Music Hall of the Economites, Ambridge, PA.
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The village of Economy, located on the banks
of the Ohio River, Beaver County, Pennsylvania, was first settled
by the Harmony Society. This Society formed one of the most unusual
musical groups in our co monwealth one hundred years ago. t was
formed by a body of German immigrants which in 1805, at Harmony,
Butler County, Pennsylvania, associated themselves into a communistic
society. According to their motto, "All for one and one for
all," the members of the Society placed all their money into
one common fund; also, all labored for the common weal receiving
in turn the necessaries of life. Although the Harmonites had no
prescribed form of religion, in the early days a greater part
of the Society followed the teachings of their spiritual head
who believed in the second advent of Christ to Palestine. In 1807,
as an economic measure, later from religious motives, the celibate
life was advocated and became a custom.
In 1814, the Society moved to New Harmony, Indiana, and ten years
later returned to Pennsylvania, settling in Economy. George Rapp
was the spiritual head of the organization while his adopted son,
Frederick Rapp (nee Reichert), was the business manager. Under
the leadership of two such men Eonomy became one of the most important
commercial centers between Pittsburgh and New Orleans. Their manufactures
consisted of cotton, wool, silk and other such proucts. They had
a brewery, distillery, soap boiling shop, steam laundry, wine
press, tannery, blacksmith shop - in fact, all kinds of shops.
The main buIldings still standing are the Great House, Music Hall,
church, school and many residential dwellings.
The Great House, a neat, two-story building, was the home and executive mansion of the various trustees of the Society. Surrounding the house is an old-fashioned garden or park with beautiful flowers and hedges, a memorial grotto, a large fish pond and a stone summer house on the roof of which the band played Sunday afternoons. The Music Hall consisted of a printing establishment and museum on the first floor and an auditorium for concerts and banquets on the upper floor.
For fire protection the community had two fire engines, one of which, built in 1826, is still on exhibition at the Carnegie Museum, Pittsburgh. After the death of Rapp, the following were trustees: R. L Baker, Jacob Henrici, Jonathan Lenz, Ernest Woelfel, G. Riethmuller, Samuel Seber, John S. Duss (still living) and his wife (also still living). Due to the gradual decrease of membership, the Society was dissolved in December, 1905.
The chief recreation of the Economites was music. Many of the members could play some instrument and' nearly all could sing, In the early days, an orchestra consisting of piano, violins, violoncellos, clarinets, flutes, French horns, and drums was organized. In 1865, Dr. Benjamin Feucht formed a military band. In addition to general holidays, three festivals were observed every year. That of February fifteenth celebrated the founding of the Harmony Society. Early in August the Harvest Home was celebrated, and, in October, the Thanksgiving Feast took place. At each of these celebrations music played an important part, and many elaborate programs were arranged. Some of these programs, printed on the community's own printing press, are rather ambitious, containing such works as, for instance, Haydn's "Creation."
Added interest was obtained now and then when musicians from Pittsburgh came to Economy to perform with the local band. It is noteworthy that well-known men came to hear the programs at the Great House Gardens or in the Music Hall. The Governor of Louisiana expressed his enthusiasm of the concerts, as did the Duke Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar. The latter stated that when he visited Economy he was joyfully welcomed by a trio of French horns.
Not only were instrumental concerts rendered, but, at times, a chorus of about sixty or seventy girls sang hymns and folksongs as a diversion.
The hymnals which the Economites used contained some German hymns and chorals but were mostly of their own composition. The choral melodies, both the adopted and the original, were sung much faster than the customary tempo of the fatherland. Some of the hymnals are still in existence, some in manuscript. Classification of hymns in the Economy hymnal gave headings such as "Festival Hymns," "Birth of Christ," "Christ's Resurrection," "The Coming of Christ," "Friendship and Brotherly Love," " Self- Denial," "Of True Wisdom," "Hymns of Praise," "Hope," "Church of Christ and His Glory," "Faith," "Virtue and Modesty," "Spring Songs," "Summer Evening Songs," "Devotion" and "Autumn and Winter."
Musicians of note among the Economites were Gertrude Rapp, Johann Christoph Mueller (performer on the violin and flute), Jacob Henrici, Jonathan Lenz (a French horn player in the orchestra), Frederick Rapp and John S. Duss.
Gertrude Rapp was an accomplished pianist and singer. Her piano teacher for a time was W. C. Peters from whom she learned much. Her friends frequently mentioned musical events in their letters to her and knew that no gift would be appreciated as much as a piece of music. When visitors came to spend an evening at "Herr" Rapp's home, Miss Rapp would play the piano, performing with several violinists, cellists and flautists while other maidens added vocal numbers to the musicale. These affairs were a great delight to both performers and listeners.
Jacob Henrici wrote a number of German hymns and set them to music. His musical compositions to the Ten Commandments, Apostle's Creed and The Lord's Prayer have been published. Henrici played first violin in the community orchestra and organ in the church.
John S. Duss, one time cornet virtuoso and famous conductor, who is still living at the Great House in Economy, is a musician who brought much fame to the Economy orchestra. Adding performers from all over the country, Mr. Duss, as director, toured the United States and won such recognition that he was frequently mentioned in the European Press. Among his compositions are Funeral March, Mazurka Caprice and many dances and marches. Through his daughter's influence, Mr. Duss became interested in Catholic music and the result was the "Mass of St. Veronica." At the centennial held in 1924, the band played his compositions, Harmonie Thou Flower Fair, 0 Come All Ye Faithful, Ye Gentle Harmonites, the Gloria from the "Mass of St. Veronica" and a number of his marches as encores. Other pieces programmed for that occasion were Children of Friendship by Frederick Rapp and The Lord's Prayer by Henrici. In New York the Metropolitan Opera House Orchestra and Duss and his orchestra converted the whole of old Madison Square Garden into a reproduction of Venice with real canals and imported gondolas. Here he gave concerts with such artists as Lillian Nordica. and Eduard de Reszke.
Although this sketch of the Harmony Society at Economy is chiefly concerned with its sociology and culture, it may not be amiss to note that, at the time when Mr. Duss became the executive head, he found the Society burdened with debt and its finances in a very precarious condition. After years of weary struggle he liquidated the indebtedness. One of the important things that he accomplished was the locating of the American Bridge Company on a portion of the Economy lands in 1903. The sale of over one hundred acres to this company, as well as other acreage to large concerns which were induced to locate here, helped materially in rescuing the Society from disaster. In due time the town was incorporated under the name of Ambridge, Economy of old becoming the fourth ward of the modern city.
Many of the old dwellings of the town are still standing while others have been replaced by more modern buildings. The Great House, with its picturesque facades, Colonial fireplaces, pianos, benches and other relics is the Mecca towards which all visitors to Economy turn. The Music Hall, designed by Frederick Rapp, is still occasionally used for socials. The Economy church, although almost a century old, now holds services for the German St. John Lutheran congregation. The tower of the church, also designed by Frederick Rapp, is universally admired by architects.
On the balcony, the band formerly played for certain holidays, February fifteenth, Easter, Whitsuntide, and Christmas. The music from that balcony could be heard all over the whole village. The steeple clock still rings out the time in hours, half hours and quarter hours - a solemn reminder of other days, which inspires us with a feeling of reverence for the good people who have passed into the Great Beyond and of whom, during the Society's waning years, it can be truly said,
This reproduction was from The ETUDE Music
Magazine, Published by the Theodore Presser Co., October 1928.