Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-12
THE SUNDAY CONCERT
Difference Of Opinion Regard
ing It's Moral Effect.
MINISTERS OBJECT
ADDRESS LETTER TO Mr.. REGI-
NALD DE KovEN.
Response to His Circular Letter to
Ministers Soliciting Their Sym
pathetic Support.
MINISTERS OBJECT


Washington Symphony Orchestra. and tht
Rev. Randolph H. McKim and the Rev.
Alfred Harding. pastors of the Church of
the Epiphany, as to the moral effect of
Sunday evening concerts. A few days ago
MIR. De Koven mailed circular letter to
many of the leading ministers and educa-
tors in the District asking, among other
things, that they present the subject to
their respective congregations in such way
as to inspire and stimulate better attend
ance upon the sacred concerts" From
the letter sent Mr.. De koven yesterday by
these two reverend gentlemen it is evident
that war has been declared upon this ris-
ing tide of secularism,' to use The exact
words of DR.. McKim. The correspondents
of Mr.. De Koven go farther. and after de-
nouncing the Sunday evening concerts in
terms which cannot be mistaken. declare
and Sunday receptions and Sunday games
of golf and tennis and whatnot all of which
they believe will result in sweeping away
the sacredness of the Lords day.
Mr.. de Koven's Plea.
Mr.. De Koven has not had opportunity
to respond to this letter. it having only
been received today. His note, which called
forth this admonition from the clergy, sets
forth his position. however, and follows, in
part:
THE mana cement of the Washington
Symphony Orchestra wish to enlist your
good offices to further their endeavors,
| made at great sacrifice. to promote the
cause of high-class music in this commu-
nifty.
AS an educated man, and necessarily
from the position you hold interested in the
higher intellectual development of the peo-
pie at large, Independent of sect or creed
YOU must he that statistics show
that in all those countries where the love
of good music is general the amount of
crime is in inverse ratio to the love of
music thus shown 1t is, therefore, an ac-
cepted fact among men of broad sympa-
thies and large humanitarian views that
today good music, adequately rendered, Is
one of the most ennobling. refining educa-
tional and civiliZing influences in any COM
muniry and as such not only deserving of
but commanding the support and sympathy
of every thinking. high-minded and intel!i-
gent man who has the higher development
of his kind at heart.
THE Sunday concerts of the Washington
Symphony Orchestra, on whose programs
only high-class music finds place. are. there
fore, in thorough accord with the influences
mentioned above. We would therefore
confidently beg for your sympathetic sup
port of the same by placing them before
your congregation that they may be enabled
to attend these concerts and thus stimulate
the better impulses of their nature. which
in your own way, you are seeking SO ably
to promote"
The Clergy's View.
Under date of March II Drs. McKim and
Harding make the following reply, oyer
their own signatures:
We have received your favor of March
/, asking our sympathetic support of the
Sunday concerts of the Washington Sym
phony Orchestra, and suggesting that we
should encourage our congregations to at
tend the same with view to stimulate the
better impulses of their nature"
You rightly suppose that We are in sym
rathy with your efforts to promote a love
of high-claSs music in this community We
may add that We have rejofced in your re-
n,arkable success in giving to the people of
Washington music of so high an order and
50 artstically rendered. But we must
frankly say that we are not at all in SYM
pathy with this new departure in the ar
rGngement for giving these concerts on Sun
day and that we could not comply with
your request without betrayal of our trust
as Christian ministers
1T is true as you suggest that the clergy
should be ready to encourage those infiu-
ences which are ennobling, refining and
civiiZing just because they have at heart
the higher development of mankind. But
would it be ennobling to Christian people
who believe in the religious character of the
Lords day to unite in a movement which
directly tends to seculariZe and commercial
ize that day?
What course those should pursue who
are not profeSsed Christians we do not I'M
Gertake to say. but you ask US to encourage
our people who are profeSsed Christians to
attend your pay concerts which are not
even nominally sacred concerts, and which
are given at the same hour our OWN
church services.
"Civilizing Influences"
"And then as to the civilizing influences
which you allege; may we remind you that
ore of the most distinctive features of our
American civilization is its recognition of
the sacred character of the Sunday? The
MON who laid the foundations of civilization
on the shores of this western continent,
whether cavalier or Puritan. or Dutch or
Huguenot set up one of their landmarks
this-that Sunday should be hallowed, that
IT should be different from other days. not
a day for merchandise, or for business, or
fer sport, but a holy day, day Tor rest a
day for worship, day for the home ana
the family. Thoughtful historians are OF
the opinion that the religious observance OF
This day has been one of the most potent
and benefcent factors in the formation OF
our national character, and that any run
dsmental change IN this principle would en-,
tail ncalculabie loss III our iu'oie H@o0ii''
development.
NOW the religious observance of Sunday
is at present most seriously threatened
We are in the presence of movement
which threatens to completely seculariZe
the Lords Day. Theer is very grave DANGER
that we shall within a generation see TINS
ancient landmark so sacred in its origin, so
beneficent in its influence, such symbol of
the divine and the eternal, completely
swept away by the rising tide of secular
ism.
How then, can we accept your sugges-
ton and encourage our people to attend
secular concerts. given not freely. but on
the commercial principle. on Sunday? And
II we did so, on what principle could we
object to the Sunday opera and the Sunday
theater? Is not such play as Hamlet or
Macbeth at least as promotive of mans
higher development as the Wagnerian mu-
sic?
The Sins of Society.
TOO many Christians are already thought
lessly. without realizing what they are do
ing. helping to destroy the sacred character
of the day of God by their Sunday dinners.
and Sunday receptions, and Sunday games
of golf and tennis, and by their journeys
of pleasure and of business.
I'VE think. therefore, that we shall best
stimulate the better impulses of our peu-
pie not by encouraging them to attend
these Sunday concerts, but by appealing to