Church Music, Part III [pp. 743-754]

G/~urck Music. 747
by the true friends of art, because it served defy all competition. When half the
once more to prove that such musical so- labor and expense has been bestowed
lemnities, in this age and in this country,
are incompatible with the respect due to the upon the true music of the sanctuary
sanctity of churches." as is now lavished on our florid con cert music, then will be said to-day
If we might venture to offer a word what Pope Benedict XIV. said so
in justification of the wisdom of the long ago, "The titillation of figured
Church in thus wholly excluding wo- music is held very cheaply by men of
men from the ritual offices of religion, religious mind, in comparison with the
we would say that she "knows what sweetness of the church chant."
is in man;" she perfectly well under- But the other question, and a very
stands all the effects of exterior in- practical one, yet remains: How shall
fluences upon the human mind and we procure and hold proper singers
heart; il~at the female voice, when for such music as is proposed, and for
highly cultivated or sweet-toned, is such a place as the sacred inclosure
alluring and sensual, (we do not mean about the altar? We answer, in the
in a bad sense,) and when naturally first place, we have already some men
poor or AJssc', is equally repelling and singers with voices of good compass
disagreeable. The first cannot be said and power, who at present sing upof the voices of men; nor the second, stairs beside the organ.
unless it be in attempts to execute mu- "What!" exdaims the friend at
sic beyond their compass, or when our elbow; "bring our present choir
they distort its sense or expression by down into the sanctuary? How many
vanity or affectation. priests, do you think, would do that?"
Canon Qakeley shall suin up for us We reply to him, that, if the present
what we have to say on this head: choir-singers are fit and proper per
"Together with the name of`chapels,' sons to be associated with the sacred
which it may be hoped we are in the way to ministers in the celebration of the direnounce once for all, let us divest ourselves vine mysteries, they are just as worthy
of all that smad~s of the chapel and dissent- at one end of the church as at the
ing system-the pews, the pew-openers, the
female sacristans, and the female choristers. other; and if they are unworthy for
One of the principal lessons taught us by our any reason, they ought not to be algreat cardinal was the duty of asserting in lowed to take that part, or exercise
all judicious ways the dignity of our true po- that office of dignity in any nook or
sition; and this we can do only by ridding corner of our sacred temples. This
ourselves of sectarian habits, down even to
the very ftinges of our garment, and as so- capital point, the personal worthiness
ciating ourselves in Spirit, and in that which as well as`the vocal capabilities of
forms so especial a test of the ecclesiastical our choir-singers, has, it must be conspirit, the external worship of the Church, fessed, not been so rigidly insisted on
with the most approved practice of Catholic in general as it might have been. Nocountries."
thing appears to our minds more
Having made up our minds to tear shockingly incongruous than a mixed
down our Protestant singing-gallery, chorus of Catholics, Protestants, and
and to make use only of male voices Jews singing the Credo. We rem emin the singing of Mass and Vesper~ ber hearing a fine Tantum Ergo sung
we shall not fear for the decision of as a solo at benediction by a Jewess.
the question, What kind of music Think of it, a Jewess singing,
is to be selected? The Gregorian Et antiquom docuinentum
chant, that "grave, sweet, majestic, Novo cedat ritui"
intellectual music of the Church," will and, in the presence of what she be