The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-02-27

much Of the service Il musical that 4 con.
slant effort has been made by the differ.
ent parties, RitualiStic,; High and Low
church, to engralt peculiar ideas into the
music Of the church, but without success
1T remains to-day matter OF choice
with each church (choir we should say)
what they will have. In 81. Matthews
Church, the kinds Of choirs and music
they have had for ten years past, are "a
varied as JoHephs coat Of many colors.
Quartette, chorus, Childrsns, male, 70.
male, solo, duet, trio chorus, etc., have
followed each other like the changing
figures OF n kaleidoscope, and the end
onght not 10 be yet, for we want all four
voices represented In il. Can Il not be?
The kinds Of music too have been Of va.
ried character from the flight and un.
seemly. TO the so.called heavy, to be un.
dsrsood only by the musicians who have
explored the mysteries Of the art, or have
knowledge Of thorough bass and har.
mony TO enable them 10 unrayel the
males Of the (lets see, our friend calls Il
the-oh yes, the) delightful chaos"
heavy music Is to many persons. 1t Is
hard to please everybody with the music
in the Episcopal Church; one party de.
sires the artistic touch put on the chants;
another q full service; another the chants
to be sung to old "ralliS," the psalms
and hymns 10 be Invested Of all ornament
so they can be sung Congregationally,
suns time, tune and taste, wishing moth.
ing sung but what all can sing; another
party would intone the psalms, elaborate
the service with all that fancy could sug-
gest unsteady, and be content for them.
selves 10 sing the Qme0S TO allow music,
while on their knees. Most everybody
considers the music at St. Matthews 10
be OF the Xxx order, and in many re.
speCts it is so. We must give Mrs.
Whitney credit for her efforts TO intro.
duce good class Of music into, The
choir. No more jealous advocate OF
the substantial music can be found in
the city. She does not seem TO tire,
and we regret she Is not properly appre.
ciated by the procurement Of tenor 10
complete the choir. Every effort made |
to sing the anthems and psalms used at
81. Matthews with only three parts, ia |
lamentable failure; the hearers cannot
be pleased, the musical sense is DESTROYED,
and what would otherwise interest the
musician az well as the worshipper goes
to waste because Of its incompleteness.
Some one will say, THAT is silly talk, The |
music Is pretty and good, and as well |
sung as at any church in the city, perhaps |
better" This may all be true; what We |
have said Of it is looking at II in must. |
clans way, hoping before long to have
reason for u different opinion. There are |
some features in the choir service at ST.
Matthews We do not like, for instance the |
accented "dwelp on one word Of the re. |
cltative in chanting, and the very sudden |
"gobbling up" Of the cadence. We like
dwelling on word OF the recitatiye but
without accent; also like accelerating the
time in the cadence, but not whisking it |
out OF existence in an instant In
many other ways too, for an old fogy like
We happen to be, there is an amount OF |
Suddenness in the doings OF the choir that
makes us feel nervous all the while for |
lear we shall not be in time In something;
and looking around al the congregation
one can zee sort OF intimidation had
overspread it, perhaps for the reason we
give. Mrs. Whitney has voice OF pleas.
ing quality, real useful voice, and if |
used with less pOrtdmentO el declamqado
would leave little more 10 be desired as
n choir voice. Miss Campbell, the alto,
has u very good voice too, but it is un.
even, many tones are hard and unsym-
pathetic, In strong contrast TO others that
are naturally good tones; little care
given TO the formation Of the chest tones
would enhance the value OF her singing
greatly. Mr.. Gutenberg, the bass, has a
rich tlmbre in his voice, but it does not
have chance to come out as it should;
The good tone does not come unless the
mouth is fairly open; forcing the tone
makes 1t an uncertain one.
This choir has three excellent voices.
which, taken rs u unit, are not excelled
in any choir in the city. There is plenty
OF ambition in the choir, and u fair re- !
suit. The organist is not always self
possessed, but manages most Of the time
to keep not very far away from the sing.
ers. a little less pedal at times would
give a little variety and relief; the manu-
ais OF an organ do very well for accom-
paniment sometimes, without using the |
pedal. st. Matthews choir, occupying
probably the most prominent position in |
the city, We have reason to expect much
Of, and hope to see success attend lis
efforts TO be the best.