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Alverson, Margaret Blake, 1836-1923

"Sixty Years of California Song"

, some three years later. Afterwards,
returning to California, he held positions in Grace Church and St.
Luke's Church, San Francisco, and in the Presbyterian church of
Oakland. He was an all-round musician of no mean order and might have
accomplished much, had he not been handicapped by ill health. Probably
his most marked success was in Albany, N.Y., where he was intimately
associated with Miss Emma La Jeunesse, afterwards Albani, who was his
lifelong friend. He was given many brilliant testimonials from the
musical association and citizens of Albany. Music was with him a holy
passion as well as vocation. He was a man of high moral principals,
singularly guileless and of a deep religious fervor. He died at
Livermore, Cal., September 7, 1895, aged fifty-four years, and was
laid to rest in the Masonic cemetery there.

WILLIAM M'FARLAND GREER
Mr. Greer was born in St. Louis, Mo., September 22, 1850. He began his
musical education early in life, first on the violin. When he had
played for some years he sang in the boys' choir before his voice was
placed. After he had it trained he sang in the choirs of the churches
in Baltimore, Atlanta, New Orleans, St. Louis and San Francisco. He
was a member of the May Festival singers. He also sang in Temple
Emanuel, Sutter street, Louis Schmidt, organist; in the Mason street
synagogue and in the First Methodist Church on Mission street. In
Oakland, twenty years ago, he was one of the members of the early
choir of the Brooklyn Presbyterian Church, East Oakland.


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