We Three - Act 1 - Scene 4

CHAPTER 4 - LINDSAY’S WEDDING

ACT 1, Scene 4

Date: September 15, 1856

Place: St George's Hall, for the reception after the wedding of Emily Herrmann to Lindsay Hall

Time: Just after the meal, when the speeches are about to start.

Those present sitting at the Head Table:

Lindsay and Emily Hall

Charles Walker, best man

Robert and Mary Hall

Alison Hall

Jakob and Anna Herrmann and their children:

Verena Herrmann, aged 22, bridesmaid

Josephine, aged 18, another bridesmaid

Charley, aged 19

 Mary, aged 17

William Boxwell, engaged to Mary, planning to be wed in 1859

Teresa, aged 22

Leonhard, aged 15

William, aged 12

Anna, aged 11

Fredrick, aged 10

John, aged 9

Edward, aged 8

Herbert, aged 6

Ada and Alphonse, aged 4

Minister: JH Jones

Ms. Emelia Barrington, Anna Herrmann’s mother

Other guests, who we don’t see on stage:

The Holt family, Robert Hall’s in-laws

various neighbours of the Halls and Herrmanns

The Edward Cox family, senior

Edward and Marianne Cox

Music related friends of Mr. Herrmann

As the curtain rises, there is the noise of a large party having a good time, laughing, knocking of crockery and silverware, general chatter.

Charles Walker: (knocking his glass with his knife to get everyone’s attention)
Pray silence. (a pause as the noise grows less)
I will now ask Rev. John Herbert Jones to give thanks for our splendid repast.

Rev. Jones (standing) Will everyone bow their heads. Thank you, Lord, for this meal which
we have just partaken with our good friends here present, and may we ask your blessing on this newly married couple, Mr. and Mrs. Lindsay Hall. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

All:
Amen.

Charles Walker: Now, I wish to call on Mr. Jakob Zeugheer Herrmann, our host.

Jakob: Thank you Charles, and thank you all for coming. You have come to witness this wonderful union of our beautiful daughter, Emily to this fine man, Lindsay Hall. We welcome him, and his brother, Robert, who as you know was married to the former Mary Holt just this last summer, and sister Alison, into our family. And as you can see, it is a very large family - 15 children. And we aren’t even Roman Catholics. (nervous giggle) And you cannot tell, we might yet have more. (nervous giggle)

Anna: Please, Jacob, I am 44. I am tired. I think I have done enough. (loud laughter)

Jakob: Well, we shall see. Anyway, it is our eldest child, Emily, who we are honouring here today. But before I tell you a bit about what she was like as a child, growing up in our rather unusual household, I would like to thank especially those of you who have made an effort to be
here today, and have you stand and take a bow.

First, I want to introduce Mr. William Sudlow who is an organist as well as being my good friend. (polite applause) And then I would also like to welcome and thank for their presence here today, various members of the orchestra, who will be playing for the dance we will be having after the speeches. May I introduce, George Day, H F Aldridge, and Monsieur Prosper Sainton, all violinists. (pause as they stand as a group - off stage and then there is polite applause)

My birth family is represented here today by my cousin, Charles Herrmann, who is also a Professor of Music. (polite applause).
As you all know, I come from Zurich in Switzerland, and I left there in 1827. My friend Felix Mendelssohn, he told me, “Jakob, you take your music to England. People there will appreciate you, as they don’t have nearly so many good musicians of their own.” (laughter).

And so we came, my friends and, I playing in our quartet all around the place - and finally we spent some time in Ireland, and that is where I met and fell in love with my beautiful Anna. And she kindly agreed to marry me, and we moved to this gracious city of Liverpool in 1831. Emily, was born in 1833, and as you can see, she wasn’t an only child for long. (more laughter).
But she was always the kind, thoughtful, wonderful, older sister to all. And such a help to her mother. I don’t know how we will manage without her. (laughter)
Oh, but I do see a few others here who might be able to take her place for awhile. Ah, but I must tell you, we will be having another wedding before long. I would like to introduce to you now, Mr.
William Boxwell, who has asked my daughter Mary for her hand - and I have agreed (polite
applause) although she will have to wait until she is a few years older yet. We still have use to make of her. (laughter)

I have known and come to respect Lindsay since Emily brought him to our house to meet us some two years ago, just before his father’s sad demise. He is a very astute businessman and I am sure he will rightly follow in his father’s footsteps and make wise decisions for the business community of Liverpool, and make lots of money as well. (laughter). He has even become musical, since meeting us, and not only has he learned German, so as to be able to converse with me in my native tongue, but he has learned to play the piano, and I must admit he has made a good job of it. However, I won’t be asking him to give up his present job to join us in the orchestra just yet. (laughter)

Lindsay and Emily will be setting up house at Garston and I know they will welcome you into
their home, as you have always been welcome in ours over the years. Please charge your glasses, and be upstanding. I give you, Mr. and Mrs. Lindsay Hall.

All: (standing and raising their glasses) Mr. and Mrs. Lindsay Hall.

Charles: Thank you very much Mr. Herrmann. And we all thank you for your kind hospitality for this sumptuous meal. (applause). And we very much look forward to hearing the orchestra members who
will be playing for us later. (applause)

As best man, it is my duty to tell you a few stories about Lindsay. I have known him since 1845 when WE THREE, Lindsay, Charley Cox and myself, came at the age of 15, to be apprenticed to my uncle, Mr. Edward Cox, in order to learn to be businessmen. Lindsay’s older brother, Robert, was just finishing off with us, and soon went on to take over his father’s business when he retired. Lindsay was by far the quietest of we three. He was somewhat younger, by a few months
anyway, and it was Charley mainly who made the suggestions for our nights off - which we did occasionally get. But we were inseparable.

We went to the races together, and learned how to bet. We went to the theatre together to improve our minds. We walked the streets and into the country. We discussed books together, and wrote stories. Lindsay, didn’t enjoy that as much as Charley and I did, but he went along with us, because he was our friend. We spent endless time talking about the girls we would like to marry - although when I left Liverpool, nothing firm as yet had been set in stone for any of us.

It wasn’t long before Charley broke away, and took up with Eliza, now his wife, and then Lindsay felt very alone. But soon after, he met the love of his life, and he was so proud when he introduced Emily to me, a few years ago now, at Mr. Hall’s funeral. She changed his life - and will continue to do so, I am sure. I know that I can only wish the pair of them the very best in life.

And now it is my duty and pleasure to offer a toast to the bridesmaids - Verena and Josephine - who are both looking very lovely, and did a sterling job in supporting their sister. I should also like to add
that little Ada and Alphonse, as the flower girl and ring bearer, also did the family proud. So will you be upstanding, and raise your glasses to the bridesmaids. (All at the table stand and raise their glasses.)

All: To the bridesmaids.

Charles: I think it is customary to ask the groom to say a few words now. I give you, Mr. Lindsay Hall, the groom. (clapping)

Lindsay: Thank you Charles, and thank you Mr. Herrmann

Jakob: Oh, please, call me Papa. (everyone laughs)

Lindsay: Yes, I will, of course. Thank you Papa Herrmann for your kind wishes, and for your generous meal and party for us. Thank you, Charles, for being my loyal supporter, today, and for the last ten years at least, with your many words of wisdom. And thank you too, to Charley Cox,
and his wife Eliza for being here. I have been told by reliable sources that it won’t be long before We Three will mean something completely different to Charley and Eliza. (laughter)
Now two of WE THREE, as we call ourselves, are married, so we need to find someone out there for Charles Walker, so we can all be content together as we grow older.

And I especially want to thank you, Papa and Mama Herrmann, for Emily, my beautiful wife, who I promise you I will take care of as you would have me do. You have made her what she is, and that is someone most wonderful and precious to me.

And, Emily and I want to thank you all, friends and family, for being here today to celebrate with us. (applause). And a special thanks to my sister Alison, who has put up with Robert and me for these difficult few years since our father died. She has been our main stay. She will soon be off to Switzerland to live in Montreux, and we shall miss her very much, but also look forward to visiting her for holidays. And while I am on family matters, I would like to say that I only hope that Emily and I can be as happy as my brother Robert and his bride of a few months ago, Mary, are.

But most of all I wish to thank Emily for agreeing to be my wife. Please raise your glasses and toast by beautiful bride. To Emily.(All stand and raise their glasses.)

All: To Emily.

Charles: I think that concludes the speeches. Might I remind you that at 8 p.m. the evening’s activities will recommence with a dance, here in this hall, and you are all very welcome to come and join in the proceedings at that time.

Curtain down.