Yarndley
Chas. H. Schultz
Gustav A. Scott
Frederick Katzenbach
ORGANISTS OF THE EARLY YEARS IN SAN FRANCISCO]
When Dr. Stone arrived from the East he had also in his company Mr.
George Powers, and, by some arrangement, without any warning, the
organist and quartette were unseated by the clique he had formed of
his friends. The members of his quartette were in their places the
next Sabbath when the regular quartette arrived, consequently we all
were obliged to retire. When the new choir began there was a surprise
in store for every one. There was nothing for the old choir to do but
walk out. There was great grief over the abrupt dismissal. Mr. Benchly
of the musical committee was consulted and nothing could be done with
the friends of the new pastor. It was a church scandal of the gravest
sort. Dr. Powers was from the East and intended to show San Francisco
superior music from Boston. He found out before he had been there long
that superior men and women were already in the field, and while he
continued at the church as organist his influence in music had been
tainted and his band of singers were so inferior to those ousted that
they had but a short life in the church. I immediately returned to St.
Patrick's Church in Mission street and remained there altogether ten
years. Our work was very difficult and we had many high days and
holidays, requiems, festivals and concerts for the organ fund which
had been ordered from abroad, and we were supposed to help the organ
fund along until it came.
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