The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-15
A CHOIR GUILD NEXT SEASON.
a BRIGHT FUTURE BEFORE ST.
JOHNS BOY CHOIR.

Plans on Foot to Bring the hey
ChOirs Here From Atlanta,
Charleston. Augusta and Bruns-
wick and Have a Choir Festival.
Evening song Services 90 BE Given
With the Regular Evening SER
vice of Prayer-Tbe Boy Choir
Has Passed the Experimental
stnEe and Il Vow a Necessary
Feature of the Church.
The conclusion has been reached. and
justly so, by the members Of St. Johns
church as well as others. that the boy
choir is no longer an experiment. 1t is an
established institution and Is now thor
oughly Identified with that house Of wor-
ship
When It was begun last November it
was looked upon more in the light of an
experiment. but its success has been such
from the very start that 1t is now a ne
cessity just as much so almost as music
is to the church service. With the success
it has had it is nothing but proper that
plans for its future should be mapped out
which are more far-reaching, than any
thing that has yet been attempted, and
which will not only still further develop
the choir itself. but Will give added inter-
est to future services.
The results obtained with the boy choir
have far surpassed the expectations of the
members Of the church, and others who
have been interested I'm it from first to last.
A prominent member of the church said
the other day he opposed the boy choir a
the start because he thought IL would
bring into use the simplest music, and he
had more appreciation for the higher class
of music. Since he has heard the choir.
however, from Sunday to Sunday, he says
he has been agreeably surprised. The mu-
sic has been of a class that the most artis-
tic can appreciate, and he says the choir
now is one of the necessary Institutions
of the church. The choir from the very
start has used music by such noted Ameri-
can authors and composers as Dudley
Suck. Gilchrist and Shelley, besides the
best class of English composers, and he
hopes the choir win continue as it has be-
gun.
A great many people have the erroneous
idea that ii is o very easy thing to or
ganize a boy choir; that all there is to be
done is to get the boys and let them sing
in the natural tone This Is a mistake.
There are few things more difficult in the
musical line, than TO train a boy choir.
They must be taught TO sing in the treble
tone to use the thin register Of the voice
instead of the thick register which is the
natural and easier one.
Prof Spencer NJ. White, the choirmas-
| ter of St. Johns has had admirable sue
| cess IL is true, in securing apt choristers,
| but they were without any training, and
| the difficult work had to be gone through
/ with. That was done during the months
/ OF last summer, and in such a manner that
/ they were ready 10 take up classical mus
\ lie when they began regular services in the
church. When the church advertised for
/ choir boys, he had ninety answers TO the
/ advertisements and more men responded
/ than could possibly be used. The choir
consists at present of thirty-two boys and
/ thirteen men, besides ten probationers.
/ from ar IN 10
| the places of any OF the boys who may for
| any reason have to drop out.
Prof White has some very interesting
1 plans in view for the choir during The
coming season. In the first place he has
/ secured permission from Bishop Nelson to
! give during the winter months song SER
! vices, in connection with the regular even
/ ing prayer service of the church. Among
1 these interesting services, the orarories OF
/ Ine Holy City" The Cruciixlon,'' and
/ The Daughter Of Gir,s," these being by
/ the best known and ablest composers
| THESE song services will give decidedly an
| added interest to the evening services of
! the church.
The choir will renew its work about the
middle OF September, at which time there
| VIII be organized a choir guild to be
| known as st. Johns Choir Guild in which
| the membership will be limited to eighty.
! II VIII be composed of the members Of the
/ BOY cnolr, and the probationers, and once
week at the regular practice the mem
| bers of this guild will be given a regular
| military drill under discipline as is the
| custom with many of the chors Of the
! north and east.
In the next place Prof. White has bean
! IN correspondence with the chormas ters
! in Atlanta. Charleston. Augusta and
/ brunswick, for the purpose of bringing
/ together the boy cholrs of these five cities
! ana having regular choir festival. AS
/ soon as the plans In this connection are
! matured, ii is the intention TO have the
| hrst Of these choir festivals In Savannah
| at 81. Johns church. The advantages Of
/ such meetings of various choirs are mn
| merous. They lead to uniformity in the
manner of singing, and give all the bows
! a better acquaintance with the different
| classes OF music besides working up a
! social interest which is advantageous 10
! the choirs in many respects
st. Johns boy choir has been biobIv
! complimented by many who have heard
| II. IN fact all who appreciate good
| CHURCH music speak highly in its praise
1 respectfully was this true on the oceasions
! or the visits of the Sons of the Revolution
ana the delegates to the supreme conn,
/ ell or the Royal Arcanum Prof. White
mas a letter from Chairman Geo r
| cam, Of the music committee Of St
! JQhn church, in which he states from
! himself, and the committee, thar the
/ Easter music at St. Johns was the finest
! ever heard in the history Of the cbIrcb
/ ana that the church would never 20 hack
! 10 any other plan for musical services