oct. and Mar.)

1883-84: Temple Quartette (male voices; Bateman, Cook, Ryder, Webber)

1884-85: Meigs Sisters (quartet)

1885-86: St. Cecilia Ladies’ Quartette (of Washington, D. C.)

1886-87: Weber Male Quartette

1890-91: Lotus Glee Club (Clifton Davis, George E. Devoll, Charles L. Lewis, Edward E. Long) 337

SOLO PIANISTS AND ACCOMPANISTS

P. M. A.

1881-82: Antonia Dickson, Adam Itzel, Jr., Julie Rivé-King, William H. Sherwood

1882-83: Adolph Baner, Teresa Carreno, Carl Faelten, Edmund Neupert

1883-84: Adolph Baner, *George W. Colby, Alma Famose, *Julie Rivé-King

1884-85: *Teresa Carreno, Marie Heimlicher, Jennie Lind Muller

1885-86: ♦Mme. Barmeister-Peterson, ♦George W. Colby

1886-87: ♦Fannie Bloomfield-Zeisler, Harold Randolph (of Baltimore), Jennie Lind Muller

1887-88 Teresa Carreno, Rudolf King

1888-89 ♦Teresa Carreno, ♦Ross Jungnickel, Harold Randolph

1889-90 ♦Richard Burmeister, ♦Ross Jungnickel, Edwin M. Shonert

1890-91: Mrs. Carl Hild, Frank J. Smith

Academy

1883-84: Thomas ("Blind Tom") Bethune

1885-86: Thomas ("Blind Tom") Bethune

ORGANISTS

P. M. A.

1883-84 ♦Frederic Archer

1884-85 ♦Clarence Eddy

1885-86 ♦Samuel P. Warren

1886-87: ♦Mrs. Carl E. Martin 338

VIOLINISTS

P. M. A.

1881-82: Fritz Gaul, Teresa Liebe

1882-83: Edward Remenyi

1883-84: Timothee Adamowski, Edward Remenyi (in Nov. for regular season and in Feb. for special concert), *H. Singerhoff

1884-85: Teresa Liebe, Camilla Urso

1885-86: Dora Becker, Camilla Urso

1886-87: ♦Leopold Lichtenberg, Giuseppe Vitale (also mandolin)

1888-89: Ovide Musin

1889-90: ♦Olive Meade

1890-91: Carl Hild

CELLISTS

P. M. A.

1881-82: L.'uis Blumenberg, Theodore Liebe, Charles Werner

1882-83: Louis Blumenberg

1883-84: ♦Charles Werner

HARPISTS

P. M. A.

1881-82: Josephine Chatterton-Bohrer

1882-83: Josephine Chatterton-Bohrer

1883-84: ♦Josephine Chatterton-Bohrer

1886-87: Signor V. Fanelli 339

FLUTISTS

P. M. A.

1881-82: Eugene Weiner

1883-84: ♦Frederic Lax

1885-86: ♦Oliver Wheaton

1889-90: ♦Frederic Lax

CLARINETISTS

P. M. A.

1881-82: Carl (or Karl) Kegel

1882-83: Andrea Coda

1884-85: Felix Jardella

SAXOPHONISTS

P. M. A.

1881-82: E. A. Lefebre

1883-84: ♦E. A. Lefebre

CORNETISTS

P. M. A.

1883-84: ♦Theodore Hoch

1885-86: ♦Mr. A. F. Nevers

1887-88: Walter Emerson

1889-90: Jules Levy

1890-91: Annie Park 340

TROMBONISTS

P. M. A.

1884-85: Signor A. Equi

INSTRUMENTAL ENSEMBLES

p. M. A.

1882-83: New York Philharmonic Club (including: Richard Arnold, violin; Reinhardt Richter, violin; Friedheira Hemmaon, viola; Charles Werner, cello; Eugene Weiner, flute, Ludwig E. Manoly, double bass)

1883-84: Eichberg Female String Quartette (Lillian Shattuck, violin, Lettie Launder, violin; Emma Grebe, viola; Laura Webster, cello), Mendelssohn Quintette Club (including Sam Franko, violin; Fritz Giese, cello; Thomas Ryan, clarinet), St. Cecilia String Quartette (Sam Franko, violin; Charles Palm, violin; Ludwig Schenck, viola; Charles Werner, cello); also four unidentified soloists (flute, saxophone, cornet, trombone) from Gilmore’s Band

1887-88: Mendelssohn Quintette Club

1889-90: Boston Symphony Orchestra Club, Bernhard Listemann Club (Bernhard Listemann, violin; Paul Listemann; Fritz Giese; G. B. Ronconi, flute and bass; Fritz Listemann)

1890-91: Boston Symphony Orchestra Club, New York Philharmonic Club

BANDS

P. M. A.

1887-88: +U. S. Marine Band (Sousa)

1890-91: 13th Regiment Band of New York 341

OPERA COMPANIES

P. M. A.

1885-6: Major J. B. Pond’s Operatic Concert Company

Academy

1881-82: Haverly’s Great Opera Comique Company, Wilbur Comic Opera Company

1882-83: Charles E. Ford’s English Comic Opera Company, Gorman’s Opera Company, Wilbur Opera Troupe

1883-84: Emma Abbott Company, Brignoli Opera Company, Minnie Hauk Company, Alice Oates Opera Company, Patterson’s New York Opera Company, Wilbur Opera Company

1884-85: The Carleton English Opera Company

1885-86: American Opera Company (Max Strakosch), Bijou Opera Company, National Ideal Company

1887-88: [Italo] Campanini Grand Operatic Concert Company, National Opera Company

1888-89: The Boston Ideals (including Zelie de Lussan), Jules Grau’s Comic Opera Company

1889-90: Emma Abbott Company

1890-91: Marie Greenwood Opera Company 342

MINSTREL AND BURLESQUE TROUPES

Academy

1881-82: Barlow, Primrose & West’s Minstrels; Barlow, Wilson, Primrose & West; "Big Four" Minstrels; Callender’s Georgia Minstrels; Haverly’s Mastodon Minstrel Troupe; Kunkel’s Nightingale Minstrels; Leavitts’ Gigantean Minstrels; Rentz-Santley Novelty & Burlesque Company

1882-83: Armstrong’s Minstrels and Brass Band; Barlow & Wilson’s Mammoth Minstrels (Sept. and Mar.); "Big Four" Minstrels; Callender’s Colored Minstrels; Cushman and Leon’s Minstrels; J. H. Haverly’s Consolidated Mastodon Minstrels; Thatcher, Primrose & West’s Consolidated Mammoth Minstrels; Woodson & Allen’s Minstrels

1883-84: Armstrong Bros. Minstrels; Barlow, Wilson & Co.’s Minstrels; J. H. Haverly’s World Famous Minstrels; M. B. Leavitts’ United Gigantean Minstrel Festival

1884-85: Barlow & Wilson’s Mammoth Minstrel Co. (Aug. and Feb.); Lilly Clay’s Female Minstrel and Variety Company; Mill, Rice & Berton’s Bijou Minstrels

1885-86: Barlow, Wilson & Rankin Minstrels (Nov. and Feb.); California Minstrels; McIntyre & Heath’s Grand Spectacular Minstrels; McNish, Johnson & Slavin’s Minstrels (under management of W. S. Cleveland)

1886-87: Georgia Minstrels; McIntyre & Heath’s Minstrels; Wilson & Rankin’s Minstrels

1887-88: McIntyre & Heath’s Minstrels

1888-89: Dockstader’s Magnificent Minstrels; McNish, Ramza & Arno’s Refined Minstrels

1889-90: W. S. Cleveland’s Haverly Mastodon Minstrels; Goodyear, Cook & Dillon’s Minstrels; Primrose & West’s Minstrels; E. E. Rice’s Operatic Burlesque; George Wilson Mammoth Minstrels

1890-91: Cleveland’s Consolidated Minstrels; Thatcher’s Minstrels 343

MUSICALS AND MUSICAL COMEDY COMPANIES

Academy

1881-82; Humpty Dumpty (Anthony, Ellis & Hathaway’s Majestic Consolidated Aggregation; Tony Denier’s Company) Smith & Mestayer’s Comedy & Musical Company

1883-84: Humpty Dumpty (George H. Adams’ Company, Miaco’s Troupe)

1884-85: Humpty Dumpty (Tony Denier’s Company, Miaco’s Company)

1888-89: Cora van Tassel in Sweet Sixteen (musical comedy)

1889-90: J. C. Stuart’s Musical Comedy Company in Fat M e n ’s Club

MISCELLANEOUS

P. M. A.

1881-82: Royal Hand Bell Ringers

1885-86: Hungarian Gipsy Band (in costume, cimbalo soloist). Till Family Singers (and Rock Harmonicon)

1886-87: Alpine Choir and Tyrolese Company, Hungarian Gipsy Band (with L. L. Ryerson, humorist, facial artist, and musician)

1887-88: Kanya Geza Hungarian Gipsy Quartette

1889-90: Balmoral Choir of Glasgow, Scotland, with recitations in brogue by Mr. R. J. Patrick; Boston Ideal Banjo, Guitar, and Mandolin Club; Marshall P. Wilder, humorist; "Living Pictures" (an invention used to combine stage performers and oil portraits) with humorists, including Dudley H. Prescott, the "Human Brass Band;" Max O ’Rell, lecturer

1890-91: Eli Perkins, lecturer 344

Academy

1881-82: J. H. MacAllister, wizard

1884-85: Mr. B. MacAuley, comedian

1888-89: Alice J. Shaw, "the whistling primadonna"

SELECTED DRAMATIC PRODUCTIONS

Academy

1881-82: The 100 Years Ago Combination

1883-84: Janauschek in Chesney World; Modjeska in Dumas’ Camille

1884-85: Charles Atkinson’s Comedy Company in Peck’s Bad Boy; Lillian Olcott in Ingomar

1885-86 Edwin Thorne’s Company in The Black Flag

1886-87 Aiden Benedict & Co. in Dumas’ Monte Crista

1889-90 Ely Stock Theatre Company

1890-91 Baldwin Theatre Company APPENDIX C

POEM ON THE HALL OF OLD BLANDFORD CHURCH

Thou art crumbling to the dust, old pile. Thou art hastening to thy fall. And 'round thee in thy loneliness Clings the ivy to thy wall. The worshippers axe scattered now Who knelt before thy shrine, And silence reigns where anthems rose, In days of "Auld Lang Syne."

And sadly sighs the wandering wind Where oft in years gone by. Prayers rose from many hearts to Him, The Highest of the High: The tramp of many a busy foot That sought thy aisles is o'er. And many a weary heart around Is still forever more.

How doth ambition's hope take wing. How droops the spirit now; We hear the distant city's din. The dead are mute below. The sun that shone upon their paths Now gilds their lonely graves; The zephyrs which once fanned their brows The grass above them waves.

Oh! Could we call the many back Who've gathered here in vain— Who've careless rove where we do now. Who'll never meet again; How would our weary souls be stirred To meet the earnest gaze Of the lovely and the beautiful The light of other days.

345 BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Davis, Arthur Kyle. "Three Centuries of an Old Virginia Town: The History and Memorials and Charm of Petersburg and the Appomattox." Reprinted from the Magazine of History with Notes and Queries (April 1914).

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Hall, Alvin L. "Charles Chaky de Nordendorf, Soldier-Songster of the Confederacy," Virginia Cavalcade (Summer 1974), 41-47. 350

Hartzell, Lawrence L. "The Exploration of Freedom in Black Petersburg, Virginia, 1865-1902." The Edge of the South: Life in Nineteenth- Century Virginia, ed. Edward L. Ayers and John C. Willis. Charlottesville, Va.: University Press of Virginia, 1991, 134-56.

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Theses and Dissertations

Daughtry, Willia Estelle. "Sissieretta Jones: A Study of the Negro's Contribution to Nineteenth-Century American Concert and Theatrical Life." Ph.D. diss., Syracuse University, 1968.

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Hines, James R. "Musical Activities in Norfolk, Virginia, 1680-1973" Ph.D. diss. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1974.

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Newspapers

Petersburg Newspapers

The Daily Courier, March 1871 The Daily Democrat, Nov. 1857 Daily Democrat, June-Nov. 1856 The Daily Express, 1856-1859 The Daily Index, July-Dee. 1865 Daily Index-Appeal, from Jan. 1882 The Daily Index-Appeal, early 1900s The Daily Progress, Oct. 1871 Daily South-Side Democrat, 1854-1855 The Intelligencer and Petersburg Commercial Advertiser, May 1818 The Lancet, July 1882-Sept. 1885 (see The Virginia Lancet) Petersburg Daily Index, Jan.-April 1866 The Petersburg Index, Jan. 1867-June 1873 Petersburg Index-Appeal, March 1878-Dec. 1881 Petersburg Index and Appeal, July 1873-March 1878 The Press, 1859-1860 The Progress, Aug. 1871 The Rural Messenger, Feb. 1875 Virginia Gazette & Petersburg Intelligencer, Jan. 1797 The Virginia Lancet, Sept.-Dec. 1885 (see The Lancet)

Other Virginia Newspapers

Lynchburg Mews, June 1885 Richmond Daily Dispatch, March-Dec. 1866 The Richmond Dispatch, May 1890 The Richmond Planet Southern Workman, June 1878 and Oct. 1883

Out-of-state Newspapers

The [Baltimore] Ledger, Dec. 1898 The [Baltimore] Sun, May 1889 The Boston Evening Transcript, April 1886 Mew York Clipper, June 1893 The New York [Dramatic] Mirror, March 1879 The Mew York Dramatic Mirror, May 1893 The [New York] World, April 1888

Census Records

1860, 1870, 1880, and 1900 Census Records for Petersburg, Virginia. 1860 Slave Schedule for Petersburg, Virginia 353

Archival Materials

Petersburg City Directories

Chataigne, J. H . , comp. Chataigne's Petersburg Directory, 1882-83. Chataigne, 1882.

______, comp. Chataigne’s Petersburg Directory, 1888-89. Chataigne, 1888.

comp. Chataigne's Petersburg Directory, 1891-92. Chataigne, 1891.

., comp. Chataigne's Petersburg Directory, 1893-94. Chataigne, 1893.

Ferslew, W. Eugene, comp. Second Annual Directory for the City of Petersburg, 1860. Petersburg, Va.: George E. Ford, 1860.

J. L. Hill Printing Co. 's Directory of Petersburg, VA, 1897. Richmond, Va.: J. L. Hill, 1897.

Petersburg City Records

Deed Books Nos. 31, 33, 34, 37, 38, 48, 49, 55, 59, and 66. City Clerk's Office. Petersburg Virginia.

Petersburg Church Records

"First Baptist Church: Celebrating More Than 218 Years of Christian Witness" (Flyer), 1992.

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St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. Vestry Minutes. 354

Personal Papers

Beckwith, Margaret Stanly. Papers. Reminiscences, 1844-1865 (written in 1919). Virginia Historical Society.

Bragg, Carrie. An accurate, early History of St. Stephen's Church. Henry Clay Phillips Papers, no accession number. Archives, Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University Archives.

The Colson-Hill Family. Papers. Letter addressed "To Jimmy," accession no. 0065-13, box 3. Archives, Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University.

Johnson, William H. Papers, accession no. 0057-3, boxes 15 and 18. Archives, Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University,

Williams, Henry. Papers. Scrapbook, accession no. 0045-4, box 2. Archives, Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University.

Petersburg Musical Club and Petersburg Musical Association Papers

A Brief History, The Charter, and the Constitution and By-Laws of the Petersburg Musical Association. Petersburg, Va.: Fenn & Owen, 1890. Centre Hill Mansion, Petersburg, Virginia.

Constitution and By-Laws of The Petersburg Club. Petersburg, Va. : J. E. Routh & Co., 1868. Centre Hill Mansion, Petersburg Virginia.

Petersburg Musical Association. Papers. Centre Hill Mansion, Petersburg, Virginia.

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Program, Third Musical Convention and First Music Festival, for Virginia and North Carolina. Petersburg, Va.: John B. Ege, 1884. Petersburg Public Library.

Sheet Music

Converse, Charles C. "Cockade City Quick Step." Petersburg, Va.: Gaines & Riches, 1854. Picture Collections, Virginia State Library. Preot, Arnaud. "Thou Art Crumbling to the Dust, Old Pile!" Baltimore: Miller & Beacham, [1847]. Reception Center of Old Blandford Church and Centre Hill Mansion, Petersburg, Virginia.