Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-01
nv HOWARD p. BAILEY.

sically speaking, II H.. Augustine
Smith, director of music of the Chau.
tauqua Institution, is correct. They
are spending some SIG, 900 900 a year
and getting little in return, In his
opinion. The music Is more often
supplied by goddess quartet sing.
ing heathenish music In an unknown
tongue than Nod.fearing choir" he
is quoted as saying at the meeting of
the National Convention of Church
Music, in an Associated Press dis
patch from Chautauqua. n. Y.
Church music has It's faults, no
doubt 1t might be. II more than
$l6,0Q0,0O0 were paid for the church
music each year, the music would be
vastly improved. But in spite OF It's
shortcomings, music has held and
stall holds a vital part in the services
of all churches Certainly such
broad condemnation as Mr.. Smiths is
unjust.
/ Take, for example, Mr.. Smith S
statement that the music Is usually
supplied by a goddess quartet" The
quartets, probably In the great ma
lority OF the cases. are professional
That is, they receive compensation.
! Usually this compensation is far too
| little to even be considered as
4 "
ally side line.
| 1t Is, unfortunately, often consid.
| cred that because a church singer re.
ceives salary that singer is MERGE
nary and uneonsecrated from a reli-
| gious point of view. Too many Of the
members of the congregations think
| that the singers should give their
services
1t would be a fine thing, no doubt.
/ -
1 TO NIL the church Quartets with volun-
| teers, but TO become a capable singer,
| one alike at home in chorus or solo
I work, the vocalist must go through
| years OF study. He must have spent
| large sums for lessons and for music.
| He must have hours and hours of
practice every week.
The hours spent each week In
| practice and rehearsal represent
/ large sacrifice on the part of the
| singer. possibly a far greater sacri-
fee than some Of the critics in the
| congregations are wont TO make.
| Just how singers become Goddess
simply because they are professional,
| In the sense that they are paid, Is
| hard to understand. In some 20 years.
| the writer has become intimately
! acquainted with many members OF
| church quartets. During all that time
but one was known who might be
termed goddess Possibly the per-
| centace of real Ged-fearing people
/ was as high as would be found In the
average congregation.
1t is possible that singers seem TO
| have the appearance of considering
| their church work matter OF
| business. IL may be that they have
| often been reluctant to sing at otnef
| times than those called for in their
| contracts without added compensa.
| ton. Yet there Is reason back OF II.
| AT the least, choir singer is out one
rehearsal night besideslosing the day
| of rest" through necessity OF spend
| ing many of the hours OF 1t IN church.
/ There are many things which must
/ be denied. such as the almost lnailena.
| BILE right to sleep late Sunday morn
inPs" Sunday afternoon automobile
tides and such things are barred
because OF the effect that they may
: have on the throat.
| The singer hasn't the privilege OF
| skipping services when he or 5ne
] doesn't feel quite up to snuff.
maid member of a choir is at the
! church at both Sunday services and
a rehearsal which might be taken 10
/ correspond TO the prayer meeting:
| How many consecrated members OF
/ a church congregation are present
twice on Sunday and at the midweeh
! praver meeting IL months of the
/ year?
During the 20 years referred TO
( above, a familiarity has been obtained
| with music of many of the leading
1 nuf
| is "heathenish, as 1t was termed IN
the Indictment of church singers, is
| hard TO discover.
| The music is not always OF the
| highest type. That is, II may not
always appeal as worth while to
thoroughly trained musician Its
1 harmohies may often seem too lack
| ing in variety and its melodies may
I often be trivial, bat never mas the
writer run across church compost
| ton that did not carry some great
| spiritual truth in its text,
In the Episcopalian church, 1or
| instance. no music is allowed the
| words of which have been obtained
| from some other source than Bible
text or a hymn from the hymn DOCK
of the church. Surely music written
to such things could not be termed
| heathenish.
Now and then, In cantata. either
AT Easter time or Christmas, Oriental
| themes are employed. This is the
nearest approach to what may De con-
| sIdered heathenish by some. The en-
ployment of the Oriental scale is o1ten
reminiscent of the reeds that Waiieu
out their seductive lure to the slde-
show tents at the circus. But II TINS
appeals to the listener as heathenisn,
perhaps the listener is influenced by
| the memories the weird notes cali up:
The Oriental scale has been used
very successfully of recent years IN
Christmas cantatas and oratorios. IT
| is the true music of the land ana
times in which Christ was porn. HOW
better could the picture OF the snep'
| herds on the hillside be calleu 70
mind than by the use OF reeds on the
organ sounding out simple little call
| in the whole tone and minor Scales:
AS to singing IN an unknown
tongue, the only unknown tongues
that the writer has ever heard en-
ployed in church services nave peeh
| the Latin Of the Catholic chufch, the
| Hebrew Of the Jewish churches ana
German in some Lutheran cnurches'
| and TO the commandments of these
churches the tongues were not un-
known. If any one can term some OF
the glorious TIE Deums, Magnlhcats
and Jubilates that are sung In Latin
as heathenish music sung in an un'
| known tongue, surely that person mas
a LACY Of deep appreciation of music.
Some or the old Gregorian chants
have a sonorous beauty about them
that creates an atmosphere of rever.
ence which almost no other part OF
the service can develop. II these
things are heathenish music, may the
| churches have more Of them.
~ -
Now and then there are musicians