Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1906-02-14

But during the Middle Ages corrup-
ton had set in Of SO serious a nature
that we find the Scottish Puritans and
the Popes Of Rome alike condemning
music. The Puritans abolished all
musical instruments from their
churches and adopted the natural tone
of voice for the services and prayers
and the plainest Of psalm tunes, which,,
however, had all the grandeur of Gre
gorian chants. But it is not as well
known that the Council of Trent CEN
sured for centuries the prevalent style
of church music with extraordinary Sc
verify and was on the V of ~forbiddlng
any kind Of music in the church, when
it was saved from this extreme action
almost by a miracle.
Now why, in such different quarters,
do we find such violent and virulent
antagonism to church music? Let us
first answer that question. and then
see what it was that softened that
antagonism. The reason why music
was condemned was because it had
become a traitor in the camp. During
the Middle Ages the tr%oubadours had
invented many beautiful melodies.
SOllc VI llCli SOIt anu pplhiSIiNs S"hA0
warlike and some gay. This kind OF
music has developed along with the
sacred, and the church composers and
precentors have adopted the secular
tunes and incorporated them into the
masses so that the people even sang
the profane words instead OF those or
the Latin liturgy. 1t is as if to-day
We should have the airs of "Annie
Laurie" OF 'Way Down on the SuNa-
nee River" used as a theme for the
communion Office II played on the
organ at the time of partaking OF the
Bread and Wine of the Body and Blood
Of our Lord. This abuse Of music be-
came a scandal in the chancel. ,Appar-
emily choirs and organists had not
learned that obedience to the clergy
while on trust has now been acquired,
and the only way which seemed pos
sible to stop the profanity was to 81
lence the voice of organ and choir
alike. You may rest assured that Willie
there is some obscurity as to h real
state of affairs, yet the desecration
must have beenvery great when Scotch
Puritans and Roman prelates united
in their condemnation Of the art.
What saved it, then? In the Prot
estant world it was Luther. His love
of music was intense. He used to play
on the flute. and said that. the devil
fed from it's sound when he played.
He wrote some of the stateliest and
noblest, Of the German hymns. And
if he did not compose the music as
we'll. he certainly superintendent its
composition. This best Of hymn music
is really founded ON the old method
of plain song which Gregory the Great
advocated.
In these revelations which are going
on all the time now in the social, the
financial and political world, we find
that the standard of ethics is practically
that of men who have no faith in the
hearing and seeing God. 1t is the
morality for the world. Sin is not sin
unless it is found out. Provided the
scandal is kept out Of sight it is OF no
consequence. Large sums will be pald
to the most disreputable papers under
the guise of subscriptions to keep
names out of the scurrilous sheets. Ac-
counts are tempered with and entries
changed or omitted. so that no one may
learn the facts. And all is done be-
cause in the eyes Of such men the only
| shame is the shame of the police courts
| and the cropped hair and striped gar
ments of the prisons. But if the rapid
machinery of modern life would stop
long enough for men to think. maybe
| they would hear the psalmist's ques-
ton ringing in their ears. He that
| planted the ear, shall He not hear? He
hat made the eye, shall He not see:"
Morality and music are thus seen to
| have the same ideal. And the church
| which will teach the truth Of Christ in
| this world of sin, will have her organs
tuned with the heavenly, n her
music will not be made to please the
| ear of man, but to delight the ear of
| God. No more sublime language ex-
lists than the passage in the communion
| office, Therefore, with angels and
| archangels and with all the company
of heaven We laud and magnify Thy
glorious name" The church that
| speaks these words is speaking only
unto God, and the music which must
accord with such thought and Ian.
guage must be the music of a mind
and heart which belong unto the Lord
God Almighty.