New-York tribune., 1903-07-19


as IS possible the road which it has pursued in
reaching that state. The project involves study
Of the past, well as observation of the present
and for these better preparation can be made
than TO bring before the eye of the mind con-
trastfng picture of the church services now and a
hundred years ago. These milestones at the be-
ginning and end OF a century far from marking
the boundaries Of ecclesiastical history In the city,
for the churches OF Manhattan as old as the
white occlSation of Manhattan Island; but they
do mark the progress which worship music has
made since the Christian religion was established
here For this reason it is possible 10 present the
essential in story beginnings-the story
OF the first centuries-wthn the limits of
single article The narrative, when complete will
illustrate the principle Of development from the
simple the compleX-from the homogeneous TO
the heterogeneous
In 1901 there were thirty churches in New-YorkN
City. The Dutch Reformed. Protestant Episcopal
Presbyterian and Methodist Episcopal denou1ina-
tions had 1--WE each; the Baptists. three; Friends
two; Lutherans two: Roman Catholics Huguenots
Moravtans and Universalsts each. There was
also Jewish synagogue. Varied the
conceptions of worship suggested the people of
to-day by these titles. there was a singularly mo-
notonous form of musical service among the
churches then. The Quakers had silence; the Jews
their venerable service, according TO the orthodox
Portuguese traditions; the Moravians and Method
lists, their emotional hymnOdy; the Catholics.
rude form OF their ancient chant these
NgiOnists few, compared with the Dutch and
French Reformers, the members Of the Anglican
Church (but recently become the Protestant Epis-
oOpal Church in the United States), and the Pres
byterians who had already enjoyed nearly a
Jury of existence in the community; and all OF
these adhered TO practically the same style of
musical service-the unisonaI psalmody which had
Its birth at Geneva under Calvin Choirs few
a century ago, organs fewer and solo singers
known As for vestments, they belonged only to
few of the clergy. Now there about six hun
dred churches in the Borough of Manhattan
and certainly than six thousand singers in
md NOIuD Tnera
is scarcely church without it's organ. All
imaginable types Of service may be found
congregational singing, with and without
precentor; the solor quartet, which half century
ago marked the height of fashionable DEVOTION sur
pliced chors of and boys, whose minstra-
uons out from the church alone: surpliced chors
of men and women in chancels and organ galleries;
volunteer choirs of mixed voices rvallng the secu-
Jar choral societies in numbers activity. Epis-
copal churches suspected of High Church
ism maintain the English Cathedral choir service
In which the voice of woman is taboo; churches in
which rites are practised which differ in nothing
except the of the Vernacular from those of the
Roman Catholic Church employ women singers
though they hide them behind and cur
tains and our Methodist brethren, long ago
emerged from the simple but lusty manner of 1nu-
scal prayer and praise which contributed so much
TO their early vigor cultivatng an ornateness
of service which promises to range them side by
SIDE with the churchmen from whose ranks their
forefathers deserted. There are already nearly
dozen ROBBED if surpced, choirs in the Method
list Episcopal churches of the borough, and pro-
ceSsionals and recessionals are probably numer-
Gus among these sectaries in New-York now as
they were in the Establishment in London one hun
dred years ago. In the synagogues Of the ortho-
dox Jews ancient rites are performed and prayers
are chanted in unspeakably ancient tongue by
priests in ancient robes and lay worshippers
wrapped in Oriental prayer scarfs; while IN the
gorgeous temples of the Reformed Jews profess
sional choristers sing strains drawn from Chris
tian anthems motets, cantatas and masses In the
music sung by the choirs to be found the relics
OF score of centuries well the latest COM
positions of to-day. In the synagogues chasans
chant the Hebrew scrolls in accordance with
melodic formulas which have come down by word
Of mouth from generations TO generations of church
servitors, and congregation and choirs sing the
prayers proper to the New Year and the Day of
Atonement TO melodies of unknown antiquity. In
the service chant of the Catholic churches devout
fancy has found relics of the liturgic song which
once resounded in the temple Jerusalem and
which history traces back through millennium at
at least: revival of interest in the artistic music
of the past. coupled with spirit of protest against
the frivolity and sentimentalsm of the missal mu-
sic of the last century has restored some of the
music of the manner dominated by Palestrina; in
the Episcopal churches may be heard the revised
form of reciting chant made necessary by the sub
stitution of the vernacular for the universal Ian
guage of the Church at the period of the Reforma-
ton; hymn tunes sanctioned by Huss and Luther
and borrowed from the secular songs of five hun
dred years ago ring through the churches of all
Protestant denominations in sharp contrast at
times with the Gospel" ditties of modern emo
uonal evangelists and Salvationists. In music as
IN many other things, religion has been at once a
marvellous conservator and vigorous promoter
Let this serve for the exposition the subject
Now to its Illustration: The story begins naturally
with the founding of the first Dutch Reformed
organizaton-the oldest religious denomination in
America This in 1920. The first work done
was the stalking Of the fort the southern end
Of the island. horse mill was then erected with
second story constructed TO afford accommodations
for religious purposes In this place the Bible was
read, and such singing there was led by
the Krankenbezoecker (Visitor of the Sick) The
hrst regular minister in 1928 and In 1873 a
small wooden church built in what is now
Pearl-st This suffced until 1912, when a stone
church was built within the fort The musical ser
vices In this church Were the model the services
OF all the descendants of the original settlers who
adhered TO the original religion for a century and
half. If not more. The sermons remained exclu-
siVely Dutch until 1864, when, after much opposi-
tion, the progressive younger element the consis
tory succeeded in calling DR.. Ladlie TO preach in
English Two of his successors preached in both
Dutch and English but at the first English service
and fer long time thereafter the Psalms which
were the only musical portion of the service were
sung in Dutch because the congregation was not
acquainted with English psalmody. When DR..
Laidlie Jacobus Van Antwerp was the fore
singer" A large contingent of the early colonists
were French Hugueaots, but these too, were mem
bers of the Reformed Church. and the only differ
ence between their services and those of the Dutch
was in the language employed. The musical stand
ard for all the Genevan Psalter. This standard
could do nothing promote ecclesiastical music
I quote from my own little book Choral Music
in New-York:
development OF New-fork was Dutch notwith-
standing the brevity Of the time during which the