Morning journal and courier., 1886-01-12
CHURCH MUSIC.

Lecture By Professor BlOdgett of
 Smith College, North afnpton, Before
 the Congregational Club.
 At the meeting of the Congregational club last night at the College street church, Pro lessor Blodgett, the professor of music at Smith college, gave the principal talk of the evening: "Church music, what it is and what it should be- He first spoke of the func- tion of music in the church. It was to ex- press sentiment, not thought; to voice the emotion of the heart, too deep for words; to appeal to the feeling underneath and behind the thought. Music is looked upon by many as merely means of opening the service, an introductory performance, instead of an in tegral part of the service, helping to make up perfect whole Many preachers look upon the musical part of the service as a sort of conventional necessity, where they might make it means of power in their work. Every anthem, response or hymn should be complete in itself, but yet it should be step onward in the service, contributing to one symmetrical whole A great deal of our music is secular and has no more place in church than secular oratory. Not all good music should be used in church Secular music may be good music, but it has clin9ing to it a set of secular associations from which it cannot be divorced. It produces different emo- tional mood from that which religious music is designed to create. It is, then, distinct order of music, with it's own history and associations, which is alone appropriate for religious use music which has been created for the church by composers working under the stimulus of deep religious emotion, such as inspired Handel when he composed the pastoral symphony and the shephords' song, ''Glory to God in the highest o
 The speaker then touched upon the place of the organ in the service and requirements in the organist. He said the popular idea of the first was means of covering up the noise of feet entering and leaving the church, and the part of the organist was regarded as a performance rather than 8 musical re- sponse to the feelings called out by the ser vice.
 The organist, he said, should be a Chris tian. His part is to assist in the service of praise to God, and simple skill should not be the first and most important qualification for that office. It is not all players who are qualified for church organists. In England this is recognized and attested in the charac- ter of their organists.
 have never seen any use for post1ude except to cover up noise. If it has any other it is to dispel and dissipate all the deep re- ligious emotions which have been stirred up by the speaker. It seems to me an un- mixed and intolerable evil.
 The leader of the choir should be Chris tian person. His qualifications as a musi- elan are of secondary importance to this: The man who is to put his imprint upon this part of the service should be inspired by the sentiments he utters His selection should be only second in importance to that of the pastor whose assistant he is. The pastor should be ex-officio chairman of the music committee, and should have ruling voice in the selection of that assistant, who should be ordained for his work. With such an or ganist and director, and choir selected upon the same principles, the character of the music is assured. I question whether all the music should not be congregational, but it should not be regarded a pastime. It should be devoutly and conscientiously per formed
 This state of things does not exist in our present style of church music and never will until the churches rise up and insist upon it. But already there is strong sentiment look ing in this direction and such 8 meeting as this is an indication of the interest taken in the subject.