The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-06
A new MADE HYNNAL.
Henry Ward BOeChGT'S Old Book Of
Song Now Superseded.

Three Years of Revision-How DR..
Abbott, Who is an Expert Musician,
Collected $40 New Hymns for Plym-
outh-Eminent Churchmen's Con-
tributions.
Copyright is0S)
New York, Aug "a new era has
dawned on church music. Time was
when the adaptation of secular waltz
melodies, popular songs and favoFite
comic operate gems to our most beauti-
full hymnal poetry was demanded in fash
ionable churches, and not few able
American composers degraded the sacred
service by setting inspired words to triv-
ial tunes because they could sell ii in
that shape. But this state of things is
no more and the arrangement of hymns
to fiippant music has been relegated to
the Salvation Army and to street corner
exhorters.
Henry Ward Beecher, while pastor of
Plymouth church, spent four years in
producing the famous Plymouth hymnal,
the first of the kind printed in this com-
try. Mr. Beecher selected the works of
and his hymnal was a recognized authori-
ty not alone in this country but in Europe.
After Mr. Beecher's death and the Rev.
Lyman Abbott's accession to the pastorate
of Plymouth church, there came
change in the rendering Of
music in American churches.
There was natural and healthy
growth of an American school of compos-
ers, and the churches favored the home
production. While Mr.. Beecher's hymnal
was a mastery work in its way, his Sc
lections were principally from the old
school of authors and artists. The quar-
tette quoirs of limited repertoire were
being gradually supplemented by care
fully selected, well balanced chorus
choirs, making possible all combinations
for the adequate rendition OF selections
| from the oratorios and masses, as well as
the masterly anthems of the English
school, admirable in form, reverent in
expression, full of beautiful melody The
| school of American composition soon be-
gan to produce works comparing favora-
| bly, in every way with those produced
| abroad.
So it came about that the Rev Lyman
| Abbott decided to bring forth a new
| hymnal for Plymouth church to succeed
| the old school hymnal so long used by Mr.
| Beecher. DIR. Abbott's idea was TO cut
| uOWH Ntt nuUlDcI VI Nll4itS anu also 10
| give the American school a chance. He
| has labored for three years on this new
| hymnal, which will be used in Plymouth
| church for the first time on the second
! Sunday in August.
This hymnal, as advance proofs show,
| is a gem, and clearly reveals the ex-
! haustive labor expended on it by DR.
| Abbott and his musical and liter
| airy STAFF of aides. Among the con
| tributors are Prof. Charles H.
| Morse, organist and director of music at
| Plymouth church; Mr. George Chadwick,
| of Boston, organist of Edward Everett
| Hale church, OF Boston; the late Bishop
! Brooks; Arthur Foote, of the First
| Unitarian church. of Boston; Prof Henry
| Foote, of Kings Chapel, Boston; John
! Hyatt Brewer, of Rev DIR. Cuyler's
church, Brooklyn; B. Huntington Wood
| man, of DIR. Charles Halls First Presby-
| terrain church, Brooklyn; William H.
| Medlinger, of Philadelphia; S. B. Whit
| ney, of the Church of the Advent, Bos-
| ton; Robert Thallom, Brooklyn; DR.
| John II. Hover, of Denver; Ethelbert
| Neyin, of Quincy, Mass. Henry Holden
| Hun, of New York; MIR. Ernest Abbott, a
son of DIR. Lyman Abbott, who has Just
! graduated from Howard, and Is said to
be a composer of great merit for one OF
| his years, about 81; and a score or more
! of others who reside on this side of the
! Atlantic.
| THE CoLLABORATORs.
| DR.. Abbott himself is an accomplished
musician, can play almost any kind of
| musical instrument and improvise works
! of merit. In making his selection of com
| positions for Plymouth's new hymnal he
| played himself several thousand of the
| tunes on the organ of his church. His
staff of aides was made up OF Prof.
Charles H. Morse, Plymouth's organist
| and choirmaster; DR.. Abbotts brother.
| Mr. Herbert Abbott editor of the Chris
tian Union, and Mr.. Rowland, one of the
| trustees of Plymouth. Consultations and
| tests were made by the three gentlemen
| of every one of the $40 hymns which the
new hymnal will contain. There were
| ,374 hymns in the Henry Ward Beecher
| hymnal, among which appeared many com
| positions from all the old New England