New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-08-09


-arization for worship music IN New orA Ci'y
e that maintained by the congre6ation % ~
77.forned Jewish Temple Emanuel. at F1ltn-aVe'
nd F,ortv-third-st II is possible hd' Nia0o
-a-.ss4or1 Fuiscopal Church, in Broadway eX-
-.15s more money than Temple Emanuel. because
~ its support Of a choir school but neltner Grace
~ Trinity nor even St. Patricks CatheorA COM
,,-ds an artistic force comparable with the tenn
- one reason Of this is that the Temple Is
s,rt,,rate in being able to pick and choose from
an the church musicians in the city, since us ser
,Ices seldom come in conflict in the matter OF une
it, the singers and organists of1ciatng III ChIls-
=. ,hr~obes The liberality Of thought when
a. .,,or- the Reformed Jews moreover; the
.rl known love Of the race for artsuc spIehuoI'
and the wealth represented by congregation hAe
49, mentioned have removed the obstacles TO OF
tse If service which lie in the way OF the ortho-
5ov believers. and enabled them to indulge their
= auctions generously In the lowly synagogues
g the East Side there no organs and no choirs
~ professional singers. There ola convictions sun
,re,su as they do for that matter IN the wealthy
synagogue of the orthodox Portuguese 10 ueSe
-1aoee n worship the musical antiquary must go
a. b wishes TO study the. Jewish service, with It's
roles Of Unreasonable antiquity OF ART ne WIZ
6nd nothing. but. so he have reVerent appreci3-
TON and lively fancy. of solemn ana impressive
a-o-,oriaI a great deal There are many rellcS
= -. ortbodox service in the Reformed temples,
,,,t t7ev are only remains. and very few OF them
have ANYTHING to do with music. Women are not
cent into the galleries, they are In the syha-
eogues nor is it obligatory to keep ones heao
covered Not only women admitted 10 the
,,,,fvs hut Christians also. The portions OF the
ritual which may be said to correspond with the
Collects Epistles and Gospels in the Eplseopal
service are read in the ordinary way, not chahIeo'
and though the congregation is theoretically sup
nosed 10 take part in the responses to the rabni
~ reader it does so by proxy in all the musical
portion which is set apart for the chasan cantor
or reader the lector OF the early Chr1soans) ana
the choir
IN the evna gogues Of strict orthodoxy there are
neither organs nor choirs why inns shoulu 10
ca II is not easy explain. According TO hsIorl-
cal records and tradition the service in the Temple
e+ Jerusalem was of extravagant elaoorateness'
The Bible tells Of the appointment Of great com
NAMES of singers Josephus mentions instruments
beaned I'D by the thousands and the Talmud de-
fi-e az, instrument (magrepha). supposed to be
of the organ kind which could be heard as far as
the Mount Olives One explanation OF the absence
Of instruments in modern synagogues Is paseu On
the goreeousness Of this ancient outfit All plous
Jews hope for the restoration of Jerusalem ana
tic Temple. meanwhile scattered in exile through
many lands it is meet that the race shall pre-
tend to initiate the splendor Of the Temple service
as Instituted by Solomon. Where choirs nave oeen
introduced in orthodox synagogues' II has peeh Oh
couparatiVely recent date-say, WITHIN tory OF
fifty wears They are a development from an older
institution Some time in the long ago 1t became
q practice to have two men CmeTshoroIlUlll S'aiiu
On either side of the chasan to assist MN III ea9e
necessity, and also to correct him should ne
read incorrectly In the performance of the first
function they suggest Aaron and Hur holding up
the hands Of Moses while Joshua Overcame Anna
lex: the second function seems to point TO appre-
tensions growing out Of a decay of knowledge
concerning the ancient language in which the
scrolls are written. Perhaps too this explains
the use Of a pointer to follow the words read.
The chasan's assistants led the congregation in the
responses, and the desire for beauty Of utter
ance grew they came 10 be selected on the ground
Of voice quality There was but single step from
this arrangement 10 a choir of boys and men, for
whom place made back of the rabbi and
chasan the platform in front of the ark Quilt
against the eastern WalD in which the scrolls
kept This platform, called almemmar, occupies a
space between the two sections of pews, which are
arranged longitudinally instead Of transversely as
ia Christian churches. In synagogues where the
congregation still chants the responses all the
worshippers wear Oriental prayer scarfs, thrown
across the shoulders at the back the ends hang
Ing IN front through the elbows.
II IS owing to The tenacity with which the Jews
have chung to their religion language and social
customs that manner Of chanting the sacred
books which is individually Of great antiquity
has been retained in orthodox synagogues The
ritual composed Of portions Of the Bible hymns
and prayers are all chanted by the chasan or by
the chasan and people alternately The melody of
the chant varies with different books with differ
ent times and also with different nations there
pe-Ils d marked olHerence for instance, between
the chants OF the Portuguese and German lows
though there TO be found cbaractar;s,;os ,,o;+
ing to common origin. The difference = o.
counted for by the fact that knoU1a6ge ~ III
1epteW system OF muslca! notation has been lost
and tradition alone has been relied an 70 n,o
the melodies II Is pretty clearly established that
the musical characters of the Hebrews oro e..
accent marks, called 'neginnoth" hu+ NOT .,,ar
the most learned rabbis have been ab1e ,bo,,,..,
10 determine their significance They arc m
questonably very ancient, but the time of tbeir
origin is in doubt Some scholars contend that
they We're IN use at the time of Moses, while others
assert that they date from the Bshvlopia, -
fly $50 B. c. Certain it is however ~. 93N..
are older than the vowel marks which 49, 80
10 the written language shortly after the begt,ri
OF the Christian era In the Synagogue ~ -
In Cairo. Egypt. scroll Bible is preserved i++o'
IN ancient Hebrew without vowels but having
the ancient marks The Polish and Po.oo
the authentic mode Of singing the ..oegi,ro+,, -
but under the influence of Reformed T15aisr.
laHlty has sprung up, and the old manner Go 5,..
rearing from the temples. The chant melodies -
The books Of the OLD Testament have been tran
scribed and printed by Naumburg who v,.s -,
organist in one Of the synagogues- OF Paris
IN addition TO the system OF cantillarto, CIT, q,
in the readings from the sacred Scriptures 80
melodies have been preserved in connactior -
prayers. hymn and portions OF the scrolls sncb
The Song Of Moses the Decalogue ere -
would be idle to speculate the antiolIi+v ~ t,e
traditional tunes. notable thing abopt tba-a &c
that they have held place in the affections 90 ~
classes OF Jews. reformed as well as ortbs
One might attend an ordinary Sabbath dav ear1,,aa
IN the Temple Emanuel for months and ,o.i,,
not hear Of the melodies which have heen
handed down by tradition; but go on any 800
feast day Ike Rosh Hashonah Clew Year. NJ W,
Kippur and they viii never fail. Some Of tbs~a
have been worked up with great brilliancv ard