Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-01-15
The UnihCatiOn Of Music ia Catholic
Churches.

A writer in the London Pail Mall
Gazette says:
Through the medium Of its official
press, the Vatican has lately made
known to the world a brief in which
Pope Leo XIII, completing a work
already begun by Plus TX, DEGREES the
u~niication of church music in all Ro-
man Catholic churches throughout the
world. Pho Mono has considered that
it would be more seemly, and hat it
would as it were solidify that faith, IT..
instead of there being as at present
one form OF music used in one country
and another in another, there should
rise one sound of song, as there is but
one form Of prayer, throughout Latin
ChristendOm and to this end he in.
structed the Sacred Congregation OF
Rites TO seek out, and re-write for
modern use the old Gregorian chant
in its originul purity. AS long ago as
the council Of Trent the revision or
amendment Of the missal and brew
airy was placed in the hands of the
Popes; and in one of its sittings the
council specially condemned by a de-
cree de Observandis ct Evitandis in
Celebrations Misse" the introduction
of impure, and, as it was quantity
termed, lsacivious. music either in in
strumental or vocal part of the SER
vice. Some years after the council.
Pope Plus V afterwards canonized)
authorized the isse of Ia missal
and breviary reformed according
to the intention of the council
to which, in the form of an
appendix, a corrected form of
church music was intended to be adj.
ded. Some authorities adhered rig
idly to the canto fermo" of the
Gregorian chant, to the absolute ex
clusion Of all harmony; but at this
time Pierluigi da.. Palestriua and
Guidetti had begun to write, and their
church music charmed all ears, and
was considered so pure and divine
that it silenced opposition and was
even approved by special official letter
from Sixtus Y. There had previously
been issued for the use of all
churches and colleges" a collection
of antiphons selected from ancient
ones and those still in use; and this
selection. revised by Palestrina and
reported on as the most correct. is still
in the hands Of choirs, and is the one
recognized throughout the church.
The original copy presented to Greg
DRY NH, the then pontif, who had
granted a sort Of copyright to the au-
thor, is still preserved in the Vatican.
Things were at this point when, dur
ing the reign Of Paul V, in 1914, there
appeared a gradual, which has since
been known as the Medicean Gradual
from the press whence it issued. This
was specially recommended TO the
church by a pontiical brief, as being
the most correct type Of ecclesiastical
music aud as the first authentic edi
ton Of that branch Of the sacred lit.
urgy. A copy Of this is also preserved
in the Vatican Library, being the one
presented to Paul V. From that time
TO this no other authorized version
Of the musical part of the church
service had been put forward,
until Plus TX, DESTROYS to sun.
ply the need for it, and perhap,
also from a pardonable desire "a
be remembered By posterity as the
completer of the service used by I'll,
church, nominated a commission o.
professors of music and others to I'M,
dertake the work. following out I'll,
lines already laid down. under the di.
r%ection of the Sacred Congregation O
Rites. The men appointed were Mon
signor Luigi Ricci, canon Of the Libe,
rian Basilica, as president: Professor
Tommaso Carosi, chamberlain of the
pontificial chapel Cavaliero G.. Ca.
posi-, master of the Capella PA Late
ranense; and Cavaliero s. Moluzzi,
master Of the CapelIa Giulia Vaticana
and these, with the assistance Of the
codes and choral books preserved in
Rome and elsewhere, and following a.
nearly as possible the text Of the
books preserved in the Papal archives,
completed the work begun under Paul
V. The Mediceau Gradual had 1Fst
10 be reprinted work entrusted IL
Cavaliero 4. Pustet, of Ratisbou,
editor to the Congregation Of Rites.
aud while this was doing the Antipb .
onary, Psaltery aud Hymnal were
being prepared after the Venetian
edition Of Pietro Lichtenstein printed
in 1867, During the lifetime Of pi9
Mono, only the Gradual was COM
pleted the Antiphonary was about to
issue from the press When he died.
Under his successor the work las
been brought to perfection aud. as
both the Pauline or Mcclellan edition
and those parts Of the Gradua issued
during the lifetime ofPius TX had been
preceded by apostolic briefs. the re-
mainder Of the work is prefaeed lhv
brief 10 which Leo XIII, After settinr
forth the reasons for its execution.
adds: "ltaque memoratam ~editionem
a viris ~ecclesastici cantus spnrima
p%eritis, ad id S. 5. Rituum Congre.
gstlsns deputatis, revisam, probamus.