Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-04-18
FAMOUS SONGS OF PRAISE.
Hymns that Have Been Sung by
Christian WOrshipers for
Many Centuries.

Whatever may be charged against the
Roman Catholic Church, it can not he
galnsaid that she has ever been the
friend of the arts of painting, SCULPTURE
and music, and that without her cherish.
ing care much that we have as glorious
relics of early art would have been de-
stroyed and lost. This is especially trne
OF music. The highest and grandest con-
tnbutlons to the musical art have been
inspired by the Catholic Church. and are
the work of her votaries. In the music
that will be sung in the churches TODAY
some OF the hymns are eight hundred
| 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
gwen to certain choral melodies. gets ito
name from Pope Gregory the Great. who
was a musician and taught at the Lateran
palace, so that this form of music comee
to us from about 100000. This ecclesias-
tlcaI chant is the chant of the Catholic
Church all over the world. In it we have
an that the priest sings at the mass. and
IL is IN general use by choirs of ecclesias-
ucs. In the course of time abuses Of one
KIND or another crept into church music
Tor the reason that there was no estab-
hshed form, until the time of Pope Mar
celIus IL, about l555. In his time music
had so degenerated that he thought to
throw 1t out of the church altogether Be-
fore proceeding TO the extreme step. how
ever, consultation was held with Pales-
trim, a 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
dhe mass of Pope Marcellus) which was
so thoroughly a success that the Pope ac-
cepted him, and gave him full powers to
go on and recast and remodel as he chose.
The mass of Pope Marcellus is a mag
niticent work. 1t was given at the recent
plenary council 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 encour-
aging good classical church music This
Palestrina music is the style used in the
Sistine chapel, where the Pope celebrates
Easter. The celebrated Misereres for
which the Sistine 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 flocked to the chapel from all parts
of the world. The grandest musical
achievements of the masters of the past
one hundred years have been in church
music, and the names of Beethoven,
Meyerbeer, Haydn, Handel, Mozart,
Mendelsshon, and later, Rossini and
Gounod, are attached to numerous so
called themes. Gounod, who is still
living, has composed a beautiful Ave
Ave Maria. Mercadante has composed
number of beautiful masses. The masses
most popular in Rome to-day are those
of Mercadante, Tirziana, and De Pietro, a
Jesuit. Rossini's Stabat Mater is always
a favorite in Rome. OF Pedestrians
music it should be understood that it was
never written by him, but taught, and is
traditional
No less a parsonage than the illustrious
Charlemagne himself is the reputed au-
thor of the "Veni Creator Spiritur," who
died at AiX-la-chapelle, his crown upon
his head, and his story of the gospels
upon his knees, January 2S, 8l4, SO that
it is now at least ,074 years old.
The 80 Salutaris Hostia" is a hymn
sung during the Office called benedictiOn,
at the moment when the tabernacle is
opened in order that the consecrated host |
may be removed and placed in the mon
STRANGE prepared for its solemn eXposi- !
ton. The custom of introducing this |
hymn at high mass is at least as old as
the fifteenth century, while the hvmn it.
self is probably much older This theme
has been treated by many musical COM
posers. The Magnificent" has been used
as the vesper canticle OF the church from
time immemorial, and the evening office |
has also been so constructed as to lead up
to it as its chief point of interest. The !
text of the "Magnifcat" has been grand |
ly illustrated by Bach, Mendelssohn, and
active composers of the modern school
in the oratorio style, with full orchestral
accompaniment.
King Robert H., of France, who sue
ceeded to the throne of his father, Hugh
Capet, in 997, is credited with the author
ship of the Veni Sancte Spiritus hymn,
hymn which is regarded as ''the loveliest
of all the hymns in the whole circle of
Latin sacred poetry" The king was
saint, a poet, and musician, and his
ability to compose this great hymn is not
improbable.
The Stabat Mater is a Good Friday
hymn Its author, Jacobus de Bene- |
dictus, was born at Tod, OF the noble |
Italian house of Benedette, and rose to
distinction as jurist. About 1868 he |
lost his wife, and, broken-hearted, re-
nounced the world to join the order of |
st. Francis. There are several English |
translations of this great hymn. The fol-
lowing is the opening stanza of recent |
translation by no less celebrated person
than our countryman, the late Gen. John
A Dix, while minister plenipotentiary at
Paris:
Near the cross the Savior bearing,
Stood the mother lone despairing,
Bitter tears dOwn-falling fast.
Wearied was her heart with grieviug,
Worn her breast with sorrow heaving