The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-11-13
ORGANISM AND ORGAN
PLAYING.

The influence of a good organ
ist and organ on church singing
can scarcely he oVerestimated. II
the clergyman is not musical and
has good common sense, the or
ganist will be supreme in the mu-
steal portion of the services. 1t
is, therefore, of far greater import
ance than is usually supposed,
that the organist should be some
thing more than a mere musical
machine. There are two pulpits
in every church. The pastor
breaches from one, and the organ
list or choir director USUALLY the
same) from the other. The most
fervent expression of She clerical
pulpit may be weakened or abso-
lutely destroyed by the frivolous
performance of the musical pas
tor. We doubt if this fact has ev-
er fully impressed a majority OF
our readers, and yet scarcely one
has not felt that the impression,
for instance, of an excellent ser.
mon has been Obliterated from the
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 pas
tor have been followed by some
frivolous and utterly inappropri-
ate organ performance.
This is not mere surmise on ouI
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 n voluntary
support the choir in singing, and
dance the congregation out Of the
church to any tune which struck
his fancy, or which he may have
selected and prepared for perform
ance days before. 1t is this map
propriateness with which we think
organists are especially charged
BILE. What would we think Of 9
clergyman who INDUCED in levity
at funeral? And yet we have
heard organists, after q sermon
which excited to the utmost sol
emn reflections, amble gayly into
selections from sMartha," tETravi
ata," and (it is q pity to write it
Offenbach. "Hands all round and
down in the middle" is too otter
suggested by these careless per
formances.
The influence of such an organ
ist on the choir is in the highest
degree demoralizing. The Flip
pancy which characterizes the or
gan performance will inevitably
creep into the singing. 1t has, II
fact, developed . school of so
called sacred compositions who's,
weak sentimentaiity and faulty
construction would have exasper
ated Handel almost to suicide anG
hurried Haydn to a premature
grave. Modern composers to-
often diverge as far as posi- BIZ
from these noble models. Tn,
sole effort seems to be to pleas,
the ear and tickle the fancy. Their,
is no attempt at 3 worshipful style
They are usually as defective il
sanctity and reverence as in gram
NAUTICAL construction. The sim
plest rules Of harmony are disre
garded in order to produce strik
ing effects. The choir-loft is con
verted into an arena for the exhi
bition OF vocal gymnastics. Their
are ground and lofty tumblings b,
the solo soprano, acrobatic feat
OF strength by the bass, ambition
and exciting efforts to attain tn
sttenuated, Wiry high G, and NOR
or less side-show business by tn
alto, organist, and ali concerned
But this is q topic that can not b
disposed of in . brief paragraph
It needs q careful diagnosis and
sound remedy. We doubt if it ca
be cured by homeopathic doses
that is, by inefficient church mU
sic committees-but requires tn
most heroic treatment by the COZ
| gregations themselves. Choirs o.
ten sing such stuff, either becaus
they think the people like it, G
) ara too indolent to enter q pro
: test against it. Congregations 81
long-suffering; bat we earnestl
hope, and confidently believe, ths
the judgment day for this sacred
bosh, and also for OffenbachIa
organists, is fast approaching
The Aldine for October.