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Historical Sketch of Salem Female Academy
Historical Sketch of Salem Female Academy Author:Adelaide Lisetta Fries Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: When only twelve years of age she was given some music scholars in the day school where she was being educated, though to insure order an older teacher was alway... more »s present when she gave her lessons. Busy days followed, for as printed music was not so easily obtained then as now, she had to copy all her scholars needed, as well as a great deal for the church choir. For some years she also played the organ for the services which were held every evening in the Gemein Haus chapel. At these services the minister began to sing the hymn, and the organist fell in with the accompaniment as quickly as she could recognize the air, so it was necessary for her to play all the tunes then used, and without notes. On July 16, 1805, the new building was solemnly consecrated. At one o'clock a procession formed in the chapel of the Gemein Haus, consisting of the boarders and town girls, dressed all in white, preceded by the ministers of the various congregations, and followed by the teachers. A choir of trombones dismissed them from their temporary abode, and a second choir welcomed them into the new school home. The whole company then assembled in the sleeping hall,— the largest room in the house,— forming themselves into two large semi-circles, and after music and a fervent dedicatory prayer, a Lovefeast was held. Two gentlemen from South Carolina had, on that day, brought their daughters to the school, (the first to enter from that state,) and they also participated in the services. After the usual evening meeting of the congregation, the scholars assembled once more, this time in front of the house, where the entire company joined in hymns of thanksgiving and praise. Those who moved into the new building were the Principal and his family, and two "room companies," each consisting of ten girls ...« less