The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-20
TWO KINDS OF MUSIC.
Sacred and Secular Music Each Have Their Place and the Latter is Out
 of Place in Church Services.


 Choir and Choral Magazine. .. s
 It seems that not only the Catholic Church. but the denominational churches as well are awakening to the fact that there are two kinds of music sacred and secular and that the church Is no place for the latter. Some time ago the Philadelphia Presbytery ap- pointed a committee to prepare mar rative of the State of Religion" This committee made a report shortly after Easter, and among other things an nounced that In their opinion music di rectors did not know what church mu sic ought to be. This deduction they drew from an analysis of the Easter music as published in the daily press, As concrete instances they took Schu- bert's 'Marche Mlitaire." Ravina's Concert March" and the overture to William Tell" used as postludes in Presbyterian churches on Easter Day, and said: These are musical move ments that express a worldly spirit. They are not the strains proper at any time for dismissing q Christian con- gregatiun It is an Index that the directors of church music do not know what church music ought to be-"
 RossinIs "Stabat Mater" also comes In for a share of disapproval They quote an old authority which says that
 
 painter were to represent the Mater Dolorosa under the cross in a Parisian Court dress" This sounds as If taken from Richard Grant Whites criticism of the same work, In which he speaks of the atroclty of representing the sor- rows of the mother of God by the Kan garoo leaps of the 'Cujus Animam.' " Another admirable point made in refer ring to certain operatic selections which Nl haN rd rxvtf n- terest and pleasure. that pleasure Is a revival of worldly pleasure, recalling the worldly scenes and fellowships in which 1t was first enjoyed"
 All this Is mos tencouraging. It tn- spires the hope that in time the un- speakable Gospel hymn will be found out; that another Presbyterian may discover in its ribald rhythms and maukish melodies a similar vulgariza- tion of sacred themes. At the same | time I dissent from the conclusion drawn by the reverned gentlemen; that directors of music do not know what church music ought to be-that Is, directors who really direct In the majority of cases they know perfectly well what church music ought to he, but are obliged to yield to the ignor- ance of the pews. The pressure brought to bear upon the church musician to
  minimizing for amusement and enter tainment Is often greater than the un- initiated are apt to imagine My eX- perience has been that where there Is n ritual or where the congregation Is familiar with secular music of a high type. the organist or choir director is much more at liberty to keep within churchly limits than under other con ditions. A ritual gives dignity and consistency to a church service by pres cribiug a certain order and character | of music; it fixes a definite standard not so readily lowered as when personal | taste, either of musicians or of con gregations, has freer scope. In churches whose attendants do not go to the theatre or the opera during the week and are therefore unfamiliar with | theatrical and operatic music, there IS | often a strong demand for music or precisely that nature on Sunday II was such hearers that one organist de lighted by playing from Faust | through an entire service; the overture as prelude. the Flower Song" as offer ltory, the Soldiers Chorus as postlude