Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-08-16

Hymnology and ragtime in juxta-
positioni The one musical vehicle
for the other This is, to say the
least. ineongruous. and so 1t evident
ly struck the delegates to the ma
tional convention of organists at
Ocean Grove last week.
The Evening Star gave much pub
licity to the protest which the as
y sociation sent forth. This protest.
nong other things, said:
&There are 'curlytail' hymns, rag
tine hymns and German band bass
hymns that should not be allowed
mundane existence, and there are
commonplace trash hymns
a The diatribe of the organists con-
Z .inued:
Waltzes for Amensi
"Amens should not be sung to
little waltzes,' 'Hallelujahs' and
'tSs Nor should operatic airs be
@-.ttng3 for hymns. Neither should
my Redeemer' be sung to 'Juanita.
let me linger by thy side.' -
But one point made by the asso-
ciation of organists, namely, that
clergymen should attend strictly to
ahe theological side of their business
and not inflict musical experiments
on long-suffering congregations,
aroused at least one Newark cleric.
This was the Rev. DR.. Davis w. Lus5
whom I saw after the appearance OF
the special Ocean Grove dispatch in
the Evening Star. His remarks 1
shall quote at length as being peril
nent and as coming from one high in
authority in the Presbyterian church
organization, not only in Newark. but
On the metropolis, as well. DR.. Lusk
said:
st have no sympathy with the stric-
lures purporting to be made upon
church hymns and music. The differ
ence between so-called 'ragtime' and
classical music is largely a matter of
viewpoint and is arbitrary and me-
chanical. Tunes that were once con-
sidered 'ragtime' are now considered
classical and very proper. For in
stance, The Coronation was popular
in public drinking places before 1t was
incorporated into so-called church
music. Music is music, and the main
difference is whether it is well or
poorly rendered.
Cant In the Objections.
And the difference between so-called
secular and so-called sacred music
is very largely matter of education
and custom. Tunes pass over from
Tone category to another, so all this
talk about 'ragtime' music has a lot
of cant in it that sounds very learned
to a certain class of critics, but has
really nothing in it.
THE church has been controlled too
much by musical critics, and the con-
sequence is that it has been moved
away from the masses of the people.
The unchurched masses are accustom-
ed to the music of the theatres and
the brass band, so when they go to
church and hear a little choir of four
people singing some slow metered
hymn it strikes them as exceedingly
dull.
Music like that has no attraction
for the mass of mankind. 1t Is sweet
and beautiful for the select few, and
if that is the object of the church,
then that Is the best way to do it.
But if that is not the object of the
church, then it is not the best way
60 do 1t.
No Message in Classical Music.
Besides, for an individual to stand
Up and give expression to notes thai
are either up in the rafters or down
In the cellar, with no words that you
can understand, or, if you could I'M
derstand them, would have no mes
eage-well, | do not wonder that the
masses are not reached. The masses
are reached by that which gets down