The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-15
CHURCH MUSIC.
Baltimore Plan Suggested
For Worcester.
To the Editor of The snu.

10 the Editor of The Spy:
AS reader of The Spy, considering it
to be the reliable organ of our beloved
city awake to every possibility for the
advancement and culture of our peo-
pie, and knowing the great advantage
that music has in uplifting the people,
may l ask your kind attention to clip
ping taken from the Baltimore News
on The Church Music Society,""
Why cannot our church choirs unite
on some such plan as is laid down by
the Baltimore Society?
Let US create q desire among all
classes for the appreciation and love
for that divine art, and let our people,
one and call, come without money and
without price, and listen to some of
the divine works of the masters inter
preted as the union of such choirs as
Worcester can easily marshal, could
interpret them. Let us give our toilers
in shops and stores that life of higher
thought and culture which such music
always affords.
Progress.
Baltimore, Md, Jan. 9, 1899.
The article in the Baltimore News
referred to above, is substantially as
follows:
The Church Music Society of Balti-
more held its first meeting on October
IL, last Prof. Joseph Pache was chosen
as the director, which guarantees the
largest possible benefit to the mem
bers Of this organization. The course
Of study embraces the best forms Of
church music by the most popular COM
posefs. The two hours of the lecture
are equally divided between rudimen-
tary studies in music and sight read
ing. There are but two requisites for
membership-the ability to sing and
the payment of the small sum of ST.
The progress Of the society has been
most marked, and the possibility of
congregational singing has been clear
ly demonstrated. All Protestant de-
nominations and the Roman Catholic
Church are represented in its member
ship.
The legal, medical and ministerial
professions are represented in the
membership, and commend the work of
Prof. Pache.
AS the aim of the society is to cult
waite and establish higher ideal of
church music, concerts will be given in
the different churches, and in conse-
quence, no tickets will be sold but ad-
mission will be by invitations extended
through the subscribers and members
Of the society. No personal prof1G ac-
crues to any of the officers of the So
ciety. All the funds received are ex-
pended in the salary of the director, the
cost of music used by the chorus, and
the expenses Of bringing in the solo
lists. who take part in the concerts. Ey-
cry dollar contributed is returned to the
public.
There are obvious merits in the Bal
timore plan, but there can hardly be
cot 10 he da,aa nj o.
tation in Worcester at present. No
doubt it has it's value in providing a
sraining school for choirs, but the
primary object of this correspondent is
to offer the public that is not reached
by the music festival, an opportunity
to hear the great choral masterpieces
virtually free Of expense. For some
years such opportunities have been af-
forded in this city from time to time
by directors and choruses identified
with some church.
The late Il. N. Anderson did a useful
service in this line at Central Church.
and for two years similar work has
been conducted upon a more elaborate
scale by Mr.. ]. Vernon Butler at Pill
grim Church. In each case the chorus
has been smaller than the Baltimore
plan would seem to indicate. but the
singing has no doubt been all the bet
ter for that reason. The concerts are
quite as frequent as any church choir
union could be expected -, make them,
and In no case has more money been
asked for than was needed to defray
actual expenses. In fact, both these
Worcester enterprises have been oper-
ated as at loss. Mr.. Buffers chorus
Of about 100 voices contains represent
tatives Of various cholrs, besides
goodly delegation of singers from the
festival chorus.
1t would appear, therefore, that all
the essential features of the Baltimore
plan are embodied in Mr.. Buffers
chorus and the chances are that the
artistic results are better than they
would be under the arrangement sug-
gested by this correspondent. 1t is
taken for granted that the correspond
ent does not literally mean to propose
a union of the salaried singers and the
volunteer choirs of the city, for such
a project is clearly impracticable.