The Washington herald., 1911-12-24
CHURCH MUSIC OF BETTER
GRADE GROWS STEADILY IN
FAVOR WITH WORSHIPERS
Special to The Washington Herald.


New York, Dec 22.-ImpOrterS and
dealers who supply church music to
Protestant and Catholic choirs of Ameri-
lea and Canada and choirmasters of the
principal cities in the East and Middle
West report a very marked advance in
the public taste of church worshipers.
This change for the better has been
marked within the last two years in
particular. Reasons for il are said to be
three:
Some years ago there was formed the
American Guild of Organists. Recently
its name and scope were changed. and
it is now the Guild Of Organists of the
United States and Canada In many
cities, with better styles of church or
gans. there have been recitals. These
have invariably confined their pro-
Srammes to music of the first grade. The
educational value of these recitals has
been exactly what was hoped for. only
that music leaders say the change has
come more quickly than they had dared
hope ii might do.
Membership in this guild is regarded
very highly. There are members and
associate members. Both must undergo
pretty stiff examinations. Organists have
disregarded the public taste in large meas
ure and limited their compositions and
selections to such as they knew would
help them into the guild. This has been
precisely the aim of the guild. The out
come. also coming more quickly than had
been expected, has tended to raise the
standard Music importers say the ef-
feet has been almost wholly to change
the character of their sales.
The public and parOchial schools, as
never before. have taught music in the
rudiments, and have rendered a popular,
but at the same time a good grade. In
"a
order of the Pope in regard to, restora-
ton of GFegorian music. has led to the
extra training of boys. that they may
later on enter the ChOirs. Such training
has had the effect of changing public
taste in Catholic churches. There has
been furnished to chOirmasters, for use
this Sunday and Christmas Day. the
highest grade of music ever sent out to
American churches.
Not at Christmas time merely. but
throughout the year the carol is sup
planting the anthem. The old carol is
also supplanting the new. Some years
ago missionary societies and a few
publishers issued new carols and put
on the books of the sheets information
about their work. These new carols
will now hardly go AT all. Instead. the
demand is wholly for English. Welsh,
French. German. and Italian carols, and
these of from 100 to 200 years ago. One
carol sold in large numbers this year
to Catholic choirmasters. and heard
this Christmas by millions, IS known
to have been sung in a French monas-
terry in the fourteenth century. How
much older it may be nobody knows.
Old as il is. II is the most popular of
the season's sales.
These carols are going into the reg
ular service of the church, and not
alone in Christmas festivals. Former
ly. wheel coming from French or Ger
man sources. they were translated into
English. Now that is done away with.
and singers are permitted to employ
such language as best suits them. In
some New York services even quar-
tets are allowed to use two different
languages. Few understand the words
anyhow. and. as the music. with its at
tendant expression, is the thing, the
language employed is held to be sec
ondary. OratorIos for the second Sun
day service. are more employed than
formerly. and into them various Ian
guages are permitted.
Catholic Choirmasters say the carol is
not wholly supplanting the anthem.
but it is beginning to do so to some ex
tent. The recent order of the Pope, re-
lating to Gregorian music. and to wOm-
en- In choirs. is applicable only to paid
singers When churches cannot afford
to pay their singers, women are per-
mftted still in the choirs. The training
Of boys in parochlal schools is having
its effect, and II is believed that in four
or five years the pure Gregorian service
will be possible.