Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1881-12-24
Our Church GTusic.
BY THE REV. WILLIAM LLOYD.

An old Presbyterian Elder once said
to NE, " II the dey'l canaot get iuto a
church any other way, he always fluids
door 10 lbe choir gallery
Many ministers decline to have any
| thing to do With tic matter at ell and
regulate it 10 a music committee, aud
they in ,uro. leave it almost entirely to
'hc orgauis. Such q course, | think
IS unel,e. The minister should be COZ
duc,or of the whole public service.
The music should always harmonze
with the thought aud spirit which per-
vades the other part OF the service. b.
the music mean hymns, anthems and
tunes 4 class OF music that may be
euiarutly fitting aud impressive in con
ncc;iou with one form Of religious wor-
ship may be incongruous and injurious
u another. An eDiaent Roman Catho-
| he clergyman, the music o. whose church
was Acknowledged to be the most im-
pres>ive aud artistic OF any in New York,
once said, at had charge Of the mu-
SIC 10 any Protestant church 10 the city,
gould soon make it az impressive
| f AZURE OF tLe service rs it is in my own;
bu, aoIli have scarcely any OF the
| kind that how use. would have
such music as harmonized with Protes-
isnt sentiment aud forms Of worship -
| The error made IN mary Of your churches
IS tl.st sou introduce Catholic music iato
| proieetou, worship. and il fails 20 a
rakcn = response ID The hearts Of ths
| oaorIe." These words are worth pom
| .criag. | remember once entering q
csthejr1l on the Continent ia the earlg
morrirg, to see the building White
there tbe silence was broken by a log
uu, gradually Increasing sound from the
organ. Chord blended with chord 10
sweet. mouruful cadence. aud in few
| m 1neuts beard the voices OF an us-
seen choir Of male voices chanting g
Ll,in hymn.
The effect upon me | shall never for.
| yet ! bowed ny head 10 silent ecstasy
and the tears well. up into my eyes
| do not know whether il was worship
ar ouly aesthetic. The dim light. the
massive pillars, tho vast, distant roof aud
tie plaintiye music were all in perfect
keeping But The same music woul!
nsve effected me very iffrenily bad |
heard it in Plymouth Church in the
broad daylight, aud with Mr.. Baecher's
rotuud tace looking out from it's usual
frame Of flowers
Oar Worship is simple. Its strength
lies IN its simplicity. The character of
It's music should therefore be simple and
sweet also.
i is @ mistake for choir to be per
mited to choose an open anthem without
6rst consulting the pastor os to the pro
table tone Of tn, coming scrvic e. l
once prepared a sermon under mos.
touching circumstances, hoping to bring
comfort to some hearts knew were smt-
ten sore by sin and sorrow. But the
choir opened the service with a jigging
hije-aud g,-seck anthem 10 which the
words, /" March around about Jerusa-
lem, ;" ran after each ether from treble to
tenor aud alto TO bass. TIE whole SER
vice vas msrred by the iucougruity.-
Never leave The choice Of your hymns to
tie adler Of the choir The thought
that pergld the sermon should doni-
tate the hymns, os far as possible
Sometimes a hymn in closing that pre-
sents a striking contrast TO the sermon
may be very effective, | would advise
any man vito breaches sermon en- bell
to sing, in closiue. hymn on heaven.
Nothing ia more horrible than to hear a
congregation sing Of others:
1" Far on the left. with horror standing,
Their fearful doom to meet"
Danish vigorously all fugus tunes
that is, tunes in which the different parts
have to catch up the words, as in the old
song Of &" Three blind mice" | know
of tut few such tunes that can be sung
by any congregation without becoming
ludicrous " Antioch " is one that may
be used but even that is Questionable
Ola tunes recast, re-arrauged by new
omposcrs, are generally ruined. Mr..
Noyello rearrauged "Old Hundred"
aith variations. y stalwart English
man attempted to Join in the doxology.
stopped -as,ounded -looked for mo
ment amazed at the choir, and then turn
ed 10 bis companion with charitable
explanation Of the confusion worse con
founded. as i. seemed to lis ears :
That cbo.s's drunk, sir" No, it was
Mr.. Noyello who had made the STATELY
=" Old Hundred " drunk with the new
wine OF his musical lancies.
Avoid tunes that have wel-known as
slcia,i MS # secular character. am
aware that 10 many of the great operas
there are ms loiies OF exquisite beauty
which can lie easily welded to sacred
words But il is not fen wise to in