The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-07-28
Our 0liu.
Church Music IN New York.

From the New York Sim.
"This city spends an immense sum of
money for church music, said gentle
man who moves in musical circles the other
day. eff L was to count it all up and tell
you the amount paid yearly to choirs, it
would stagger you. And yet it is not
enough. Men and women gifted in song,
who spend their whole lives between hard,
faithful practices, and careful, laborious
rendering Of music, get pitifully poor lv-
ings for the good they do. That they ac-
tually accomplish vast amount of good is
easily shown. The religious man thinks
first of the moral effect of first-rate music
on the devotional spirit of the people, and
this is, probably, the most important feature
of the choir's work, as it is the one aim
and reason for its existence. But that
matter aside, the church choir is of inesti-
mable value in moulding musical taste.
The art at large could not do without the
ehoirs. Through them the public is made
to hear good music and generally taught to
appreciate it. If it was not for our choirs
the concert halls would be empty, the opera
WOulu ldu W ulCtO BCuoudi OAuiOl0ioLc, u1C
hand organ would become an American
institution, and country brass band the
acme of lyric popularity. Indirectly the
refinement of the entire people would be
less, for music is the most powerful infu-
ence to refinement. Seeing this every day,
am often enraged at the shortsightedness
of the public Patti commands $4,000
night. What good does she do? She
tickles an audience three or four times
year and affords an opportunity to show
swell hat in swell audience. Meantime
the plain, hard-working, sweet-voiced choir
singer, who gives her life to the pleasure
and benefit of mankind, lives in the top
story, uptown fat foF five years upon what
New York audience pays Patti for two
brief hours"
1t is difficult to learn what salaries are
paid to individual well-known singers in
New York choirs. The singers themselves
are generally unwilling to name any figure,
aud when they do it can not always be de-
pended on as correct, The temptation to
exaggeration is great, involving, as it does,
a singers musical reputation and opportu-
mites of securing future good engagements.
For soloists $1,000 is very large remu-
neration. A leading organist in this city
said he did not think dozen singers in the
city received as much, and none more.
Emma Thursby probably received the larg-
est salary ever paid to choir singer, This
was said to be $1,000 Musical people
look dubious when this figure is mentioned,
and say it is probably oyerstated by $500.
The majority of soloists earn in the neigh
borhood of 81 ,9O0 A considerable num-
ber get 81 200. A very much larger num-
ber receive $500. A singers actual if-
come is often some hundreds larger than
his salary. It Is q faVorite device of those
who know their services are appreciated, to
tell some friend in the congregation that
they are going to leave because the salary
is insufficient, This Is told in confidence,
but of course it is widely circulated, as is
intended. The result often follows that
some wealthy member of the congregation,
who particularly enjoys the work Of that
particular singer, takes an early opportuni-
ty of seeing the singer and asking the truth
of the report, The singer neither admits
nor denies 1t, hut leaves the impression that
it is SO, The wealthy member of the con-
gregation then offers oonfdentially certain
considerable sum per year if the singer viii
remain. The singer considers for some
days, and at length reluctantly consents
Often the same singer viii catch half
dozen in the same congregation. Thus it
is that many choir singers will tell an in
quirer that they get 81, 900 or 81, 200 from
such and such church. 1t may be per-
fectly true, but it by no means represents
their salaries.
Chorus singers generally receive nothing.
People with good voices are only too will
ing to exchange their services for the ben
eft of instruction and practice Now and
then, however, voice specially adapted to
chorus work is paid, s460 is a large remu-
neration. In the male choirs little if any
money is paid out. St. Francis Xavier's
does not follow this rule. but this church
is an exception in having choir of able
male soloist. Organist Bruno Klein has
for his quartet Messrs. Aren Cibia, Eran-
eel, Naberti, and Weinich, all capable and