The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-04-09
Revolution in GbAreb f1lusle

alton and SAVIOR the Gregorian form. His instruc-
tions provide that the change be made as quickly
possible and the necessary steps to carry out IN
structions emanating from such source may not
be delatorily taken. ta5l
In the Archdiocese of New York the clergy are
awaiting the return of Archbishop Farley, who is
now in Rome to learn what Is to be done TO carry
out the directions of the Pope. 1t is not believed,
however, that any sweeping change will be ordered
Immediately in the character of the music. The
change in its entirety is one which cannot be made,
say the choimasers, III month, or, in some cases,
in year. The consensus OF clerical opinion is that
it will come gradually and that III some of the
churches it will be at least two years before the
music of today is supplanted by the music of the
time of Pope Gregory. the Great.
That this opinion Is not unjustified, so far
the Archdiocese of New York is concerned was
indicated when, two weeks ago, Bishop Mcdonnell
of Brooklyn, at his quarterly conference laid the
instructions of the Pope before his clergy and
admonished them that they were to be carried out
rapidly as possible Bishop Mcdonnell fixed no
limit for the fulflment of the papal commands.
He realized that the situation demanded the making
Of haste slowly, and conented himself with com
handing all diligence.
With the conference less than three weeks
passed, however, three churches in his bishopric
have made a start for dismissing the woman singers
i'll their chors and the chant will be heard within
their walls as soon as their boy singers can be
perfected in Gregorian singing. Just when this
will occur may not be accurately forecast but it is
not at all unlikely that the chant will be heard
across the bridge before it is regularly sung in
Manhattan.
Orders Exclude Womsn
When the orders of Pope Plus have been carried
out in all the churches there will not be
singer in any Catholic choir Under the
gime singers in the church will have a real iturgl-
cal office, and it follows that women, being in
capable of exercising such office, will be excluded.
Whenever it is desired to employ the acute voices
of sopranos and contraltos boys must be secured.
"Finally" the Pope directs, only those are to be
admitted to form part of the musical chapel OF
church who are men of known probity and piety OF
life, and these should by their modest and devout
bearing during the liturgieal functions, show that
they are worthy of the holy office they exercise.
They shall wear the ecclesiastical habit and sur
plice and shall be hidden behind gratings when the
choir is excessively open to the public gaze
In promulgating his instructions Pope Plus
laid down these principles:
Sacred music, being a complementary part of
the solemn liturgy. which Is the glory of God and
the sanctifeaton and edihcation of the faithful.
Sacred music should consequently possess, in the
highest degree the qualities proper to the liturgy.
participates in the general scope of the litur-
gy, and precisely sanctity and goodness of
form. Thrust be holy, and must therefore, exclude
all profanity not only in itself, but i'll the manner
in which it is presented by those who excuse it.
These qualities are to- be found in the highest
degree in the Gregoran chant, which is, conse-
quqently, the chant proper to the Roman Church,
the only chant she has inherited from the ancient
fathers, which she has jealousy guarded for CEN
turtles in her liturgical goddess which she directly
proposes to the faith fuhas her own; which she
prescrbes exclusively for parts of the liturgy,
and which the most recent studies have so happily
restored to their integrity and purity.
Music Worthy the Temple.
*On= these grounds the Gregorian chant has al
tln fOrS
red music, that it is fully legitimate to lay down
the following rule
The more closely composition for church
approaches In its movement inspiration and savors
of the Gregorian form the more sacred and litur
gica it becomes, and the more out of harmony it is
with that supreme model, the less worthy it is of
the temple.
"The ancient traditional Gregorian chant must,
therefore, be largely restored to the function of
public worship and everybody must take for certain
that an ecclesiastical function loses nothing of its
solemnity when it is accompanied by no other
sic but this"
Although music other than Gregorian is not
forbidden, the employment of many musical instru
ments in use in the Church is prescribed 1t is
provided that the chant should always have the
principal place, and that the organ and such in
struments as arc specially licensed shall merely
sustain and never Cypress it, It is not permitted
to have the chant preceded by long nterludes or
interrupted by intermezzos. The employment OF
the piano is forbidden in terms is also that of
noisy frivolous instruments, such drums, Gym
bals and bells. No bands may play in the church,
and great must be taken in the licensing of
wind instruments by the diocesan ordinaries.
In issuing his instructions Pope Plus enjoins
the clergy favor with all zeal these reforms, long
desired and demanded with united voice by all, $50
that the authority of the Church. which herself
has repeatedly proposed them and now inculcates
them, may not fall into contempt"
Pending the training of chOirS nrOperly to rem
der the Gregorian chant the lighter form of music
will be abandoned Indeed, this has already been
done in the majority of churches, the musical pro-
gramme being selected with an eye to the pope's
wishes.
Because of the genera lack of information re-
gard the Gregorian form of music the following
explanation of its character by Father John B.
Young of ST. Francis Xavier's College, a deep stu
dent for many years of ecclesiastical music, and
one of the recognized authorities on the subject,
is particularly valuable at this time when the whole
musical system of the Catholic Church is to be
changed.
''The new regulations were first sent over by the
Holy Father to the Cardinal Vicar of Rome. They
form new body of laws church music, super
seding all other rules. The Holy Father in is
suing the new regulations was actuated by the
Objectionable character of the music in general use
+ba cL,,rcboc which was sacr1ar and worldly