Evening star., 1933-12-21
RELIGIOUS MUSIC
NOW US. TRADITION
Cathedral Choirmaster Ad-
vises All Faiths to Hear
Christmas Programs.
By JAMES WALDO FAwCETT.

Religious music in America has
passed its infancy and. building on the
foundation of the legacy of the middle
ages, has become a worthy product OF
our Nation, according tc Edgar Priest,
organist and choirmaster of Wash
ington Cathedral.
In a statement yesterday Mr.. Priest
said: Wherever you are, whatever
your faith. please do not miss the
Christmas music this year
Interviewed in his clOiSter office at
Mount ST. Alban, surrounded by the
boys and young men he has trained to
fill the beautiful diocesan church with
anthems OF praise and prayer, MIR.
Priest said, Slowly, through several
generations, there has been developing
in the United States a competent mas
terry of religious music. Our choirS
have been learning to sing, our organ
lists to play as artists, our composers to
write with the traditional passion and
skill. Now, at last, we can take pride
in our achievement. In sacred song,
we need no longer feel humble. We
have worthy music in our churches
now. and the end is not yet"
Mr.. Priest explained that America
gious music from the middle ages in
Europe and that contemporary COM
posers and singers have added to it
from the resources of their own genius.
Revived Century Ago.
"a revival of creative interest in
hymns and anthems" he said, "oc-
CURED about century ago, and we
still are benefited by the impetus it
gave. John Keble and Bishop Heber,
Bishop Mant and Cardinal Newman,
Bishop Doane and DR.. Muhlenberg
contributed to the movement in which
We now are making such wonderful
progress. Two of Americas most noted
poets-Oliver Wendell Holmes and John
Greenleaf Whittier-wrote the words
Thomas Hastings also left a name
which we will not forget.
Here at the Cathedral we have one
OF the most comprehensive collections
of church music eXtant anywhere. 1t
is known as the George Coles StebbinS
deposit and was gathered by Rev. DR..
John Benjamin Clayton. In it may
be found the famous Moody and
Sankey hymns and many other gospel
songs. There are altogether about
25,000 titles listed in the catalogue.
The wealth of our material is in
dicated by the fact that We have
church music records dating back to
the ninth century. The Hebrews had
a great body of religious music, some
of which comes down to us. The ira
dition is that our Lord and his disciples
sang a hymn after the institution of
the Lords supper or holy communion.
ST. Paul and Silas sang in their prison
at Philippi
Eastern Church Joins.
"The Eastern church promoted praise
to God with song and we have many
ancient sacred melodies which trace
back to Alexandria and COnStantinOple
Greek hymnody was initiated by the
Western church in the fourth century
under the sponsorship of st. Hilary of
PoitierS and st. Ambrose of Milan.
During the marvellous thirteenth
century many splendid compositions
were written.
In the Reformation, the music of
Luther was potent force. He desired
that this beautiful ornament might in
a right manner serve the great
Creator and his Christian people, He
published 125 hymns under his own
name.
Archbishop Granmer in England
1dNOreu tI1e singing OF sacred songs IN
the English language. The Genevan
Psalmody was brought into use in
Queen EliZabeth'S time Under James
!, George Wither published his
Hymns and Songs of the Church ,
John Milton, in the same period, was
writing hymns. John Austin and
Richard Baxter were active influences
in the next generation Then came
Isaac Watts and Philip Doddridge
both memorable names.
Modern choirS owe much to long