Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-11-07
Ors.ni.s. ana Or<.u P,.y,nx.

he influence Of q good org anist and orsan on
liz the clergy man is not musical aud has good
c mmon sense, the orgaDist will be saprsIne In
musical portion Of the services. IL u, thers-
fore, Of far greater Importance than is usually
supposed, that the org snis. should be something
noie than mere musical machine. There are
two Iu Fits in every church. The pastor preach
es fTem one and the organist or choir director
usually the ssDe) from the other. TIE most
ftryeIt expression OF the clerical pllpit NAV be
weakened or absolutely destroyed by the fsiy-
oious performance OF the pusical pastor. We
doubt II this fact has ever fully IN messed IN
majority OF our readers ar let there il scaFca-
ly any one but has felt that the impression, far
instance, IT an excellent sermon has been OBJ
ntyis'ti from the mind before he has rssched
the cutter door Of the church. He cannot tell
why, but tie oTganist could. IL be would recall
that the most solemn uttersnces Of the pastor
have teen followed by some frivolous and ut
te rly inappropriate organ performance.
This Is not 8 mere mise on orr part. We
have repeatedly seen this result in the past
twenty-five years. TIE average organist has
evidently had no more sympathy With the church
than with paying the national debt His bust
ness was simply to play q voluntary, support
the choir in singing and dance the congregation
fancy or which he may have selected and pre-
pared for performance days before. II is this
iHsppropl listens IS with WHICH We think organists
are specially chaTgesbls. what would We
think of clergyman who INDUCED in leyity AZ
a funeral? And yet we heard orgacists, alter
a sermon which excited 10 the utmost solemn
ItHeCticlr aUbit SaNfy INTO selScttpn from
'AaEtfa, ""Trssiata' and (it is y Is to write
it, Otfenbach. Hands 81 round and down the
middle" IS too often suggested by these careless
p rfoTners.
The iDfuence Of such an orgaTist on the choir
in the highest degree, uCmuializiug. The
fiplancy which charScteTiZeS tie srgan per-
iormsnce will inevitably creep into the singing.
III has, In fact, developed school o. so called
sacred compositions whose weak sentiment
lily and faulty construction would have
eNsSpeTated Handel almost 20 hQiaic! fa AMI
hurried Haydn TO premature grave. Modern
composers too often divergs as far as possible
from these noble models. The sole effort seems
TO be TO pieise the ear and tickle the fancy,
There Is no attempt st wOgshipful style. They
are usually as defective in sanctIty and reysr-
ence as in grammatical construction. The
simplest rules OF harmony are dsreSardsd,
in order TO produce striking effects. The choir
loft is converted 10 an arena for the exhibition of
vocal gymnastics. There are ground and lofty
tumblfngs by the solo soprano acrobatic feats OF
strength by the bass, ambitious and exciting
ehoTts to attain the attenuated, wiry high g
ana more or lees side chow business By the alto
orgsnist, and all concerned. But this is a topic
10 at cannot be disposed of in a brief paragraph.
IL needs careful diagnosis and sound remedy
We doubt if it can be cured by homeopathic
doses-that is, by inefficient church music com
nittees-but requires the most heroic treatment
by the congregations themselves. Choirs often
sing such stuff, either because they think tins
people ike 1t, or are too indOlent 10 enter pro-
test against it. Congregations are long suffer
ing, but We earnestly hope and confidently be-
lieve that the Judgment day for this sacred,
bosh, aid also for Ofenbachisn oTsanIsts Is
last pproachIBg.-Aldtaef for October.