The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-03-24

Music is as essential to the soul as food is to the body. 1t marks epochs and periods in our lives and from the earliest time the value and importance of music has been appre- ciated by the human race" said Rev Claris Edwin Silcox, in the introduc- tion to his illustrated lecture on 'The Developn ent of Church Music," given last evening in the First Presbyter- ian church under the auspices of the Wednesday Afternoon Musical club.
 Rev. MT. silcox declared that hat rhythm was really what made the difference between jazz and church music for the former with its sway ing air appeals to the senses while true religious music appeals to the spirit and should be means of purg- ing, elevating and strengthening the weary soul.
 Ali church music is sad because like church architecture, and theology it has come under the sign of the cross, but grief when musically ex- pressed, has the power of casting out grief. It should never be fiippant or operatic and when it becomes an end in itself it has changed from church to secular music.'' he stat ed.
 The speaker explained that the earliest mention which was made of music was in the Book of Genesis, when it is classed with agriculture and industry. In the first few cen turies only Jewish hymns were sung
 
 to Jewish melodies. MT. Silcox said that the difference between the music in the synagOgues and the Christian churches in Greece in the early cen turies was that in the former the music vas rendered purely with the voice while in the latter many in- struments were used.
 It has been found that at one great service in an ancient Greek church music was furnished by an orches- tra of 1000 pieces consisting largely of drums. and trumpets. To illustrate the very old Jewish melodies the Kol -Eidre," (traditionaD was played by Miss Dorothy Smith, vioIinist, accom- panied at the piano by Mrs Hal T. Victor record made by the famous Cantor Gerson Sirota, accompanied by the Warsaw Synagogue chorus was played on a Victrola loaned by M. Steinert & Sons.
 In about the 11th century the Greeks ceased writing hymns and this work was at a standstill until Bort nlansky, a Russian, remodeled the old music to suit his own church.
 'The greatest contribution to Splen- did church music has been made by Russia" said the speaker. He made the rather surprising statement that who appeared in this city last Sunday, was the greatest sacred composer of modern Russia. The choir of the Russian Orthodox church of this city, LIe OlT9CllOn Alexander Fog rebnfak, sang three famous Russian hymns. Much could be said in praise of this group of young people which is fact vending its way to the wide spread reputation of the choir of St. Nicholas cathedral in New York Be cause of the continued applause, the choir was forced to respond to an en- core and sang The Lords Prayer as it is chanted in Petrograd.
 Church music was brought from the eastern to the western world in the 4th century" said MT. Silcox Because of the wide varians of the text and melodies. Pope nbrose in Milan composed what is known as the Ambrosian chant This was used ex- tensively until the year 600 when Pope Gregory presented the 'Grego- rian chant which was sung Nuniver- sally except in Milan, where the Am brosian chant was the music of the Roman church. '%The Gloria in Fx- and the ''ImprOperia" as sung by the Sistine chapel choir was then played on the Victrola
 As the years flew by the music be- came more and more a means of dis playing the singers voice and solos had grown very popular. Accordingly Pope Plus N issued his "Modo Pro the music of the church. He sug- gested the abolishment of solos in fa- vor of more singing by the enaire group and declared that he thought it better to have a choir composed en- tirely of men, as originally, than of me and women. The rather secular texts and scores were also criticised by the Pope. To illustrate the more modern music Joseph Weller, bari