The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-11-15
ORGANISTS AND ORGAN PLAYING

The influence Of good organist and organ
on church singing can scarcely be overesti
mated. If the clergyman is not musical and
has good common sense, the organist will be
supreme in the musical portion of the SER
vices 1t is, therefore, of far greater impor-
lance 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 paster breaches from one,
and the organist or choir director usually
the same) from the other. The most fervent
expression of the clerical pulpit may be weak
ened or absolutely destroyed by the frivolous
performance of the musical pastor. We doubt
if this fact has ever fully impressed the ma
jority of our readers, and yet scarcely no one
but has felt that the impression, for instance,
OF an excellent sermon has been obliterated
from the mind before he has reached the
outer door Of the church. He cannot tell
why, but the organist could, if he would re-
call that the most solemn utterances of the
pastor have been followed by some frivolous
and utterly inappropriate organ performance.
This is not q mere surmise on our part.
We have repeatedly seen this result in the
past twenty-five years. The average organist
has evidently had no more sympathy with the
church than with paying the national debt.
His business was simply to play voluntary,
support the choir in singing, and dance the
congregation out of the church to any tune
which struck his fancy, for which he may
have selected and prepared for performance
days before. 1t is this appropriateness with
which we think organists are especially charge
able. What would we think of clergyman
who INDUCED in levity at q funeral? And yet
we have heard organists, after sermon which
excited to the utmost solemn reflections,
amble gayly into selection from '.Martha, -
"Traviata," and lit is a pity to write it,
Offenbach. Glands all around and down the
middle is too often suggested by these care
less performers.
The influence of such an organist on the
choir is, in the highest degree, demoraGzing.
The fippancy which characterizes 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 diverge as far as
possible from these noble models. The sole |
effort seems to be to please the ear and tickle |
the fancy. There is no attempt at worship
full style. They are usually as defective in |
construction. The simplest |
rules of harmony are disregarded, in order to |
produce striking effects. The choir-lott is |
to an arena for the exhibition of |
vocal gymnastics.
There are ground and lofty tumbling by the |
solo soprano acrobatic feats Of strength by !
the bass, ambitious and exciting efforts to at
tain the attenuated, wiry C, and more or less
business by the alto, organist, and |
Ill concerned But this is topic that can
not be disposed of in brief paragraph. 1t
needs careful diagnosis and a sound remedy.
We doubt if it can be cured by homeopathic
loses-that is, by inefficient church music
requires the most heroic
reatment by the congregations themselves.
Choirs often sing such stuff, either because
hey think the people like it, or re too indo-
ent to protest against it. Congregations are
but we earnestly hope and
confidently believe, that the judgment day tor
his q sacred bosh, and also for Offenbachian
'rganists, is fast approaching. -Fron the Al
line for October.
From Gov. Smiths Atlanta speech: sThere
Vas once widower with little boy named
Bobby, who, like most widowers, took notion
nd got married, and in the course Of time he
7as blessed with another son, whom he named
ohnny. Now sail he, though the new
aother loved Bobby very much, she loved
ohnny just q little more. She would split
pen biscuit, butter both pieces, and give
ne to Bobby and one to Johnny, but she put
ugar on the piece she gave to Johnny. Bob ,
y one day discovered it, and being hurt az &
his exhibition of partiality, went out on the i
ront door-steps and commenced crying. Pres s
ntly his father came along and inquired !
Bobby, what are you crying about p ]
N-o-th-i-n-gr But, my son, you must be t
rying about something. Tell me what it is t
;obby then told his father how his mother put t
ugar on Johnnys biscuit 90, WE'LL don't y
~, my SON, responded the father, you shall t
ave sugar on your biscuit, too but the boy i
ept on crying, and said: I don't care any 4
ling about the sugar. It's the principle of Q
lie darned thing don't like Now, we don't t
ire how much the Radicals help the negroes; I
e don't care how much they favor them; we o
ont care how much sugar they have on their e
scuit; but it's the principle of the darned a
ling We don't like" loud laughter