Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-11-15
ORGANIsTs AND ORGAN PLAYING.

The Aldine.
|. The influence Of a good organist and
organ ON church singing can scarcely
be overestimated. If the clergyman Is
not musical and has good common
sense, the Organist viii be supreme in
the musical portion of the services. 1t
is, therefore, Of far greater importance
than is usually supposed, that the or.
ganist should be something more than
a mere musical machine. There are
two pulpits In every church. The pas.
tor breaches from one, and the organ
list or choir director usually
the same) from the other, The
most fervent expression Of the clerical
pulpit may be weakened or absolutely
destroyed, by the frivolous performance
of the musical pastor. We doubt If
this fact has ever fully impressed the
majority of our readers, and yet scarce
ly one has not felt that the impress
sion, for instance, of an excellent SER
mon has been oblIterated fromthe mind
before he has reached the outer door of
the church. He can not tell why, but
the organist could, if he would recall
that the most solemn utterances of the
pastor have been followed by some friv-
olous and utterly inappropriate organ
performance.
This is not mere surmise on our part.
We have repeatedly seen this result in
the past twenty-five years. The aver
age organist has evidently had no more
sympathy with the church than with |
paying the national debt. His bust |
ness was simply to play a voluntary, |
support the choir IN singing, and dance |
thecongregation outof the church to any
tune which struck his fancy, or which |
he may have selected and prepared for
performance days before. 1t is this
appropriateness with which we think
organists are especially chargeable.
What would we think of a clergyman
who INDUCED In leyity at a funeralP
And yet we have heard organists, after
a sermon which excited to the utmost
solemn reflections, amble gaylY into
selections from Martha, /" ''TFaviata,"
and lit IS a pity to write it Offen-
bach. Hands all round and down
IN the middle" is too often suggested
by these careless performances.
The influence of such an Organist on
the choir is In the highest degree de-
moralizing. The fippancy which char
acterizes the organ performance will
inevitably creep into the singing. 1t
has, In fact, developed school Of So
called sacred compositions whose weak
sentimentality and faulty construction | ,
would have exasperated Handel almost
to homicide and hurried Haydn to a
premature grave. Modern composers {
too often diYerge as far as possible
from these noble models The sole
effort seems 10 be to please the ear and
tickle the fancy. There is no attempt
1t worshipful style. They are usual !
y as defective in sanctity and rever- !
,nce as in grammatical construction.
The simplest rules Of harmony are dis Y
'egard ed in order to produce striking D
fleets. The choir loft Is converted to e
N arena for the exhibition of vocal
gymnastics. There are ground and a
ofty tumblings by the solo soprano, v
scrobatic feats Of strength by the bass,
ambitious and exciting efforts to attain =
he attenuated, wiry high G, and more or :
ess side-show business by the alto, or !,
'anist and all concerned. But this is q
topic that cannot be disposed of in
REF paragraph. 1t needs a careful c.
iagnosis and sound remedy. We d
oubt If it can ecured by homeopathic G
Oses-that is, by inefficient church C.
music committees-but requires the II
lOst heroic treatment by the congrega- g
Ions themselves. Choirs often sing :.
UGH stuff, either because they think y
ne people ike it, or are too INDECENT to
inter- protest against it. Congrega-
ons are long suffering, but we ear
estly hope, and confidently believe, III
nat the Judgment day fort sacred" ez
0sh, and also for Offenbaehian organ ga
It's, is fast approaching. IN