The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-02-24

self finished musician. He is a mas
ter of the theory of music, good COM
poser, good singer and a very fine
director. 1t is his end to restore to the
church music of to-day the spirit and
style that prevailed during the later
years of Pedestrians life.
When Palestrina was a young man
the composers who We're then in vogue
had fallen into the habit of using pop
ular songs as the basis for their masses.
The singers, who had heard the songs
upon the streets or in drinking rooms,
fell into the habit of singing sacri-
legiOus words TO the familiar tunes in
stead of the solemn words of the liturgy.
1t seems almost incredible at this day
that such should have been the case.
How would it sound, for instance, to
hear the choir shouting Annie Rooney,
She's My Sweetheart" in the middle of
an impressive service? Yet the choris-
tiers in Rome four centuries ago did as
badly as that and even went further.
The composer may have arranged the
words of the mass 10 the refrain Of
ribeld drinking song, and the singers.
neglecting the Latin, would sing the
original words while the priests were
performing their functions at the altar.
This naturally provoked great scandal
after time, and it became a serious
question with the church authorities
whether music should not be abolished
from the service. 4 committee of car
dinals was appointed by the pope TO
consider the question, and it was well
known that the members of the COM
mittee were prejudiced to such an ex-
tent that they would probably recon-
mend a rule against music.
Palestrina had at that time already
attained considerable fame as a com
poser, and one of his friends persuaded
the committee TO permit the composer
70 demonstrate that religious music
music that would be dignifed, beauti-
ful and pleasing-could be written
without any appeal to- the popular airs
Of the day Palestrins tried it, and the
result was that after the committee had
heard the three masses which ne had
cOmpoeed, one Of them Vas performed
before the pope himself. and his holi-
ness was so pleased with the COMPOST
ton that he declared that music should
still remain feature OF the church
service
So Pslesuina saved music, 50 far as
the church Is concerned, and for long
time the influence OF his pure and mas
terly thought was felt by subsequent
composers. Then came another change.
Composers wrote masses more for the
concert-roon than for the church. Their
music was good hut i had not the re-
EEious atmosphere that the church
requires i glazing example Of this
i the famous and popular ''Stabst
Mater" b. Rossini- RossiEi wrote this
work as a joke. The only religious
music II the whole work Is me unac-
coupanIed aCartette, and that quartette
Rossini stole bodily, note for note. from
2 composition BY Haydn
i Is Father Grafs purpose 10 en-
courage composers today 20 return 70
The classic ecclesiastical style OF PaIez-
trina, OF, Il rot TO 60 50 far IS that, 70
preserve the dignity Of music designed
Cor the church In the school be viii
establish there viii be taught the
theory and practice Of the Gregorizn
chant, the history Of church music &c
clesiastical laws concerning hturgical
music, al the departments which lie
within TIA thAarE IL saHnosiIinA- 81.