Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1911-04-14

who cling to the
ideas of our grand S~7
mothers time, that they would have ~
church services without music On a2
the contrary they recognize that -
music is important not to say E--~-
essential feature of devotional ex- II
ercises. What they complain about "A
: : !: s: !:
though, is the seeming disposition II Ae#%
In some. churches, particularly the II G%
fashionable ones, to have the must
Cal numbers completely overshadow T
the sermon and the prayers and
everything else
But for all that there exists this II MMS
wide difference of opinion as to the II As
part music should play in church ii
services there is one occasion dur H z#NE
Ing the year when practically all S.
churchgoers agreed that 1t is g
hitting and appropriate that melody 2s
should dominate the whole interval
OF worship. This exceptional occa ~
sion is, OF course Easter AS the IF-=-=
anniversary Of glad tidings-the @e1>@1e1@
most joyous holiday in the whole u
church calend2r-it is but natural
that the keynote Of every observ
ance shouio De one of rejoicing and praise in
song Consequently the pastors and musical di
rectors and choir masters of all churches IN apd
down the land devote more attention 70 tba,r
Easter musical programs than TO those Of any
other Sunday In the fifty-two and with ALL dua
respect 1t Is the musical programs rather than
the pastors tests which objects of the keen
eat interest when the churches announce their
Easter programs
Church music, which finds Its best exemnliaca
ton ON Easter morning. has undergone marked
development during the past dozen years II is
wen within the memory of the present genera
uon when almost the only music in our churches
was congregational singing. This chorus singing
by the assembled worshpers is still Mn vogue IN
many of the smaller churches particularly those
In small towns and rural districts and lust here
De 1t confessed that there are a good many peo-
pie who to this day declare that It is more devo-
uonal and inspiring than the solos of the high
est salaried singers. But, be that as It may the
soioists have supplanted the congregation as
singers In practically every city church and in
many OF those in the smaller towns.
The first entry of the soloists into this field
came when one two, or quartette of singers In
each congregation who possessed the best voices
were induced to specialize to the extent of pre-
pairing one anthem for rendition each Sunday
as well as, in effect leading the congreeational
singing. Or, in some churches where the con-
gregation was not strong vocally or the members
were difhdent about engaging In the chorus sing
ing, there organized a choir of anywhere
from eight to sixteen members that bore the
whole burden of the musical responsibility lust
as do the vested choirs In many of the Euis-
copal churches. Under this plan the singers
have almost invariably been mombers of the
church where they sing and . rule they have
given their services free or have received very
modest sums for their services
While the above mentioned plan or one in
which choir and congregational singing is COM
oined is still in vogue in thousands OF churches
all over the country, further step In musical
development has been taken by most Of the
prominent and wealthy city churches In these
places OF worship may hear on Easter morn
Ing music of as fine a quality as can be listened
to In any grand opera house. The secret lies in
the fact that in these fashionable churches the
music is provided by high-salaried musicians who
are engaged solely for their musical ability and
without reference to anything else Indeed,
since good voices have come to be demanded
above all else we find that not once in dozen
cases Is a highly-paid choir singer a member of
the church in which she sings Mayhap she is
not a member of any church. There are also
wellknown instances in which Catholic singers
appear regularly in Protestant churches and vice
versn
Similarly the pipe organist of the twentieth
century fashionable city church is chosen solely
because of his musical ability and not because he
Is fellow-churchman which he probably is not
Even more odd in the eyes OF some folk with old
time ideas is the system of recruiting the orches
tras of the leading churches, But perhaps to
pause for moment. the reader had not realized
that an orchestra is considered essential in
every fashionable church Such is the case how