St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-10-27

under any circumstances. Many eX-
tremiStS will be found even now who re-
gard the solo singing and OratOri0s as
being very much out of place in the
church, but well enough for the concert
hall. when l 20 to church" said an
old resident ana church member the
other day, i 90 to hear the word of God
preached from the pulpit. When
see the man who should
10 the preaching sit a figure
head in a corner of the platform, while
4 girl sings something from one Of the
great composers OF sacred music. and
occupies the attention of the cOngrega-
ton in listening to the Splendldly
trained voice she may or may not pos
SeSS. | think il is ali wrong. l express
this opinion not because l am indiffeT-
Pnt to the beauty of the master cOmpOs-
eTs' grand creations, but from the fact
that | consider their Introduction in
the church as a SubOrdinatiOn of the
Lords work 10 those OF man.
THE CHURCH IDEA.
Another member of the same church
has more modern ideas regarding the
musical portion Of the church service.
''In nv opinion" says the latter, there
Is nothing which brings n SO nea TO
the Almighty and ~eleYates the mind
to a condition in which it best
receives and retains the teachings
Of the gospel. as listening to the in
spiTed and inspiring sacred compost
tons. which every well regulated choir
should and does include in IFS repertoire.
The idea that the singing of a beautiful
solo to the glory OF God by one VINO by
his grace and goodness Is best qualified
10 sing the praises of her maker. can be
offensive to that maker, is something [
confess | cannot understand. l believe
that many people come to church to
hear the music who would otherwise
not come at all. This, however. is not
an argument against church music, but
rather one IN its favor, from the fact
that many Of the very people who 60 to
church for the reasons Ihave mentioned
become really religious ~invalutarily."
The latter view of the influence
of music in the church is rapidly becOm-
ing general. and even the more cOnsery-
alive churches are moving in the direc-
ton of an improvement in the vocal Ak
eTcises. 1t is particularly painful to
those who have correct ears for music
60 listen TO the eXcruciating results
which are sometimes produced in con-
gregatiOnal singing. The preacher an
nOunces a hymn. and Immediately the
baldheaded man in the back pew-there
is invariably a baldheaded man in the
back pew-whO fancies himself cOnsti-
suited leader of the singing by divine
right, starts the air in an impossible
high key at which some dozen or two of
the congregation make frantic attempts,
while the majority are constrained to
admit themselves O~utclassed, and finish
the composition in a variety of keys
each at his OF her separate pleasure.
There may be exceptions, and doubtless
are, but the rule is that in congrega-
tiOnal singing the results attained are
far from satisfactory.
ST. PAUL CHOIRS.
a great portion of the best vocal and
musical talent generally OF st. Paul is
eenteTed in the chOiTs of the various
churches in the city, it having been
frequently and truly said of the quar-
tettes and chOTuses of the principal st.
Paul churches, that they were the finest
from Chicago to the coast, which is be-
lieved to be exactly the truth. Among
the leading quartettes is that connected
with the Peoples church. This is with
out doubt one of the best balanced and
best trained guartettes in the
city, and probably I'm the
state. The director of this
very popular Quartette is Mrs. Nettie