The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-10-27
Early Church Music.

to New England the customs of the indie
pendent Churches in which they had been
reared.
John Cotton, of Boston, in his "Consti-
tuition of Church, published in London
in 1915, defends congregational singing.
He deals with the difficulty abont tunes
by saying that, as God has not given us
the Hebrew tune, we must invent new
ones, for he has commanded us to sing.
Ainsworth's English edition of the
Psalms was the only book used in New
England Churches for many years. The
first book printed in America was the
Bay Psalm Book of 1910. a new trans
lation, compiled by a committee of di-
vines, and intended to be more Scriptu-
raj than Ainsworth. 1t is prefaced by a
discourse, showing the lawfulness and the
necessity of singing Psalms. This Psalter
passed through no less than seventy
editions, the last of which appeared as
late as l773. The ninth edition, issued
In 1896, contained few tunes, the first
music printed in New England. The
tunes have only an air and bass, and di-
rections are given for setting them with
in compass of the voice, so as to avoid
"squeaking above or grumbling below"
For sixty years after the earliest Church
es were formed in New England, not
more than ten tunes were used. Later
on the number was reduced to five or six.
These were known as Oxford, York,
Litchfeld Windsor, st. David's and Mar
tyrs. They were written in the Psalm
book or the Bible. The Psalms were
sung week by week, in rotation, without
regard to the subject of the preacher S
discourse. AS consequence Of this long
continued use of a few tunes, they came
to be regarded as inspired, and the intro
ducuon of new tunes was strongly OPP
posed In 1721 the Rev. Thomas Wal
ter, in his Grounds and Rules of Music, -
wrote that he had heard Oxford tune
sung in three Churches with as much
difference as there could possibly be be-
tween as many different tunes. The
tunes in use, he says, had become so mu-
tilated, tortured, and twisted, that the
Psalm singing had become mere dis
orderly noise. The decline had been so
gradual that the very confusion and dis
cord seemed to have become grateful to
their ears, while melody, sung in time
and tune, was offensive.
Walters book threw the Church in
to connection. Some battled for the new
way of singing by note, and some for the
old way by rote. The most enlightened
of the ministry, however, stood firm for
the change, and called fearlesly for re-
form. In May, 1742, the church in
Hanover, Mass, voted to sing in the
new way" The giving of the keynote
was a matter of serious importance.
Sometimes it was done by the minister.
In 172l the people of Charlestown voted
that citizen be desired to read and set
the Psalms, and that he be excused his
poll tax so long as he shall officiate in the
said work" The tuner was assisted in
his duty by large wooden pitch pipe,
looking very much like mouse trap. 1t
was stealthily introduced into the Church
es, kept out of sight, and passed from lip
to lip as slyly as bottle of brandy in a
stage coach. Specimens of these curious
instruments are still preserved.
The controversy, which ended in the
introduction of new tunes, developed
almost Of necessity the " singing school. ~
These schools, which began in 1920, had
become common, from Maine to Georgia,
at the beginning of the present century
They led the way to the formation OF
choirs and the erection of the choir
gallery.
The custom of lining out" or " dea-
coming off fingered for long time, but
received ITS final blow at Worcester in
1779. Here, we are told a public meet
ing was called, to consider whether
they should sing in the usual way or the
rWla6le way" The resolution being in
troduced, it was "voted that the singers
sit in the hind body seats on the men S
side, and that the mode. of singing be
without reading the Psalms, line by line,
to be sung" The next morning after
this decision was the Sabbath day, and a
venerable deacon arose in the meeting to
fulfil the time honored custom of reading
line by line. But the singers made no
pause between the lines. The deacon
loudly read on till overpowered, when
he seized his hat and retired in tears.
The choir continued their victorious
chant, and the poor deacon was formally
censured by the church for absenting
himself from public worship.
The introduction of instruments fol-
lowed the use Of new tunes. The bass
viol, or the Lords fiddle" as it was
called, seems to have been the first in
gtrurnent tn effect an entronce Meet