New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-23

G<o- ~ n '""-"-
Tho great Gregory. TO whom tradition ascrioes
this hymn after having shone as great luminary
In the history OF music for one thousand years mas
lately suffered an eclipse. In all the text books
mention is still made OF his abors In regulating
the l,urgcal chants and establishing singing
schools, and Il Is Of him that priests and laymen
think when they hear or speak OF the Hreeor'ah
chant One OF the most widely spread stories
about him tells how he compiled an ant'phonary
and had II chained to a desk In st. Peters to be
appealed to as authority IN every question OF Ner-
bal or musical text which might arise HIS bog
rapher. John the Deacon. claimed that ne had
seen the couch on which the Saint was won't 10
recline while teaching school or boys III Ho''e
dor he was a great INVALID ana the roo WIN
which he punished them. After all these Things
had been accepted for a millennium NJ FRANCOIS
Augusta Gevaert, six or seven years ago brought
the whole fabric Of Gregory's musical reputation
down with a crash by means OF little book en-
titled Les Origines du Chant Lturgique DC
peglise Latino" In this wonderful little BOOK 'he
facts which are marshalled are so obvious ana the
reasoning go simple that 1t seems marVei that
Gregory was 81 long made 70 play role IN MS
tory OF which Il does not appear that he ever han
an inkl.ng in life The chief Of NJ. Gevaerts arsu-
ments NAV be outlined here for II Is time that the
romances were weeded out OF what Is called musi-
cal history-there will be plenty OF otheT myths
left when the Gtegorian has been demolished
Tho Saints reputation as a regulator, reforner
and promoter OF church music rests on the state
ments Of his biographer. Johannes Diaconus Now
this John the Deacon wrote nearly three centuries
after the death Of Gregory IN Goa and his state
ments are utterly without confirmation IN the
writings which preceded his. There Is nothing 70
justify them in the Saints epitaph or the 'L'oer
Pontifcalls" or the books Of the bographers and
panegyrists of Gregory among whom were two
nOr n
the Church-Isidore OF Sevilla "a contemporary
and the Venerable Bede. who died in 49, That -
one argument albeit Of the negative KIND. gregory
the Great was a voluminous writer over eight nun
dred OF his letters being still preserved In all th.s
mass Of correspondence In all MS treatises ana
homies there is not line referring 10 anything
done by him in behalf Of the church chant. There
Is but one reference to liturgcal song ana that
puts him In the light OF an antagonist rather than
a champion In a synodal decree OF A. d. $50
Gregory calls attention to 'reprehensibie Gus
tom" which had grown up among the clergy OF
cultivating their voices Mt the expense or tneir
duties as pastors and preachers. GIN sanc'a
Romano Ecclesia, cui divina dispensat'o pr@esse
me voluit dudum consuetudo est valde repro
hensibilis exorta ut quidam ad sacri affairs minis
terum cantores eligantur ct In daconatus ordine
constitute, modulationi vocis inserviant. quos ad
prmdicationis offcium eleemosynarumque studium
yacare congruebat'O; wherefore he ordains 'hat
the deacons shall conne themselves TO reciting the
| Gospels and leave the singing OF the liturBicai
| chants to the sub-deacons or clerks In lower or
| ders NJ. Gevaert also proves that tho so-cailed
| antphonary OF St. Gregory was complied at least
! century later than the date attributed TO H. ana
says that III tho epithet Gregoran has any real
| import az applied to tho antiphonary It refers
| either 70 Gregory II, who occupied the Papal
| throne 7l5-73l. or, more likely. to his successor
Gregory ILL., who died in 7I."
Under tho circumstances Il is not strange that a
great deal Of doubt surrounds the authorship OF the
church lyrics which have been attributed to Greg
orv the Great There Is probably evidence In
the case except tradition. though the large list
has been lessened by critical study until only seven
or eight hymns remain with general acceptance
Ono Of these, written for the service OF Maundy
Thursday and beginning. REX Christie, factor
omnium" was set down by Luther in his Table
Talk as the best Of all Christian hymns but 1t Is
not clear whether the great reformer was speaking
from a doctrlnal an artistic point OF view.
Among the others are two morning songs. the ono
composed by Mr. Chadwick and one beginning
| "Rerum Creator optime." the "Nocte sursentes
vigilemus omnes" which Longfeow introduces In
the prologue to his Golden Legend" a hymn for
Lent AUDI benigne conditor." Christmas hymn,
| "Nuntium vobis fero dc supernis' and hymn 10
the Holy Cross, "Lignum crucis mrable.' Speak
| ing of Gregory. Bahr. German critic. says IN
| general his hymns very like those OF Ambrose
The language and idiom are less pure, 1t Is true,
| but they may yet be called simple and natural.
| The contents are not without a certain elevation
Of thought which convinces us Of the Christian
character of tho poet as well as OF Els truly Poeti-
cal talent and gives his compositions which ad-
boro strictly TO tho character of church hymnody.
nm admirable place in the lyrics OF Christianity
The oldest known form Of the hymn, "Ecce Jam
noctis tenuatur umbra" IS found In three manu-
scrInts Of the eleventh century preserved in the
British Museum. 1t has frequently been trahsiaeeu
,n,o ENGLISH once by Cardinal Newman.