The morning journal-courier., 1908-06-13
Tone Talks.

For year or more the undersigned has held the office of chairman of q church music committee, The poslt- lon is, taken as whole, an agreeable one In variety of interesting experi- ences 1t yields a surpassing harvest. To be sure 1t has It's ups and downs and lns and outs although once in 1t is no easy matter to get out, one Is in the way of learning about many things musical and otherwise. Rum maging through some old papers handed over by my predecessor, the writer came across slngularly sensed document which had evidently been written at some time in the late years of the last century. How 1t came in- to the possession of my worthy pre- deeessor and how it's contents came ever to be written at all must be left wholly to surmise. It being somewhat lengthy the discoverer of the interesting paper has simply ex- tracted excerpts and patched them to- gether in as readable form and style as possible. There are so many points in them, presumably of interest 10 the readers of Tone Talks" that 1t seemed quite In order to bring them definitely to their notice as follows:
 "Once every year three estimable and amiable gentlemen are chosen from the congregation of church for the purpose of selecting choir. It may be that on account of this near ness to symphony of sound they are styled the music committee" At least no other reason has ever been ascrbed for thus naming them. The preponderance of opinion would un- doubtedly be in favor of applying to them the title of ''non-musical com mlttee." However, whatever may be its status of musical achievement, 1t Is, at any rate, invested with plenary powers to select an organist and a choir. The hour arrives for the trial of applicants. The members of the triple league plunge into the musical arena, armed with all the parapher- nalia of office. One busles himself drumming pitchfork. Another thumbs nervously brand-new copy of Hints to novices on how to select choir" while third with wrinklcd 1 brow, pores over a beautifully bound volume of edition twenty-three of
 "The music committees infallible | guide" presented to the members up- on their installation to office. In this | valuable work instructions are given enabling the reader to determine in-
 stantly when a singer flats or sharps;
 whether one or all of the quartet Is singing; and how to detect little slips
 and lapses that will occur. especially
 when an organist and singers are un.
 der the undisciplined but watchful eyes
 and ears of committee" For in
 stance, the organist, wholly absorbed
 in his desire to. create favorable impression, is playing Awake my
 Soul! stretch-every-nerve!!" while
 the quartet Is singing with touching
 emotion, "Twixt gleams of joy ant clouds of doubt" One of the mem
 bers, the chairman, doubtlessly rec
 ognizing how much he is outside thu
 pale of choir proceedings. is over
 heard mutterlng the first line of thu
 opening stanza of that little hymn
 "l little see. little know Tn
 occasion Is certainly trying anC
 strenuous one for all concerned. Tn
 members of the committee plainl
 show their embarrassment as a real
 izing sense of their overwhelming pre-
 dieament crowds in upon their con
 ,pta i,,Ie ey
 ment had only to be passed upon tn, singing, the situation would not b.
 so seriously complicated. But tn eyes of the committee must also b upon the organist, to note whether h is doing the proper thing with hi pedal eXtremlties and can tear ou the stops without interrupting tn
 continuity of tone from both manuals Thls gives only faint idea of the req trials undergone by the music com mittee."
 Tribulatlon follows hard upon tn I heels of the voice-trials. When tn N last singer has been hired. the or N ganist secured, the. contracts a \ drawn up and signed, three profoun ! signs well up from the hearts of tn X overtaxed committee. For a momen they rest upon the laurels thus ia won. Faces are wreathed in smile and joy abounds, Then, of sud | den, it dawns upon their minds tha the new choir which they have select ed has yet to make it's first appearanc \ before an expectant congregation Hearts beat again with anxiety. Ga iety is succeeded by gravity. Wha II will thn Nnrdint he 2 The long anfir