Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-02-16
MUSICAL PYRorEcHNICs IN DIVINE
SERVICE.

In an "Open Letter published in the
February number of the Century, Rev. DR..
Charles S. Robinson, the well. known au-
thor and divine, gives some of his expert
ence with choirs and singers, who regard
their part in the church service as simply
affording happy opportunity to display
their artistic standing or the development
of their musical pinions, rather than as
part and parcel of thoughtful, spiritual
presentation. In the course of his letter
he says
Once in the city of Boston had taken
my place to begin there had been pre-
sented to me printed programme as
reached the vestry, the whole OF which had
been filled in except the place for the clos
ing hymn is was issued by the choir as
they had arranged it. While the organ was
playing, up the pulpit stairs came stran'
ger taking his seat by me on the sofa, he
announced that he was the leader of the
music, d" basso." He proposed to sing for
the anthem that morning solo
from "The Creation" and he desired
me to read as the lesson the
first chapter of Genesis, cas- the most ap-
propriate introduction. l meekly replied
that if this was customary in that congre-
CATION, had nothing to say. So agreed
to read the chapter, but added, that
hoped it would not be considered an inno-
Walton if l should put in afterward few
verses from the New Testament which
had selected He bowed assent gravely as
he left the desk. But when the moment
arrived for the genesis of my perturbation to
begin, once more | was favored with
visit, this time from the sexton, who only
came to hand me piece OF tly-leaf from
music book, on which was written the
gracious information that the leader OF the
choir, L" basso," had concluded not to sing
the solo, and might feel at liberty to read
what pleased. How much of that sort
of artistic help is an educated minister, OF
religious turn of mind, expected to en-
dure? It is of no interest to me to make
issue with such willful vanity and out
rageous conceit as this manifests the man
apparently assuming that the order OF
worship was to be constructed or modified
to bring his voice into proper orchestral
setting
wish to make this distinct point, and
never was more anxiously sober in argu-
ment in my life l think that our choirs
choose their "opening pieces and their
anthems with view ID the musical neces-
sity of the voices or the day or the posi-.
ton, as they see it, and with no proper re.
gard to the needs or wishes of those who
have come to worship God. l do not as
sert that all do it, nor that any do it al
WAYS; but l insist that this is the rule,
and anything else is the exception. The
conductor of our choir, the one we had
long ago, said frankly, on the sad occasion
when / had what New England people call
"to.do with him for cause, that, after
a most extensive experience in leading, he
had found it impossible to keep the peace
in his gallery unless he would apportlon
the solos carefully among the performers
from Sabbath to Sabbath, so that each
should have a chance hence, he often
chose for the sake of voice, or two voices,
a composition the rendering of which would
bring down praise from the house"
Once our alto asked me, as | was enter
! ing the pulpit, whether l had any objec-
tions to changing the closing hymn, for she
was expecting some friends that evening,
and they could not come till late, and she
wanted to sing a solo. And once, at
weekday funeral, our tenor crowded me,
even to my embarrassment, with request
that he might be permitted to precede the
arrival of the train of mourners with
vocal piece in the gallery, for he had Just
heard that two members of the music COM
mittee of another congregation would be
present, and he wished them to hear him,
as he desired to secure the place OF con-
ductcr there.
This entire discussion turns at once upon
the answer to the question whether the
choir, the organ, the tune book, and the
blower are for the sake of helping Gods
people worship Him, or whether the public
assemblies of Christians are for the sake OF
tina artistic regalements OF listeners, the
personal exhibition of musicians, or the
advancement of professional sOloists who
are competing for salary.
| In our travels some of us have seen the
old organ in a remote village of Germany
on the case of which are carved IN the
ruggedness of Teutonic characters three
notices. If they could be rendered
from their terse poetry into English they
would do valiant service IN our
times for all the singers and players to-
gether. Across the top of the key board
is this "Thou plsyest here not for thyselt,
thou playest for the congregation so the
playing should elevate the heart, should
/ be simple, earnest and pure" Across
above the right.hand row OF stops is
this "The organ'tone must ever be
adapted to the subject of the song; 1t
is for thee, therefore, TO read the hymn en-.
tirely through 30 as to catch its true spirit
Across above the left. hand stops is this
" In order that thy playing shall not bring
the singing into confusion, it is becoming
that thou listen sometimes, and a. thou
nearest thou wilt be likelier to Hay as
Gods people sing"