The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-07-03

organist is spreading himself today. He
doesn't get a chance like that on Sun
days, to show what he can do.
It's the sort of music that nobody
listens to: the kind that helps converse
ton at dinner or at the theatre. And
the guests are taking advantage of it
They're having a fine old time out in
the church.
They have forgotten they are in
church, and the music is helping them
to forget The climax is reached upon
the arrival of the bride.
See them standing on the seats; listen
to the rush of movement and the roar
of conversation. And when the short
ceremony is ended, watch the crush for
the door, the wild scramble for place
nearest the bride. And these people
are mostly Catholics; they have come
to witness the solemn celebration of
great sacrament" administered in the
house of God, in the presence of the
Blessed Sacrament!
Sometimes the ceremony is followed
by a low nuptial mass.
How sweet and appropriate it is for
the priest to begin the mass to the SOUL
full strains of "Oh, Promise Me!' What
beautiful thoughts must fiji the minds
VI tie DTlu0 dHu SIOOlIl oS IlSy hllCCl
there within the sanctuary and listen.
How it must help the priest at the
offertory to have his soul thrilled with
the creepy music of the second scene,
Act III, of Lohengrin! How fitting for
the occasion is that famous scene where
Elsa and Lohengrin are left alone after
the wedding festivities are ended; and
Lohengrin tenderly addresses his bride
as follows:
1.-THE blissful strain is DER; we are
alone,
The first and only time since we have
met"
How touching and elevating after the
Conservation the La F'leur' song from
Carmen played with the Softest of
stops and the tremble to help things
along!
And at the communion, a little of
List; a "Liebestraume" No. in pre-
ference; why not? If the dreamy bride
but knew the words around which this
bewitching melody has been written, it
would never have been selected; GER
tainly not for this solemn moment:
THE hour comes when at the grave
thou'lt stand and weep full bitterly
And so the music works its way up to
the climax at the end of the mass.
1t is an abomination, we repeat.
We have been asked many times to
suggest some appropriate music for
weddings. Barring the two aforesaid
marches, we have been able to make
these occasions unsteady most Cath
Ole.
The great Oratorios, Masses and
Hymns of the church are replete with
melodies most seemly and appropriate.
The Song of the Angels, from Gou-
mods Redemption; the "Sanctus"
from his Mass of St Cecilia; any favor
tie hymns, either of the bride or of the
local organist. List after list can easily
be made up without having to resort to
the operas.
Priests say, who profess to know
nothing about music, that they leave
all these things to the organist. The
usual result will be the pot-pourri we
have been describing.
The organist should be instructed that
nothing but sacred music, or music of
a sacred character. will be allowed in
the church whatever be the occasion or
whatever may be the wishes of the peo-
pie who consult him.
Church is always church; the house
of God, the house of prayer.
Marriage is always a sacrament in
the Catholic church, and as such the
occasion is one of solemnity.
Let the gay music go with the merry
making at the reception, at home, after
wards.
There only 'let JOY be unconfined."
There, when the ceremony at the church
is over, give the happy couple such a
send-off as they will not soon forget.
But in church, let the music ever be
such as to remind the people of God.
his house, and the sacrament at which
they are assisting Monitor.