Omaha daily bee., 1901-03-10
MUSIC.

Mr.. Frank Damrosch has been express
ing himself on some subjects with which
he is femiliar and he has expressed him
self right loudly and, generally speaking
right we'll. In the opinion OF Or. Dam
rosch there is nothing OF the proper ideal
Of church music in the quartet choir. He
is opposed to 1t bitterly and in his re-
marks he is inclined TO be somewhat Sc
we're. IL he is quoted right by the press
for he is made TO say that the more ex-
cellent tmusically) is the quartet the les.
ft they are for the position OF leading the
worship OF God.
1t is not in my province to discuss that.
and perhaps Dr. Frank Damrosch has had
painful experience. OF course there is
the tendency TO become too commercial in
our ideas in connection with such music
as is furnished by a "fashionab bic" quar-
tet For we learn TO speak OF our twelve
hundred dollar soprano and our fve-hu
dred dollar soprano, and our ffty-dollar-a
week singers, and so forth
Mr.. Whitney Mockrldge would be able 10
furnish some interesting memoirs II he
wished. relating to his experience as a
member OF gh-priced quartet choirs.
When his abode was in this country ne
had ample experience, for 1t must be re-
membered that the four voiced choir is
purely an American institution. He told
me a good story when he was here last
which | will reproduce as touching upon
the discussion in question. He was visit
ing certain church in another city which
was noted for It's remarkable condition Of
being free from debt and for the spiritual
ity OF its members. They loved music
and believed in il, but they did not want
any official music. as IT were, IN their
said 10 his friend. a prominent member OF
the church, a man Of great piety and little
worldliness. But my dear Mr.. --, you
have left no room here for a choir" To
which the friend replied, NO, we have
not. Our congregation will be the choir
and when we have overcome the trio NJ
world, the flesh and the devil We will try
a quartet"
! have often mentioned in this column
my antipathy to the choir OF four per-
sons and can heartily echo all the musical
objections given by DR.. Damrosch. but yet
We must not forget that the ideal choir
Is the quartet and chorus. There need
not be necessarily a great amount Of
stress placed upon the quartet. as indi-
viduals, and they should be led to remem-
ber that they are there TO assist and elab-
oratc, and augment the work of the choir,
and Lot, as is too often the case. feel that
the choir is there to augment their work.
| There are many portions OF anthems
which should be sung by good solo voices,
and there is no doubt in my mind that
God would just as soon hear a thing done
we'll as badly. The fact that person :
voice is trained is no proof that they are
in a state OF sin and wrong doing
have known some professional singers who
were almost saints in their dispositions
and characters, and ] have known some
amateur singers who were not examples
OF entire sanctfcation.'
One OF the greatest benefits from the
large choir is the fact that the great works
can be presented the great masters ex-
pressed properly, and the congregation
personally interested in a higher class OF
music. And the percentage Of young per-
sons studying the art OF singing in a church
which has a large choir will be found to be
larger than in a church whose musical
appret iation Is satisfied with quartet work.
/ believe that the choral works OF the
Catholic church have done much 10 cement
the young people OF the church into bonds
! OF ecclesiastical love, and musical sodalities