Christmas Covers

Originally published on December 24, 2020.

One of the resources to which we have access is an assortment of scrapbooks. There are a lots of newspaper clippings and other ephemera saved in these scrapbooks, more than we could ever read and properly document for later use. The scrapbooks also have leaflets from Lent, Easter and Christmas services. Some handsomely decorated, and others with a simple border and image.

Click here to view more of these Christmas service leaflets and other photos from the history of St Paul's Church in Boston.

Merry Christmas from all of us on the 200th Anniversary Committee and blessings to you and yours!

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"Firsts" at St. Paul's: William Goodrich's Pipe Organ

Originally published on August 27, 2020.

The first large organ at the Cathedral was built by the self-taught organ builder William M. Goodrich. Mr. Goodrich is now known by some as ‘the father of the Boston organ-building industry.’ Mr. Goodrich was born in Templeton, Massachusetts in 1777, the son of Ebenezer Goodrich, a farmer in Templeton. William learned to make things while a young man. He repaired and cleaned clocks with another mechanic in town, Mr. Eli Bruce. It was during this time that William helped to construct a small organ with wooden pipes. He learned more about organ construction by making instruments with several other builders.

William Goodrich started constructing church organs himself around 1805 in Boston when he constructed a small instrument for what is now Holy Cross Cathedral. William later built a larger instrument for the Cathedral in 1822.

“The contract for the organ at St. Paul’s Church was signed in 1822, and a smaller organ, loaned to the church by Goodrich, was used while he planned and built the largest organ of his career. It was the first 3- manual & pedal organ to have been built in Boston at that time, and was not completed until the Spring of 1827. It had 26 speaking stops, one of which was a 17-note 16’ Open Diapason in the Pedal. The manual compass was 58 notes, GGG to f3. It was in a classical case 27’ high, 16’ wide and 9 ½’ deep. The building was described as the largest church in Boston at that time, and Goodrich was praised for constructing an organ of sufficient power for it. When the organ builders E. & G. G. Hook replaced the Goodrich organ in 1854, it was sold to Plymouth Congregational Church in Framingham, originally located in the gallery but later moved to a recess behind the pulpit. It remained in use until 1930, when it was replaced by a 3-manual Skinner organ. Skinner refused to salvage any pipework from it, and Goodrich’s magnum opus was presumably destroyed.” (from notes provided by organ historian Barbara Owen)

There is more information to be found in Barbara Owens book The Organ in New England. Much of the information in this short article is found in Ms. Owens’ book as well as an anonymous biographical memoir of William M. Goodrich found at wikisource.org.

- Louise Mundinger

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Music at the Consecration

Originally published on August 20, 2020.

In looking at music to include in the 200th service originally planned for May 31st, I wanted to look at American composers from 1820. Who was in Boston at the time? What sort of music was happening in the churches in 1820? I knew that there were singing schools to teach people to read music and sing. The singing schools also used mostly original music called “shape-note” which went along with the music education. Shape-note music was called that because instead of only oval note-heads there were also diamonds, triangles and squares. Each shape corresponded to a musical syllable (e.g. mi-fa-sol-la). People used the syllables first to learn the tunes before using the words. Was shape-note music sung at the Cathedral in 1820? Absolutely not.

I looked at the order of consecration from 1820 and the music included in the service of consecration. After the order for consecration and a complete service of Morning Prayer, the first musical offering was by George F. Handel. After the Litany, Communion and a sermon, the last listed piece was by Handel as well. One of the hymn tunes (Christmas) was by Handel, too. The other listed hymn was Old Hundredth which came over on the Mayflower but started life in Geneva. The Jubilate was sung to a chant by Dr. George K. Jackson who was born in England but lived the last twenty-five years of his life in America. In other words, none of the composers were born in America.

In 1820, as noted in the Vestry minutes, music was important to the congregation because of its role in attracting pew holders to help pay off the debt. The architectural debate between neo-classical and Anglican gothic styles was decided in favor of the former, but as far as music was concerned, Anglican music as heard in England was the order of the day. In fact, the first infant baptized at St. Paul’s Church was the daughter of Matthew S. Parker, an early founder of the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston.

Here’s a list of music heard at the Order of Consecration, June 20, 1820 with orchestra and chorus

• “The Great Jehovah is our aweful theme” (from the oratorio Joshua) by G. F. Handel (1685-1756)

• Jubilate Deo, a chant by Dr. George K. Jackson (1745-1822)

• Hymn: “I’ll wash my hands in innocence,” (sung to the hymn tune Christmas by G. F. Handel.) We still sing the hymn tune Christmas but to the words “Awake my soul, stretch every nerve” #546 in the hymnal. The name of the tune in the hymnal is Siroë after the opera of the same name by Handel.

• Hymn: “With one consent let all the earth to God their cheerful voices raise,”sung to (Old Hundredth.) We still sing Old Hundredth for the Doxology, #380 in the hymnal.

• Choruses from the Dettingen Te Deum by G. F. Handel o We praise Thee, O God

  • All the earth doth worship Thee

  • To Thee all Angels cry aloud

  • To Thee, cherubim and seraphim

  • The glorious company of the Apostles praise Thee

- Louise Mundinger

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