New-York tribune., 1905-06-12
SUNDAY SCHOOL MUSIC.
Trained Musicians to Teach Children
to Sing Is Dir. Halls Idea.

Teacher of Sunday school singingi Probably
not one woman In thousand OF all who can
sing and are musically cultured ever thought
OF that as possible vocation for herself Yet
It is not at all unlikely that few years more
viii see women teachers OF singing in not a
few Of the progressive Sunday schools OF the
country.
Walter Henry. Hall. organist at the Cathedral
Of St John the Divine and at St James
Church. Madison-ave. and 71st-st-, is the orig
inator OF the idea, apparently. Mr. Hall be-
lieves IN it fully
Large sums OF money are paid for music in
regular church services-why not small
amount for teaching the Sunday school chill
dren?@ he said to Tribune reporter. IF sing
ing is ever TO become the factor in the Sun
day school which every thoughtful person
feels It should be, there must be competent.
salaried instructors TO teach it.
VOCATION FOR WOMEN.
This. IT seems TO me. opens upfa new and
legitimate vocation fer women. There are
hundreds Of capable women. well trained in
music, who have been denied some prime
requisite Of a first class vocalist which pre-
2 vents them from achieving distinction So
loists- Perhaps they have not the strength
perhaps their age OF their personal appearance
Is against them. I meet them constantly
Many OF them possess precisely the qualities
needed for the calling I have suggested They
would require some preliminary advice as 10
how TO so TO work-sone simple training in
methods Singers require special church train
Ing before they sing in church acceptably
and teacher of Sunday school singing would
have TO have some special training in Sunday
school work
Then, too. TO make success of it, an in
structor in Sunday school singing ought to
know something about children-ought to have
what we describe by that much misused word
personality An Indispensable qualification
would be the faculty of presenting ideas
Everybody has ideas-but everybody can't ex-
press his her ideas.
TAMENEss WON'T DO.
1T would not do any good to stand up be-
fore Sunday school and say in tame, re-
signed voice. Now. children. sing this hymn
Something more than that would be essential
to wake the school up out of its dead stag
nation It would be necessary to tell them
about the hymn. get them interested in it
AT present, in too many cases. singing is
regarded in the light of pleasant pastime
convenient stop-gap It ought to be more than
that"
One difficulty. of course. In the adoption of
such system as that outlined by Mr.. Hall is
that there is no time in the Sunday school. as
of choral singing. But this difficulty would be
easily surrnounted, Mr.. Hall thinks by giving
fifteen minutes out OF each session to earnest,
systematic singing, instead OF putting IN
hymn now and then because the superintendent
cant think of anything else to do In addition,
Mr. Hall would make one Sunday in every four
or FIVE what he calls singing sunday. when
practically the whole time would be given up to
the earnest, systematic, but reverent, study OF
Sunday school music.
One fundamental reason for the present stag
nation IN Sunday school singing is the lack OF
worthy hymns and the absence Of any definite
standard, says Mr.. Hall
SENTIMENTAL "RAGTIME."
'If the Germans can teach their children to
sing and love the chorals. why in the name OF
fortune can't we teach our children TO sing and
love standard hymns? Yet. what do we find IN
our Sunday schools7 Practically nothing, ex-
cept at Christmas and Easter. when music
ceases TO be merely o stop-gap and becomes a
function Then except in a notable but small
minority of Sunday schools. the ears and hearts
Of The children are deluged with vapld' senu-
mental words set TO species OF rehglous rag
time
Last Easter went into one of the best music
stores IN New-Yori and asked Tor sonle
Easter carols" went on Mr; isILaa aan. IN T,as
all about bells Now I bear no gruoge against
bells but when I have bells thrown az me IA
every line and repeated in The chorus au
nauseam I think it is time 10 turn on - -,
switch. We hear g great deal more apo9I
Christmas bells and Easter howers uAn VIC II n
about the Nativity and the Resurrection III
fact we overdo the bell and flower business;
We so anxious TO get down 10 tne i, oiI
cren's level that not infreQuently we get peio..
tt-and they know II Particularly IN music mus -
IS surprising how keen their peFceptiolI g
After a certain amount Of training a ooy @ 10
viii rebel against singing what the cohgresa[II
rcn, with its lack Of musical standards Is sun
perfectly content 20 go on singing
The idea I'm Sunday school singing at present
seems to be TO please the children. just as the l
idea with the church organtst is TO please the @
corasregstior But apply this idea to the sermon
and where are you7 And although fairy stores
are much more entertaining than the catechisin
q. and the fairy t4leS mar