The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-05
NOETCLIIR'S BACH SERVICES.
EhREE DAYS FESTIVAL or RE.
LIGEOUS Music.

Ue C~onSSOBhtbU1 ID HanB C4pT@lco
Out in Montclalr there is to be held on
bay n. IS and 20 Bach festival service Il
the Congregational Church. Although suof
religious servioee are rare In this country
thte win be the third annual presentation
o. ON OF the rugged and massive woriu
% che great Reformation music creator.
JnhaSn Sebastian Bach. by the Bach Ghutl
az Montclalr, assisted by outside talent.
Two years ago Il was decided 10 have q
Bach service In the Congregational Church
there to celebrate the thirty-ffth anniveg-
uary OF its organization. The service waa
20 successful that last year another Bach
service a given. This year the Under
taking Is TO be more elaborate than bsfoFe
and the service viii be given on three days.
instead Of one with a public rehearsal the
night before.
The most conspicuous Bach services that
have been given In this country have been
those by the Moravians in their old church
q bethlehem. Pa The picturesque blowing
Of trurnpets at snnrise and the songs In the
cemetery ns well as the rendition In church
services OF the mighty ohorales and other
majestic compositions Of the great master
Of Protestant religious music have made
that little community Of the Pennsylvania
German descendants known from one end
Of the land to the other.
AL went well with these services until
they began to DO presented as ambitious
musical exhibitions rather than deeply
religious services. when they oeassd 20
be q matter OF worship exclusively and be-
same one Of show-an attempt TO parade
bafore Others the possession Of more or lees
musical ekill-the7 went on the rocks.
The musical critics. who felt that they had
q right to step in at what was plainly nor
Of 4 musical performance than n purely
religious services. fell upon the efforts Of
che Moravian choir and assistants and
criticised this work precisely as they would
critioIse the rendition Of the works Of any
Ss-s@ess :sss$ssss== l. 9 secular place. An q
muhioAl show the shortcomings were sech
e. to draw harsh comment from the critics,
and the result was that Bach festivals.
rather than Bach services. were given up at
Bethlehem. ct least for the time being.
The Montclair Bach effort has run and 10
"a run this year strictly on the ines Of q .
hgious ~esrvios. II is 20 be no musical
chow. II Is to be an effort by those who
participate in It not only 10 reveal but q
experience. as much as possible. the fullest
depths Of Protestant church worship. using
a. . means Of expression the sublimest and
most stirring music ever employed for such
q purpose.
Tia managers Of the service feel that IL
they should try to present Bach simply to
show musical skill they would make a well
deserved failure OF it, but in presenting
Gelecfions Of his music as an expression Of
church aspirations and devotion they feel
that they are on safe ground and they viii
eaalc heights OF religious emotion that can
be reached in no other way.
That this service is to be q matter Of the
heart is shown by the fact that every one
who attends it is expected to take part.
The music 10 be given is the Passion 40
to ST. Matthew.
One part will be given on Friday evening,
May a. and the other part win be given
the following evening. On Friday
afternoon there will be a p~reludium organ
at which Samuel p. Warren. the
dAAn cf American orgaAisss. will preside.
On Saturday there will be an orchestral
intariudium at which Nine. Louise Homer
will sing the aria, -Slumb@r Beloved"
the Christmas orasorio, and the can
tAtA solo, Strike. o Strike. Long Looked
For Hour with oampaneIla acoompani-
rnent. Mr.. and Mrs. Arnold Dolmetsch
win play Sonata No, , in d on the haTpsi-
chord and viola da gambia, the obsolete
stringed Instrument.
An orchestra of twenty-eight instru- |
InArts (strings. flute and cAmnanaIla)
ths Philharmonic Society Of New
York vii play the orchestral pieces. The
Sonday afternoon meeting will be devoted
10 chorales and mossfs by the choirs.
Moaata are what might be called musical
anfhAms sung without accompaniment.
The rendering OF ohorales wiHbea feature
81 every service. Itis this fact which places
he sefTioes on tho broad plane Of religious
service. BAch's ch~orale8-simple but grand
'hsrnea-are the foundation, 60 TO speAk.
~ his works. They are for ths people.
They are the highest expression Of con- |
singing. Thay represent the
rue spirit Of the Reformation. the desire
u the people TO participate IN the worship
Thsy are the expression Of
he individual soul joined with those Of
seher individuals In . mighty chorus.
For thatreason for several weeks those who
ire 90 attend this festival have been meeting |
n-eha Congressional church In MonAcaafr |
"a Sunday afternoons TO learn the nude |
md words Of the ohorales that win be given
9 ne es!Sicss Io ~ . ocn.
. tue church. has been Entrusted the taek
N training b c~oneTeSat1on-
AZ the proper tina In the services she
,nttre c~ongreg1tion viii rise and sing tho
skeEslss. Thsy win Be sung In unison:
These cheralea ere comparatively ampie,
- thN mnlody n aach thnt Mozart Il eaid