The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-02-03

OUR CHURCH CHoIRs.-That not all
the fault OF poor music in Our churches
is 10 be attributed TO the singers in the
choir, almost every one will bear witness,
because in. most choirs the organist &C.
cupies the position Of choir director also.
The influence this individual Is capable
Of exercising can hardly DO oyer-estl.
mated. 1.-The be dull and stupid or careless,
all the choir does will partake Of the
same character, and II he be devoid Of
religious spirit or proper reverence for
religion and the proprieties OF the
sanctuary, frivolous and inappropriate
music takes the place Of that which
should elevate and ennOble the worshiPer.
The average organist has no more sym.
patty with the church than the church
bell has. His business il simply to play n
voluntary, support or drown the choir
in singing, and dance or march tbs
congregation out TO any tune that
strikes his fancy. There are
two pulpits in every church the preach.
er breaches from one and the organist
from the other; and II often happens that
the most iervent expression OF the Cler.
ical pulpit Ia utterly destroyed by the
frivolous performance from the musical
pulpit. We have heard organists, after
a sermon which excited the most solemn
reflections, amble gaily into selections
from "Marlha," "TrNviata," "Faust," or
some dance tune suggesting " Hands all
round and down the middlem and to
this the congregation departs, without a
possible chance 10 shut out the fancies
such music creates. Go to church some
time, feeling the need OF something sooth.
ing to distressed and Borrowing heart,
and maybe you will hear the organist
begin his voluntary with thump on
the pedal, and thin, weak little melody
comes from the distance, from perhaps
the stop didpdson with closed swell mean.
dering unmeaningly along till il comes
in contact with the gambia, which picks
up little bit Of an idea from WeIy or
Battiste,I and is suddenly reinforced by
the hauibois, when u series OF reedy pyro.
technics begin, in which morsels Of every.
thing with the organist's own undevelop-
ed ideas struggle for the mastery; then
the ctarionc is called in use to drown the
contest with its screech, and the ground
swell OF commotion is increased, till the
laundering peal Of the full organ swAl.
lows up individual sounds, and bits Of
operate airs, ctlertOrics aud nonsense,
are lost in the ear torturlng racket. The
peace Of the congregation being fully dis.
turbed, the organist subsidies, but the last
thing you hear is, Us at first, the
pedal. We .havc been TO church all
over the city, and, in one church we know
OF, the organist often plays with COnsid-
cradle taste many times just the music
we ought 10 have for voluntaries, quiet,
digniGed, tasteful and chaste; but,
for all this, he sometimes has play
ed bits from "Traviata," era Diavola,"
"LOhengrin," and even "OIlenbachian"
tit.bits. Appetizer has no idea Of making
good selections for vOluntaries. 1t is
either q rumble over something "big and
noisy" or one Of the everlasting so-called
"organ gems" rarely playing voluntar.
les, such rs appeal to the feelings proper
to the church; and he, too, in some things,
trenches on the ground our other friend
invades. A third tries finger gymnastics
all over the ivory, not always with happy
results; little curly.cues introduce them
selves very Unexpectedly, and homemade,
dispersed and close harmony, crowds on
little melody in strangely incongru-
Qua style at times.
We might particularize the peculiari.
ties OF others, but ii will not be necessary.
The examples given will suggest to our
Organists the need Of little self.inquiry,
and those who are at fault can, if they
will, do better. Nearly all the organists
who play in our principal churches have
talent and the dropping Of light and nm
suitable style and music will rebound to
their credit. There is so much real
church music written, both easy and
difficult, Tor all grades of players, that
there is no need Of meaningless IMPROVE
satiOn, or Of using old, hackneyed, worm
out airs from operas and the half.dozen
collections OF organ music published in
this country. A brief examination of
the excellent catalogue Of cheap organ
and choir music published by the Novel.
los would suggest much OF possible inn
prOvement 10 all our organists, boil, us
regards their voluntaries and choir music.
Briefly the attention may be called to
the manner in which the hymn tunes
ought TO be played. Do not attempt to
play them in fancy style before singing.
Play them plainly and go that every part
may be heard; do not smother the tune
with the pedal; let fancy stops be silent, in
accompanying the singing support the
choir or congregation, and il the fancy
must be INDUCED in, let it be subordi-
nate'-the organ is not to be heard over
all else. Organists are responsible for
much OF the bad music We hear, rs well as
the good, and we may be able to point out
wherein, at future times.