The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-12-06
CHAMPION CHURCH CHOIR OF CHRISTENDOM

self-consciousness and complete self
effacement in the esprit de corps"
were most remarkable. They were
plant tools in Father Finn's hands re-
spending instantly, and almost auto
matically, to his every signal
Whether singing high or low, loud or
soft, fast or slow, seemed to be all
the same to them. High &C. or mid
die &c" came at his call with equal
ease, and, apparently, without the
slightest effort.
Speaking of high notes, Father Finn
himself explained to the writer at the
Eucharistic Congress in Montreal how
he captured the first gold medal in
competition with fifty of the leading
American choirs in 1910, puzzling and
battling the critics and newspaper re-
porters by causing eighty little boys
to sing high &c" apparently just as
long as he chose to continue it. AS
matter of fact, the whole eighty
were not all singing, but relieving
each other in groups with such con-
summate skill that no one could de-
tect it, and when the audience imag-
ined they could not possibly hold out
another second without bursting a
blood vessel or collapsing, he would
give the signal and the whole eighty
would unite, bringing the long sus-
ume and power that carried the audi
ence completely off it's feet with won
der and enthusiasm. It was this re-
markable feat, which was cabled to
Europe, that brought them the only
invitation to any American choir to
participate in the great musical mara
thon in Paris last year where they
scored their extraordinary success
over 497 famous European choirs.
There was a slight incongruity at
the recent concerts in the spectacle
of surpliced and cassocked young
man responding to an encore with a
melting love song, but it only served
| to convince the audience that they
were not really angels, but very sym
pathetic and highly trained human be.
ings.
The important part played by the
| pipe organ, the king of musical in.
struments," in public worship was
strongly emphasized when Father
Finn announced that for lack of one
he was compelled to omit the Kyrie
and Credo of Gounod's. "Messe du
Sacre Occur" from the program.
| Although the programs sung by the
Paulist Choristers include oratorios
madrigals and secular selections, the
main objects of the great organiza
tion are to sing at the public func
tions of divine worship and to illus
trate the principles of the Motu Pro
prio on Church Music by reproducing
the masterpieces of ecclesiastical
chant and polyphony of past and pres
ent ages. Thus even in church music
as in athletics and many other things
America, though starting several cen
turies late, has distanced all competi
tors in the effort to realize the mighty
motto of the peasant" pope, ITO re
store all things in Christ"
During the visit of the Paulist
Choristers there was a persistent
rumor that st. Paul, as we'll as st
Louis, might make an effort to secure
the services of Father Finn in the
future. Though the wish may have
been father to the thought, it is safe
to say that while the material com
posing the famous Paulist organiza
ton, namely, the ubiquitous American
boy, is to be found in every large
American city, yet there is only one
Father Finn.