The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-18
GOSPEL HYMNS.
A Further and More Exhaustive state
ment Regarding Their Unworthiness.

lhtuN ath'Aa
There seems to be no defender among
the musical forces of the city for thae
class of hymn known as the GospeI
Tune. IL stands alone in the affection
Of that class which admires ID, n
rests in dust-covered neglect I'm the un-
used corner Of the musicians book
shelf. But there are other tastes Tor
music being cultivated in our public
schools. and these will work the cure,
II nothing else does.
James Warrington. whose wide
knowledge of psalmody is equal to tcat
of any current musician, and who has
made a close n exhaustive study OF
such music for the purpose OF publish
ing a reliable reference book upon the
subject. expresses himself In the fol-
lowing words:
l fully concur in the condemnation
of them from both "A religious and mu-
steal standpoint. The music has, In the
main, been composed by men with very
little knowledge of music. either as an
art or a science; but this fact does not
state the whole truth. In order to get
at that truth we must treat the people
Who compose and use this dreadful
rubbish as a doctor would a natient.
The disease cannot well be r~nedied
until we find the cause. To ascertain
the cause we must go back a consid-
cradle period, and when we do so we
shall find similar eruptions have oc-
Cured before.
IL must not be forgotten tina psalm
ody did not exist until the Reforma-
ton. and that the earliest psalm tunes
came in at a period just before modern
music had its birth. Many of the old
psalm tunes had a richness about rem
which has never been equaled; but from
the year 1900 there was "a steady de-
cline. not only in their use. but In the
mode of using, n by about l14O, we
find them almost completely emascu-
lated. But the people still loved sing
ing. and there arose, in this country
billings his followers. and in Eng
land John Arnold and his ~congeners,
who introduced a norid. and. To n great
extent. depraved style of psalmody.
Most OF the tunes OF this date were not
so much devised for congregational use
as for choir use. and the choirs disport-
ed themselves immensely. The dearth
of instruments at that time led to a
kind OF composition where the voice
parts were so arranged as to prevent
to a great extent the lack of instru-
ments being felt. Like all movements,
the followers were more deficient ~
talent than those who began the nov
ment, and deterioration went rapidly
on. until in this country Hastings and
Mason stemmed the tide by the intro
duction Of a more sober style. Unfor-
tunately, Mason, while doing a vast
amount OF good. fell into the manufac-
ture of tunes. and poured them forth
as fast as people would buy them, and
his followers did worse and worse. The
Moody and Sankey style is simply the
mercenary element taking advantage OF
n period of excitement. The publishers
OF these books do not desire anNtNhR
permanent. for II hat were attained
their profits would be gone. as they
can only hope 20 sell new books as
long as there Is a craze for new things
Deplorable as this state Of affairs Is
there Is. I think. a remedy close al
hand. but which no one seems willing
to apply. Your remark as to the de-
STABILITY OF cheap books hits one very
prominent factor in the conditions. Tn
books which are provided by the crea'
denominations are nearly all too eNpen
sive for the general run OF peoIas. anl
no publisher seems willing to issue {
good book. at a moderate price. Re
sides the expense. the ook of which
now speak are crowded with tune'
which are too scientific for the genera
run OF people. or which have been com
posed for conditions very different from
those TO meet which they are offered
Besides this. quite a large proportion
Of tunes OF the present day are com
posed by men who sit at the organ an,
simply give correct harmony from
scientific standpoint. The best tune
are those which have been compose,
for voices. I have contended for year
that II those who are musically uned
ucated be given first class music, care