New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-29
MUSICAL COMMENT.
MAY WOMEN WEAR SURPLICESf
Mr.. THoMAs's ToUE-A NEW BOOK ON Harmonic
Mr.. HAMERIK,s DISCOVERY.


The Editor Of "The Musical Tines published In
London, discussed the question Of. Ladies' Surplioed
Chos' IN the last Issue Of that excellent journal ana
reaches a conclusion which We cannot charactcrifs
otherwise than as surprising II ought 10 be ths
cardinal principle Of musical Journal TO uphold
honesty In music. There was time when churcn
music marked by serenity and total absence OF
emotion. That the time Of polyphonic writing.
when differences in voice quality were comparatively
a small matter and when the succession of hsrmonies
and the ingenious Interviewing Of the voices we're
relied for effects, rather than melodies con posed o
express the sentiment Of the text That was the time
when a minimum Of attention was paid N NE words
and a maximum 10 lovely production OF tones. ~
such time setting OF the genealogy according 10
St Matthew, such r. described in essay on
cathedral music by the Rev. william Mason, IN which
while the bass holding forth the existence Of
Abraham the tenor. in defiance Ct nature and chro
noogy. was bcgettiug Isaac, the countertenor be-
getting Jacob and the treble begetting Joseph and all
his brethren caused neither amusement offence
At such time maybe the int gritty Of the serytcs'
may have been better maintained by the performance
of the music by the passloness Of we'll trained
boys voices" But how much Of the old cathedral
music Is preserved In churhes' How much ct
the Music composed to-day Is written IN the old spitf
How many composers would he willing 10 have the
melodies which they have written 10 the hope that by
their aid the feeling Of the welded words
would be raised TO higher power sung with
an utter absence Of emotional expressoni
The editor says: :" The service Of the Church does
not lose any dignity by the Unconditional character
Of the singing of boys. Those who have any
prience Of wellordered service can testify to this
effect produced by the OF the childish TREBLE
an effect far more elevafing than can be gained by
the voice Of woman in church, That depends
on the character Of the service. large share Of
The music sung by the supplied choirs in New-York
to-day will never have either dignihed ele-
waiting effect when intusted To boys and men alone
It's dramatic spirit is lost. and It is that spirit which
vitalzes II. Ch0irmasters who with - give potency
TO the musical part OF the service know that. In
the essay Boy Choirs. printed I'm Harpers
Monthly for June. 1soe Mr. George B. Prentice
choirmasrer Of ST. Mary the Virgins, Is quoted A.
saying: We have never used boys for soloiss on
account of lack OF expression and a want Of COM
prehension of the meaning Of the words Of tho
service Evidently Mr. Prentice thinks that
expressive performance Of the service is not .
matter Of indifference.
There ought to be honesty in every portion OF
the church service. If music written In the modern
spirit is sung, 1t ought 10 be sung by the voices
contemplated by the composer. upon whose employ
ment the effectiveness Of the composition depends.
If woman is permitted IA sing IL should not bo
under false pretences. Those who preached with
st. Bernard that she is instrument of the devil
dead. II Is time that the last vesnge OF prejudice
that prejudice Is completely rooted cut, no Canon
viii be found to say, with Dr. Llddon that there is
rIcyercnce' in the spectacle OF woman dressed
In a surpiice
Is the reverence thus violated due the
or the garment The canon ought TO explain. His
remark has queer sound TO the ears Of Anglo
saxons living in the ninth decade of the nineteenth
century We concerned only With the artistic
side OF the question, aud this has nothing to do m
Itself with the surplice. But suppose vestry should
In hofr for fha Ia M
nusIca! effect and artistic hon sty and should want
to overcome the incCngruous effect Of the daily
changing caprces Of fashion in feminine ATTIRE OF
robing them un,formly-is the use of surplice pro-
hibtedl This is ecclesiastical or eccles illogical
question, and we permit writer In Inc standaru of
the Cross to answer II
In criticising tho article in "Haper's Magazine
about which had something to say last week, Tho
Churchmano remarks: We say vested choirs, not
surplced For the proper vestments Of the chorstcr
are q cassock and linen GOTTA, the suTpllce being
10 use the term vested chors." This statement like
the definition of crab by the French acsdemcisns,
needs only few corrections. linen Gotta Is NOS
a proper dress for chorlster the surplice 70 nos
strictly clerical vesment, and 1t is not correct % say
vested choIrs. The writer was chonster for many
wears in England and this country and has put the
question 10 several fully informed as himself 10 or
der make sure of being right Az inc inlormauon
he can gain shows most clearly that until quite re.
Gently choirs wore surplices and were always called
supplied choirs. The term surplice does not appear
until the eleventh century, and the article Itself seems
10 have been first worn by the northern NATIONS over
their close fitting fur dress or peils>e hence us name.
sIner, pelllcinm. Ii was originally worn by both
clergy and lay, and even after ceased 70 be gen.
orally worn and became limited TO church use all
connected with tho church services IL. Miss
Dolby. who Is an authority on these matters says ~
Is the only robe for all down 10 tho SIN ATTEST
choir boy on all occasions except the Eucharist In
the account of grand procession in 1892. mention
Is made Of 500 boys in surpces ana III one OF moss
" Inventories which used 10 decide questions arts
ing relating the Ornaments rubric surpnces TOT
the choir named. Miss Dolby calls me cota .
poor substitute for the supce. and Romish garment
which has no right in the Anglican communion. ana
strongly objects 10 lis use by chorlsters We woua
suggest to our contemporary that reference TO the
leading authorities on the subject OF vcsmienos VIZ
rant the use of the Gotta and unless much mis-
taken the very name points to an ltsnan orsu, si
that it is by means an ancient garment. As 70 s.e
word vested. we would remind our contemporary thst
vestments usually tho Echarsc robes ana ,ssrs
only and far as our memory serves US chons wei"
not called vested until a very few years ago
The preparations for the Thomas Testimonial tour.
which had its conception in a letter printed V Inc
Tribune last April, completed. Twenty-Five Con-
certs have been projected, beginning In brooklyn on
October o. and efforts making TO have the swenty'
sixth take place at the Metropolitan opera HOUSE.
this city, on November .. The cities to Dc vsiDd
are Brooklyn, Poughkeepse, Albany. Utica, Bunao,
Erie. Cleveland Toledo Detroit. East Saginaw, Grand
Rapids South Bend, Indianapolis, Chicago. peostnr,
Louisville Cincinnati, Columbus, Pteburg. Phuadei,
accompany NJ. Thomas and his orchestra. Much I'm.
terest is manifested in the Brooklyn concert, who's
programme Will DC selesteo from tnftc mouoD ~asT
mitted by Mr. Thomas by vote Of the subscribers.
Mr. Asgcr Hanerk director Of tho Peabody Cons
scrvatory in Baltimore. promises % produce sym!
phony this winter which came into his possession
under singular circumstances. 1t was found long
ago by the captain Of steamship with whom Mr.
Namelk made a voyage to Europe, having 10 10
thought. been forgotten by passenger. lt 10 In full
score, and Mr.. Hamerik de ,crbes It as follows:
- found that II was tho orchestral score OF .
symphony by PacDi. called Dante SYMPHONY and
dedicated to 'the people Of Dapte's country
was very much impressed by the work. hndng 10
full OF effective parts. think II fully worth whila
introducing a. the Peabody. fee sure that Il can
never have been produced before as 1t Is full Of
mi, takes and has a very unusual Drchestretfop. ~
thaIt lrn, ln u