The Washington herald., 1920-08-08
CHURCH MUSIC /
NEEDS SHOWN
]. Edgar Robinson Makes
Further Plea for
Good Music
GUILD HELPS CHURCHES
Strict Examination Given
Applicants Before
Entering. =
GUILD HELPS CHURCHES

The interview with Walter y.
Nash, published in last Sundays
Herald, has brought forth a further
statement on the need for improve
ment in church choirs from J. Ed
gar Robinson. Discussing the sub
ject with the musical editor Of III.
Herald, Mr.. Robinson said:
The necessity for good music in
religious worship Is now a recoF-
nized fact The old order OF thing.
must pass away and give place to
a newer and a broader view. Poor.
badly written music and poorly
rendered music will not answer n
the church is to hold its members.
Music OF good quality. well pre-
sented. is as necessary as good oIc-
uon in the sermons. While the
! churches OF this city have kept the
standard OF diction very high. the
kind Of music and its rendition in
many large churches is OF a fair
grade only. The responsibility for
this is divided. II is either from
a lack Of interest on the part OF
the congregation, or a lack Of ap-
! probation on the part Of those in
charge Of the service, for no one
today can surely believe that poor
music IL conducive TO religious
feeling. The very best in music
only really inspires one. Music OF
the evangelistic type certainly has
its place, so has the inspired works
from the pens OF the masters
cannot believe that the best i'm
music is any more out Of place In
church worship than ! can believe
that a master sermon is out ~
place there
"A church attendant is sup
posedly interested in the kind of
music he has to listen to each Sun
day. As the members Of tn. con-
gregation are the ones who are
most affected by church music. IL
is surprising that more pressure is
not used by them in obtaining
more satisfactory results. Every
thing that il required for IN.
church service should be OF the
very best. for such service should
be the highest expression Of man
toward his Maker. Failure to OBJ
tain the best in every department
Of worship is an inexcussbIe omis-
sion in serving the Creator. Yet
| here is just where most music com
mittees fail TO properly perform
their duty to their congregation.
Poor quality OF music and in
! ferior performers were never rec
/ omme nded by the PsSlmist who
said in the 33d Psalm: Sing unto
/ Him a new song: play skilfUlly
with a loud noise
And in the concluding Psalm he
| wrote: praise him with
/ strInged Instruments and organs
Z Mr.. Robinson. who is an of7ca-
: OF the District chapter Of the
! American Guild Of Orgsnists snd
an Organist OF many years expert
enCe, stated that the American
/ Guild OF Organists is desirous of
assisting the churches in obtaining
] the kind OF music congregation
should want by supplying must
I clans that can be relied upon to de-
velop that part OF the church wor-
ship.
The District chapter OF the
Guild" said Nj. Robinson, stands
I for the highest promotion Of church
music, and acconplishes its pur-
/ pose by subjeCting its prospective
, members TO rigid examinations in
I organ playing. composition and
/ general musical knowledge This
( organization invites any church
| orgsnist OF repute to join through
/ the Washington chapter and be-
/ come a force toward obtaining ber-
I ter music for the churches Of this
I city. By becoming sfiliated with
J the guild the organists will ind
/ that they are improving their own
condition. Let US in Washington
/ see that every church has the best
I music il can afford. Difficulty in
music does not enter into the con
/ sideration OF quality for there is
/ much high grade music which is
easy to render