Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-08-17
-,,,, o0uvr-NIrg CHORUS.
Py ST. John Dyer.

t.,,rrs in small town life OF half
a"' 400 that il is much to be re,
- ,.,s3 as its absence has not been
t.,,.e4 ~ any other means OF voice
- ,.r,s and development. True, much
..,r has been made in music
F ,,s in the churches, pianos IN
y special performances, yet in
~. ..,' r,rger field of congregational sing
~ -" .,5 rs religious influence we arc
, behind the good old days. The
..,,,s choirs may essay more artis-
'.rs;, vet there was an inspiration
-,ss singing of large chorus that
,,,o, give. This is an irreparable
-. % the church and may partly ac-
90. fur lis waning influence.
though very few now have any re-
-,smbrance of those days, it may not
=. undressing to rename the old
hers uho came down here to have
,t.;. season classes. Everett, Giles
- last Wintermoyer, are the names
..u,;ii,- 10 myself. They would gather
tho Good voices in the town and
s,.s,1out who wishes to sing by note,
I'D generally had a choir of fifty or
~o,s The musical families then
,a,a the Richard, Harp, Fayman,
S5aey Ernst, Entler, Briscoe, Heusel
and other names now disappeared
cav, on the grave-stones of the GENE
terry Generally this large choir was
led into the Lutheran Church, which
for many years led in chorus singing
and the congregation Joined heartily
i, the familiar hymns. This gave the
church gatherings social atmosphere
very desirable, yet now entirely lack
inp in any of our churches.
As our great humorist paraphrazed
the frs, lines Of the old Westminster
Catechism. an Adams sin, we all
Joined in so we all have the propensi-
ty TO line in" in both "sin and sing
ing" This desire has led to the for,
nation of the community chorus in
many of our large cities and towns
and is becoming a large element in
their social life. Without usurping the
place of the oratorio choruses, they
are making popular the higher style
Of mass singing and common singers
are being trained and taught to go
through the grand oratorio anthems
as well as the fine old German chorals.
thousands are attracted to these meet
ings which are far more conducive to
real musical culture than occasional
hearing of opera and the extravagantly
paid vocal artists, though the wealthy
snObS, who can afford to hear a Ca
russo or Jenny Lind, place themselves
as far above the common vocalist who
can sing through the sublime Halle
lulah Chorus, but the latter is far
higher in musical culture than they
VINO merely listen to the trilling and
Fou!a1eS Of the greatest voice acrobat.
II the money that is wasted on these
exhibitions of musical gymnastics by
me wealthy patrons of opera in the
great cities we're available for true
artistic culture, then the American
people could rival the Germans in that
realm But maugre our boosted de-
moEFacy-ihc Haunting of wealth and
Us privileges is so dear to our people
""' Oo'0 IN religion and music they
"u'' me the artist to express the
'"'o'lohs which they neither are edu-
.''e- 10 feel or understand; and they
nave 100 much hauteur to come down to
''s level Of chorus singing, which, by
VIZ way, is the special element OF tina,
o'O'e'hood taught BY true Christian
49, therefore we cannot resist thu
IMPRESSION that the religion of Christ
1'- 0' more nculcated by the com;
"-'' 'N'rus than by the manner ir
"'" IL Is served up in the variegated
.,r. ''S'! VI our church services and
"s'UUS societies, where the distinc-
.'rs Oe'Veen wealth and poverty are
r,. o','P marked as in the most world
p. na'A for the aim and purpose
j.. "' community chorus. Now for
rn, r1'"ca' accomplishment in its
-, ''', part a good leader is essen.
,oi,. ag- s~Sh an one is not readily at
,r,. but lately there has come
lt. ..' ~s-io become permanent res
so, ''T the practice of his profess
sre,.',, when he is undoubtedly mos.
yor,s ,'-y EQUIPPED and proficient, a
ine,, =, s'""Iman, the son of prom
sprs,s g,'''olis' minister, who has been
enIsS. S the Evangel of Christian
"a