St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-07-22
RELIGIONISM IN MUSIC.

RELIGIONISM IN MUSIC.
Religionism has adopted certain prac-
tees and uSages of religion which have
become in the peryersion YeEv diStaste-
full to conservative people, reverencing
the real meaning and consistency Of
theme, as they are recognized by all be-
lieying Christians. 1t is told of Rouget
de L'ISle, who wrote the "Marseil-
IaiSe," that he meant his immortal
war song, grand, somber and melting, to
be the voice of nations kindred spirit.
But the widest excuses were rought
under the inspiration of its burning
stanzas. When the bands from Mar
settles marched with leveled pixies upon
Paris they pealed the terrible hymn of
Rougrt de L'Isle as they strobe
towards the palace, aud, thence il was.
that the song and music written in
Strasbourg in single night
was baptized for all time with
the name OF "rhe Marseillaise
Rouget was frightened at his
own success when his song was
shrieked back at him from lips black
ened with powder.
The clash of murderous weapons beat
time 10 its resonant cadenceS. His
midnight incarnation had unclaimed a
mighty spirit, and he stood appalled,
before it. He expressed his compunc-
ton too openly and was thrown into
prison-whence he was not liberated
until after the death of Robespierre.
He became avowedlY anti-republican,
and came near fighting duel with a
soldier who coupled his name with
revolutionary sentiments.
Akin to the regret of De L'lsle is the
feeling of an orthodox minority in lis
tening to hymns sung at funerals now.
The more widely divergent the life OF
the deceased from every moral and
Christian law the more unctuouSly does
the choir sing Nearer, My God, to
Thee" 1t is often known to every one
present that the dead would not when
living be tolerated In any reputa-
bic home. Yet when death comes, un-
preceded by any apparent change Of
heart, or of life. the prevailing burial
ate approximation to God, and the
easiest imaginable welcome in heavenly
acceptance. Do we really believe in
God when we listen to such absurdities,
or are we assisting" at making a
laughing-stock of religious services
when"Lead, Kindly Light'a and Nearer,
My God, to Thee" are our funeral
hymns for the VIGOROUSLY bad?
The rankly abundant offering of flow
ers at funerals made imperative the
curt warning from shocked mourners
"no flowers" and it looks as if reform
pointed to mo hymns" as well-at least
of the sentimental and Irrelevant kind.
Good form, which generally directs the
decorous world, will relegate the flow
| ery-and-Nearer- Decentralization
eral to the vulgar and tawdry people,
whose leading idea of the solem-
nifty of death is the under
taker and his ways, which are
prone to the snowy and demonstratiye.
| Whatever is Objectionable in the con-
| duct of funerals, from the tolerated
abuses of church service to the under
taker. is merely concession to human
weakness and human respect. Family
| pride must have its black sheep buried
with all the flowers and hymns which
sorrowing devotion would give to the
body Of saint-only the saint is seldom
found in the environments that fosters
such burial display, and never, it may
be safely averred, when the hymns
Nearer, My God, to Thee" Para
disc, o Paradise" and Lead. Kindly
| Light" are the singing last commitment
| 49, Il 10
would never imagine such musical
send-of to the grave.
Just as the prestige Of certain schools
of music wakes and wanes with the ap-
| plause and support of the majority,
leaving the forsaken one to the loyalty
of minority, so it is that we have come
upon unexpected innovations, where
never before has there been the least
break in the adamantine front of church
liturgy. Popular sentiment, craving
mawkish hymns, has actually worked
them into some Catholic churches at
funerals and other occasions. There. at
least. the conservative ear expected to
escape tho misunderstanding of
NEARER, My God, to Thee" but alta re-
cent Catholic funeral it sounded as if
on that one vocal achievement the choir
hoped to win its laurels.
Charles Francis Adams writes In his
diary, March 8, 1857, after attending the
funeral of Catholic friend: Seen
turtles speak through its requiem. How
wise that church has been, and how
firm, to maintain Its liturgyTjts chants,
its universal language against the as
saults of time and place." If. however,
the experiment of congregational sing
Ing for vespers Is to gain ground
enough for general adoption, very
pronounced assault of time" has. been
tolerated. Thinking to observe the
innovation for himself, an ultra en-
thusiast of the old order of services
went to the cathedral to assist at YES
pers last Easter Sunday evening, and
this is his record: The onlooker having
| waited short time beheld a solemr