Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1875-11-10
The Music Of the Church.


we have had MANY occasions to speak of
the earthly discords that enter into our
heavenly harmonies. The question of
Church Music refuses to be settled.
There are so many tastes TO be consulted
in it, ii is so complicated with ecOnomi-
cal questions, il is so overloaded with
theories, it presents so many difficulties
of administration i'm its simplest forms,
that a church may be accounted happy
which can go on one or two years with
out a row or revolution. Nothing
seems to be learned by experience, as in
other departments of human effort and
enterprise. Churches pass through musi-
cal cycles. They begin, perhaps, with
congregational singing; then they rise
into a volunteer choir; that fades out,
or rebels, and then comes in paid
quartette of professional singers; then
a volunteer chorus is added; then comes
another revolution, and the church goes
back to congregational singing, from
which point il starts on another trip
around the cycle. Over, and over, and
over again, there are churches that do
just this, are doing it now, and promise
to do it many times more.
In the adjustment of this matter-if it
shall ever be adjusted-there are certain
facts which must betaken into eOnsidera-
ton. First, that music in a city church
can never be managed as il is i'm a coun-
try church. The popular singing school
in the country, where amusements are
few, is a practicable thing. In the city,
where life is full, especially at that sea-
son of the year when rehearsals are
practicable, it is next to impossible TO
get people together for sufficient prac-
tice. A volunteer choir, made up from
city congregation, is one of the most
difficult things to maintain that can be
imagined. The rehearsals always come
in the evening, when everybody is tired
or engaged; and, without rehearsals,
even tolerable singing is not possible.
Congregational singing, without rehear-
sails. is worse than that of the volunteer
choir. If an attempt is made to unite
volunteer chorus with paid quartette,
it is soon ascertained that the more i'm
perfectly trained voices are added to
professionally trained voices, the more
is the quality Of the music deprecated,
though the volume of sound may be en-
larged. The grand, practical difficulty
is that all non-professional singers in a
city church have no time to practice
their art together. The business en-
gagements of the men and the social and
religious engagements of the women,
are such as to render the necessary re-
hearsals utterly impracticable.
This ought not so to be, perhaps; but
it is so, and it is one of those established
facts that must be looked squarely in the
face, in any competent handling of the
question. Some churches have learned
that the best way for them to do Is to
put their hands in their pockets, and
bring out money enough to pay for their
music, and have somebody whom they
can hold responsible for it. Undoubtedly
these churches get along with the least
difficulty, and have the best music. We
hear great deal about the cOngrega-
tional singing i'm Mr.. Beecher's church.
but Mr.. Beecher's church is entirely
exceptional in its circumstances. In the
first place, it has a Lar ge and well-played
organ. that is capable of leading, and
almost of drowning, all the voices in the
house. In the second place, it has body
of professional singers, and, in the third
place, it gives a certain seat to the
volunteer singer i'm the choir, in a
church where getting seat is difficult
matter. With such leading, any con-