Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-07-27
MUSIC SECONDARY
The Cothedrors Primary Purpose
10 the Edition Of The Stor:

To the Editor Of The Stor:
In Day Thorpe's answer to
Philip Hubert Frohman con-
corning the acoustics of
Washington Cathedral, there
are several statements which
deserve notice because they
betray an outlook not uncom-
mon but nonetheless errone-
Gus In its estimate of the
purposes of church architec-
ture and church music. As
one who has for several years
been associated with the
Cathedral staff in the ca
pacity of interpreting the
Cathedral to the public. may
I have the courtesy Of your
columns to clarity those pur-
poses?
At the outset, must agree
with Mr.. Thorpe's contention
that the Cathedral, acousti-
cally. is not an ideal place to
listen to music. In exonerat-
ing the Cathedrals architect
from blame for this deplora-
bic state of affairs, however,
Mr.. Thorpe assigned the viii
lainy to the traditional anti
acoustical physical charac-
teristics" of cathedrals, which
he proceeded to explain in an
essay on the development of
church architecture and
church music.
Mr.. Thorpe pointed out,
and the fact seems incon-
trovertible, that in the Md
die Ages cathedrals land he
seems to be referring espe-
cially to those built in the
Gothic style) were not meant
to be heard in. So despite
the efforts Of modern archi-
tects to improve the acous-
tics in preSent-day churches
which are "slavish imita-
tionS" of the medieval
cathedral, the very nature of
a Gothic structure precludes
their success. straitjacketed
as they are by the require
mentS of that style. What
Mr.. Thorpe is really taking
issue with is the fact that
Washington Cathedral is be-
Ing built in Gothic, and his
objections rest on the poor
acoustics inherent in that
style.
In judging any artistic
creation land ! realize my
temerity in giving lessons in
criticism to a professional
critic, particularly in judg-
ing its usefulness as opposed
to the manner Of its execu-
ton, logic would seem to re-
quire that the aims of those
who designed it and the pur-
poses they intended it to full
fill should bulk large in de-
Gliding whether 1t was a sue
cess. This Mr.. Thorpe has
not done. He is judging the
Cathedral from his own point
of view and not from that of
its designers. His outlook. in
his own words. is one that
considers vocal and musical
intelligibility of paramount
Importance" in the design of
churches. That is TO say,
churches are primarily audi
forums and should be de-
signed as such, with their
acoustic properties foremost
in consideration.
Such an outlook is not
peculiar to music critics. It
has been characteristic Of a
large segment Of Christianity,
particularly since the Ref
ormation. The spoken word
replaced the staged liturgy.
and the interiors of some
Protestant churches are even
today referred to by those
who worship in them as au-
ditoriumS. There is, how
ever, another view of the
function of a church build
ing. and Gothic is the prod
uct, perhaps the eliminating
development, Of the idea,
again in Mr.. Thorpe's words,
that a cathedral was pri-
marily a complex Of SYM
bols to illustrate and
strengthen the dogmas of
the church" While this is
not a complete exposition
Of the purposes Of Gothic
art. it does indicate the root
principle, namely. that in its
operation upon men, a cathe-
drsi is essentially visual. An
auditorium is essentially,
though not exclusively. de-
signed to minister through
the ear, but a Gothic church
is designed essentially.
though not exclusively. to
minister through the eye.
Since Gothic was deliberately
chosen by the founders of
Washington Cathedral, it
would seem that visual and
not acoustic considerations