The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-06-04
FAMOUS SONGS OF PRAISE.
Hymns that Have Been Sung for Many


FAMOUS SONGS OF PRAISE.
Hymns that Have Been Sung for Many
Centuries.
The Roman Catholic church has ever
been the friend of the arts of painting,
sculpture and music, and without her
cherishi9g care much that we now
have as glorious relics of early art
would have been destroyed and lost
This Is especially true of music. The
highest and grandest contributions to
the musical art have been inspired by
the Catholic church, and are the work
/ OF her yotaries. In the music that was
sung in the churches recently some of
the hymns are 800 years old, coming to
us out OF what we are pleased to term
the darkness of the middle ages.
| The Gregorian chant, or tones, a
name given to certain choral melodies.
| gets its name from Pope Gregory the
Great, who was himself a musician
and taught at the Lateran palace, so
that this form of music comes to us
from about $4,000. This ecclesiastical
| chant is the chant OF the Catholic
church all over the world. In it we
have all that the priest sings at the
mass, and it is in general use by choirs
OF ecclesiastics. In the course of time
abuses of one kind or another crept
into church music, for the reason that
there was no established form, until
the time of Pope Marcellus IL, about
I555. In his time music had SO degen-
Grated that he thought to throw it out
OF the church altogether. Before pro-
ceeding to this extreme step, however,
consultation was held with Palestrini.
great musician. He promised the
pope to Introduce music that would not
be chargeable with the grossness and
uncouthness of that which it was to
supersede. He composed the work
known as the Mesa di Papa Marcello
(the mass of Pope Marcellus) which
was so thoroughly success that the
pope accepted him, and gave him full
powers to 60 on and recast and re-
model as he chose. The mass of Pope
Marcellus is magnificent work. 1t
was gwen at the recent plenary coun-
Gil at Baltimore. This style of music
is that which forms the basis of that
made known by the Cecilian society.
which is now widely spread over the
United States with the intent of ell
couraging good classical church music.
This PaleStrina music is the style used
III the Sistlne chapel, where the pope
to-day will celebrate Easter. The Gel
ebrated Misereres for which the Sis
tine chapel is famous in HOLY week.
composed by Baini, Mustapha, and
others, are sung in that music, and to
hear them during the week Just closed
people tiocked to the chapel from all
parts of the world. The grandest mu-
sical achievements of the masters of
the past one hundred years have been
In church music, and the names of Bee
thoyen, Meyerbeer, Haydn, Handel,
Mozart, Mendelssohn, and, later. Ros-
SIM and Gounod, are attached to num-
erous so-called themes. Gounod, who
Is still living, has composed beautiful
Ave Maria. Mercadante has composed
number of beautiful masses. The
masses most popular in Rome to-day
are those OF Mercadante, 1irziana,
and De Pietro, Jesuit. Rossini's
Stabat Mater Is always a fayorite in
Rome. Of Pedestrians music it should
be understood that it was never writ
ten by him, but taught, and is tradi-
tional
No less a person than the illustrious
Charlemagne himself is the reputed
author of the 'Veni Creator Spiritur, -
who died at Aix-la-chapeIle, his crown
upon his head, and his copy of the
gospels upon his knees, Jan. %, s14.
so that it is now at least 1U74 wears old.
The 80 Salutaris HosIia" is a hymn
sung during the office called benedic-
ton, at the moment when the taberna- |
Gle is opened in order that the conse-
Grated host may be removed and placed |
81 20
solemn exposition The custom of in |
this hymn at high mass |
is at least as old as the fifteenth |
century, while the hymn itself is prob |
ably much older. This theme has been |
treated by many musical composers.
The ''1agnlhcat" has been used as the |
7esper canticle of the church from time |
and the evening Office has |
also been so constructed as to lead up |
70 1t as its chief point of interest. The |
:ext of the ''Magnifcat' has been
yrandly illustrated by Bach, Mendels-
'ohu, and active composers OF the
modern school in the oratoric style, |
With full orchestral accompaniments.
King Robert Ii, of France, who sue
'eeded to the throne of his father,
hugh Capet, in 997, is credited with
he authorship of the Veni Sancte |
'piritus hymn, hymn which is re-
garded as ''the loveliest of all the
lymns in the whole circle of Latin
acred poetry" The king was a
aint, a poet, and a musician, and his
Ibility to compose this great hymn is
lot improbable.
The Stabat Mater is a Good Friday
lynn. Its author, Jacobus de Bene-
lictus, was boru at Todi, of the noble
Italian house of Benedette, and rose
o distinction as jurist. About 1868
e lost his wife, and, broken-hearted,
enounced the world to join the order
t st. Francis. There are several
.nglish translations of this great
ymn. The following is the opening
tanza of recent translation by no
ess celebrated a person than our
the late Gen. John A
Dix, while minister plenipotentiary at
'aris:
Near the cross the Savior bearing,
Stood the mother lone despairing,
Bitter tears dOwn-falling fast,
Meariedswas her heart with grieving,
worn her breast with sorrow heayIng;
Through her soul the sword had passed