New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-12-26
MIrsICAI PUBLICATIONS.

DIR CHURCH MUSIC; A &c, Z Fos PAsroas AID YscpLs
By RIcH,Ep sroARs WILLIS. Nsw.YSrk: Dsss 4 ca
Mr.. Richard sio,rs vii Is has the honor Of being
tie frat Ame lean Of nos mus'ca family, who fol-
Low ed retber Ii erstu,e nor politics. trade nor theology
kr living, bat struck out isto new sth-snstb to
saw be W. nj to GeImsny studied music especially OF
a sacred character, inclutisg the knowledge Of hN-
mopy-and lie now editor If iou isbisg musical joar
nal in this city. We mention him now In order 10 a.
lude to the above volume in which be DISCUSSES
the propr.ties of church music, the fashionable
folriss 9. time her or.d and technical require
ments, accompanied with certain historical MISTER
Of interest. Mr.. w. also treats Of church srch-
lecture music. vine The folio sing 10 among the
good thices In the last named line: "A vs'y sx-
"cesnt Iule, cri.iosted by the qusnt ss &C.
"compished DR.. Hodges of Trinity PGkh, New
"YoIk, by which TO decide upon The desirable cost OF
an organ fr .iven church, Is the folio sng: hus
",ply the number Of persons tho church will ACCOM-
"'modaie by three aud you have your organ. For
60 instance, a church seating 500 hundred persons
"'would need an organ costing about el,So for
al 900 q 5000 orgsn would be desirable, ana
"soon"
Here is ore smopg many examples Of nice cnti
cism by Mr.. Willis: ..
n,om;r on ca when each sysoe has but one Tone The
RIar composer dc pa rs from ths slarring sinsls
s.isbIs o,er Two three, four eight, ten, twenty or
wo,e tor es-ss is done indefinitely In oroae musical
comnosi,ion-tbe n ore be subordnates no worus 10
The usic treating he text The mere means OF aroc-
ustion and rel dering it more and more laois1nc,.
We arrive here, thea, at ometnng dehnte, W WINCH
comm. m may be- governed In The devononas eve VI
church music la cborsls, lise Old Hundred, Dun
dea &c We have but one tone to syuAoei ana 10
oU nusic composed for pu ely devooonh purposes,
each word would best IN o similar MANNER htve pu'
ON ton.- except ia occasional instances wnere Gu
over two TO, es lat most ihree) uuAvoidsne rom ne
course Of the melody ane .ee ae ,n $500. scd
liable style Of composition may safely 90 con-
aideIed ss best sospted to devoooos purposes.
Brtw ,em.,k. on page 1871, the following:
There wss-oDoe ueon q Time Pure church style
OF music ely con'radsiug usheG from the secular
style Just az we have 9 sacred and secular style
OF painting and sacred and style Of sculpture
so we OF &c bad tscred and secular style Of music.
passiiy. And yet tie old masters well understood the
mea, sly tbmical and melodos-of avoiding such
secular effects go taose have detailed Tha. inter-
woven s,le Of cOnposition-tbate qupo'e Of rhythm,
fobjoipg too great q simutsDeousLess and regularly
tetus Of The paris these aud her Of
the art, sre fsmisr to al thorough bred musicians.
Now, take purs cb urch style Of music, PaIestins,
the iefcrmer Of them ell and we shall find chronic
violation of the excellent rule set down by Mr. Willis
on psge lO7 quoted above TIE fact Is with the old
masters, except in h. for the general purpose Of
the frgreea'i n, sach c'esr defamation wM freely
lost sieht Of in The fogue and canen requiremens-
several pNts moving together and the ingenuity OF
construction taking the place of dominant dseia-
nation.