The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1882-02-08
CHURCH MUSIC.

Although music has been more or less asso-
ciated with the various forms of Christian
worship for many centuries past, it has never
been felt to be SO vital and functional part
of divine service as IL is to-day. AS the forms
of Christian worship become more and more
emotional, the musical part of the service be-
comes naturally, and of itself, more promi-
nent for music is tho art of all others which
appeals most strongly to the emotions 1t is
unquestionably of great Importance that the
employment of so potent an emotional medium
as the art of tones should be discreety order
ed in so sacred matter as religious worship.
The better thing is, the more frightful are
the ahnses it. can be mt 10 and musin which
is SO all-powerful to add dignity, awful i'm
pressiveness, and sweet fervor to that human
communion with the Most High which we
call divine service, is most susceptible of be-
ing made to work for other ends and can just
as easily be made the ignoble vehicle of frivoli-
ty, ostentation, and sheer earthly passion.
Musicians as we'll as the clergy, have long
felt that the system by which church music
has been generally regulated in this country
is far too lax and Unfortunately eclectic.
We say indiscriminately eclectic advisedly,
for that American church music should be
eclectic in one way Or another is unavo liable.
Of all Christian scots there are but three
which have special traditional church music
of their own, admirably adapted to their sew
eral creeds and forms OF worship. The Roman
Catholic Church has the Gregorian Chant
both in its original simplicity and in the
elaborated form which we find In its most
sublime purity in the works of Palestrina.
The German Lutheran Church has the chorale,
which is the germ of that glorious list Of sa-
cred compositions which have entitled Sebas-
tian Bach to the name of benefactor of religion.
Finally, the Church Of England Tor its Ameri-
can represe NATIVE, the Episcopal Church, has
its noble church music, the moro complex
forms Of which are derived, If not so directly
as that of the Church of Rome, yet none the
less really and essentially from the Gregorian
Chant. But our American churches, with the
single exception we have just mentioned, have
no special traditional music. Many chants
and hymn-tunes are, to be sure, consecrated
by long use but they are too varied in must
cal character to be classed together under any
less general and comprehensive head than
that of sacred music. They are derived from
great number of sources. We cannot think
this to be in any way regrottable. A wise
ecclesiasticism in church music, kept within
due bounds. is in no way dissonant with the
character Of divine worship In this country.
Music, as a part Of divine service, may be
said to have two objects the one is to cypress
religious emotion the other, is to ercite re-
ligous emotion. Speaking loosely, We can
say that, in general, oir.snging (Which in
cludes both solos and the various forms of
concerted music for voices serves the second
of these ends; while congregational singing
serves the first. 1t seems to us that church
music cannot work all the good in its power,
unless it appears under both these forms. To
Danish from our churches the quartet or chorus
choir would be to Danish the most exalted in
spiratons of the great masters of sacred COM
position The ecstatic mysticism of Pales-
trina, the beautiful, humble, loving pety of
Sebastian Bach, the strong, contagious religi-
Gus joyfulness of Handel, and whatever of the
spirit of praise and prayer has been poured
forth in quickening tones by other inspired
masters, are too potent stimulants TO religious
fervor to be dispensed with Yet such music
can be rendered only by trained singers the
choir is necessary. But when these tones OF
rapt devotion have fallen like a crsm upon
the worshippers heart, when his whole emo
tional religious nature has been called forth,
then let him also be able to actively express
the feelings that have been aroused within
him, that he, too may feel that he is man
before his Maker, and that his spirit may
| joyfully "dance before the Lord" AS our
congregations partake of the sacrament in