New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-07

THE EVAEGELICAL HYMNAL. With Tunes. COmpicl
IAsAR svo, PIP V. gu. A. :. Barnes d Co.
Messrs. Hall and Lasar state their purpose
with great franknes IN the preface their important
pnhicaton They Announce themselves Tcforners of
church music They believe that the best interests Of
hymnOdy have suffered, and the dignity Of divine w0r
ship Dcen endangered by The popular Of hymns
and tunes either 1sutblc the sacred offices Of rel.
con or backing in utriD merit They do not pdr-
pose Yielding false fashionable taste by means OF
compromise between the good and the bad but they
vigorously exclude everything which falls below their
nigh standard of poetic and musical value and religious
feeling This is the firm position Which the Tcormers Of
church music must take II they expect to accomplish
any good. There is undoubtedly crying need for a
work the plan of the new Hymna The condition Of
the service Of song" in Esost Of American
churches is one OF the Scandals of the
age. On the one hand we have tho weakest
and most commonplace of hymn-tunes destitute
alike musical character and devotional spirit the
have the exhibition Of professional vocalist
selections intended merely for purposes OF display. AS
The great festivals of the Christian year approach the
newspapers flcd with programmes Of church per
which read like the prospectus of secular
and critics regularly invited TO notice the
exhibitions as If they were operate
deed they often are Where elaborate show pieces
attempted 1t is too often the custom 10 force Italian
aat0ry airs and dances TO fit the metre of the
to melodies clogged with the most in
cOngruous associations We have before us now
the programme of a Sunday service in fashionable
church last winter, where or two GregOran chants
were 1nterminged with trio by Douizetu Psalms by
New York OrgInist Fantasia on "Ernani" for violin
solo. the overture to Tampa" and grand organ Fan
tasia on La File du Regiment" Church music must
have sunk to deDlOrable condition in q community
which could tolerate such travesty upon devotion
The hymns embraced IN the present collection be-
800 and 600 In number, and strict taste has
been applied in choosing them. Many Of the ancient
and medieval hymns given. and large has been
made Of the writings OF Watts, the Wesleys Dodd-
ridge, Miss g eclc. Toplady, Faber, How, New
man, Neale. Piunptre, Palmer, Bonar, Words
worth and Dean Stanley 1t is in the seec
ton OF tunes however, that the compLers
have chiefly attempted reform. and in this field the
difference between The Evangelical Hymnal" and
most of its predecessors is very striking. While miuy
Did aud familiar tunes have been retainedlor not few
Of them have great merit and many tunes have been
borrowed from the collections of German chOrds, the
compiers have drawn freely from the modern Eng
sh school, represented by Barnby Dykes, T. Hopkins,
Gauntlet, stainer. A. H. Brown. Cakin. Goss, Oakley
Sullivan. and others, who to quote the language Of
preface, have so faithfully caught the spirit OF
divine worship, and afforded vehicle for
the best emOtions OF a congregation. The finest
OF these modern English hymns are distinguished
all Of them have certain dignity and -oemnIty which
under proper conditions, become deeply impressive III
a pieuy careful examination OF the book have not
found one trivial tune. The pieces adapted
singing but for successful use the Hymna
requires tho preface says "a strong, active, Indus
LrI0us chorus
There are some conspicuous exccllcnces in
the arrangement OF the book. Sometimes
Two more hymns are adapted 20 Que
fun,, but in that the music Is always re
peated that text and notes may be read together
similar rulo is observed when two
adapted TO hymn. Tho distribution by
subjects is clear and comprehensive; there
tre alphabetical and nietr,cal indices OF
lines and titles Of tunes and a novel and excel
ent feature Biographical index in which short
account Is given o. every author translator and COM
loscr uded IN the collection. We .asrs
Hall and Lasar upon the completion of their long labor
They have built OF Industry zeal and taste
which will do them lasting honor
PRETTY PEGGY. AND OTHER BALLADS. illustrated |
By RosISA EMMEr 4to pp. o. DOfd, Mead d 90.
The style of children's books made so popular |
" the pencils Walter Crane Caldccott. and Others in
has found clever imtators in this country
nd here s very good specimen, printed in coors anu
D, nished with the tunes and Accomplishments. The
aads OF which there are Ave- are well chosen and the