The Washington herald., 1914-05-14
Church Music.
BY EMORY ;. HAYNES.

Inc generous endowment of the school for cho
boys at the Cathedral of ST. John the Divine in New
YORK deserves wide attention. 1t is quite common ir
England and is not altogether in this country.
boy choir is not easy to maintain II necessary tc
look carefully after the health of the lads especially
with respect to the preservation of the voice The
boys must also be at their studies meanwhile The
cathedral school takes them along in the same secular
instruction that the public school would afford But
vigil the precious voice set up that will defend
it from the careiessness of unthinkng childhood The
boys pay for their education by singing in the grand
choir. .
Sacred music will, of itself, always command. for
religion, secure place in the world Even if much
contention might blow dogma back and forth in the
wind, religious music is Gibraltar There never can
be failure, among civilized men, of the glory of
sacred song In literature the hallowed hymn is the
highest type of poetry. Poetry is eternal There is
in poetry some truth that escapes like bird from
political and social arguings, and lives in the Infinite
spaces above all quarrels.
No matter what party bears sway national hymn
is true to all parties. Precisely so the great hymns
the classics of devotional poetry are true to all and
speak truth that all wish to utter.
The organ in sacred building can never be dis
lodged, nor for that matter can the organ as an in
10 any other than house of worship. An organ in
private dwelling, though paatialy lodged is not the
peer of the organ in the house of God An organ in
great secular Auditorium" is feeble thing, indeed
in comparison with even the little organ under the
arches of the humblest sanctuary
One may play dance music on an organ. But no
one would dance The knee bends rather in PRAYER
The eternal fitness of things invests organ music with
place in worship And no matter how trivial the
usual of thought there seems to be no one who
IS unresponsive on hearing the music of worship
May it not be that music has yet a mission, of
which we have taken all too little account? May it
lot be the mighty prevailing force that is needed in
too secular age 1t certainly has been true that the
great camp meeting concourse, in majestic chorus,
prevailed over the pioneer population. This more
han the preaching.
Grand music would fill empty pews The fame
or fine music, attached to any church. is fair fame
The humbest housemaid, and the day laborer return
rom the Catholic church Sunday morning familiar
With the finest art in music. To these people the his
oric oratorios of the ages perfectly known They
ook forward to the music through all the drudgery
# the week They carry its echoes into lowly places
# forbidding toll. Ignorant they may be of opera
md orchestra, they know, like child's lullaby the
music that is higher, the last word indeed, in music
hat which voices the soul and speaks direct to God
am glad that it is so. | have often returned from
hurch where the music poor and envied my serv-
mt the splendid music which was yet sounding in his
ars
Could you describe, to one who had never heard
+ the mental ecstasy that holds you entranced while
stening to the singing of the perfected boy choir
The words of the hymn. the sublimest truths known
man. the melody, the loftest expressions of music
he harmony more complete than ever attained by
ther voices. suggestion of distance, as if far
eaven was opening its windows. Yet an approach
S if heaven was now drawing nigh, and all evil
houghts die within the soul.
Peace / leave with you. Not as the world
iveth give unto you" That magic which is in the
hid voice always Except ye come as little |
hld" Soft echoes that move from transept to nave
nd then die away far up under groined arches "The
hldren crying in the Temple, Hozannah is the Son
David"
1t may be safely asserted that no form of Christian
TT is equally efficient upon the worshipful mind of
ian. Not painting not architecture ITSELF however
ublime. For the living voice is the mghtiest of an
ersuasion. To perfect this highest triumph of music
worth the best effort of deyout men