Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1892-09-18
A UNIQUE CEREMONY.
An Attempt TO M Made 20 Cause ii.
Discoutinuance


Discontinuance.
A crusade has beeh inangurated In Spain
To wipe out the last vestige Of the Spanish
carnival. The movement has revealed a
queer custom which Is observed ia the
Sevilie Cathedral. The ceremony as de-
scrioed by The Ahdalucia, OF Seville, is
very unique, During the carnival the
choir boys dance before the host every
evening al o'clock. After the regular
ceremonies OF yespdrs in the presence OF
the archbishop and the canons ten little
cnoir boys take their stand in two ranks OF
hye facing each other before the altar.
They are dressed lile pages OF the Seven
teenth century with jackets OF red and
white In stripes, white knee breeches,
stockings and satin shoes; in their hands
they hold white hat $, broad brimmed and
high crowned, with dropping plumes Of
red and white feathers.
After 'rantum Ergo has been sung, to
the accompaniment OF full orchestra, the
boys begin hymn IN Spanish to bright
and charming air. When this IL ended
they genufiect, put their hats on their
heads, and begin Il cir dance, still singing
to the accompaniment Of the orchestra
The dance is slow and stately, like the old
minuet, with a pau sc between each step;
/ the boys wind In and out, form various
| figures, and end with pirouette. At the
completion OF the hymn the orchestra con-
tinues the air, and the boys accompany it
4 with castanets, still dancing The cere.
mony is then repeated, with another hymn
/ and different muAic, and the whole per
Torrance lasts twenty minutes.
AT its conclusion Tantum Ergo is again
sung. while every one kneels. The arch.
bishop gives his tenediction and departs
with his attendants, the people crowding
around, as he goes down the church, To kis:
his episcopal ring. former pope sent 0
commission to inquire into this ceremony
unknown except at the cathedral Of Sc
| vile, and there Only pract iced Mt the car
nival, the festival of the Conception ir
December, and that Of Corpus Christ
in the summer. The papal commits
sioner, however, reported that the Who'll,
thing was decently and reverently per
formed. and that the covering OF thu
head was simply the ancient Spanish
custom; and so the supreme authorit,
of the church could only give its ap
proval to a harmless and charming cere
mony, which perhaps forms useful coun
terattraction to tile masked balls and 9th
err spectacles OF the streets and theaters.
THE origin Of the dancing is not atteste'
! by any documentary evidence, nut Is DC
lieved TO date from the conquest OF Sevill
by st. Ferdinand from the Moors. IL is
survival, in fact, of the autos sacramen
tales, or miracle plays, accompanied b.
music and dancing, in honor Of the sacra
ment, which are chiefly known to Europea
readers outside Spain through the compC
sitions of CaldeHon. Not only boys, bu
also women used TO dance before the host
until this part OF the ceremony was suI
pressed by authority. The music employee
at the church DANCES in Seville Is the proT
erty Of the chapter. and strangers are not
as rule, allowed to see the scores. II
rumored that, in difference TO modern scr
timent, the DANCES will be discontinued b,
fore long, but IL this is to be the case, man
will certainly regret the disappearance {
one more picturesque scene and one NOR
survival of medieval life"