The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1906-02-23

that We find the Scottish Purltans and
the Popes OF Rome alike condemnlng
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
corian chants. But il 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 eve of forhidding
any kind OF music in the church. when
il was saved from this extreme action
almost by miracle.
Now why, in such different quarters.
do We find such violent and virulent
antagonism 10 church music? Let us
first answer that question. and then
see what IL was that softened that
antagonism. The reason why music
was condemned was because IL had
become a traitor In the camp. During
the Middle Ages the troubadours had
invented many beautiful melodies.
some of them soft and pathetic. some
warlike and some gay. This kind OF
music has developed along with the
sacred. and the church composers and
tunes and incorporated them into the
masses so that the people even sang
the profane words instead of those Of
the Latin liturgy. IL is as If to-day
We should have the airs Of "Annie
Laurie" or way Down OH the Suwa-
nee River" used as n theme for the
communion office or 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 10 stop the profanity was To ST.
| lence the voice of organ and choir
alike. You may rest assured that while
| there is some obscurity as TO the real
state of affairs, yet the desecration
must have been very great when Scotch
Puritans and Roman prelateS united
| in their condemnation of the art
What saved il, them In the Prot
| eStant world il was Luther. His love
| of music was intense. He used 10 play
| on the flute. and said that the devil
| fled from its 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
well. he certainly superintendent Its
| compositions 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. II is the
morality for the world. Sin is not sin
unless il is found ont. Provided the
scandal is kept out Of sight il is of no
| consequence. Large sums Will he pnld
| TO the most disreputable papers under
| the guise of subscriptions 10 keep
names ont of the sCurrilous sheets. Ac-
counts are tampered 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 10 think. maybe
| they would hear the psalmists ques-
| ton ringing in their ears. "He that
| planted the ear. shall He not hear? He
| that 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, and her
music will not be made 10 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 he the music Of mind
and heart which belong unto the Lord
! God Almighty.