Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-11
Proposition for Sunday Concerts at
Carnegie Hall, With Church
CnoirS as the Feature.
THE ARGUMENTS PRO AND CON.
Facts in Regard to the Great Composer,
Tschaikowsky's, Presence at Pitts
burg's May Festival.
ANOTHER BIG CARD NOW IN SiGRT
Interesting Budget of Small Talk for the Lovers Of th'
Art Divine.

nuQlcaLlOU. NulCu NeS ASNSA'SN NA@AS
The week:
To the Musical Editor of the Sunday Dispatch:
SIR-In bespeaking your advocacy and the
Endorsement and aid and comfort of the public
of our two communities for my plan of
sacred concerts in Carnegie Hall on Sunday
afternoons, am we'll aware that there are
those among us who will instantly assume
belligerent attitude. There is, perhaps,
some justification in hostility to sacred"
concerts. for the reason tnat the popular ac-
ceptapce OF the idea leans to the proiane.
In other communities l could instance, a
sacred concert announcement guarantees to
The puhlic everything but waltz music. The
word sacred" simply means that every
thing on the programme will be reverently
sung, although, for that matter, all music
should be reverently rendered, for music is
q divine art.
In the hope that the ultra-Sabbatarians
will not consider themselves hoodwinked by
vague statements, / ask your indulgence for
space sufficient to explain a scheme which
Is the result OF some reflection. Anyhow,
there are all sorts of people in our two cities,
and there has been no notable increase of
I crime in Allegheny resultant upon the Sun
day opening ofthe Phipps Conservatory and
the Carnegie Free Library.
W D6Q III COHNeISdllOu WIN vi. OdluSs
last spring l asked him when the organ
should be heard and his reply was laconic
but expressive: Sundays and week days. -
In pressing my plans for free music for the
public through Councils it was expedient,
tor manifest reasons, TO reverse Mr., Car
neges ideas and secure the week day
music first. Thrty-six free recitals, to
which $4,000 people have listened, pave the
way for further plans.
The Attractions Available.
While in this liberal and progressive age
a genuine sacred concert may be styled a
novelty, that is what, nevertheless, 1 desire
to seriously propose. The organ is the piece
de resistance, of course. Most organ music
is devotional in character, and there is a
great deal of music susceptible of rendition
upon the organ which has not become pro-
fame bv association, which may even occupy
the dividing line between sacred and pro-
fame and which it would be unreasonable TO
exclude from a Sunday programme. The
very character Of the instrument, as COM
pared with an orchestra or a brass band,
should soothe the scruples of all except the
lew who believe music per Sc TO be sinful
and gid6y.
The best singers in our two cities are en-
braced in the church choirs of all denomina-
llOluS, anu IL Is W JlSul We uuSL luTu ]OT dl-
,vyactions for Sunday concerts in Carnegie
I Hall. Taking the choirs of both cities
in rotation, an endless variety of musicians
would be afforded. Each choir can make up
a programme Of past vocal success, OF Catho-
lc range, and calculated to put the singer
or singers forward in the best light Nor
should the lips OF the congregation be sealed.
Creeds may differ. but no ism enters into
such hymns as Coronation" Rock OF
A L. l. ~, ~
other good features the plan contains, surely
none will dispute the opportunities Of
singers and congregational members alike
TO become au courant with what is in pro.
gress elsewhere. 1t would be a general
and healthy stimulus all the way around
''which nobody can deny"
But there will be expenses. A programme
must be furnished containing words Of
HYMNS, so that all can sing, and the name:
OF the singers and what they will sing, ETC.
And the laborer is worthy OF his hire
Hospitals have a claim upon the sympa.
thies of church singers, and the claim has
been generously met for years. But at least
S25 should be paid to every choir and organ
list, chorus or quartet, large or small. Fol
incidental expenses the generosity of the
public, as expressed by an offertory, should
cover everything.
Now the question is, who will emulate the
liberality OF Mr.. Henry Phipps, as applied
to keeping the library open on Sunday, by
coming forward and guaranteeing the ex-
penses of the first year of the Carnegie Hall
free Sunday sacred concerts on the lines /
have indicated above?
LEONARD WALES.
~
A Reasonable Proposition,
The plan above outlined by Mr.. Wales
seems to be in all respects reasonable 1t is
moderate in its essence and would be poder-
ate in its expense.
OF course, the name "Sunday concerts
has offensive associations in the minds ot
very many of the best people in this com.
munity. But the mere sound of name has
small bearing on the merits of the object
that chances to bear it.
o. course, also, the crv, "It's an opening
wedge," will always greet every step, as
well of progress as of retrogression. Every
virtue, pushed to the extreme, becomes
vice. There will eyer be well-meaning, but
ultra-timorous souls, who fear to take a
sturdy step ahead lest they may somehow
stumble, who fear any new, untried move oi
good intent, apprehending that it may per.
chance go too tar and become an evil But
all progress would be at an end we're such
feelings universal.
There is no important difference between
the performance of Spohr's "Last Judg.
ment" by Mr.. Webster and his excellent
choir at St Andrews Episcopal Church
as has been done this winter, each section OF
the oratorio forming practically the whole
OF an evening service-and the same per.
torrance by the same persons on SUNDAY
afternoon at Carnegie Hall.
The Boston Handel and HAYDN Society
has for three generations given its oratorio
concerts on Sunday evenings at Music Hall,
without the faintest objection from the de.
scendants of the Puritans. If an oratorio.
why not a miscellaneous programme of an.
thems, hymns, psalms and organ selection:
such as are heard constantly in our church
services. This is done frequently on Sun.
day afternoons at our hospitals and jail
without devotional exercises and without
any criticism.
just What is Intended.
Now that is the meat of Mr.. Wales idea
as the writer conceiFes it, namely: To ge
the church choirs in turn over at Carnegie
Hall on Sunday afternoons, and there re
produce the musical part of a church serv
lce-the musical part alone, emitting al
those parts on which sectarian differences
hang-the musical part alone, to which al
persons OF whatever belief or persuasion car
listen without offense and, listening, be
elevated and refreshed in spirit, and &c
away saying, 1T was good to be there"
linus understood the plan cannot be OBJ
lecuonaole to any fair-minded person. 1t:
positive Influences for good must be ap.
parent to all, once the mists of prejudice are
-