Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-30
POPE ON SACRED MUSIC
CATHOLIC CLERGY SAY THE Or
DER rs MIscoNSTRUED.
Use of Latin in Services and Choirs Re-
stricted to Male Sex--An
Explanation.

the Catholic Church In this city the laity
is much more exercised over the recent
pronouncement of Pope Piux x on sacred
music than is the clergy. They say 1t has
been wrongly construed by many readers
of the "Motu Proprio" of the pope. which
is dated at the Vatican November %, 1904.
and writer's have endeavored to show that
he intended by his letter to the church s
practical revolution in both the singing and
the conduct of the services in this coun-
try It has been said that hereafter ali
services must be conducted III Latin. that
being the acknowledged language of the
Catholic Church, and that there shall be no
members of a choir other than men or boys
This is. in a measure. correct. put II does
not elucdate. The services OF the churcn
have always been conducted in Latin the
only variation from this being the hymns
that are sung before and after the hturgicai
services
The Gregorian chant is in Latin, as are
all of the masses of Haydn. Poniatowskl.
Mozart Beethoven and other great com
posers, whose music has become standard
in the Catholic Church. The hymns have
been sung In the vernaeular because they
do not form a part of the liturgy, ana
there has never been any order for
change.
Composition Of the Choirs.
The composition of the chors is referred
to by the pontiff in the following language:
singers in church have a real liturgical
office and therefore women. as being IN
capable of exercising such Office cannot be
admitted to form part of the choir or of the
musical chapel Whenever. then, it is de-
sired to employ the acute voices OF So
pranos and contraltos, these parts must be
taken by boys, according to the most an
cient usage of the church
Finally only those are to be admitted to
form part of the musical chapel of church
who are men of known piety and proplty
OF life and these should by their modest
and devout bearing during the liturgical
functions show that they are worthy OF the
holy office they exercise. 1t will also be
fitting that singers while singing IN church
wear the ecclesiastical habit and surplice,
and that they be hidden behind gratings
when the choir is excessively open to. the
public gaze"
The order for the personnel of all cholrs
to be men and boys, to the exclusion OF
women. cannot be effected, say local Cath
Ole officials in this country, which is, by
the way, the only place where women are
employed for such purposes All over Eu-
rope men only are engaged for singing IN
the Catholic churches, but the standard OF
musical education is much higher there
than in America, the countries have had
centuries of training for the work, and the
voices of the men and boys are found read
lily available to take the places occupied by
women in this country If the order were
carried out there would be a cessation of
all music calling for the employment of
soprano voices for there are not enough
boys of sufficiently high musical edCcd-
ton in this country to fill the places now
aiken by women in the choirs.
Another Objection.
In addition to this objection, the order
could not be obeyed without the eXpendi-
ture of a much larger sum of money, even
if men and boys of ability were available.
Music, as a profession, is not largely fol-
lowed in America, and especially is this
true of vocal music, and those who possess
both the voice and the training for the
work can command much higher salaries
for their efforts than the church choirs
could possibly afford to pay. This is prob
ably cogent a reason for the statement
that women will not be excluded from the
choirs any that be offered.
Prominent clergymen of the Catholic
Church in Washington have expressed
themselves as of the opinion that the pope
did not intend his pronouncement to in
clude any countries where obedience to it
would create a revolution in the conduct of
the church services a deficit in the treas
ury or any other similar embarrassment.
Sentiment in Washington
The churches of this city are unanimous
In this belief. and there will be no change
unless it comes as the result of a direct or
der from the pope. The services are at
present being conducted in Latin in accord
ance with the suggestion of the pope except
the hymns already mentioned. and the ex-
cluson of women from the chors would re-
suit in forced abandonment of all such
singing as called for the use of feminine
voices. The Kyrie, Gloria and Credo are
all sung in Latin, but they require the en-
ployment or feminine voices, and to elimi-
nate the latter would mean to eliminate the
chants, for there are not enough boys in
Washington, with the requisite ability to
replace the women who are now engaged in
choir singing in the Catholic churches of the
city. Therefore, unless direct order comes
from Rome the music will be conducted in
the future it has been in the past and
the services will have no change for they
are at this time in conformity with the re-
quirements of the church as laid down in
this latest announcement of the pope