The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-12-20
Modern Church Music.

DEAR EGIS:
L nave read with interest
ana IN the mann eorolai approval
your eultorlai IN last week issue on
modern churcn music. Your nam con-
tentlon that simplicity IN church music is
most desirable ana that the ann should
be to make singing an ald TO Devotion
ana NOT mere e&niDition OF muslcal SKILL
is perfectly correct. Wouid 60 iurtheI
and ADD that IN SO lar as chants ana
hymns go, 1t is not only wretched taste,
but positively a wrong, tor cholrs to
make such seiections as Will cause TINS
feature oi PupIc woi snip III lle sllS hlest
degree to be removed from Common
Praise.
For the average mortal loves to sing
even IT he can do no more than make
joyful noise unto the Lord. There is
place in voluntary and offertory where,
the congregation being seated as listeners,
the choir may with .proht exercise their
artistic skill-provlded only 1t be with
articulate sound "understanded OF the
people" and not merely vocal gymnas-
tics.
However, allowing all this, am GLAD
to be able to say, from the standpoint OF
one to whom this question has been tor
many years one OF great concern, that
your structures, true as they are IN the
main on style of music calculated more
to profane than to advance the worship
of Almighty God, are nevertheless some
what out OF date.
Twenty-Five years ago when some OF
those who now criticise were then regular
church attendants might have been
oppressed by this false style OF music but
now, save occasionally IN isolated places
and provincial towns where the methods
of quarter century ago still hnger, the
fault at which you point is rather
unusual.
The Episcopal church IN whose service
| minister, was then the CHIEF offender
in this matter; but she, l am thankful to
say, save in such places as have above
alluded to, is leading the way out of this
error. That is the secret OF the increase
of vested choirs, specially boy cholrs-ln
PRODUCED first indeed byAdvanced Church
men and Ritualists, but soon acqulescec
in, and now largely adopted by, ever
Low Churchmen as happy solution o.
the difficulty with which your editorla
deals.
Congregational singing is most deslra
Die, most helpful, most inspiring ana
ought, as means OF grace. to be tosterec
by every possible means. Who thaSr pas
heard the twelve hundred men OF !on
ventlon OF the Brotherhood OF st. Andrew
in some familiar hymn or chant rise uptt
and above every increase OF power iron
such an organ as that at Emmanue
Church, Baltimore, quickly catch stel
with every accelerated movement, seiz'
the anthem and carry it on to majestic
triumphant tlnsh, with upreachlng, loue
swelling, resonant, amen, would care tt
stand and listen to the same thing trlllet
and chased through all the mystic maze'
of high vocal art by all the operate star
that glitter?
The average man wants to sing ant
should be allowed and encouraged to sing
But how! That is the difficult problem
Mr.. Moody, with his ready common sens
to see and grasp whatever would serve hi
purpose, seized upon such men as Sankey
Stebbins and Jacobs. What is wanted L
a clear strong voice, well-trained ant
true, as leader Jour forefathers had tn