Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1911-04-13
Letter From Washington.
Washington, April 10, 1911.

T
Editor Register-Could you have drop
ped into ST. Paups Lutheran Church yes
terday you would have been surprised
and pleased with their elaborate Palm
Sunday service. The fine quartette choir
were in vestments, the minister in black
cassock, the chancel fitted over with large
palms-all together with their imposing
organ in the background making beau
tifu appearance. Also there was young
girl choir, all in white and wearing bunch
es OF roses, that fmarched in singing a
professional. The full musical respon-
sive service was used, and, to my mind,
both in devotion and musical effect, 1t
surpasses the Roman or Anglican rituals,
both OF which were written when music
was not such science or developed as IN
modern times. The grand chorus anthem
was the well-know1 Parker'S "Jerusa-
lem," spiritedlIy rendered. AT the offer
tory Mr.. Charles Myers, who has the
best tenor voice here, sang "The Palms,
and in such style aS was not given else
where in this city. The confirmation
class was very large, taking the time for
sermon; yet Mr.. Huddell, in the very
short address, took one OF the latest
thoughts in philosophy, which had read
in Schopenhauer that same morning, as
text for Christian culture and formation
OF cllaracter-an instance OF how this
church keeps ahead in new thought.
Mr.. Otto Luebkert, the fine barytone
who sang at your church in Shepherds
town several years ago, kindly went over
the chancel service, called the ''installa-
tion," and the peoples responses in the
full Lutheran ritual. His father was a
minister and his grandfather bishop in
the Danish Lutheran ConSistorium, so IT
is well-known and familiar to him. Mu-
sically the intonationS are finer, have
more meaning, while the melodies have
much wider range than the Gregorian or
the monotonous responses of the English
Church, naturally, since modern Germany
is so much ahead of the monkiSh middle
ages in that art.
Since we have discarded that idea OF
making all about the church bald and un
Inviting, just to be at variance with the
beauties OF the Catholic temples, and now
build in the richest Gothic style, Splen-
did windows and arched naveS, there
is no reason why we should not bring
back also the more impressive service in
place OF the cold, informal prayers, hymn
singing and sermons of the dissenting
church style. Religion, like truth, should
wear decorous, attractive, though not
meretriciouS or fantastic garb.
Another contrast: Several nights ago
at Crucifxion cantata by Dudley Buck,
the old choral used by Bach in his St.
Matthew Passion was introduced. was
then and there profoundly impressed with
it as a grander form of devotional ex-
preston than even the most dramatic
chorus announcements in the masses OF
Beethoven or Gounod, to compare with
the very highest for contrast. The COM
monplace hymns now used in our church.
es are nothing but cheap dittieS in COM
parison with these German chorals writ
ten since the days of the Reformation.
These also should be brought back in
our Protestant service, as the grandeSt,
most dignified form of congregational
singing.
Singular how music is inherited by
those OF German descent. That morning
when the whole congregation was sing
ing in the Lords prayer, a little girl in
front OF me let fly in an alto voice and
part that would have been beautiful in the
finest quartette.
ST. John Dyer.