The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-04
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G. LII would like your opinion re-
Earding the best method of Improving
congregational singing.
Answer.--The first method / have to
offer towards the Improvement of con-
gregational singing would begin with
an Improvement in the hymn-books
used in the churches. AS briefly as
possible, ! shall indicate what direc-
tion that would take and my reasons
therefor.
The best congregational singing in
the world is in Germany. The German
method in the compilation of the
hymn-bOOkS used in all the state
churches is to have certain words set
to a certain tune, and to sing no other
words to that tune nor no other tune
to those words. Consequently the
words suggest the tune and vice versa.
In Germany a tune has no other names
than the first line OF the hymn which is
sung to it; as, for example, Elm teste
Burg list unser Gott." 20 Haupt VOll
I}lut und Wunden."
The American custom Of singing any
long meter hymn to any long meter
tune is undoubtedly wrong. Every
hymn should have its own tune. trst,
in order that the prevailing sentiment
of the hymn may have appropriate
music, and, second, on account of the
power of association. The first COM
mends itself to every thinking person.
l shall now explain what / mean by
the second.
III few of our hymns the German
method is followed, as. for example.
those which are sung TO the tunes Of
America" "Old Hundred" and Cor
onatiOn." How incongruous it would
sound how weakening and unsatsfy
/ ing in its effect, to sing our Fathers
God to Thee" to anything but the tune
of "AmeriCa.' An American, at home
or in a foreign land, is thrilled when he
| hears the tune, even without the
words, because it at once suggests to
his mind the words full of patriotism
and lofty religious sentiment Sup
pose that at a church service the min
lister says: Let us close the service
by singing Praise God From Whom
All Blessings Flow" and the orGanst
proceeds to give out some tune other
than the familiar "Old Hundred"
There is not one in tine congregation
who is accustomed to attend church
who would not have feeling of disap-
pointment. How often / have had
people say to me when playing over
some melody to which certain words
are always sung, why the instrument
fairly talks" Now the instrument did
not talk. 1t was the memory of the
! listeners that uncOnsciOusly followed
/ the playing Of the melody with the
/ words hich belonged to it,
I And it is this power Of association
which units familiar melodies, the
| well-knOwn words to which are not
/ religious in sentiment. for being used
| in a church service with sacred words.
/ Church singers are not infrequently
/ impOrtuned by good religious people
| to sing sacred words to THE Last
! Rose OF Summer" Home Sweet
! Home" robin Adair." AUD Robin
! Gray" etc. Now in themselves there
| is nothing Objectionable in these we'll
| known simple melodies except that
they have been spoiled for church use
! in the fact that for decades their
words have been assigned to them and
/ sung thousands of times, and the pub
! lie cannot hear the one without mem
tally hearing the other.
Again. Why is it that people tell
you that certain tunes in their hymn
book, which are of an inferior class,
considered musiCally, are not to be
compared in their estimation with GER
tain others, which are really much bet
| ter? A little inquiry will usually re-
veal the fact that these particular
tunes carry with them crowds Of asso-
| Citations. They are the tunes that
father sang: mother sang these as lul-
| In hiaS and althOuph she has bapn i'm
| her grave for many years, the eyes
fill and the lips quiVer whenever these
| melodies are heard. In fact all the
fond memories of childhood and youth
cluster around these melodies. Scien-
fists tell us that there is nothing
which has the power Of acting upon