Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1925-05-28
: Uhurrh Aru1s :
CHURCH MUSIC
From an Address by Mrs. o. L. Brad
shaw During Music Week

small number of its inhabitants. Only
few people sing; a much smaller
number play some musical instrument.
There are here and there choirs made
up of volunteer singers, but the spir-
it that animated the old choirs has dis
appeared. Hymn singing in church is
often distressingly bad, and with good
reason, since composers of modern
hymn tunes seldom take into consid-
Grafton the needs and wishes of the
congregation. We consider music
| more a means OF entertaining the
church-goer than of enlisting his in
We make little music of our own,
bv our fresides where all good things
should begin. What delightful ele-
ment in family life is the gathering
together of the young and old to sing!
How few fanil es cultivate this custom
How few parents, whether they them
selves care for it or not, realize that
their children would enjoy it and be
helped by it. Why should not such
parents begin at once and be encour-
aged or: even taught by their children,
until all can sing together heartily and
well? Is it not worth while preserving
the musical sense of children so that
when they reach your age, they will
not be helpless as you are? Are you
satisfied to have your child's music
merely bought and paid for outside
re home? How can you expect it to
flourish under such conditions Let
the children teach you if need be. Co.
Ply them, learn their songs by ear, and
find out what music really is!
The problem before me tonight is
how to persuade Fitzgerald men and
women into active cooperation in
making music. 1t is obvious that there
is only one way of doing this, and that
is by singing. Only small number OF
people can play musical instruments,
but nearly everybody can sing. To
play requires constant practice. Sing
ing in groups does not In their right
estate evedy man and every woman
should sing. There are constant OPP
portunities for large groups of people
to sing-in church, on Memorial Day,
at Christmas time or at dedications.
TAe one place where singing might
be fostered is in church. But where
the worshippers are asked to sing
hymn pitched too high for them, or
one that moves to quickly. or is full
OF unfamiliar and difficult progressions
in both melody and harmony, what
other result can be expected than poor
singing? The real purpose of the hymn
tune has been lost. 1t was intended to
serve the needs of all the people, and
to do this, it must be simple in both
melody and harmony, and within the
range of every man, woman and child
in the congregation. The sturdy old
hymns and chorals of our forefatherss
were so. Nothing is finer i'll church
music than good unison singing in
which everyone takes part. No skilled
choir singing can ever take its place.
The decline in hymn singing is evil
dent enough. There is constant ten
dency towards display. What is the
office of church music? Is it to aston
ish or delight the congregation? Is it
to supply them with a sacred concert
or fine singing? To take their minds
off the situation in which they find
themselves? To serve as bait to catch
the unwary non-church-goer? Or is it
to induce devotion and religious feel
ing. to keep the moment sacred and
reality in church music? Is it merely
any music set to sacred words? He
who has ever studied any art knows
that this can not be true. The finest
church music of which Palestrina and
Bach are the greatest exponents-is
based on something more than ca
sual association with sacred words.
There is no difficulty whatever in pro-
curing good music for choirs. There
are dozens of fine composers whose
music is never heard in more Ameri-
can churches.
There are beautiful, simple, dignihed
anthems suitable for city or country
choir. If the city choirmaster will give
over for time trying to provide the
congregation with brilliant music, his
listeners will, perhaps, be able to re-
vert to that state of quiet devotion
which the rest of the service has in
duced Many choir directors would
doubtless like to use simpler and
more devotional music, but are him
dered from doing so because they feel
upon them the weight of the opinion
and taste of the congregation. Every
body regardless of his qualification for
doing so, feels at liberty to criticize
the music he hears in church.