The Elbert County tribune., 1911-04-14
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ideas of grand XXI
mothers time. that they would have @RB
church services without music. On Q9
the contrary they recognize that -
music is important, not to say
; 4
essential. feature of devotional ex-
ercises. What they complain about 4
though. is the seeming disposition
In some churches particularly the
fashionable Ones to have the must
cal numbers completely overshadow
the sermon and the prayers and II
everything else
But for all that there exists this II -
wide difference of opinion as to the ii
part music should play in church II
services there is occasion dur ii
ing the year when practically all II
churchgoers are agreed that It is
hitting and appropriate that melody
should dominate the whole interval
OF worship This exceptional occa- FL
sion is. of course Easter AS the
anniversary of glad tidngs-the S@@
most Joyous holiday in the whole -
church calendar-it Is but natural
that the keynote of every obsery-
ance should be one of rejoicing and praise In
song Consequently the pastors and musical d.
rectors and choir masters of all churches nm and
down the land devote more attention to their
Easter musical programs than to those of any
other Sunday in the ffty-two. and with all due
respect 1t Is the musical programs rather than
the pastors tests which are objects of the keen
est interest when the churches announce their
Easter programs
Church music which finds its best exempli1ca
ton on Easter morning. has undergone marked
development during the past dozen years 1t is
well within the memory of the present eenera
ton when almost the only music in our churches
was congregational singing This chorus singing
by the assembled worshipers is still in vogue in
many of the smaller churches, particularly those
In small towns and rural districts and Just here
be 1t confessed that there a good many PEG
pie who to this day declare that 1t is more devo-
tonal and inspiring than the solos of the high
est salaried singers. But. be that 1t may the
soloists 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 congregational
singing. Or, in some churches where the con-
gregation was not strong vocally the members
we're dfmdent about engaging In the chorus sing
Ing there was organized choir of anywhere
from eight to sixteen members that bore the
whole burden of the musical responsibility Just
~ do the vested choirs in many Of the Epis-
copal churches. Uuder this plan the singers
have almost invariably been members Of the
church where they sing and a 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
bined Ii 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 one may hear Easter morn
ing music Of as fine quality be listened
to in any grand opera house The secret lies in
the fact that in these fashionable churches the
music is provided by highsalaried 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 also
well-known instances in which Catholic singers
appear regularly in Protestant churches and vice
versa.
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 10 now considered essential In
every fashionable church. Such is the case how.
49, T.