New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-01
CHTRCH MISIC.


n paper on Hymns and Tunes" the other day
before the Episcopal Club of Massachusetts
that has attracted wide attention. He took the
ground that the Episcopal Hymnal Is "a painful
exhibition Of vulCarlty tempered by incom-
potency" And the Anglican chant, he added,
IFS 4 musical trilobite. scarcely to be dlstin-
gulshed from vegetable He gave it as his
opinion that many Of the best hymn tunes come
from Germany. and most OF the worst are
American The New-England village choir
quartet and Moody and Sankey's hymns
these are the engines Of war that have done
more harm TO religion than the whole Angli-
"can Church, which the Purtans detested.'
He deprecated the disuse OF the old-fashoned
minor tunes and the widespread vogue Of what
he called the mawkshness and platitudes Of
the modern hymnal.
1t will seem rather curious 10 most people
familiar with the Episcopal Hymnal that 1t
should be so severely criticised; for. compared
with some other hymn books, II Is dlgnlncd and
conservative. Its cOmpilers would be the first
10 admit its lmperfectlons. hut in book de-
signed fer popular use many hymns and tunes
must be admitted that possess little II any in
trinslc value. Or. IIutchins declared. for IN
stance. that the Diocese Of Virginia threatened
10 secede from the Church unless n certain
hymn. never heard elsewhere. was retained in
the Hymnal There Is much truth in this
view Of the matter. The compilcrs Of church
hymn books are not free to compile book
such as they personally might consider unob-
icctionable They must consult the taste and
desires Of the congregations In whose behalf
they arc working. They may regard the words
Of some particular hymn rs bad In theology
and mawksh in sentiment and the tune asso-
ciated with II as utterly jejune. But II prac-
tica,ly everybody wants 1t they will not dare
to drop IT, 1t Is purely n matter of taste as
TO which the old adagc tells us there can be
no dispute. And therefore II Professor Par
kcr's criticism Is well founded 1t simply
amounts 10 saying that according TO his stand
ard the musical taste of the Episcopal Church
IS defective.
But what is the true standard Of religious
music? Religions people have not yet agreed
on an answer 10 that question. and there is
little likelihood that they will do so. During
the last few years n number Of Jealous Roman
Catholic priests in this country have been in
weighing against what they call operate music
in the Catholic Church. and calling for n re-
turn to the old Gregorian plain song. But
Catholic congregations still cling 10 the ford
masses and would resent the Introduction of
the GrcgOran chant as strongly as did the late
Bishop WberfOrce OF England. who declared
that he never heard one without wanting 10
lie down on his stomach and howl. The Moody
md Sankcy melodies that so excite the scorn Of
Professor Parker please multtudes Of Chris
TIM people who would find no comfort in such
unsteady perfect tunes as he would prescribe
And tho Anglican chants. which he refers to
as triobitcs, apparently touch the chords Of
religious emotion in those who habitually listen
TO them
Nevertheless, II Is fact that the defects OF
hymnology are coming more and more 10 he
recognized 1t Is too much to expect that the
masses of religious people will at once rec0g-
nize the pucrilty and nanty Of the words and
music OF some hymns, hallowed, possibly. by
old associations But the standard Of taste
will improve with tho growing musical culture
Of the country. Already even some hymns and
tunes once popular have become obsolete be-
cause Of their crudeness and vulgarlty. Many
of the old Tate and Brady hymns. II sung to-
day would seem grotesque as 10 arouse
mirth Yet we know that the good men and
women who used TO sing them were helped and
strengthened by them. ON the whole. such
criticisms as those OF Professor Parker are 10
be welcomed, for they will bring to the con-
sciousnosS of many good people OF defective
musical taste the fact that musical culture has
a place In religion Criticism may anger them
M first. but II may also lead them to think the
matter over and when they begin 10 think they
are pretty sure 10 learn.