Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-04

Mural decoration has also become q special
department of art, and sacred walls blaze with
color and are rich with teaching symbols where
once the simplest emblem was discarded as
superstitious.
1t was not to be expected that this wide
spread development Of the artistic element
throughout the community should leave the
question Of music untouched. We see the effect
OF this development everywhere in the better
class of music used in its more careful execution.
We see it in the Episcopal church in the rapid
growth and popularity of the vested male choir.
and as the Protestant community has got rid
of a good many prejudices in the last few years
we have good reason to suppose that they will
get rid OF some more and come to see the
beauty Of the surpliced choir and adopt it.
Some progressive man will make up his mind
that 1t adds another element to the ex-
ternal beauty of the worship; that there
is nothing wrong about the thing itself;
that it may be possible to get to Heaven
II Gods praises sung on earth are led by men
and boys, and he will adopt it and it will be
popular. and others will follow suit; and by the
time DIR. Talmage's new tabernacle is finished
we may see the popular preacher rising up in
his pulpit for the morning worship, confronted
by great chorus of his young men and boys,
ready to lead the sacred song by great burst
of choral sound. We claim that the art culture
of the day has increased the love for the beau
tiful and given men broader views on many
subjects directly or indirectly connected with
religious questions. 1t has made men tolerant
of the opinions and practices of others. 1t has
uprooted old opinions and dissipated much pre-
JUDGE.
1t has extended into questions of worship,
and We claim that the popularity of the vested
male choir Is due in part to its appeal to our
love of the beautiful The long, white-robed
procession, singing jubilant hymn to open
the public worship. appeals to the popular
heart; the music committee finds the question
OF the choir and Its management no longer a
burden too great to be borne; prejudice melts
away; it is found that no scarlet lady is con-
cealed beneath the vestments, and it grows in
popularity and is more and more widely
adopted.
The best proof that this is true statement
of the case lies in the fact that many of these
vested male choirs sing atrociously. The boys
voices are harsh, throaty and frequently out of
tune, and the men, under most circumstances,
cannot sing we'll How shall we get over this
difficulty! How teach boys to sing sweetly and
in tune?
A remarkable innovation, which will prob
ably extend to many Episcopalian churches
throughout the country, has just been intro
duced by Rev. DIR. Vandervater, an Episcopalian
clergyman Of Brooklyn, NY. In his choir,
which Is one of the finest in the city, the men
and boy singers are surpliced. Hereafter the
ladies are also to wear the choral surplice.
dressing room is provided where they can re-
move their wraps and robe themselves in the
long, snOw-whlte robes with the regulation
neck band and deep. loose hanging sleeves.
DIR. Vandervater contends that the change is
esque uniformity of the choir, which, while
surplices and fashionable toilets mingled to-
gether, was obviously in bad taste.
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