From 1913: Easter In The Churches

The following is an excerpt from an article published about 100 years ago today, appearing in the Hartford Courant on March 24, 1913. The Courant routinely published articles on church activities.
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Easter Sunday was appropriately observed in the local churches yesterday, elaborate musical programs being the order at most of the services. At the First Baptist Church, the ordinance of believer's baptism was administered to three, while in a number of the other churches new members were received. Tuttle's Orchestra assisted the choir in the music in St. John's Church at the 10:30 mass, which marked the opening of the forty hours' devotion. Special services were held in the afternoon at both the North and South Congregational churches, at the former the choir rendering a cantata "The Resurrection" by Manney, while at the latter T. Alexander Matthew's cantata, "The Life Everlasting" was given.

The annual carol service at Holy Trinity was held at 3:30 o'clock and as usual the church was crowded. A chorus of thirty-five voices rendered Adam Gelbel's "Light Out of Darkness" at the First Methodist Church in the evening. At the high celebration at the Church of the Holy Trinity in the morning the choir was assisted by an orchestra. Special exercises were held in a number of the Sunday schools in observance of the hundredth anniversary of David Livingstone. The programs at the South Congregational and First Baptist schools were particularly elaborate. Professor William North Rice of Wesleyan spoke at the special Easter services of the Connecticut Industrial School for Girls in the afternoon. There was also a cantata "The Morn of Hope," by the girls. At the Italian service, at the First Methodist Church in the afternoon the new pastor, who is to succeed the late Rev. Armando Natali, preached his first sermon. The choir of the Swedish Lutheran Church of Portland rendered a special Easter program at the Middlesex Hospital in the afternoon.