Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-08

privilege it assuredly is. 1t is likewise
an honor and privilege for the architect
to design beautiful churches for such
worship, an honor and privilege for the
artisan and artist to build and adOrn
them, an honor and privilege SURPRISING
all for the clergy to minister In them-but
architect. artisan, artist and clergy ex-
pect and receive. as matter of course,
remuneration in keeping with their recOg-
niZed profession.
1.-The organist and choirmaster seldom
received emoluments proportionate to the
services rendered in the days before the
Inauguration of the Roman reforms. With
choir of adult singers and a rehearsal
once or twice a week. he had time to add
to his income by teaching and other musi-
cal engagements. He must, in the nature
of things be man of breadth of educa-
ton. in touch with the musical and other
intellectual life of the times The ten
agile fingers which manipulate the organ
keys are but one item CT his equipment.
His study in the theory. practice, his
tory and literature of music has cost him
financial outlay, and he has the same
right to expect an adequate return from
the practice of his profession as have
the clergy, the men of law, medicine and
the commercial avOcations
While 1 use TIE masculine pronoun
because of it's legal bearing in view of
the papal discrimination as to the sex Of
choir officials, l, of course, include in
my considerations the large number of
talented and accomplished women who
have graced the profession, many of
whom are still doing the best work along
the lines mentioned.
THE Motu Proprio, overtaking this con-
siderable number of busy people, over
turned many of the basic principles Of
their musical existence, classified their
previous efforts among the excuses of a
decadent era, set them down, 'foolscap
on head and Gregorian primer in hand
to ponder over the old modes which ante
dated what they had supposed to be the
dawninSs of a real musical consciousness
in human kind.
1T consigned the women who had been
the mainstay of the chOirs into the re-
gions of outer silence and brought into
requisitiOn. choir material, boys from
the parOchial schools and such men as
could be indicted into the new order of
things. For those upon whom the bur-
den fell at once the solution involved an
entire readjustment of ingrained musical
ideas, which could hardly be brought to
perfection in two or three generations,
much less In one.
room and consumed the time which the
Organist formerly gave to teaching or
other lucrative pursuits. In some places
his skilled musical services have been
handicapped by the petty regulations Of
an incompetent music commission, or he
has been obliged to work subject to the
annoying casual interest of a rector. He
has had, too. to bear the brunt Of criti-
cism from the congregations, who. loyal
in all else to Rome. do not take to the
present musical ways nor hesitate to
say so.
ut is not to be inferred, however. that
the ultimate destiny of Catholic Church
music must be that which its present
condition would seem to indicate. The
fact that the church has officially or
dered the reforms is sufficient guar
antee to the faithful of their desirability
and. eventually. of their practicability