The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-02-23
MUSICAL REFORM.
Faults Long Complained Of Still
Common Here as Well as
Elsewhere.
THE MUSIC IN CHURCHES.

HE MUSlI IN LHURlHES,
Bad Taste Shown by Every De-
nomination Says a Writer
Upon This Subject.
The decree which was promulgated
last summer by the Congregation of Rites
has had no effects on the music sung or
plnyed in the Roman Catholic churches
OF this country, says the New York Sun.
1t was addressed to the Italian Bishops,
and in this country would have no more
force than suggestion. The Council OF
Baltimore iu 1884 framed rules which are
explicit and binding on this subject, but
they have been generally disregarded,
like the rules of preceding general coan-
ellis. The music used in the Catholic
churches in this country has been for
some years the subject OF very vigorous
discussion. Foremost among those who
demanded change in its character is
Father Joseph Graf, who is at the head
OF the Conservatory of Church Music,
the principal institution Ct it's kind in
this country. Father Graf told Syn
reporter that thea agitation in this country
in favor Of different class OF music from
that low IN use in the Catholic services
had produced SO far but little results.
There is no country in the world" he
said, ''in which the standard of church
music is as low ss it is in America. In
Germany, France, and England the
music in the churches generally sub.
scribes to the laws that govern the writing
of religious muse The rules which the
Church has laid down on the subject are
explicit ana easy to understand. Many
of the MASSES of Mozart, Haydn, uAd
writer's are not in accord with these rules,
but they Can be altered SO as to comply
with them. It is easy. also, to wrlse
modern music i'll accordance with them.
" the German churches at Cologne,
i. ,yence, and Munich one hears always
ither the music OF Palestr4na or the
chants of modern writer's just as relig
ious in spirit as the works Of the Older
composers, because they are written
according to the rules laid down by the
Church. But in this country cheap
operatic airs have taken the place of the
church music, and the masses which
could be made to accord with the
Church's rules are sung in the way which
hstters the organist, the choirmaster aud
singers. The men and women in the
choirs cannot bs persuaded to sing the
plain old religious music, but demand
ford airs in the style Of the operate
music. Consequently all that one hears
in the churches is second-rat Italian
stuff, and the music of the great relig-
ious composers is neglected. The plain
rules of the Church on the subject Of
music are violated all the time not only
in the character Of the compositions
sung, but ia the use Of instrumental!
music in the churches. An old rule al
lows an orchestra when permission is
obtained of the bishop OF the diocese,
but that is dead letter. Now we have
the Introlt, gradual and sequences, not
sung ..in the Gregorian chant, as the
lie expressly requires, but played by an
.-chestra or a number Of instruments.
In but few of the churches are the
Gregorian chants heard in their genuine
original form now. The masses Of Gou-
nod, excepting the Saint Cecilia, are
written in really religious form, but the
only one that we hear is the one that is
not in accord with the rules Of the
Church. The music is worse here than
in any ether country, because there was
no music in existence here when the
Church was founded. Music in Europe
ut that time was very degraded, and we
took it just as 1t was. Europe outgrew
this period Of bad taste and returned to
the old forms. Here we had none to so
back to, and have kept on using the
music Of The style we adopted at the out
set"
The Decree of the Congregation OF
Rites Is said to have been prepared un.
der the particular direction OF Pope Lso
Kill. who has manifested always an es-
peciel interest in the mneic OF the Church
After Acknowledgements power OF appro-
pirate music to incite the devotion OF the
faithful, the decree commends most
highly the Gregorian music, and it
suggests that part and chromatic music
Intended for the Offices Of the Church be
modelled on the same mnsical scheme.
Ihe Gregorian music is By no means
confined to the: services Of the Roman
Catholic Church now, as the ritualistic
Z Eplscopal churches have adopted it =
g nov rarely heard il the simplicity of
lts original form IS rather III the form to
s,s which e Pope Gregory reduced IL. The