| if A f th i td sift lity th aed Asnthe eis tL BE SHIT % ABEGLs Spee yutS ih Ta etl nada Pui ant an Hust } i wit : HEALUE Pentre i Ae : ‘ TSE RE t Bei Eesethe re Ee Hf mpi 324) iF P33 See Fe ital ss ANS 9 i sh a4 ie REET re REE BY i a ah een pei its? Sh ; cates, : EEE STH TS SAE py es TEDSTER tee 7335 ttt TeHeee Ee * Oct 10 1922 aN ~— LoL oaioys gen MT 8G Division Lb i) 4 1905 MUSIC IN WORK AND WORSHIP A Companion to “Music in WorK AND WorSHIP”’ CHURCH MUSIC WHAT A MINISTER SHOULD KNOW ABOUT IT By EDMUND S. LORENZ @_ “ While the need of seminary classes has been to the fore in the preparation of this volume, the author has not been forgetful of the minister already in the field, who feels his musical limita- tions and who is desirous of enlarging the scope of his musical culture and activities. The organization of the material for class use should be of service to him instead of a handicap.” —Preface. What It Contains: INTRODUCTION I. Ideas Underlying the Dis- cussion of Chur usic. I, “Why a Liprmge Should Study Mus Ill. What a : Minister Should Know About eer PART I THE PHILOSOPHY OF MUSICAL SOUNDS IV. The Sie oat Element in Musical V. The Physical Element in Musical Sound. VI. Musical Notation. PART Il THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MUSIC VII. The Problem, of the Char- acter of Music. VIII. The Psychology of Music's ction. : IX. Nervous Correspondence ion Music and Emo- X. Seeus Corollaries of Musical Psychology. XI. Church Music as Applied Art. XII. How Church Music Assists. PART III THE HISTORY OF CHURCH MUSIC . The Origin of Music. . Pre-Christian Music. . Pre-Christian Music. . Early Christian Music. . Church Music Under Papal Auspices. . Mediaeval Church Music. . The Music of the Refor- mation. . The English Psalm Tune. . The English Hymn Tune,. . New England Psalmody. . The American HymnTune, ° . The American Spiritual. . American Sunday-School Music. . The Gospel Song. . The rane of Motets - and Anthems. , sigue and Church tatas. PART IV THE PIPE ORGAN XXIX. Description of the Pipe - Organ, XXX. The History of the Pipe Organ. XXXI. The Development of Organ usic. XXXII. Purchasing a Pipe Organ. 8vo Cloth, $3.50 Music in Work a Worship A DISCUSSION OF CHURCH MUSIC AS AN APPLIED ART By ty EDMUND S. LORENZ Author of “Church Music,” ‘‘Practical Church Music,” ‘‘Getting Ready for a Revival.” Editor of “The Choir Leader” and “The Choir Herald.”’ “God ts a spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” —JoHN 4:24 New York CHICAGO Fleming H. Revell Company LONDON AND EDINBURGH Copyright, MCMXXvV, by FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY Printed in the United States of America New York: 158 Fifth Avenue Chicago: 17 North Wabash Ave. London: 21 Paternoster Square Edinburgh: 75 Princes Street Preface N the preparation of this book, together with the com- panion volume, CHurcH MusIc, issued last year, the author has had before him the needs of three classes: the students in the theological seminaries, the ministers in the active pastorate who feel the gaps left in their prepa- ration for actual work, and the musical workers in the churches, organists, choir directors and song leaders, who are ambitious to excel. This is not a treatise for experts, therefore, but for workers of somewhat limited musical knowledge and ex- perience, who need the line upon line in instruction and precept upon precept in method here supplied. The work of the author has been rendered exceedingly difficult by the extreme variation in the resources, culture and ideals of the congregations served by the ministers whom he desires to help. Who shall disentangle the general principles of psychological reaction from the en- veloping web of outward circumstances and make their varied application clear? However, the effort has been made, and a wealth of suggestion has been sought in their varied application. These suggestions have been practicable, definite, ready for actual use. If the needs of average churches have been kept to the fore, it must be remembered that there are so many more of them. This is a book of a thousand and one details, and yet does not pretend to bring all the possible minutiz of the methodology of church music. Some readers will wonder that so much self-evident advice has been tendered and others that so much that seems to them of great impor- 5 6 PREFACE tance has been omitted. It is hoped, however, that the author’s sense of proportion has guided him aright. There has been no attempt to supply technical instruc- tion in any line—quite the reverse! The classes to be served by this discussion could not use it. Again the author has freely drawn upon his earlier book, “ Practical Church Music,” feeling he could not spare the time to rewrite the material found there and that he could not add to its lucidity. For purposes of study and recitation the material has been as thoroughly organised as its practical nature per- mitted. Logic has been employed as a servant, not as an impracticable master. The author has continued the class room suggestions very reluctantly, having a sense of carrying coals to Scran- ton, to adapt an English phrase. Yet there may be hospitably minded teachers who will appreciate the rather self-evident hints that are offered. There is no generous supply of literature on the prac- tical phases of church music. What there is in this country has appeared chiefly in magazines such as “ ‘The Choir Leader,” “The Etude,” ‘The Musician,” ‘“ The Musical Observer,” and others. It has been freely drawn upon for quotations and suggestions. Among English books, ‘‘ United Praise,” by F. G. Edwards, and “ Studies in Worship Music,” by J. 5. Curwen, have been most helpful. Among American books the most helpful has been F. W. Wodell’s “ Choir and Chorus Conducting.” Other valuable books have been mentioned in the “ Sup- plementary Reading” prefixed to the several parts. The author wishes to express his high appreciation of the help given by Prof. Henry H. Tweedie, D.D., of the Yale Divinity School, in whom he found a critic frank and unsparing, but sympathetic and suggestive, and also PREFACE if of the encouragement given by President J. G. K. McClure, D.D., of McCormick Theological Seminary. The book has also been enriched by the suggestions and criticisms of the author’s brother, D. E. Lorenz, Ph.D., of New York City, and of the writer’s editorial associate, Rev. Professor Herm. von Berge, upon the practical ex- perience of both of which musical ministers he has freely drawn. Prof. von Berge has also been most helpful in the reading of the proofs and in preparing the index of the book. Recognition should also be given to the loving labours of the author’s two daughters, Miss Barbara Lorenz and Mrs. Prof. J. B. Showers, who deciphered the hurriedly written rough draft, complicated by numerous insertions and interlineations, and transformed it into an orderly copy ready for final study. Back of all the practical purposes of this volume, the author has felt the urge of a strong desire of contributing to the securing of a deeper spirituality, a profounder sin- cerity, and a greater efficiency in the use of music in the work of the evangelical churches of America. If this book succeeds in this high endeavor, the author will not begrudge the time stolen from his regular editorial duties and from his opportunities for needed recreation. Bekao by Dayton, Ohio. BPN): i NEN Contents INTRODUCTION EFFICIENCY IN CuHurcH Music . 1. Efficiency Tests in Church Work. 2. Ma- terial Efficiency Tests Easily Applied. 3. Not Easy in Church Music. 4... Three..Lines..of Efficiency in Church Musice5. Elements in SecuringEfficiency’””"6. Music’s Contribution to Church Efficiency. 7. The Selection of the ‘ Music. 8. The Musical Organisation of the Church. 9. The Pastor Should be the Ex- ecutive Head. 10. Inventory of Musical Resources. PART I THE ORDER OF SERVICE I. Tur NEED OF AN ORDER OF SERVICE 1. Study of the Order of Service Needful. 2. Some Order of Action Necessary. 3. Ac- cepted Orders of Service Fundamentally Cor- rect. 4. Controlling Ideas in an Order of Service. 5. The Psychological..Progress of a Service... 6. Thrée Factors Condition” the Order of Service. 7. Two Services Each Sunday with Like Order of Service is Unwise. 8. The Faults of a Rigid Order of Service. 9. How to Preserve Its Values. 10. Evening aut Special Services Have Order of Their wn. Il. THE PsycHoLrocy oF THE STANDARD ORDER OF SERVICE. 1. Its Supposed Sanctity. 2. Its ts Digiane A. The Devotional Section . 1) The Religious Attitude of the C 7 at the Opening. 2. The Effect of the Pre- lude. 3. The Choir Processional. 4. The In- troit by the Congregation or by the Choir. 5. The Invocation. 6. The First Congregational Hymn. 7. The Responsive Reading....8...The 9 17 31 41 42 10 CONTENTS Anthem by the Choir or the Solo. 9. The Long Prayer. 10. The Second Congre- gational Hymn. 11. The Intrusion of the Didactic into the Devotional Section is Unfortunate. Ill. THe PsycHorocy oF THE STANDARD OrpDER OF SERVICE (Concluded) . . . . B. The Didactic Section 1. The Announcements and Offertory. 2. The Scripture Reading. 3. The Chief Anthem by the Choir. 4. The Sermon. 5. The Hymn After the Sermon. 6. The Benediction. 7. The Postlude. C. Enrichments of the Regular Order of Cerio: ee ce eM . Recitations by the Congregation: The Apos- tles’ Creed, The Ten Commandments, Substi- tutes for the Responsive Reading. 2. The Use of Responses. 3. Outside Additions to the Order of Service. 4. Gradual Introduction of Variations. 5. The Building of a Good Service not Easy. LV, - PREG OrpERS OF SERVICE is) tiie) o! ae ie 1. Regular Order for Spiritual Edification. 2. Ineffectiveness of Repeating the Morning Service. 3. Securing the Attendance of the Unchurched. 4. Other Meetings. 5. Minis- terial Adaptation to Free Services. — PART II THE PIPE ORGAN AND THE ORGANIST Vie Tk Pree ORGAN eran gone s ys 1. Past Use of the Pipe Organ. 2. The Need of Instrumental Support. 3. Other Instru- ments Used to Support Voices. 4. The Pipe Organ. 5. The Care of the Pipe Organ. 6. The Study of the Pipe Organ. VIELE Re ORGANIST Hl ed Si 1. The Importance of the Organist. 2. Who Shall Select the Organist? 3. The Qualifica- tions Needed. 4. Method of Examination. 55 55 67 81 92 VII. AAG IX. XI, XII, . A Stupy IN CHurcH HyMNAIs. CONTENTS 5. The Organist’s Relation to the Pastor. 6. The Playing of Hymn Tunes. 7. Interludes. THE Orcanist (Concluded) 8. The Accompanying of Solos. 9. Common Faults in Organ Playing. 10. Keeping an Index of Organ Music. 11. Organists Un- derpaid. 12. Mottoes for Organists. PART III CONGREGATIONAL SINGING THE Duty AND VALUE OF CONGREGA- TIONAL SINGING 1. The Duty of Praising God. 2. en cican tional Singing the Ideal Form of Church Music. 3. Recognised..in»All-Ages...4.. The Reasons for Its’ Power. BUILDING UP CONGREGATIONAL SINGING . 1. The First Essential is Ministerial Interest. 2. Awakening Interest in the Congregation. 3. Increase Spirituality in the Congregation. 4. Often Not an Easy Task. 5. People to be Interested. 6. The Duty of the Congregation to Prepare. 7. The Importance of Hymnals. 8. Singing Without the Hymnal. 1. The Importance of the Hymnal. 2. The Hymnal as a Means to an End.. 3. The Hymnal a Problem of Practicability. 4. The Mechanical Aspects of Hymnals. 5. Large Denominations Need More Than One Hymnal. Tur Tests oF A Goop HyMN TuNE .. 1. What is a Tune? 2. Beware of Hard and Fast Formulas. 3. The Criteria of a Good Hymn Tune. 4. Mismating of Hymns and Tunes. THE SELECTION oF HyMN TUNES 1. Ministerial Attitude to Hymn Tunes. 2. Study of Hymn Tunes. 3. Classes of Hymn Tunes. 4. Psychological Value of Hymn Tunes. 5. Use General Favorites. 6. Re- hearsal of Unknown Tunes. 11 . 102 + LES 127 . 140 152 . 164 12 CONTENTS XIII. LEADERSHIP IN CONGREGATIONAL SINGING 176 1. The Precentor. 2. Characteristics of a Good Precentor. 3. The Choir as Leader. 4. In- strumental Leadership. 5. The Organ as Leader. XIV. Mrtuops In CoNGREGATIONAL SINGING . 188 1. The Purposes of Its Use. 2. Five Essentials. 3. The Treatment of the Hymn. 4. Persuad- ing the Congregation to Sing. 5. The Treat- ment of the Hymn in the Evening Service. XV. MerHops IN CONGREGATIONAL SINGING (Concluded) (oy om. . 199 6. Expression in Hymn Singing. 7. Speed in Hymn Singing. 8. Congregational Flatting. 9, Unisonal Singing. 10. Things to Avoid. PART IV DHE CHURCH (CHO XVI. Tur History AND THE ADVANTAGES OF THE CHOIR. SS ERE Aantal dane abe A‘) The History of the (hom sii. 20S 1. Origin of the Choir. 2. Choirs in Ancient Nations. 3. Choirs in the Christian Church. B. The Advantages of the Choir. . . . 216 1. The Primary Advantages of the Choir. 2. Incidental Advantages of the Choir. 3. The Misuse of the Choir. XVII. Tue Form oF THE CHOIR... ieee 1. The Various Kinds of Choirs. 2. The Quar- tet Choir. 3. The Octet or Double Quartet. 4. Men’s Choir. 5. Women’s Choir. 6. The Boy Choir. 7. The Chorus Choir. 8. Substi- tutes for the Regular Choir. XN VILL OrcANISING RE CHOIR Wi egy ede 1. The Pastor’s Duty. 2. Personnel of the Choir. 3. Prepare Congregation for Choir. 4. Preliminary Organisation. 5. Train Choir ee Using. 6. Creating Material for oir. XIX. XX, XXI. XXII, XXIII. XXIV. THE CHorr REHEARSAL (Concluded) ORGANISING THE CHoIR (Concluded) 7. Some Important Points. 8. Singers Should ORGANISATION OF THE CHOIR . 1. Organisation Needed. 2. Constitution and WER CHOP LR ROTOR ay i eu ene 1. The Importance of the Choir Director. 2. THE SELECTION OF THE Music 1. Preparing for the Selection of the Music. 2. THE CHOIR REHEARSAL . A 1. Preparation for the Rehearsal. a. Place. b. CONTENTS be Christians. By-Laws. 3. Organisation of the Singers. 4. The Official Relations of the Choir. 5. The Choir and the Congregation. The Traits of a Good Choir Director. 3. The Work of the Choir Director. The Three Forms of Choir Music. 3. The Method of Selection. 4. Important Factors in Selection. 5. Avoiding the Purchase of New Music. 6. Choosing the Music to be Sung. Time. c. Attendance. d. Instrument. e. The Director’s Code of Signals. f. Music Pre- pared by Director and Organist. g. Distribu- tion of Music. h. The Use of the Baton. i. The Beating of the Time. j. The Seating of the Singers. k. Opening the Rehearsal with Prayer. 1. Beginning on Time. m. The Length of the Rehearsal. n. The Rehearsal a Time of Work. o. Extra Rehearsals. 2. The Training Section of the Rehearsal. a. Breath Control. b. Voice Training. c. The Blending of Voices. a. Special Difficulties in Blending. e. Special Forms of Singing. f. Enunciation. g. Attack and Release. h. Expression Should be Studied. i. Lessons in Note Reading. j. The Religious Training of the Choir. 3. Learning the Anthem. a. Assigning the Solos. b. Playing the Anthem Over. c. Learning the Notes. d. Sparing the Voices. e. Some General Suggestions. f. Incidental Voice Training. g. Avoid Monotony of Style. h. Conscientious Work to be Demanded. i. Learning Difficult Passages. j. The Intermis- 18 . 246 . 254 . 265 wedo . 288 . 303 14 CONTENTS sion. k. Studying the Text. 1. Study of the Expression. m. Developing Spontaneity. n. Practising the Hymns. XXV. GENERAL CHOIR ACTIVITIES . . Wisi ts 1. The Social Life of the Choir. 2. The Fi- nances of the Choir. 3. The Auxiliary Work of the Choir. 4. Methods of the Choir. PART V SPECIAL AND INCIDENTAL CHURCH MUSIC XXVI. Occasionar Forms of CuurcH Music . 329 — 1. Church Solos. 2. Men’s Quartets. 3. The Use of Cantatas. 4. Concerts and Recitals. 5. Funeral Music. XXVII. EvANGELISTIC AND SuNDAY-scHooL Music 341 A. Music in Evangelistic Work. . . . 341 1. The Mission of Song in Evangelism. 2. The Book of Evangelistic Songs. 3. Method and Spirit of Leadership. B. Music in the Sunday-school . . . . 346 1. The Responsibility of the Minister. 2. The Underlying Facts. 3. The Song Leader. 4. Supporting Instruments. XX VillwTrEe SONG SERVICE iy 4 Ciae 1. Two Sunday Services. 2. Giving Variety to the Evening Services. 3. Song Services. 4. \ “Sacred Concerts.” 5. Suggestive Outline of a Song Service. XXIX. Pee SONG OERBMOND oa. U us sities ages 1. The Difference Between the Song Service and the Song Sermon. 2. The Value of the Song Sermon. 3. The Structure of a Song Sermon. 4. Selection of Music. 5. Ef- fective Handling of Materials. 6. Illustrative Outline of a Song Sermon. 7. Illustrative Outline of a Prayer-meeting Song Talk. ENDEX RHE re ei te re « e GLossary oF Common Musicay TERMs . 384 INTRODUCTION EFFICIENCY IN CHURCH MUSIC “ Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed.”—2 Timoruy 2:15. EFFICIENCY IN CHURCH MUSIC Class Room Suggestions: This introduction is one of the most important parts of this discussion. It lies at the foundation of all that follows in objectives, motives or methods. Through igno- rance, through lack of musical capacity, through narrow vision that does not clearly grasp the final objectives of church work, through blindness to the psychological reactions which condition religious results, members of the class may come to this study with no idea of its importance or its value in their future work. It is the teacher’s task to rouse their interest in it and to make plain how essential it is to their future success. Special stress should be laid on the minister’s relation to the music and on the inventory of musical resources. Before undertaking the study of our subject, it is evi- dent that we should have a clear idea of the objectives of church music and the general attitude to be taken towards them. In other words, we should canvass the essential elements of efficiency in the management of church music. 1. ErricieEncy TkEsts IN CHURCH WorRK The application of the tests of efficiency to religious work is entirely proper and, if all the factors are properly weighed, is extremely valuable. Such a test would dis- close futile preaching and purposeless church effort, not only in individual congregations, but even in denomina- tional life as well. The efficiency test is particularly important in church music, as the objectives are not clearly formulated in the minds of many ministers and of their musical co-workers ; much less defined are the policies and methods, that ef- ficiency would require. When the financial cost of the church music is considered, running as it does into several 17 18 INTRODUCTION millions in the Protestant churches of the land, the ques- tion becomes a practical one. 2. MATERIAL EFFICIENCY Tksts Eastuy APPLIED Material efficiency, as in manufactures, or farming, is easily calculated, as the terms involved are mechanical, tangible, analyzable. ‘The ultimate end is clearly defined ; the force to be applied is in most cases exactly estimated ; the different stages of the process are easily analysed and differentiated ; the results as a whole and in detail may be fully determined. 3. Not Easy In CourcH Music a. Intangible Factors. In church music the proposed results are intangible, elusive, incalculable, complicated with other factors, and easily obscured. The forces em- ployed are indeterminate. ‘The methods to be used are complicated and difficult to formulate and it is impossible to gauge their comparative efficiency; because of their complexity and the vagueness of the proposed results, they may be conceived of as ends in themselves. b, Other Forces Complicate Inventory. ‘This inventory is all the more difficult, because the results of music in church use are complicated by the forces and methods which act in co-operation with it, sometimes covering up the lack of musical efficiency by their practical efficiency, sometimes neutralising the actual musical efficiency by their own lack of it. c. Inventory Rendered Difficult by False Ideals. An- other difficulty is that many church music workers have such false, distorted, exaggerated and even absurd ideas of the nature and value of music. Perhaps the most fatal of these misconceptions should be corrected here. Music in a church service is not an end in itself, but a EFFICIENCY IN CHURCH MUSIC 19 means to an end. Church music is not pure, but applied art. It is a composite made up of music as an art and of the religious purpose for which it is used, and the latter is the more important. The music of a church service is not a primary religious element, as it has no inherent religious value, but is simply a preparatory and contributory nervous factor, subordi- nate to the controlling purpose of that service. The whole process of determining efficiency in church music is complicated by the fact that we are not only in the realm of the psychological, but in that of the spiritual, whither our logical mental processes will not carry us. . While the determination of efficiency in this line of church effort cannot be exact, yet enough facts can be secured to justify analysis and the application of tests. 4, THREE LINEs oF EFFICIENCY IN CHURCH Music In church music there are three distinct lines of efficiency : a. Musical efficiency in knowledge, skill, culture, taste and management. ‘This constitutes its skeleton, the mere dry bones of Ezekiel’s valley. It is very valuable, but only as a foundation for the exercise of more vital elements. b. Popular efficiency in reaching and affecting the peo- ple to be influenced. ‘This is its flesh. The beginnings of vital processes are here, the tissues through which the currents of divine life shall flow to reach their ultimate purpose. c. Spiritual efficiency in securing religious results. This is the soul, the final test of efficiency inyehurch music. Only as the skeleton is clothed with the flesh of appeal to the people to be influenced and these tissues thrill with the tides of religious impulse consummated in religious 20 INTRODUCTION decision, does the music of the service reach the true efficiency which justifies its use. 5. ELEMEN'S IN SECURING EFFICIENCY As far as the worker is concerned the important ele- ments in securing efficiency in church music are: a. A clear idea of the actual results to be expected from church music—the blueprints of the final goal of effort. b. The correct methods to be used—the machinery to be installed. c. Contagious feeling, aggressive force and spiritual energy—the power house. d. Intelligent management—the overhead control. 6. Mustic’s ContTRIBUTION TO CHURCH EFFICIENCY Music contributes to the efficiency of the church service : a. By making it attractive. It should increase the at- tendance and so enlarge the opportunity of helpfulness. b. It predisposes to hospitality of mind, creating a readiness to accept the religious ideas and impressions offered in the course of the meeting. ‘To do this it must be pleasing, appealing to the taste of the particular people whom it is intended to attract. But it must conform to the ideals of church service held by those who listen. The hearer may enjoy “jazz” on secular occasions, but be outraged by it in a church service. On the other hand. he may delight in the demand made on his intelligence, his dramatic instinct, and his critical musical taste by the music of a symphony concert, and feel disturbed by it in his religious meditations. Hence not academic standards, nor ideal tastes, but the actual religious appeal to the per- sons to be attracted is the criterion of value. EFFICIENCY IN CHURCH MUSIC 21 c. Music creates a greater psychical, mental, emotional and spiritual unity in the aggregation of individual units composing the congregation. It serves as a catalyst which causes the atoms of human individuality to cohere. Music concentrates the attention of all on one common experience. Distracting individual cares and anxieties, or wishes and imaginations, give place to the common im- pression made by the music. They share the quasi- emotional nervous effect produced by it. It prepares the way for the crowd psychology which displaces the indi- vidual psychology and acts upon the feelings, impulses and motives that are common to all, more or less elimi- nating inhibitions and restraints that check individual action. The congregation becomes a composite of all its individuals, like the composite picture of a class or group of people. Music supplies a common physical exhilaration and a common nervous stimulus, both particularly intensified by united participation in the congregational singing. This shows itself in deeper breathing and hurried heart action, made visible by brightening of the eyes, flushing of the face, and general excitement. The music used must have emotional value adapted to the range of feelings a religious service is intended to develop and express. Not common thoughts, but common feelings unite a miscellaneous crowd of people. d. Music stimulates the mind, makes it more responsive to the instruction given and to the appeal made to the imagination or to the feelings. This is due to the in- creased heart action, the flooding of the brain and of the nervous system with blood, producing greater mental activity and a more responsive nervous susceptibility. Music, therefore, makes a valuable vehicle of instruction, as in didactic hymns or pedagogical verses, or the like. 22 INTRODUCTION It is even more helpful in association with inspirational or hortatory hymns, or with services of that general characteristic. e. By this peculiar nervous stimulus, given to the mind, music prepares the way for religious emotion. It overcomes the nervous inertia and the mental indif-- ference, so that there is a greater susceptibility and a more immediate response to the religious appeals of the place and hour, thus intensifying the emotional reaction. It gives a natural and spontaneous expression to the worshipful emotions that grow out of the contemplation of the divine perfections, and so helps to clarify and in- tensify them. It beautifies, actualises, intensifies the worshipful ma- terials, the hymns, the Scriptures, the prayers, and so makes them more expressive and stimulating. Music so intensifies and sublimates personal and social emotions as to prepare the way psychologically for the action of the Holy Spirit in transforming the nature of unbelievers. f. Music has great value in creating a general emotional atmosphere for a service. There is a general deprecation of emotion because the word to so many minds connotes violent if not hysterical feeling that is not under proper — control. That is a serious misapprehension. There are few ideas that do not have some emotion attending them. Who has not heard religious emotion objected to in a very emotional way?? | Emotion is the very life of religion. It is the proof that religious ideas have reached the inner man, that 1“ Tn the face of the critical, materialistic spirit of the age, even at the risk of being called sentimental, our churches would do well to seek a more habitual warmth of mood in public wor- ship.’—Waldo S. Pratt in “ Parish Problems.” EFFICIENCY IN CHURCH MUSIC 23 they have passed from the abstract realm of ideas to the concrete realm of conviction. Mere ideas have no power over men’s lives until they have been vitalised into feelings and thus have reached the will and been transformed into character. Faith is not the intel- lectual recognition of a demonstrated proposition; the accepted idea must be transmuted by feeling and will into life. g. Music factilstates the emotional contact between the abstract truth and the spirit of man, which moves the emotions and the volitions. 7. THE SELECTION OF THE Music It will be seen at once that the selection of the music to secure the desired results is of prime importance. It will be sufficient here simply to emphasise its adaptation to the purpose in view, whether mere stimulation, psychical unity, inspiration, emotionalisation of truth, or the sol- emn act of worship. 8. THE MusIcAL ORGANISATION OF THE CHURCH a. The musical work of the church calls for as careful and efficient organisation as does any other enterprise. The cogs of the machine should be so fitted into each other that there shall be no lost motion. b. Just what that organisation should be need not be elaborated at this point, as it will be discussed more or less minutely throughout this treatise. Only one fundamental element calls for consideration here—the place and work of the pastor. 9. Tur Pastor SHouLtp BE THE ExEcuTIVE Heap a, The Pastor 1s the Head of the Music. The pastor of a church is its executive head, the ex-officio head, there- 24 INTRODUCTION fore, of its musical activities. This is practically as well as theoretically important, for the music is too intimately interwoven with all his public efforts not to be under his supervision.” b. The Pastor Cannot Evade This Responsibility. The musically ignorant pastor should not solve his musical problems by turning the whole matter over to musical subordinates. ‘That is a cowardly evasion of duties that only means added troubles and problems and the failure of an important part of the church’s forces to function properly in securing the final objectives of church ef- fort The real solution is for him to master the subject by reading, observation, and even organised study, and so to fit himself for the task of an efficient supervisor of the musical activities of the church. Really this should have been done during his studies in his seminary course. c. What a Pastor Needs to Know. He need not be an “Tt will be said that clergymen and ministers are too ignorant of music to undertake any control. That depends on what sort of musical knowledge is necessary for the purpose. To under- stand the use of music in public service, to know when the tune is one people can sing, and one that they have learned, to judge what speed is congenial to devotional feeling; to hear when the organ is played too loudly; to encourage and direct the assembling of the congregation or the choir in its weekly meetings—to do all these things, a man does not need to know harmony or play the pianoforte."—J. S. Curwen in “Studies in Worship Music.” First Series. ®“ Tow is it possible that the clergyman can sincerely exhort the congregation to do their duty in the performance of the music if he himself neglects what cannot but be considered a part of his duty. It is impossible to believe that the great majority of the clergy should not feel the disadvantage of being ignorant of that which forms such a considerable and important part of public worship.”—Carl Engel in “ Reflections on Church Music.” EFFICIENCY IN CHURCH MUSIC 25 executive musician, either vocally or instrumentally, but he should know just how music assists and what style and grade of music, or even what particular hymns or choir pieces will best serve his purpose. It would be one of the happy results of proper musical training in theological seminaries if the minister knows more about music in general than his musical subordinates. Furthermore, he need not assert himself in the purely technical side of the music. His subordinates should be allowed to teach him the several values of the details of rendition, as a railroad president expects reports from his engineers or from his legal counsellors. His business is to see that the hymn singing by the congregation, the music of the choir, the playing of the organist, the solos by leading singers, the special music by invited vocalists, shall all co-ordinate and function properly in securing the stimulating, inspirational, emotional and religious results it is his business to obtain. If his eye is not single in steadily looking for them, no one else’s will be. d. The Pastor Should Supervise the Selection of Music. He should select the hymns to be used. He knows what the message of the hour is and what hymns will help ex- press it. He should have a voice in the selection of the tunes, for a poor tune will wreck a good hymn.* He should be consulted in the selection not only of anthems, *Regarding the minister’s control of the tunes to be sung to hymns, Mr. J. S. Curwen quotes Dr. Allon, in his time one of the most prominent Nonconformist ministers in London: ‘“ During all these years, I chose the tunes as well as the hymns. I have done so, in fact, from the first; yet I have never had the slightest trouble on that score with our organists or choir masters. It was a recognised principle, that the responsibility of every part of the worship rested with the minister.” It should be said that for many years the somewhat irascible and masterful Dr. Gauntlet, the great organist and editor of hymnals, was Dr. Allon’s organist. 26 INTRODUCTION but of solos as well. Even the selection of the organist’s voluntaries should be subject to his approval. This pastoral supervision should be genial and sympa- thetic, not dictatorial or autocratic, taking advice grate- fully, as well as giving instructions cordially. It will be wise to explain to his musical helpers the general effects he wishes to secure, the relation of their numbers to his general plan, the reasons why certain suggested music fails to fit into his plans. e. His Authority Ought Never to Fail. This super- vision should not be veiled too much, the pastor’s author- ity being always taken for granted by all concerned. At no time should the pastor allow his control to lapse through indifference or carelessness. His hand must be ever on the wheel, steady and unwearied. 10. INVENTORY oF MUSICAL RESOURCES a. Churches Possess Large Unused Musical Resources. Few churches know, much less use, all their musical re- sources. Their life would be richer and their efforts more productive, if these talents were utilised. Their recogni- tion and use would benefit the church and develop their possessors. A careful inventory of singers and instru- mentalists would uncover treasures of helpful ability. b. Such an Inventory Would Supply Two Needs. Not only would the effectiveness of the public services be greatly increased, but its activities would be broadened in other lines, such as social and artistic. Incidentally it would deepen the interest and quicken the zeal of many young people who now are lying fallow.® 5 As an admirable illustration of the possible thorough organ- isation of the music of a church, an extract from a letter from Prof. R. Deane Shure, director of music in the Mount Vernon Place Methodist Episcopal Church South, Washington, D. C., will EFFICIENCY IN CHURCH MUSIC 27 c. Card Index of Singers. ‘There should be a classified card index of all the persons having available voices from babyhood to old age, some for membership in the choir, some for occasional use, as a baby or as a veteran soloist, some for supervision and encouragement with a view to their training and development for future use. d. Card Index of Instrumentalists. Another index should be made of people, young and old, who play the organ or piano, or other instrument ; some of them may be scheduled for immediate use, as on special occasions, or in an improvised orchestra; others should be encouraged in taking lessons and be urged to practice faithfully with the hope of future usefulness. be helpful: “ We have a chorus of eighty voices that sings at both Sunday services. They are volunteers and sing the anthems with organ accompaniment. To add contrast to the service, and a spirit of worship, we have in addition a men’s quartet. that sings just before the sermon, unaccompanied. “We have also a Junior choir that sings in the Junior church. I rehearse them on Saturday morning. We then have a Men’s Chorus that sings in prayer meeting each Thursday night. There are thirty in the Junior choir and twenty in the men’s chorus. The men’s quartet sings with the men’s chorus at the prayer meeting. For Epworth League, at 7:00 P. M., I use eighteen mixed voices, rehearsing at 6:00 P. M. I have song leaders for each department of the Sunday School and a chorus for that service made up from the large choir. Music lessons are given in voice, piano and organ by the church at regular fees, or gratis, developing the musical talent of the church and adding to its resources. A monthly concert by the several departments stimu- lates interest and the collections help finance the department.” From what we know from other sources, this elaborate musical organisation is filled with a devout and evangelistic spirit, making it spiritually as well as musically successful. When Prof. H. Augustine Smith was the director of the music at the First Congregational Church of Chicago, he had an even more elaborate organisation of his musical forces. 28 INTRODUCTION e. Index of Music Owned by the Church. There should also be an index of the music in book and octavo form already owned by the church. This should include the separate titles of all the numbers in the books. It is important that the number of copies of each should also be given. It will not be amiss to make a note of the con- dition of each issue. ‘The index should also include the composer and the time when it was last used. Incidentally the proper care and organisation of this music should be attended to. This index should be easily accessible to the minister in order that he may have his resources at command. REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. What is an essential preliminary to this discussion? 2. Why are efficiency tests needful in the study of church music? 3. Compare efficiency tests in material and spiritual things. 4. State some difficulties in applying efficiency tests to musical * work in the church. 5. What misconceptions complicate an inventory? 6. State the three lines of efficiency in church music. 7. State four factors in securing musical efficiency. 8. In what seven ways does music contribute to church efficiency ? 9. Why is an organisation important? 0. Who is the executive head of the music of any church, and why? 11. Why should the pastor not evade this responsibility ? 12. What should a pastor know about music? 13. In what ways should the pastor’s supervision of music be manifested? 14. In what spirit should he exercise this supervision? 15. Why should he not allow his authority to lapse? 16. Is a canvass of the musical resources useful? 17. What records of them should be kept? PAR. THE ORDER OF SERVICE “Tet all things be done decently and in order.” —1 Cor. 14: 40. I THE NEED OF AN ORDER OF SERVICE Class Room Suggestions: Elaborate and illustrate still further the necessity of an order of service and its psychological basis in the reactions of the people to its several exercises. Ask each student to furnish an outline of an order of service, specifying the purposes of the several types of services. It may be interesting to indicate the latter by means of texts of varied emotional appeal distributed in slips to the individual students. These outlines may then be used in illustration of Chapter Two. Supplementary Reading: The literature on this topic is very scant, consisting chiefly of incidental hints in books on homiletics and pastoral theology. Hoyt’s “ Public Worship for Non-liturgical Churches ” (Doran) will be found helpful. 1. StTupy oF THE ORDER OF SERVICE NEEDFUL Before beginning the discussion of the management of church music, it is necessary to study its co-ordinate factors in the service in order to fully appreciate its rela- tion to them. The music is not a thing apart; it influences and is influenced by the exercises associated with it. The spirit of the whole service, the parts immediately before and immediately after its several numbers, all affect the general and the individual musical selections made and the manner of their management and rendition. Just as a minister cannot successfully ignore the musical elements of his service and preach regardless of their character and influence, so a music director cannot leave out of sight the prayers, the Scripture readings, the offering and the ser- mon. The several features of the service are not merely mechanically associated in time and place, but are linked together in spirit and in influence. ‘The need of a study 31 32 THE ORDER OF SERVICE and of an analysis of the order of service at this point is, therefore, peremptory. 2. SOME OrpDER oF ACTION NECESSARY The observance of an order of service in religious assemblies is spontaneous and instinctive. Wherever there is occasion, in thought or in action, to pursue a train of thought or a series of actions, the human mind every- where, whether savage or civilised, seeks to analyse and arrange them in some orderly fashion. Indeed, the rating in mental ability and in the civilisation of a people depends upon their success in social orderliness. It is a funda- mental instinct underlying the effort to understand and control human environment; it is the reason of man de- manding that his ideas and his actions shall be orderly, so that they may be reasonable. a. Necessary to Concerted Action. Wherever men are associated in action, there must be some defined schedule of activities, whether in business, in community activities or in religious assemblies. There can be no orderly co- operation leading to a definite purpose without one. That order must be based on common consent by special agree- ment, or on accepted traditions recognised as valid. It may be based on the accepted authority of a leader, who shall control the order of events to suit his own purpose, or on the formulated objective of the associated individ- uals. That personal schedule of activities must have re- gard to the consensus of opinion in the assembly, or the leader will lose his authority; in other words, he can rarely be arbitrary or autocratic in his management. Even the general of an army must beware of defying the common judgment of his soldiers, lest the morale of his men should suffer, even if more serious revolts against his authority do not occur. THE NEED OF AN ORDER OF SERVICE 33 b. Particularly True in Religious Assemblies. This is particularly true in the religious life of men. No matter how rude a savage tribe may be, its religious customs are consistently formulated and rigidly enforced. Religious ceremonies are usually more elaborately developed and conscientiously observed than those that are merely social. The order of service in a religious dance among savages is as detailed and as meticulously observed as that of the most elaborate cathedral. In a religious assembly there must be a clear under- standing of not only what, but also how, it is to be done, if the individuals composing it are to rise and sit together, and pray, read, or sing together. An order of service of some sort, loose or rigid, as the case may be, is inevitable. Without it there is wasted effort, a chaos of futile endeavour. 3. ACCEPTED ORDERS OF SERVICE FUNDAMENTALLY CorrECcT In the consideration and analysis of accepted orders of religious services, it may be taken for granted that they are fundamentally correct in their psychological basis. These traditional orders of service have a good many strong points. In a general way, the audience knows about what to expect and is able to adjust its state of mind to each successive feature. The very inevitableness of the succession of numbers effects a calming serenity, a steadi- ness of devotion. There are no severe shocks of unex- pected impressions to distract the mind. The service is dignified and formal; everything is done decently and in order. a. Result of Centuries of Experiment. Consciously and unconsciously, they have been evolved after gener- ations of experiment by the co-operation of competent 34 THE ORDER OF SERVICE leaders and by mass instinct and experience. A study and analysis of them, item by item, will almost certainly justify them psychologically, if the ultimate purpose and the mental and moral characteristics of the participants are clearly kept in mind. There must be radical changes in the mental reactions of a people to warrant their utter repudiation. b. Needful to Religious Ceremonies. Unless there is a carefully ordered method of procedure, there can be no calm, dignified, impressive service befitting a religious assembly. Wisely elaborated and properly managed, a ceremonial is always impressive, even if its symbolism is not understood, whether it be in pagan temple, in Masonic lodge, under cathedral arches, or in a modest, wayside chapel. A baptismal or christening service, or the Lord’s Supper, will hush and impress an otherwise most indiffer- ent audience, 4. ContTROLLING IDEAS IN AN ORDER OF SERVICE The following are the controlling ideas in the building of an order of service: a. A clearly defined purpose for the service as a whole.? The purpose will control its spirit, its hymns and music, its Scriptures, and its prayers, as well as its sermon. b. That purpose should unify the service, whether it be *“The very thought that a service may be humdrum, that it may be a monotone, or in other words may be soporific, is dis- tressing. Tennyson’s farmer comes to church, and hears the parson droning on—like the buzzing, buzzing of a bee—all the same tone, and he goes to sleep. To aim for nowhere is to get there! To look forward to a service simply to go through so many hymns, prayers, notices, preachings, without a distinct and definite objective, is to be ‘up in the air’—is to fail of accom- plishment.”—Rev. Prof. Jas. G. K. McClure, D.D., in “The Continent.” THE NEED OF AN ORDER OF SERVICE 35 worship, instruction, inspiration, emotional vitalisation of religious truth already accepted, or a decisive action of the will. c. Every feature of the service must contribute in its own way to that controlling purpose. d. The successive features should make progress and should be cumulative in effect, increasing in impressive- ness from prelude to hymn after the long prayer and from the hymn or anthem before the sermon to the postlude. e. This progress of appeal should be based on an analysis of the psychological reactions of the several features. 5. Tuer PsycHo,ocIcal, PRoGRESS OF A SERVICE a. Arrest of Attention. The very first result to be secured is attention, an active turning of the minds of the people to what is to be done and said. b. Creating Intellectual and Artistic Interest. The minds of the people must become actively engaged on the features of the service as it proceeds. They must interest by their content and please by their manner of presenta- tion. ‘There must be mental stimulus and artistic satis- faction preliminary to all other impressions. Dullness and stupidity in management or speech block the road that leads to religious impressions. c. Stirring the Emotions. Mere intellectual interest is not enough. ‘To convince the hearers with the truth is a preliminary essential, of course, but that truth will not influence until it has been vitalised by emotion and kindled into a conviction. d. Wakening the Spiritual Sense. The emotion must waken and stimulate the spiritual sense, the power of apprehending spiritual realities, rising into a very real consciousness of God, into an actual communion with 36 THE ORDER OF SERVICE Him. According to their several religious talents, all members of the congregation should reach this spiritual eminence, if the service is to be accounted effective. 6. THREE Factors ConpDITION THE ORDER OF SERVICE An order of service is not an independent entity, a self- sufhcing work of art, but a means to an end. Its value is to be measured by its serviceability. That serviceability depends (1) on the defined purpose, (2) the adaptation to that purpose of the means used, and (3) the character of the people to be influenced, whether individually or collectively. a. No Rigid Order Possible. If this be true, and few would venture to deny it, it follows that there can be no rigid order of service to be used at all times and every- where, for all these factors vary at different times and at different places. Even if the usual claim be allowed, that the purpose of every service must be worship, that does not prevent the great variability of the remaining factors. The English service, as heard in Westminster Abbey or in some great city church, is magnificent, impressive, awe- inspiring, uplifting; but in an obscure, poorly-attended village chapel, or in an improvised hotel service at Brus- sels, Mainz, or Verona, it becomes a pitiable travesty to all but the merely liturgically devout. b. Order Depends on Purpose. But there are other purposes in religious assemblies than that of worship, im- portant as that is. The chief objective may be inspira- tional, or didactic, or even semi-secular. A subordinate worshipful element may be recognised in all of these, as helpful in surrounding the main objective with an ele- vating, dignifying religious atmosphere; but the main pur- pose must greatly affect the order and the nature of the service. Even where a type of service is justified in a THE NEED OF AN ORDER OF SERVICE 387 given congregation by its available resources and by its character, it does not follow that that type should be ex- clusively used or rigidly followed, for there are varied purposes to be served by different services. The variety of leading purposes still demands a variety of orders of service. Is it the regular worshipful morning service for the established Christians? Is it a popular evening service to secure the attendance of indifferent members or of outsiders? Is it a special evangelistic service to enable scholars in the Sunday-school to publicly register their acceptance of Christ? Is it part of an evangelistic cam- paign to win definitely the unsaved people who are more or less closely associated with the congregation by family or social ties, or by habits of church attendance? Is it to be a rally of persons interested in local moral reforms, or a call to the community to meet some signal moral or religious crisis? Every one of these calls for its own type of service. c. Order Depends on Available Resources. Then again the features of the service must depend on the resources at hand. Great choral and instrumental effects, such as awe the hearers in a great cathedral, are impossible where only a little reed organ and untrained voices are available. The means at hand must be made the most of for the pur- pose in view. Fortunately in such cases, the susceptibility to impressiveness is usually in inverse ratio to the means at hand. d. Order Depends on the Character of the Congrega- tion. ‘The order of service, and the means to be used in realisation of its purpose, must greatly depend on the persons constituting the congregation. Not only are there differences of taste and culture to be considered, but types of mind and character as well. Some communities, by natural tendency, by life-long habit, by traditional in- 38 THE ORDER OF SERVICE fluence, are extremely susceptible to a liturgical and sym- bolical service. The responsive prayers and readings, the genuflexions, the burning candles, the swaying censer, the elaborate ceremonies, the occasional burst of organ music, the symbolism of architecture, sculpture, and painting, appeal to them strongly. The less imaginative, more abstract, matter-of-fact attendants at the Nonconformist Chapel, are not impressed but repelled by these to them meaningless gestures, and the order of service to reach them must be simple, severe, without spectacular distrac- tions to their devout minds. From this survey it will be seen that there can be no one rigid order of service, but that all accepted forms can be justified if they serve the ultimate purpose of a service in the nation, or the community, in which they are used. The High Church liturgical service and the loose, oppor- tunist Salvation Army meeting may alike find psycholog- ical and religious justification. 7. Two Servicks Kaco SUNDAY wItH LIKE ORDER OF SERVICE Is UNWISE To have two services every Sunday with exactly the same order is to forego the attraction of variety, is to be resourceless and stupid. That it is so common does not mitigate but rather deepen the offense. The rigid adher- ence to a traditional order of service has no religious basis; it is tradition gone to seed. In the liturgical churches, the order is constantly varied by the observance of various seasons and feast days with a complicated variety that leads an outsider to thumb his prayer-book in despair. But the contemners of liturgy are often bound with extra-liturgical fetters to a mechanical order that al- lows for no variation. Not only do the poppies wave over those who rest in Flanders’ Field, but the same flower of THE NEED OF AN ORDER OF SERVICE 39 deadly routine waves over the sleepers in many of our churches which still have embroidered on their bulletin banners the somnolent slogan of “the usual services ”! 8. Tur Faurts oF A RiciIp ORDER OF SERVICE A rigid order of service has the faults of its virtues. Its inevitableness becomes mechanical. The grinding of the machine submerges the voice of the Spirit. The suc- cessful carrying out of the order becomes the final purpose of the service. The calm serenity becomes passivity of spirit. The “usualness ” dulls attention and puts interest to sleep. Routine lays her heavy hand on preacher and people alike and there are eyes that see not, and ears that hear not, and a voice that speaks but does not voice ef- fectively the needed message for the hour. 9, How To PRESERVE ITS VALUES But it is not necessary to lose the values of the tradi- tional order of service: a. Its Several Items Can Be Vitalised. In the first place it can be revitalised by freshening up its individual parts, making them striking and interesting, and, above all, spiritual. The idea of a controlling purpose can be impressed on his co-workers by the preacher and made clear by his aggressiveness of spirit in the general service and by the evident purposefulness of his discourse. b. Its Items Can Be Transposed or Replaced. Again, its general features can be preserved, and its psycholog- ical values retained, without danger of falling into “ usual- ness.” Some of the less important features may be replaced by others more striking or some new items may be added outright. There can be a transposition in their order as well as a greater effort to make them interesting. The alert-minded minister and his efficient co-workers will 4.0 THE ORDER OF SERVICE be surprised to note what varied additions and transfor- mations and effective transpositions can be introduced into the regular service without in any way shocking the devotees of the traditional. In any case, at any cost, in every legitimate way the “usual” service should be dis- placed as unpsychological and futile. 10. EVENING AND SPECIAL SERVICES HAVE ORDER OF THEIR OWN When it comes to evening and other special services with a definite and clearly-formulated purpose, the regular order of service must be abandoned. Of course, the psy- chological basis must be retained, but the new complex of purpose, method, and people must have its right of way, producing a great variety of features in varying combina- tion. ‘Tradition is outlawed, because it has no contribution to make to the new practical orders of service. REVIEW QUESTIONS . Why is study of the order of service needful? . What are the considerations that emphasise the need of an order of service? . Are the accepted orders of service psychologically correct? 4. What three factors condition the serviceability of an ordeg, of service? 5. What steps should mark the psychological progress of a service? 6. What are the controlling ideas in formulating an order of service? 7. Why is a rigid order of service impracticable? 8. How does the purpose of a service affect its order? 9. Give two reasons why a city and a village church cannot observe rigidly the same order. 10. Why should not the morning and the evening service be alike? 11. What are the faults of a rigid order of service? 12. How can these faults be met? 13. When should the regular order of service be abandoned? nN Go II THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE STANDARD ORDER OF SERVICE Class Room Suggestions: The outlines suggested in the pre- vious chapter should be freely used in illustration of the present and succeeding chapters, pointing out the successes as well as the failures of the several items. The impression made will eminently repay the extra trouble. 1. Its SuprposED SANCTITY Most ministers accept the regular order of service as they do the Ten Commandments. They have it printed and pasted into the pulpit hymnal, lest they, or their confréeres with whom they exchange pulpits, should go astray. Many of them give careful attention to the indi- vidual items, but rarely study the philosophy of the whole or that of the order of sequence. Not accepting it as sacro-sanct, or as under a prohibi- tion of change as inviolable as that of the book of Revela- tion, let us study it and its effects from a psychological point of view." 2. Its Two Divisions The theoretically accepted division of the service into the devotional and the instructional is actually realised by few preachers, since they frequently trespass on the opening worship with hymns and Scriptures and even It should be said that this is a psychological study of the human side of a church service. The presence and influence of the Holy Spirit in the service are taken for granted. 41 42 THE ORDER OF SERVICE prayers, that bear almost exclusively on the topic of the sermon. The first half of the service, to the end of the “long prayer,” at least, should be purely worshipful; it should belong to God. The second half should not lack the wor- shipful attitude, but should be inspirational, instructional ; it should belong to the assembled people. The sermon is not the dominating force of the whole service, but simply a coordinate item, an important help to the purpose of the divine worship which is the foundation of the whole service ! A. THE DEVOTIONAL SECTION 1. Tur ReELicious ATTITUDE OF THE CONGREGATION AT THE OPENING What is the existing situation when the service begins? The audience has gathered, bringing with it the thoughts and mental attitudes of their ordinary life, except that they are somewhat relaxed in mind and nerves. The body of the audience is religiously passive as it enters, the gre- garious instinct being much to the fore as they meet friends and acquaintances at the door and even continue their conversations in adjacent pews. That there is some consciousness of the place and of the occasion is manifest from their whispers or their silence. The ideas of sacred- ness associated with the auditorium make only a slight impression, for it is used for so many secular and semi- secular occasions that there is little opportunity for awe; moreover, most of our Protestant places of worship are so bare of religious symbolism in decoration, and differ so little from secular halls, that religious ideas are not forced on the attention of the attendants. We find the mass of the assembled congregation at best THE STANDARD ORDER OF SERVICE 438 in a state of passive receptivity, the more devout element being neutralised by a considerable number of persons still absorbed in purely secular interests. 2. Tur EFFECT oF THE PRELUDE Upon these poised spirits there suddenly break the notes of the prelude from the organ. The congregation hushes ; its nerves are either calmed by soft, sweet music or stimu- lated by strong, heavily harmonic, perhaps even markedly rhythmical music. Even if the music has no religious significance aside from its style, it gives the keynote, the fundamental emotional basis on which the whole succeed- ing service is to be built. a. The Nervous Effect of the Prelude. The wise organist will rarely shock his listeners by a loud, aggres- sive beginning, no matter how inspiring the service as a whole may be planned to be. He will calm and quiet the people’s nerves and vaguely indicate the withdrawal of their thoughts from the world. If the service is to be a quiet, meditative one, or comforting in its nature, he will continue in the same quiet mood. If it is to be a service of inspiration, it should presently develop more animation and movement, modulating the congregation’s nerves and feelings to a higher key of aggressiveness. By coupling together two voluntaries, the one quiet, the other brilliant, the desired effect can be secured. b. The Selection of the Prelude. The general spirit of the whole proposed service will control the selection of the prelude, subject only to the greater or less need of quieting incoming persons and covering the inevitable noise they make. Solo stops, if used with discretion, will be useful. Brilliant technical passages or compositions will never be in order in the prelude, if ever anywhere in the 44, THE ORDER OF SERVICE service. People gather in church to admire God, not the organist. That the prelude should be at least churchly in style, hardly needs emphasis. A service opened by a purely secular number, whether popular or artistic, recalls the very secular state of mind it is intended to dispel, and for many people ruins the religious value of all the exercises that follow. Familiar things like “’Traumerei” and Rubinstein’s “ Melody in F” have been played so much in picture shows that they have been ruined for church use. The prelude must not bring up “ movie ” memories. A fugue from Bach or a movement from Rheinberger may be as bad as an echo from the restaurant orchestra in its banning of religious impressions. It should be noted that secular suggestiveness may come from the unfortunate registration used by the organist. To use bizarre, spectacular combinations of stops, such as are heard from “movie” organs, is to attract attention, but not the right sort of attention; it will create interest, but not religious interest.* The preacher, therefore, is not outside his terrain, or exceeding his authority, when he asks to confer with the organist regarding the prelude and to supervise its selec- tion and even its registration.® ?“Tt is doubtful whether the precise style of prelude that shall do these things can be defined with any exactness. I rather believe that many useful styles are possible, varying with the player, with the congregation, and with the occasion. But a few practical points may be suggested. ... Its style should rarely be so ornate or florid as to attract special attention to the player’s dexterity or the composer’s ingenuity. It should be more emo- tional than learned, more sweet and solemn than boisterous and loud, more noble than amazing.”—W. S. Pratt in “ Musical Min- istries in the Church.” * Rev. Prof. Cleland B. McAfee, D.D., than whom the American THE STANDARD ORDER OF SERVICE 45 If the prelude has any religious significance or purpose, it should be definitely recognised as a part of the service and its value exploited. ‘The minister should be in his place before it begins, as an example to his people, and not join late-comers in distracting the attention of the punctual worshippers by conspicuously entering the pulpit in the midst of it. The minister should set a noble example of attention to the organ prelude as a part of the service. It is not mere music, it is worship. To be inattentive to it is to miss needed nervous and emotional preparation for the other parts of the service that follow.* If his people persist in talking, or whispering, or enter- ing noisily and indecorously, it may be wise in a kindly and genial way to impress them with the devout char- acter of the opening music. One minister, whose people had been thoughtless, rose in the pulpit as the church bell ceased ringing and solemnly announced that the worship of God would begin with a prelude by the organist. His people saw the point without a single word of explanation and the prelude was given its opportunity to prepare the people. church never produced a better builder of church services, in an article on church music, says, ‘The voluntary (he refers to the prelude) ought to be selected with reference to the general mood which the service is intended to express. It was my custom to say to the organist that we wanted to have a forte service, or a piano service, as the need might be.” * The following statement appears in the calendar of the Temple Church of Los Angeles, Cal., of which James Whitcomb Brougher is pastor: “ Worship with the organ, for its great voice calls you to silence. When the organ responds to the master touch of the musician, it calls you to sense the dignity, majesty, and again, the tenderness of a loving God. Whispering and restlessness during the organ voluntary is disrespectful to the organist and destructive to the worship which begins with the first note.” 46 THE ORDER OF SERVICE 3. Tur CHorr PrRockssIonAL The prelude may be followed by a processional hymn into which the prelude smoothly modulates. While better adapted to a liturgical service, the processional may find excellent occasional use for festival services. Its impres- siveness rapidly decreases with constant use. A piano or reed organ in the choir room tuned with the church organ will assure accuracy of pitch. If neither of these is avail- able, open doors and passages should enable the sound of the church organ to reach the choir room, giving the pitch clearly without disturbingly increasing the force of the instrument. ‘The procession should not cover too long a distance or it will presently bore rather than inspire. 4. Tue IntTROIT BY THE CONGREGATION OR BY THE CHOIR So far the religious impressions made by the original impulse to attend divine worship, by the church and its associations, and by the prelude, are very vague, depend- ing greatly on what the individual brings to the service. The mind of the average attendant may be said to be at best only prepared to consider religious ideas. In many services the Long Meter Doxology invariably follows the prelude. Indeed, many organists have ac- - quired the habit of modulating by their own extemporisa- tion, or with the help of published modulations, from the key of the prelude into the key of G in which the “ Old Hundredth ” is written, and so of passing directly from the voluntary to the standard tune. This is undoubtedly very much better than to let down the interest by making a break of a minute or two. a. The Value of the Long Meter Doxology. There is much to be said in favour of the use of the Doxology. It strikes the religious note clear and strong. It recognises THE STANDARD ORDER OF SERVICE 47 the fundamental convictions of the orthodox Christian church. It is notably worshipful in word and spirit. The accepted tune, “ Old Hundredth,” is dignified (unless it is raced through in a vulgar, unmusical way) ; being well known by all, it can be sung by a great or a small congre- gation spontaneously, without any distracting conscious- ness of musical difficulties. b. Is the Opening Use of the Doxology Advisable? But the question arises, is the average congregation ready for a spontaneous and genuine acceptance of so elevated an expression of worship? There is no doubt that some congregations of a high religiousness would be fully pre- pared to do so. But it is a question of the average rather conventionally religious assembly. Then there is the consideration, if the service begins on so high a plane of devotion, whether there is capacity for further steady progress towards a higher peak of devotional spirit. Is there not danger of the fatal anti-climax ? c. The Gloria Patri or Introit by the Choir. In most congregations, it may be wiser to follow the prelude with an appropriate introit by the choir, a setting of some Scripture call to worship, such as “ The Lord is in His Holy Temple,” or “ Oh, Come, Let Us Worship and Bow Down,” or “God is a Spirit and They That Worship Him, etc.” The “ Gloria Patri”? may be sung by the con- gregation. While theoretically what has been said of the Long Meter Doxology applies to it as well, it is not so elevated in style either in text or music and practically not so impressive. Both may well be left to some more climacteric point of the service. d. The Principle of Selection. Whether the Long Meter Doxology, the Gloria Patri or an introit by the choir shall follow the prelude will depend on the desired 48 THE ORDER OF SERVICE spirit of the coming service. There should be no in- variable use of the Doxology, or the singing of it will degenerate into a merely mechanical exercise. e. The Anthem as an Introit. In some churches the choir follows the prelude with an anthem. If the anthem is carefully selected in its relation to the service as a whole, this may be a wise arrangement. The prelude has announced the emotional proposition before the house, the anthem may formulate the religious content and purpose to be considered. Perhaps in no other way can such a wide variety of religious feeling and sentiment be suggested. However, what has been said concerning the Long Meter Doxology may be applied to the use of the anthem. If it is extremely emotional or brilliantly spectacular it will likely find the people unprepared for its appeal. Only if the anthem has a short, didactic text, and calming music, is it likely to strike the needed note. 5. THE INVOCATION Introducing the service with prelude and anthem, how- ever, shuts out the invocation. Altogether too many min- isters are themselves not sufficiently tuned up emotionally to make the invocation anything but a perfunctory, me- chanical conventionality. If the preacher is warmed up by his previous private devotions, he may make it a marked worshipful advance on all that has gone before, and lift his people into a realisation of the divine presence. Unless he can do that, he had better omit it as a possible stumble at the foot of the Great White Throne. 6. ‘THE First CoNGREGATIONAL HyMN If prelude, doxology, or introit by the choir, and invo- cation have made their proper contribution, the congrega- tion will have the impulse to express in a hymn the religious feelings that have been generated. THE STANDARD ORDER OF SERVICE 49 a. It Should Express Recognition of the Divine Per- fecttons. If not a direct hymn of praise, there should at least be recognition of the divine nature and its infinite perfections. It may be majestic and elevated in praise, earnest and intense with implicit faith, eager with grati- tude and appreciation for blessings received, tender with memories of divine sympathy in trouble, depending upon the type of service decided upon; but in every selection of hymn there should be recognition and consciousness of God and delight in personal relation with him. b. The Selection of the Tune is Important. ‘The tune is almost as important as the hymn, for without the proper tune the hymn has little value. The tune should be appropriate to the text, and well known to the congre- gation, or at least to the singers in it,—the choir, and the minor musical organisations who have rehearsed it in their meetings. An absolutely unknown tune should never be used at this point. If the hymn is to help the people, the people must sing it. c. The Effect to Be Expected from the Hymn. If the hymn is properly introduced and led, the tide of religious emotion and interest should rise from verse to verse. This first hymn is at the same time an index of the value of what has preceded it and a valuable agent in lifting the spiritual temperature of the service. The preacher has a right to expect more results from this hymn than from any preceding exercise. 7. THE RESPONSIVE READING By this time the psychical unification of the assembly ought to be measurably complete, its hearty co-operation won, the religious interest well developed and the devout attitude established. a. The Responsive Reading Should Be Devotional, Not 50 THE ORDER OF SERVICE Didactic. The responsive reading which follows should be devotional and worshipful and not didactic. The Psalms, aside from the imprecatory ones, many passages in the prophets, inspiring manifestations of God’s leader- ship and help in the historical books of the Old Testament, and many pans of adoration from Paul’s epistles and the Book of Revelation are admirably adapted to this use. b. The Sources Other Than the Psalter. ‘The respon- sive readings bound up with most of our church hymnals are usually excellent, but if Bibles are in every pew, it will add fresh interest, break up the somewhat conven- tional attitude of both minister and people, and add rich- ness and variety to this important part of the service, to choose other portions of the Scriptures. There should be absolutely no reference to the topic of the discourse in this selection; but there should be the closest harmony with its spirit. c. When the Congregation Fails to Respond. In many congregations this responsive exercise is practically a fail- ure. The interest already won ebbs out, as only scattered persons participate. One of three things must be done: (1) quietly, steadily, unobtrusively, to train the congre- gation to take part, making sure that hymnals and Bibles are accessible to every person; (2) to arrange to have the choir read the responses; (3) or the minister himself must read the entire passage in an effective way. d. How to Build It Up. ‘The psychological and spirit- ual value of the responsive reading is so great that where it is not hearty, pains should be taken to build it up. Even where a congregation is largely feminine and the body of sound is not inspiring, the personal participation is very helpful. There are many ways in which it can be im- proved. A discussion of the form of the Psalms may well emphasise the responsive character of the Hebrew wor- THE STANDARD ORDER OF SERVICE 51 ship and its value then and now. There may or may not be a direct reference to the immediate duty of the congre- gation present to join in the exercise. Ultimately it may become necessary to do so, but never in a spirit of sharp criticism. Genial pressure does the work. It may be wise to make it a subject of private discussion and even of admonition. The value of successful responsive read- ing is so great, that such a campaign to build it up is worth all that it costs. The responsive reading may be followed by the singing of the Gloria Patri by the congregation with excellent effect, as it gives the consummate note of devotion to the exercise. 8. Tur ANTHEM By THE CHOIR, OR THE SOLO a. It Must Have Spiritual Value. ‘The attention of the people being fully won and their mental and spiritual in- terest stimulated by participation in two consecutive exer- cises, there will be opportunity to use either a short anthem by the choir or a solo. In either case, there should be a distinctly spiritual message in a well enunciated text. A merely musical number with a vapid, shallow, sentimental text without devotional stimulus or relation to the worship of a church service, may dissipate all the acquired momentum. b. The Instrumental Solo Will Not Function Here. The same is even more true of any instrumental solo; it has no message; the interest it excites is not spiritual, but neutralises the devotional attitude already secured. Unless something worth while devotionally and dis- tinctly worshipful is available, better drop out this number of the service entirely and proceed to the “ long prayer.” 9, Tue Lone PRAYER It is not within the province of this work to discuss 52 THE ORDER OF SERVICE exhaustively the preacher’s effort to lead his people into the very presence of God and become the spokesman there of their adoration and their gratitude, of their personal sorrows and needs, and of their interest in the welfare of their fellow creatures. a. Should Be Characterised by Worship. It will not be amiss, however, in line with the emphasis that has been placed on the worshipful character of the preceding exer- cises, to insist that that prayer shall be distinctly an ex- pression of delight in the infinite perfections of God, of sheer adoration and praise, as well as of thanksgiving for numberless mercies conferred. Human interests and needs are apt to obscure the pure worship of God. b. It Should Be the High Peak of Religious Interest. This prayer should be the climax of worship, of con- sciousness of God, of acceptance of his high sovereignty, of utter consecration to his service. The people ought to be lifted out of the pettiness of their usual earthly thoughts and selfish desires into the wider horizons that stretch before the sons of God,—his temporal as well as eternal comrades. c. Should It Close With the Lord’s Prayer? There are prayers of such a unity and elevation of spirit, that to add the Lord’s Prayer as a mere mechanical tag would be a grievous error. Other prayers lead up to it in feeling so effectively, that it would be an equally grievous error to omit it. In any case, it should not degenerate into a mere habit or be invariably introduced by the same stale me- chanical formula. Sometimes it may be sung by the choir as a response. 10. THE SEcoND CoNGREGATIONAL Hymn a. It ts the Climax of the Devotional Section. For the people themselves this hymn will be the climax of the THE STANDARD ORDER OF SERVICE = 53 whole service up to that moment and the selection of the hymn and its tune should be made with exceeding care, lest there be an unfortunate anti-climax. | b. It is Better Than an Anthem at This Point. In many orders of service an anthem follows the prayer. Average anthems, as they are ordinarily sung, are distinctly anti- climacteric. Some noble anthems of worship, impres- sively, and, what is even more important, sincerely sung, may sometimes serve the purpose at this point of the service, but, generally speaking, a good hymn is much more effective psychologically and spiritually. c. The Second Hymn Should Still Be Worshipful. The mistake is often made of selecting a hymn bearing on the subject of the discourse. The preacher sees the connection, but the people do not. ‘The logical relation, therefore, has no value. The congregation is in a wor- shipful mood, if the previous exercises have been success- ful in their purpose. This hymn after the prayer should be the people’s opportunity to express their devout mood, and its urge should not be defeated by asking them to sing a more or less didactic hymn. 11. Tur INTRUSION oF THE Dinpactic INTo THE DEVOTIONAL SECTION IS UNFORTUNATE In some services the preacher refers to the topic of the hour in the prayer or even reads the Scripture bearing upon it before the long prayer. ‘This seems rather illog- ical, for the passages in the prayer are usually practical applications_or devotional corcllaries of the topic, which should be left to the closing moments of the sermon and to the following prayer. The announcements and the offering separate the Scriptures bearing upon the subject of the discourse from the discourse itself and so discount their intellectual value. Besides, the people do not know 54 THE ORDER OF SERVICE the topic and hence cannot see the connection; moreover, they are logically out of place in the purely worshipful division of the service. REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. What are the two divisions of the accepted order of service? . What is the relation of the sermon to it? . What is the mental condition of attendants at opening of service? 4, What is the purpose of the prelude? . Explain the nervous effect of the prelude. 6. What principles should govern the selection of the music of the prelude? 7. Should the preacher concern himself with the selection of the prelude? 8. How should the prelude be received by preacher and people? 9. State the value and use of the processional. 10. What is the immediate purpose of the introit? 11. Is the use of the Long Meter Doxology advisable as an introit? 12. What other music is available for the introit? 13. State the value of an effective invocation. 14. Why sing a hymn after the invocation? State the nature of the appropriate hymn, 15. State why the tune is important. 16. What should be the nature and the sources of the responsive reading? 17. How can it be built up where the congregation fails to respond? 18. Why should an anthem or solo follow the responsive reading ? 19. What should be the character of the long prayer? 20. Why should a congregational hymn follow? 21. Why should the topic of the sermon not intrude up to this point? w&w KN on III THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE STANDARD ORDER OF SERVICE (Conciupep) Class Room Suggestions: In considering the suggestions for additional features in the order of service, draw out from the students others not mentioned here and test them out, applying the psychological principles that have been emphasised. It may enrich the liturgical resources of the students. It certainly will develop their critical acumen. B.; THE DIDACTIC SECTION 1. THe ANNOUNCEMENT AND OFFERTORY a. These Are Not Necessarily Distracting. If the spir- itual interest up to this point has been what it ought to be, there will be no harm done by the introduction of the announcements and the offertory. Care should be taken that the intellectual interest be sustained in this more practical part of the service. To relegate the announce- ments to a bulletin is eminently wise, for it minimizes the force of the interruption. b. The Offertory Should Be Made More of a Devo- tional Exercise Than it Usually is. Instead of the set introductory phrase, ‘“ we will now worship God in the offering,” it might be well to vary the introduction by a few sentences of fresh and striking comment on the spirit as well as the duty of giving to the Lord. It is the sacri- ficial element in the service and should be raised out of its material, financial plane into an actually worshipful act. It might be effective to ask the congregation to rise for the dedicatory prayer. c. The Offertory Accompaniments. The offertory 55 56 THE ORDER OF SERVICE prayer, if genuine and earnest, omitting the distracting and theatrical accompaniment of organ music, will raise the spiritual interest. ‘The organ offertory will cover up the inevitable passing of the plates or baskets and bridge over the slightly demoralising hiatus. If the congregation is large, a solo or duet may pres- ently be sung to contribute to the new ascent of spiritual interest among those who have already been waited upon. In some congregations the Long Meter Doxology is sung at the close of all the offertory exercises with excellent effect. 2. Tur ScrRIPTURE READING The offertory music has served not only to sustain the interest, but to prepare the way for the Scripture read- ing by the pastor. This definitely begins the didactic section of the service. It supplies not only the back- ground but also the authority for the sermon, bearing on its theme as definitely as may be possible. But why not state that theme, so that the congregation may see the connection ? The effective elocution of the reading ought not only to strengthen the upward swing of interest, both intellectual and devout, but to initiate the new mental attitude of receptivity to spiritual truth. The religious emotion of the first section yields the primacy to the religious instruction - of the second. 3. Tur Curr ANTHEM BY THE CHOIR Continuing the renewed upward trend already started — by the offertory solo and the Scripture reading, the leading anthem of the hour should be sung by the choir. Its chief mission is inspiration, keying up and stimulating the nervous, mental, and spiritual energies of the preacher for THE STANDARD ORDER OF SERVICE 57 the delivery of his message, and of the people for the ap- prehension and acceptance of the truth. Its text may be didactic, in harmony with the teaching that is about to be given, but not necessarily so.+ 4, THE SERMON The sermon does not belong to our consideration, of course. It is sufficient to say that in case it is made up of desicated materials, the peak of interest of the whole service remains with the hymn after the prayer. 5. Tut Hymn AFTER THE SERMON But if the sermon is clear in thought, devout in purpose, aflame with earnestness, profound in convic- tion, impressive in diction and delivery, gripping the audience with vital force, and is closed with a prayer that kindles all the practical applications of the sermon into the white heat of conviction and decision in the hearts of the hearers,? the supreme height of interest, mental 1“ Even when the enunciation of the singers is clear, it is an excellent plan to have the text of an anthem announced before- hand from the pulpit, particularly if in so doing the minister can add a word that shall give it a neater setting in relation to the other exercises of the service. Another excellent plan for churches whose customs are well settled is to put printed copies of the various anthems that form the church’s repertoire into the pews and have the anthem announced by number like a hymn.”— Waldo S. Pratt in “ Parish Problems.” 2Dr, McClure, President of McCormick Theological Seminary, places the climax of the service in this prayer in his excellent article in the “Continent” (February 15, 1923). “‘ Perhaps some one will ask, what is the writer’s own idea of the climacteric. The answer is this: In the prayer that follows the sermon is to me the supreme moment of the service. The pastor has poured out his heart to men in the sermon. Now he tries to bring all the hearts of his people into one unified, intense approach to God that they 58 THE ORDER OF SERVICE and spiritual, will find its full expression in the hymn after the sermon. This hymn should not be a mere didactic reference to the topic, but an emotional summing up of the spiritual experiences growing out of the profound contemplation of the truth discussed. 6. THE BENEDICTION In some churches there is a silent period of several minutes between the final hymn and the benediction, for silent prayer. ‘This hush is extremely effective and makes the benediction more impressive. The devout preacher will not make his benediction a merely mechanical repetition of a formula, but in spirit, or by fresh expression, he will give a noble end to a devout and helpful service. 7. THE PostTLUDE The postlude has come down to us from the music played while the celebrants of the ritual retired. The congregation remained sitting in reverent silence until it ceased. It is even yet not the least important item of the service. ‘To look upon it merely as a cover for the noise of the departing congregation is to miss its relation to what has gone before. a. It Often Defeats the Whole Service. Many a post- lude has dissipated the devotional value of the whole preceding service. The noise, and even chatter, of the congregation as it goes out, is bad enough; it is the mis- and he together may be enabled to live the precious truths he has stated. With this idea of the climacteric in mimd the closing prayer cannot be a hurried, attenuated, perfunctory affair, for it becomes the great, the consummating, the all-comprehensive por- tion of the entire service.” THE STANDARD ORDER OF SERVICE 59 sion of the postlude not to out-racket the racket, but to reduce it to its lowest terms, to cover it by carrying over the solemnity and devotional feeling that have been created, and hushing all but its inevitable confusions, in- stead of inciting and stimulating unnecessary noise by its sudden onslaught on the ears and nerves of the people. b, It ss an Ancient Evil. The noisy postlude, destroyer of devotion, neutraliser of all the good effects of a service, is constantly inveighed against by all sensible and truly religious ministers and lay-men. We find in the “ Spectator,” over two hundred years ago, a complaint by the none too religious essayist, Richard Steele, that the effects of a good sermon were “ dissipated by a merry jig from the organ loft.’ c. It Should Be in Harmony with the Preceding Serv- ice. The postlude should be in the same emotional key with the preceding service. A loud, majestic postlude will fit a service where a great majestic theme has lifted the hearts of the people. A quiet, emotional voluntary will fitly close a consolatory, meditative service. d. How to Make the Postlude Serve a Religious Pur- pose. No, it is not impossible. Just before the benedic- tion, let the preacher quietly announce that he has asked the organist to play a soft postlude befitting the service that has hushed their spirits, and that they should sit and listen for a few moments in solemn meditation and prayer, and then pass out quietly as the organist plays. It may be wise to incorporate the postlude in the service by postponing the benediction until after it closes. ‘The Long Meter Doxology may then follow the benediction. This is not conventional, but it is effective. e. Suggestion for Fitting Music for Postlude. If the organist’s supply of music does not contain a postlude that will properly say its “ Amen” to the foregoing service, 60 THE ORDER OF SERVICE why should not an organ transcription of a well known sacred song or hymn tune, with simple interludes leading to varied and effective registration, serve the purpose? Cc. ENRICHMENTS OF THE REGULAR ORDER OF SERVICE Enough has been said to discourage undue rigidity in the order of service. It may be wise to offer some sug- gestions regarding possible additions to its exercises, and substitutes for, or even omission of, some of them. 1. RecrtaTIONS BY THE CONGREGATION a. The Apostles’ Creed. This is a noble statement of the Christian belief and may appropriately be recited in a service. In the proper emotional setting it should be very impressive. ‘The wise builder of an order of service will not use it every Sunday morning. As it is usually recited its impressive value is lost and it very soon becomes mechanical and stale. b. The Ten Commandments. The moral law, as ex- pressed in the Ten Commandments, is worthy of a place in the dignified service of the church. While it might be construed as didactic in nature, it is worshipfully impres- sive in its clear expression of God’s claim on the worship and obedience of His people. A short response, sung after each commandment, and a longer one after the last will add interest and impressiveness. Still further variations may be secured by reciting the First Psalm, the ‘Twenty-third Psalm, the One Hundred and Twenty-first Psalm, the Beatitudes, the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians and other well known pas- sages. It might stimulate memorising the Scriptures to announce each Sunday the passage to be recited the fol- lowing Sunday. THE STANDARD ORDER OF SERVICE 61 c. Substitute for Responsive Reading. In place of the responsive reading, in a somewhat informal service there may be a call for the volunteering of Scripture verses, or even passages, quoted from memory. In suggesting this excellent exercise, Prof. von Berge says, “I have occa- sionally done it in my own work, sometimes merely calling for Bible verses that have been ‘tested and proved’ in actual experience, sometimes calling for a particular class of verses, as e. g., promises.” If the pastor is a little un- certain as to the participation of his people, let him ask a sufficient number to be prepared. 2. Tur Usk oF RESPONSES Few ministers make full use of the devotional value of choir, not to speak of congregational responses. If properly rendered, they are very impressive and solemnis- ing. Responses after prayer are widely used. Occasion- ally one hears an effective response to the benediction. But there are other and equally pertinent and impressive responses and choral introductions possible. a. The Gloria Patri. The Gloria Patri is frequently heard after the invocation, sometimes by the choir, more effectively by the congregation, after the prelude. It may follow the responsive reading. b. Choral Introduction or Response to Scripture Read- ing. An introductory Scripture sentence may prepare the minds of the people for either the Scripture responsive reading or for the Scripture lesson. Most ministers will prefer to have it follow and take the place of the usually perfunctory and wornout phrase, “ May God add His blessing to the reading of His word.” Even when this is thoughtful and sincere, it usually impresses the hearer as a merely conventional ejaculation. c. The Choir’s Introduction to the Long Prayer. Sung 62 THE ORDER OF SERVICE after the congregation has bowed their heads for the long prayer, a choral introduction will deepen the devout feel- ing of both the minister and his people and solemnise their common approach to the divine presence. d. Hymn Response to the Long Prayer. The response by the choir after the prayer may then be omitted; the succeeding hymn, a hymn of prayer, carefully selected to take its place, should be softly sung by the whole congre- gation. Properly introduced by the organist’s soft playing of the first four measures of the tune and by the sotto voce singing of the choir, (which remains seated with bowed head,) and of the minister, as an indication that all are to softly join, the devotional effect will be most salu- tary. One stanza, or at most two, will usually be sufficient. e. The Regular Response to the Long Prayer. This re- sponse should be sung softly without organ accompani- ment. The organist should strike the chord so softly that it can be heard only by the choir. A great deal of prac- tice will be necessary to make this response effective. There must be perfect blending, equality of force on all the parts, pure, steady tone without flaws produced by little nervous collapses, uniform enunciation, the attack and release of every tone being made at the same instant. These can be secured only by much and careful rehearsal. f. The Offertory Response. The occasional use of an offertory response taking the place of the organ voluntary or supplementary to it will aid in making the offering a more dignified and a more devout exercise. It may even take the place of the pastor’s dedication, the ushers stand- ing with bowed heads. g. The After-Piece. It may be wise occasionally, when the choir director has a selection exactly fitting and emo- tionally summing up the theme of the sermon and its closing application, to have the choir respond with a short THE STANDARD ORDER OF SERVICE __ 63 after-piece in an effective manner. ‘This should not neces- sarily take the place of his closing prayer, although it may do so. Certainly it should not displace the closing hymn by the congregation.® h. The Response to the Benediction. ‘The solemnity of the closing moments may be deepened, depending on the character of the service, by the singing of the Long Meter Doxology by the congregation after the benediction, if the service has been joyous and stirring, or of a soft, musical echoing of the “ Amen” of the benediction by the choir, if it has been quietly devotional and tender. t. The Length of the Responses. Aside from the offer- tory response, which may be of any length, none of these responses should be very extensive. Four to eight meas- ures for a response after prayer should be ample, particu- larly if the minister and the people are expected to retain the attitude of prayer during its singing. If the minister resumes his seat and the congregation its normal attitude, the response may be longer, but will lose some of its emo- * Where the numbers of the choir reinforce the sermons of the preacher the best results may be expected. Rev. Dr. W. H. Bates, a musical pastor (may their tribe increase!), reported in “The Choir Leader” some of his experiences: “I preached a sermon on “The Gospel of the Voice,’ Instantly after the prayer following the sermon, the soprano soloist sang Woodbury’s ‘If I Were a Voice’ most feelingly. A sermon on ‘The Redeemer’ from Job 9:25 had as a prelude Handel’s ‘I Know That My Redeemer Liveth,’ and was followed by McGranahan’s admirable ‘My Re- deemer.’ Where choirs preach with the preacher, preaching is much more effective. It is well for a minister to be constantly on the look-out for music that will specially fit his sermon themes, keeping a list of the pieces and then, when occasion occurs, have the singers as his assistant preachers.” *If responses are too long, part of the congregation will tire and straighten up and look about, and usually a general movement of restlessness is in evidence, 64: THE ORDER OF SERVICE tonal value, unless of unusual impressiveness. The re- sponse of the choir to the benediction should also be very short. The other suggested responses may be longer, but should not exceed sixteen measures, while eight measures will be better as a standard, else they will occupy too much time and lose their character as responses. j. All These Responses Are Not to Be Used in a Single Service. By no means introduce all these responses in every service; that would be to wear out their influence and to defeat one of the chief objects of their use,—the effective variation of the order of service. k. Organ Responses and Interludes. There may be organ interludes after the responsive reading, and after the long prayer and its response, to cover the confusion incident to the entrance of late comers, if their numbers justify these intrusions into the service. In many large churches there is a soft organ response after the long prayer. If used at all, for it has no real devotional value, it should be very short, not to exceed four measures, and should be used after a moment simply as a cover for the slight noise made by the audience in resuming its usual position. l. Linking Together the Items of the Service. Much ‘nterest will be created if the several features of the service are closely linked together. For instance, if the soloist has sung a hymn as a solo, it will be effective if, without a break, the hymn is sung by the congregation. If the minister in closing his long prayer will solemnly repeat the text of the following response by the choir, the response will be more impressive. The choir may repeat, with music as a response, the closing benediction of the preacher. The preacher may weave into his prayer lines of the hymn that is to follow it. THE STANDARD ORDER OF SERVICE 65 3. OutTSIDE ADDITIONS TO THE ORDER OF SERVICE a. Short Addresses. If there is occasion to introduce an outsider to make a plea in behalf of some worthy cause, it may be done after the first hymn or after the announce- ments. In the former place, the upward movement in religious interest has been sufficient to secure unity of attention and a common spirit of responsiveness to any good appeal. There is still time and opportunity to pre- pare the people for a devout reception of the long prayer by means of the responsive reading and the anthem, or solo. If the address is made before or after the an- nouncements, the climax of the worshipful half of the service will already have been reached and passed, and the intrusion will not be felt, being associated with the offer- tory which occupies the trough between the two emotional waves of the service. | b. Special Music Numbers. Special music by visiting artists, solo or otherwise, may be introduced at the same points without interrupting the progress of interest in the service; indeed, they may be great aids in deepening the devotional interest, if distinctly religious in character. If not, they will be a distraction, no matter what social or artistic interest_they excite, and should not be included in the service. 4. GrapuaL INTRODUCTION OF VARIATIONS To some ministers and devout people these variations of schedule in the service will be disturbing and distract- ing, as they are very sensitive to the shock of unexpected features in the service. Some of these objectors are truly devout, others are merely conventional. By gradually introducing the new features without conspicuousness, the difficulty may gradually be overcome. 66 THE ORDER OF SERVICE 5. Tur Buitpinc oF A Goop SERVICE Is Nor EASY To build a different service every Sunday will require a good deal of careful thought and attention to the details of preparation by both the minister and his co-workers. If they are willing to supply these for an entertainment or a concert, much more should they do so for the service of God’s house. ‘To standardise the service and reduce its preparation to a mechanical schedule, may simplify and minimise the necessity of thought and work, but the min- ister will not justly earn the reputation of “a workman that needeth not to be ashamed.” REVIEW QUESTIONS _ How should the announcements and offertory be treated? _ How should the didactic section of the service begin? _ What should be the purpose of the Scripture reading? _ Why should the main anthem follow, and what is its purpose? _ What is the occasion for a hymn immediately following the sermon? 6. What will the manner of its singing indicate? 7, Is the postlude a part of the service? If so, what should be its nature? 8 What is its usual fault and how can it be remedied? 9, Why should the Apostles’ Creed not be recited at every stated service ? 10. What other passages may the congregation recite? 11. What is the value of responses? 12. What choir introductions may be used? 13. What are the chief responses that may be used? 14. State the length of the several responses to be observed. 15. How may several exercises be linked together effectively ? 16, Where should short special addresses be introduced, and why? 17. Explain the limitations of special music numbers. 18. When should variations be slowly introduced? in & Ww NO IV FREE ORDERS OF SERVICE Class Room Suggestions: Emphasise the fact that the free order of service is not primarily intended to develop the worship- ful attitude of mind. Its objective is the attraction of the un- churched and their ultimate conversion. With this understanding invite the students to supply free orders of service, indicating whether they are intended for the attractional or the evangelistic sections of an extended campaign. There should be suggested in these outlines, the titles of the hymns or Gospel songs to be used, the titles of instrumental numbers and their instruments, the topics on which the offertory “ preludes” are based, the texts for the sermons, or the subjects of the addresses to be given. This will develop initiative and resourcefulness. 1. R&eGuULAR ORDER FoR SPIRITUAL EDIFICATION The foregoing study of the standard order of service has found it psychologically efficient for the great Sunday morning service. But the upbuilding of the faith of believers and the edification of saints is not the only task of the Christian church. While the various epistles of the New ‘Testa- ment discuss and emphasise the perfecting and growth of the spiritual life of believers, and are strangely silent regarding the spirit and methods of evangelising and con- verting the outside world, the whole effort of the Apos- tolic Church was bent on winning souls, and so extending the Kingdom of God. In his epistles Paul seems to en- visage only the spiritual welfare of the churches and the conservation and the spiritualising of existing congrega- tions; but in his indefatigable missionary tours he was evangelistically aggressive and successful to an amazing 67 68 THE ORDER OF SERVICE degree in the establishment of new centers of Christian influence. 2. INEFFECTIVENESS OF REPEATING THE MORNING SERVICE a. Novelty is Needed to Interest. To repeat the service of the morning in the evening assembly is to lose sight of the evangelistic purpose of the church, and to commit the psychological blunder of ignoring the demand of the mind for a fresh experience, as well as of overlooking the pro- gressive diminution of its responsiveness to a repeated impression. ‘This danger of devitalising any efficient method of impressing the minds of his people by excessive use should be ever before the minister. Huis study must ever be to find new methods and means, new applications and new variations of the old. b. The Purpose of the Evening Service ts Different. The need of throwing off the trammels of a rigid and mechanical order of service in the evening service is all the greater for two important reasons: (1) the purpose is different, (2) the people to be affected are presum- ably different, for a different class of people are likely to be attracted. In the morning service the purpose is worship and the edification of saints, while the evening should be given to the instruction, conviction, and con- version of sinners. c. It Will Attract Persons Who Respond to Varied Appeals. ‘There are many good Christian people who do not enjoy the formal morning service. It is too depress- ing to their nerves. There can also be no question but that the unchurched masses do not find the formal services appealing to them, for the same reason. They simply will not attend. The free evening service is more likely to attract them. FREE ORDERS OF SERVICE 69 3. SECURING THE ATTENDANCE OF THE UNCHURCHED The first problem is to secure the attendance of the people needing spiritual transformation. All too often ministers who accept the real purpose of the evening service give the service an evangelistic character and use evangelistic methods, when there is not a single uncon- verted person in the congregation. If a manufacturer or business man should so waste his energies and resources, a receivership would soon be ordered by a court. The evangelistic work of the evening service is there- fore a complex problem, and calls for carefully organised, ever changing yet consecutive methods of solution. a. The Lure of Song. No one will overlook the value of music in attracting the unconverted people of the com- munity. Of course, there are other excellent methods of attracting them, but none of them are more valuable. Everybody enjoys singing; therefore, congregational singing should be a very prominent part of the evening program, The chief factor is personal participation, stimulated by mental interest in the songs that are sung. Incidentally there may be,—nay, should be,—religious suggestiveness and even instruction, but fundamentally the lure of song should be used to attract and establish the habit of attendance on the part of those who are to be won. b. The Character of the Music. The final result is too infinitely important to permit petty personal tastes and artistic pride to control the character of the music used. Its appeal to the tastes of the persons to be attracted is the criterion to be observed. There will be no need of using “ jazz,’ or music with tawdry, vulgar, vaudeville associations, for the general public has some sense of fit- ness; but popular, not ecclesiastical, music must be used, songs that the people at large can sing spontaneously and with enjoyment. It will be important to select gospel 70 THE ORDER OF SERVICE songs that are generally known,—the current favourites. If there is adequate backing by a large formal or informal choir, entirely new songs may be cautiously introduced, for an effective new song well introduced is a tremendous creator of general interest. --¢, The Manner of Singing. These songs should not be sung in a stiff, formal, ecclesiastical way, but freely, naturally. ‘There may be exhortations to sing, variations in the manner of song, assignments to various parts of the congregation, ex tempore solos, repetitions of impor- tant verses and especially of choruses, changes in the force used for various verses or parts of song, comments on the sentiments of the hymn or illustrative and inspira- tional anecdotes. d. The Order of the Songs. Great finesse should be used in the selection and order of the songs used at the beginning of the service. The first song or two should be frankly rhythmical, being intended to find the people where they are and to stimulate them and unify them. The text should be good, but not profoundly religious. The people are not ready for deep feeling or for profound thought. ‘To sing “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” or “ My Jesus, I Love Thee,” at the opening of a miscellaneous meeting is little short of sacrilege. The third song may then be serious or even tender. The people have been won and the contrast will impress them. They may then be ready for “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name,” or “ Stand Up for Jesus,” to be followed by some- thing pathetic. ‘These contrasts are very important. A series of rattling songs and a series of quiet, sentimental songs are equally unfortunate. In any case there should be progress in the religious feeling expressed by them. e. The Immediate Purpose. The immediate purpose is to win undivided attention and to organise the personal FREE ORDERS OF SERVICE at units of the congregation into a mass whole, subject to mass psychology, by means of a common experience and common action. Physical exhilaration, a stimulus of mental and emotional interest along gregarious lines, are other essential results. f. The Adaptation to a Particular Congregation. ‘The average middle class community has been considered in the foregoing. Among a more cultivated people the phys- ical stimulus should be stressed less and the intellectual more. Merely rhythmical songs will give place to those that are more dignified. There will be less mere urging to sing and more effort to awaken interest in the songs by comment and illustration. The leader has still the funda- mental impulses to deal with, but the approach must be adapted to the greater sophistication of the audience and to the superficial factors of accepted convention or of culture. g. A Slight Change in the Opening Exercises Not Suf- ficient. Simply to replace the formal introductory ex- ercises of the morning service,—doxology, invocation, Gloria, and responsive reading,—with several popular songs and to continue the rigid order of service thereafter, is not sufficient. ‘The whole service must be free. The average non-church-goer resents the stiffness and formal- ity of the regular order of service. It is not impressive, but oppressive to him. Hence, while the same items of hymn, Bible reading, prayer, and address appear, their order is changed and their spirit of elevated solemnity is lightened by a free, enthusiastic rendition. h. The Introduction of Intellectual and Religious In- terest. Indifference and even latent hostility being neu- tralised, the attention won, the people welded into a psychological unit, an attitude of approbation and pleasure established, and a more or less vague religious tendency initiated, the following exercises should be selected with a 72 THE ORDER OF SERVICE view to the cumulative development of favourable mental interest and of a religious atmosphere. i. Supplements to the Choir. If there is a choir, it should be supplemented by a subsidiary organisation,—a men’s or women’s quartet, a children’s choir, a musical family, a string quartet, a brass band, in rare situations a mandolin club. If there is no choir, some of these are all the more important. They will supply the extra, unex- pected feature that will create additional interest. None of these should be constantly used, as they will soon wear out. If there is a choir, its selections should be calculated to please the people present. The proportion of purely devotional effects must depend on the religious average of the people present, in any case not too insistent. j. Instrumental Numbers. If there are to be any in- strumental solos in the program, they should be used in connection with the musical introduction, not during the later exercises. An exception may be made in favour of their offertory use. The guitar and mandolin, and even less the banjo, will rarely be available. The saxophone has unfortunately been so associated with “ jazz” that it is suggestive of ultra-secular impressions, but may be used with the proper selection of music. Care should be taken with the selection of the music of these instrumental solos and the minister should person- ally supervise it, lest cheaply rhythmical numbers with evil associations be performed. On the other hand, it does not need to be distinctly religious music. The ideal is good, attractive, popular music, without any evil associations. k. Bible Reading and Prayers. ‘The Bible reading should not be formal, but made appealing and vital by striking comment and illustration. There may be respon- sive reading, if the minister knows how to eliminate the FREE ORDERS OF SERVICE 73 formality of it. Two short prayers, intense and vibrant with feeling, and confined to a few specific requests, will be better than one that is long, formal, and all-inclusive. If there is illness, calamity or death, or if there are indi- vidual cases of anxiety of mothers or wives, or other Christian workers, for the conversion of relatives or friends, special requests for prayers will add to the general interest in the prayer service. It may be wise for the minister to suggest and secure requests for prayer during his personal visitations, for they will not only do good service in the public meeting, but react spiritually on the persons making them. 1. The Offertory and Its Accompanying Features. As there will be no particular upward devotional movement in danger of being checked, the announcements may be a little less formal and lightened up with some not too ex- uberant wit and humour. The offertory music may be an instrumental solo, a men’s or women’s quartet, a song by a Sunday-school class, or any other unusual musical num- ber. Instead of music, there may be a rapid-fire address on some civic or reform topic by a layman of good ad- dress in or outside of the congregation. In place of this, there may be a short illustrated sermon to children, or a semi-secular “prelude” by the preacher on a current topic. There may be a series of these “ preludes,” if the general topic binding them together is of commanding importance; but in general they should not occur at con- secutive evening services, or even at regular intervals. Variety and unexpectedness must be assiduously culti- vated. While all these supplementary addresses should be interesting and appealing to the unreligious element of the congregation, they should have a distinctly religious background, a never submerged assumption of religious truth. 74: THE ORDER OF SERVICE m. The Religious Address or Sermon, It will not be trespassing on the province of homiletics unduly to insist that formalism in the development of thought and in dig- nity of manner and vocabulary, proper to a worshipful morning service, must fall away with the clerical pulpit robes, and that the sermon must be a man-to-man address that will grip the minds and hearts of the hearers, The written sermon may be entirely wise in the morning, but in the popular evening meeting there should be no paper walls between the preacher and his audience, but a freely flowing tide of personal magnetism and responsiveness between them. ‘The selection of the topic and its treat- ment must alike find the people. Prejudices against popular oratory, against the use of dramatic portrayal, against the use of humour, against freedom of gesticu- lation and expressiveness of countenance, should all be laid aside. ‘The sacrifice of taste involved will not be great enough to jeopardise the hope of “turning many to righteousness.” | The sermon should be religious, but interestingly, at- tractively religious. Sam Jones and Billy Sunday have proved how plain and even brutal talk on the weaknesses of humanity will attract and interest the people. Of course, the established preacher cannot indulge in such sharp attacks as can peripatetic evangelists; but if plainly impersonal, plainly motivated by zeal for righteousness, without rancour or malice, and free from pharisaic self- righteousness, the sermon can bring very fearless, incisive, sharply phrased denunciations of sin and thereby only enhance its attractiveness to unreligious people. n. Substitutes for the Sermon. But in the early stages of the campaign to build up an evening congregation of unsaved people, it may be wise occasionally to replace the sermon with other attractive features. There may be FREE ORDERS OF SERVICE 75 lectures or addresses by outside speakers whose name will attract a congregation. ‘There may be a debate on some mooted question of general interest, led by speakers of known ability in the congregation or out of it. An occa- sional song service—not a sacred concert of secular music —or, better yet, a song sermon, will be greatly enjoyed by the people whose habit of churchgoing is to be established. The stereopticon and the moving picture projector will be useful tools, not to be set aside as allegedly sensational. For these services to accomplish the important task assigned them, they must be sensational, but religiously, spiritually sensational. They must have vigour, aggres- siveness, life, must thrill by their social, intellectual, emo- tional, religious interest. The means used to create and intensify that interest must be measured, not by the min- ister’s abstract, conventional ideals, but by their winning, eripping effect on the people who are to be attracted to the evening service and eventually to the fold of Christ. 0. The Closing Music. The closing music should be selected with the utmost care and discrimination, for it is the climax of the whole service. If there is special music, it should be very striking, very attractive, very impressive. This is no place for merely ordinary numbers. The final song should be a well known favourite, fitted to express enthusiasm, but not too light or too cheap. Instead of a postlude from the organ, have the choir, or occasionally the children’s chorus, sing a spirited number while the people reluctantly pass out. p. Additional Points. As the campaign for attendance proceeds successfully, and more and more people attend regularly, the aggressively religious element in the evening service should be increased and the merely attractional features gradually dropped out, to be used again when it becomes necessary to allure new material to work upon. 76 THE ORDER OF SERVICE There should be no hurry to “draw the net.” Better wait until indications of spiritual interest are met in pri- vate intercourse with the people and until success 1s assured. Once its use is justified, its success will thrill a congregation as can no other exercise. Its failure will be an unhappy anti-climax. Such a service is not subject to the one-hour restriction. For an oppressive, solemn, not to say all too often dull and stupid service, an hour is a sufficient strain on the loyalty of good church people. But people will gladly stay an hour and a half, yes, two hours, at a religious service that is profoundly interesting, filled with surprises, increasingly thrilling, and go away, wishing it had been longer. But unless or until the minister is sure that his evening service meets the foregoing specifications, he had better observe the sixty minute schedule. , 4. OTHER MEETINGS There are other meetings than the evening service where the program must be informal and free. a. Tent and Tabernacle Meetings. ‘There are tent, tabernacle, street and shop services where the mental attitude of the gathered people is not only not devout, but is absolutely indifferent, if not actually hostile. Their attention, good-will, and sympathy must be won before the message will get a hearing. A series of good stories, humourous at first and then tender, followed by the sing- ing of familiar songs, will likely solve the problem in the most sullen crowd. A religiously rather vapid but melodious and rhythmical song may be of great service at this point. Sharp, idealistic, superfine criticism of such selections often goes badly astray, because of ignorance of this preliminary necessity. To use deeply spiritual hymns to secure this introductory physical result would FREE ORDERS OF SERVICE 77 often be sacrilegious. Once the assembled crowd is thor- oughly in hand, the devouter songs may be used to ad- vantage. The succeeding parts of the service will then be only an intensified duplicate of the evening program already analysed. b. General Union Meetings. ‘Then there are union meetings of all the churches where civic problems, moral reforms, philanthropic causes are to be considered. There are Y. M. C. A. and Y. W. C. A. meetings for various purposes that need definite schedules of events. There are great conventions of Sunday-school workers, of young people’s societies, of missionary representatives, of prohibition leaders, whose success depends on the welding together of somewhat heterogeneous elements. In all of these the use of religious songs and hymns is of commanding importance. When sustained attention brings fatigue and dulls the sharp edge of interest, a song or two will refresh and stimulate the jaded energies and sensitise heart and mind for the further impressions to be received. Here again the proper selection of music must be made. Heavy, slow, solemn music is not stimulating but de- pressing and will not serve the purpose. “ Coronation,” “ Aurelia,” “ Portuguese Hymn,” “ St. Gertrude,” ‘“ Re- gent Square,” and others of like character, will do very well among dignified bodies made up of older people; but in gatherings of younger people the livelier gospel songs are needed. c. Competent Leadership. In all cases there is need of a leader who leads, who can secure full participation, who can vitalise the sentiments of the hymns that are sung, by striking, witty, emotional comment. Such comment must be very short. To make even short addresses is to put one’s foot on the brake pedal, instead of on the accelerator. 78 THE ORDER OF SERVICE 5. MINISTERIAL ADAPTATION TO FREE SERVICES There are many ministers who shrink from these cavalry raids into the enemy’s country, as endangering the dignity which they feel is important to their Sunday morn- ing service. But there are too many others who succeed in both types of service to warrant such anxiety. Indeed, the habit of treating a service in an emotional style will only intensify the interest in the staider morning service, and prevent its formalism from degenerating into mechan- ical routine. REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. What task co-ordinate to the edification of believers has the Christian Church? 2. Why is repeating the order of the morning service ineffective? 3. How can the attendance of the unchurched be secured? 4. In using music to attract an attendance, what considerations obtain? 5. Why is care needed in the selection of opening songs? 6. What is the purpose of the opening song? 7. When should more definitely intellectual and religious features be introduced? 8. How may the choir be supplemented? 9. When should instrumental numbers be used? 10. What should be the spirit of the Bible reading and of the prayers? 11. What variations may be made in connection with the offertory ? 12. Suggest the character of the sermon or address. 13. What substitutes may be used for the sermon? 14. Why is the closing music important? 15. How fast should the religious element be increased? 16. How soon should the invitation be given? 17. How long should such a free service be? ’ 18. How win an audience in a tent or tabernacle, or on the street? 19. What is the problem in great general meetings or conventions? 20. Should a minister shrink from these free, popular meetings? PART UI THE PIPE ORGAN AND THE ORGANIST A PRAYER FOR THE CHOIR AND ORGANIST “ Almighty God, who hast ordained the faculties of man to be the eternal instruments of rendering to Thee glory and praise; and hast moved the hearts of these Thy servants to desire to serve thee in singing Thy praises, or in playing on instruments of music unto the praise of Thy name in the midst of the congrega- tion, grant them, we beseech Thee, Thy blessing and grace. O Thou, whose name is Holy, who willest that all things in Thy House should be holiness unto Thee, sanctify these thy servants, we humbly beseech Thee, in this holy ministry; endue them with the spirit of worship in Thy holy fear; and give unto them to sing the songs of the Spirit with the spirit and with the under- standing ; that through the presence and power of the Holy Ghost they may edify themselves and all Thy congregation in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with grace in their hearts. Hear us, for the sake of Jesus Christ, to whom, with Thee and the Holy Ghost, be glory and praise forever. Amen.” —(Liturgy of the Catholic Apostolic Church.) V THE PIPE ORGAN Class Room Suggestions: An extra hour may well be spent in the organ loft of some church examining all parts of the pipe organ under the supervision of a competent organist, or organ mechanic. No matter whether the class has done so before; there will remain much to be learned and, pedagogically, great is the power of iteration. The value of the several stops should be care- fully canvassed, not only as to pitch, but as to quality of tone. The accessories, also, should be explained and their action made clear,—couplers, swell pedal, etc. The acoustics of the church in their relation to the organ may be given attention. Do not hurry the examination; give the students time to digest what they see and hear. Have students scatter into accessible churches and report at the next recitation their impressions of the organists they hear. Supplementary Reading: Peter C. Lutkin, “Music in the Church,” The Young Churchman Co., Milwaukee, Wis.; Wash- ington Gladden, “Parish Problems,’ The Century Co. New York; Waldo S. Pratt, “ Musical Ministries,’ The Fleming H. Revell Co., New York; F. G. Edwards, “ United Praise,” J. Cur- wen & Sons, London; J. S. Curwen, “ Studies in Worship Music,” First and Second Series, J. Curwen & Sons, London; E. E. Min- shall, “Organs, Organist and Choirs,” J. Curwen & Sons, Lon- don; Dudley Buck, “Illustrations in Choir Accompaniment,” G. Schirmer, New York; John Mann Walker, “ Better Music in Our “este The Methodist Book Concern, Cincinnati and New ork. 1. Past UssE oF THE PIPE ORGAN While the early church forbade all instrumental music in the church service, partly because of its evil heathen associations, partly because there had been no instrument developed that could express the calm and dignified re- ligious emotions, the need of it was constantly felt. Even when the organ was still in its calliopean stage, bellowing its unisons so that it could be heard furlongs away, it was 81 82 THE PIPE ORGAN AND THE ORGANIST used in the larger cathedrals, and the sharp, squeaking, portable organs were used in the smaller cathedrals and churches. But when the bellowing monster was bitted and bridled, the need of instrumental support, to establish the pitch and to unify the discordant voices of the singers, was so urgent, that the organ was everywhere introduced except in Scotch and Puritan sections. 2. Tuer NEED oF INSTRUMENTAL SUPPORT The ability to sustain an established pitch is too de- pendent on individual musical sensitiveness, on individual health, on individual responsiveness to weather conditions, that a congregation should be able to sing together in an edifying manner without instrumental support. Without the support of an organ, it used to be necessary to pitch the tunes in a high key to provide a margin for the inevi- table falling of the pitch during a long psalm. In an un- accompanied congregation made up of persons without much musical sensitiveness there may be various degrees of flatting with a cacophonous result most painful to the sensitive listener. Hence the need of an instrumental support that will sustain the pitch and unify the voices of those who have the needed ear to rely upon it. There are persons whose musical gifts are so rudimentary that even with such help they cannot keep in tune. The instrument, to some extent, at least, will cover up the discords. The harmony of the chords played by the instrumental leader, will give a cue to the basses and altos who cannot sing the melody, but have a natural instinct for separate parts that are concordant. It will be seen that the use of instruments in divine worship is not a matter of principle, but of sheer expedi- ency. That the ignorance or self-assertion of the player may lead to abuses detrimental to true worship, no prop- THE PIPE ORGAN 83 erly informed person will deny. The same objections might be raised to sermons! 3. OTHER INSTRUMEN'’S USED To SUPPORT VOICES What that instrumental support shall be is again a mat- ter of expediency. It depends on the instruments avail- able, the ability and training of the players, the character of the religious meeting and the responsiveness of the people to be affected. a. Solo Instruments. Among solo instruments, the cornet and the trombone are usually most available and successful. The violin is frequently used, but has not enough body of tone and is too incisive in quality and range, to be used alone. The violoncello would be better, but is not often to be had and is rarely used. Of course, none of these solo instruments have any har- monic value. b. Orchestra. ‘The use of an orchestra has gone out of fashion, although it preceded the organ in. ante- revolutionary days in Europe and New England. The organ is more practicable and has taken its place. Where the orchestra can be organised, its use is still to be encour- aged, as adding colour and interest to festivals and special occasions. c. Piano. Advantages. The piano has more frequent use. Its sharp attack controls an audience and marks the rhythm well. It is excellent for choir rehearsal, as it indicates the time well and does not cover up the mistakes of the singers. It is particularly useful in the Sunday- school, in large conventions and in lively evangelistic meetings. It has the further advantage that competent players can easily be secured. Disadvantages. Its disadvantages are that to most hearers its associations are with light, frivolous music, 84 THE PIPE ORGAN AND THE ORGANIST that most pianists play with undue stress on the rhythmical possibilities of popular church music, depreciating its re- ligious value, and that it lacks the churchly dignity of sustained tone. Its attack on the nerves also is irritating instead of calming, because every note is a sharp stroke on the strings. While the piano is quite expressive emo- tionally, it does not suggest worshipful emotion. Another drawback is that there is really very little religious piano music issued, and pianists are almost forced to select purely secular compositions for their voluntaries, for most distinctively organ music, because of its sustained notes, is impossible on a piano. d. The Reed Organ, Its Advantages and Disadvantages. The reed organ is still used in many of the smaller con- gregations, and used quite effectively. While its range of tone quality is very limited, and it is not strong enough to carry a large congregation, it has a churchly, sustained tone that carries, and blends with the congregational and choir voices nearly as well as the pipe organ. For regular church service use it is far superior to the piano, although for the Sunday-school and popular meeting the latter in- strument is to be preferred. In this country the reed organ is unduly despised by the average musician, partly because of the wide distribu- tion of cheap and badly voiced instruments. In Germany and in England the harmonium, as the reed organ is there called,t has very considerable artistic standing. Some of * There is this distinction between the American reed organ and the European harmonium that in the former the air is drawn through the reeds and in the latter it is blown through. In the American instrument the reeds are very slightly twisted, which affects the quality of the tone somewhat. The Vocalion in Amer- ica is built on the principle of the European instrument and, like that, is louder and harsher in tone. THE PIPE ORGAN 85 the outstanding musical composers, such as Krag-Elert, write fairly elaborate music for it. The substitution of the piano for it is unfortunate. Unless a competent organ player cannot be secured, it is a mistake to substitute the piano for the reed organ. Bet- ter get a more elaborate pedal reed organ with more variedly voiced stops and so create interest in it. In gen- eral it may be said that an adequate reed organ fairly well played is more serviceable than a pipe organ poorly played. Many an excellent reed organ is unjustly condemned be- cause it is not properly cared for. It is set up against a damp outside wall with the result that transmission rods swell and stick and the glued joints in its structure give way. The dust that is drawn through the bellows settles on the transmission and on the reeds, interfering with the action and with the quality of the tone. Place the reed organ in a dry place, not a warm place necessarily, and give it a periodical cleaning. In clearing the reeds of dust, use both a stiff and a soft brush to assure complete re- moval of the dust. A superficial cleaning may actually make the action and tone worse. 4. Tur Prez OrcAN More and more the pipe organ is being introduced into our churches. Its variety of voicing, its dignity of sus- tained tone, its large and varied literature for church use, combine to give it the pre-eminence. a. Not An Unmixed Good. Whether a congregation ought to have a pipe organ or not, will very largely depend upon its musical as well as its financial resources. In many a church there is suddenly developed an ambi- tion for a pipe organ. The people hardly know why they want it. Some think it is more up to date. Others think its absence an unanswerable proof of the inferiority of 86 THE PIPE ORGAN AND THE ORGANIST their church. A few want a pipe organ because they realise its artistic and religious possibilities. The fact is that a pipe organ is not an’ unmixed good. In some churches it is rather an unmixed evil. Given a small congregation that is not hearty in its participation in the service of song, given an organist who thinks he is the whole thing, and that the more stops he pulls out the more evident is his musical capacity, and the organ becomes a thing of evil.” The introduction of the pipe organ with its instrumental numbers is a pronounced formalising influence. The free- dom and spontaneity of public worship, so grateful to less cultivated congregations, disappears. ‘The opposition to organs by the Reformers and by the Wesleys was not a mere vagary, but had deep psychological roots. Their spontaneous and intense type of piety instinctively re- sented the mechanical, formal worship the “ Kist o’ Whussels ” represented. b. Its Advantages. On the other hand, if you have a large congregation that sings with unanimity and power, requiring strong instrumental support, and an organist who knows his own proper place and that of the organ, the pipe organ may be made a most valuable aid in the public service. The choir will not only have more ade- quate support, but its music will have greater variety of tone colour, and a wider range of expression. ?“Tt is far easier to make an organ than an organist. The in- strument is ready in a few months; the player is the slow result of years. The organ, moreover, is an instrument which allows boundless scope for indiscretion; its very capabilities are its weak- ness in the hands of an injudicious or ignorant player. Unfor- tunately, only a small proportion of the rank and file of our organists have been trained. This is their misfortune and not their fault.”—J. S. Curwen in “ Studies in Worship Music.” First Series. ( THE PIPE ORGAN 87 When we come to consider the purely instrumental numbers of the service, the pipe organ is vastly superior to the reed organ, not to speak of the piano. Its range of power, its great variety of voicing, its general expressive- ness, make it possible to command an impressiveness and emotionality that could only be secured through a large and well-equipped orchestra. The pipe organ has many advantages, but the decision in favour of it should depend on whether the size of the congregation and its varied needs require one, and whether a really competent and genuinely musical organist can be secured. 5. THE CaArE OF THE PIPE ORGAN It must be kept in good condition. It will be unneces- sary to repeat the advice given in “Church Music,” a previous volume in this series, regarding the purchase of a pipe organ, but the fact that this instrument must be kept in good condition should be emphasised. a. Mechanical Parts That Need Watching. Some of the notes have an unfortunate fashion of cyphering; the action is slow or sticks; the reeds need retuning; the bel- lows may leak or be wrongly weighted; the couplers may work badly; perhaps the whole organ needs a cleaning up, for the dust of the years covers pipes and action. The motor is unreliable ; the water motor has not been greased since time immemorial ; the electric motor may have unre- liable connections or a short circuit. b. Competent Supervision Needed. All these items should be under the supervision of a competent organ tuner. He should be held responsible for its being kept in tune and for small repairs that may be needed. A regular fee should be allowed for this work with extra pay for more extensive repairs: Even the cleaning of the organ may not be committed to untrained hands, lest the dust 88 THE PIPE ORGAN AND THE ORGANIST that rests where it is doing no harm be transferred to places where it will. The unhappy results of extreme changes of temperature during the winter, and of dampness, may be avoided by placing in the organ an electric heating device with proper precautions against fire. c. Proper Ventilation Needed. ‘There are few organs that are systematically and effectively ventilated. Ventila- tion is of great importance, as it prevents the dampness which produces rust and rot in the delicate mechanism. It also equalises the temperature of the organ and so obvi- ates the difference of pitch between its different parts. It may be well for the blower to draw the air from the outside to cool the pipes in the case of churches that are likely to be overheated. d. When the Organ Cyphers. There are few more troublesome and distracting events in a church service than the cyphering of the pipe organ, the continued sound- ing of some one pipe. Organists of experience will at once push in the stop to which the offending pipe belongs. Sometimes continued striking of the key will remove the dust or other intruding matter that prevents the valve from closing, or will release the spring that has caught. But when the full organ is on, it is a little difficult to identify the offending stop, and then the most immediate remedy is to stop the motor that fills the bellows. Some- one should be appointed and properly instructed to do this without loss of time at the nod of the organist. If there is a “handy” man about, he can lift out the offending pipe, place a heavy piece of cardboard over the hole, weight it down with the pipe and so stop the rush of air. The motor can then be started and the organ used for immediate services until the organ is permanently repaired. e. The Custodian of the Organ. ‘The organ is so com- THE PIPE ORGAN 89 plicated an instrument, and hence so easily put out of commission, and is so expensive to repair, that it is an open question whether anyone other than the organist should be permitted to play on it. On the other hand, so large an investment should yield dividends of usefulness beyond its use one day in the week. Frequently there will be persons in the congregation or community of reliable character, who would be delighted with the opportunity to practice upon it and so prepare themselves for usefulness in the musical service of some church. In general, the custody of the organ should be com- mitted to the organist under the general supervision of some competent official of the church. However, there should be a distinct understanding as to whether he can use it as a practice instrument for his. pupils. 6. Tur Stupy oF THE PIPE ORGAN a. The Study of Registration Values. One of the first requisites to good playing is to know one’s organ thor- oughly. Not only the individual stops with their individ- ual values, and the exact limitations of their value, but also their relation to other stops in combination, or in contrast, must be thoroughly comprehended. The value of the accessories—combination stops, grand crescendo pedal, swell pedal, and couplers must not only be under- stood, but be fully impressed upon the subconscious mind. But this profound acquaintance cannot be secured by merely playing ; the organist must listen to his instrument. Unless his console is far removed from the organ, he is at the worst possible place to hear and analyse properly the effect his playing is producing on the congregation. Many organs are so badly placed that the sound is re- flected back and forth before it reaches the ear of the organist. In many cases the ear of the player is a whole 90 THE PIPE ORGAN AND THE ORGANIST beat behind his fingers! His softer passages he may not hear at all. Even at best, no matter how rarely well an organ may be placed, the organist cannot get the niceties of his playing, for his attention is disturbed by the manip- ulation of stops, combinations, pedals, as well as the direc- tion of fingers, and feet, no matter how subconscious their control has become. b. How to Study It. The only way to study one’s organ successfully is to be a listener in different parts of the church in a series of tryouts with a competent fellow- organist on the bench. ‘The tone quality of individual stops and of their various combinations on the same man- ual, or by couplers, should be worked out systematically and the results carefully noted and tabulated. The question of the power of the stops individually and in combination should also be equally systematically and ex- haustively studied. The advantages and the defects of the particular organ must be canvassed, for pipe organs have marked individuality, not being standardised and made in great job lots like a cheap automobile. Stops with the same name in different organs by no means pro- duce the same effect. They may differ in material, work- manship, voicing and scale. With such a thorough-going inventory of the possibili- ties and limitations of his instrument, the organist will be saved from submerging the soloist, or even the choir, with overloud registration in manual or pedals. He will also have secured a wider range and greater expressiveness of registration. c. The Study of Its Mechanism. It is important that the organist shall be thoroughly conversant with the mechanism of his instrument. It is a complicated struc- ture, it is true, but that is only the greater reason for his understanding it; who else can be expected to be inter- THE PIPE ORGAN 91 ested enough to investigate its details? There is a valve here, a spring there, to get out of order; the danger of a short circuit in the electric-pneumatic transmission is always present; the weights on the wind chest need ad- justing ; the swell pedal sticks or works hard; the reeds are out of tune,—what a multitude of accidents are hap- pening that call only for the touch of a deft hand, such as the organist should be able to supply. If the organist’s fingers are all thumbs in mechanical work, he had better hunt up an organ expert, or an organ factory, and acquire the necessary manual skill. REVIEW QUESTIONS . Why was the organ opposed for so many centuries? . Why is instrumental support for church singing necessary? 3. What instruments, aside from the organ, have been used for support ? 4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the piano for this purpose? 5. When is the reed organ advisable? 6. How should a reed organ be cared for? 7 8 hie . Why do some congregations desire a pipe organ? . When is it inadvisable? 9. What care does a pipe organ need? 10. What shall be done when the organ cyphers? 11. Who should be the custodian of the organ? 12. State what occasion there is for studying the organ. 13. How should its stops be studied? 14. Why should the organist study the mechanism of the organ? VI THE ORGANIST Class Room Suggestions: The impressions made upon the stu- dents by the organists they heard on the previous Sunday may be used to make the points raised in this chapter concrete and vivid. Other experiences by both professor and students may well be drawn out. Emphasise the religious character of the organist. 1. Tur IMPORTANCE OF THE ORGANIST The selection of an organist is almost as serious a mat- ter as the choice of a pastor. He conditions the success of the public service almost as much as does the preacher, for he is a personality plus a great instrument; he affects, yes, he may be said to control, the work of both congregation and choir, and creates the atmosphere in which the public worship moves. An incompetent, blundering organist fre- quently spoils the whole effect of the church service. Occasionally the church organ is badly abused by an ambitious organist to the sore detriment of the religious effectiveness of the music and consequently of the whole service. As Mrs. E. L. Ashford has said, “ Many players — seem to be of the opinion that the vocal efforts of the choir and of the congregation are for the purpose of fur- nishing a sort of accompaniment to a brilliant display of organ technic. As a result of this mistaken idea, the in- offensive church organ is frequently given an importance to which it has not a legitimate right.’ When the organist plays preludes, offertories, postludes, and even interludes, he is no longer a negligible quantity. If the purpose is to bring worship to a loving God and comfort to His buffeted and harassed children, the soft 92 THE ORGANIST 93 strains of the opening voluntary will quiet the nerves and the minds of the assembly of strenuous people who have gathered. Has the minister a call to the reverent consider- ation of some sublime aspect of the divine nature, the majestic pealing of the organ will weld the unorganised multitude into one body full of solemn thought. In his prelude he becomes the temporary chairman whose duty it is to announce the purpose of the meeting. Not all organists realise the importance of their volun- taries in creating the atmosphere of the service. No, this is not impracticable theorising. The bands on the streets have more sense of fitness and tact in adapting their music to the occasion than have many of our organists.* 2. WHo SHALL SELECT THE ORGANIST? The responsibility of selecting an organist should not be taken lightly, therefore, or laid upon incompetent persons. Where there is a music committee, they are presumably the most capable representatives of the church. The ad- vice of an organist generally recognised as competent, should be sought, making due allowance for the personal equation of prejudice, or of self-interest as a teacher. The pastor, as head of the church and responsible for its success, must have a controlling voice in the selection of this subordinate. 3. THE QUALIFICATIONS The important points to be considered in canvassing the merits of a candidate may be catalogued as follows: 1Thibaut, whose “ Purity in Music” was highly commended by Robert Schumann, while speaking of the effect of much organ playing, remarks, “ The prelude unfits him (¢. e., the hearer) for the chorale, and the intricate interlude goes a great way to dis- tract his attention, and the sole aim of the concluding voluntary seems to be to obliterate the sermon and everything else.” 94 THE PIPE ORGAN AND THE ORGANIST a. He Should Be An All-round Competent Player. He must be a competent player, accurate, expressive, adapt- able. He must not only be able to play a brilliant postlude, but emotional music in an effective way. Huis hymn tune playing, his accompaniments to soloists and choir, and his smooth adaptability to the varied spirit and needs of the service, must all be beyond question. Better an organist who can meet all the requirements reasonably well than the genius who meets but one of them supremely well. b. He Should Have a Knowledge of Musical Theory. He should have a fair knowledge of the theory of music, including harmony. It will give an intelligent basis for his judgment as to the merits of various compositions. In his improvisation and method of playing music that calls for minor adaptations such as transposition, in the accu- racy of his sight reading, it will be a great help. It will mean a broader musical culture for himself and a basis of authority over his subordinate associates. c. He Should Have Ability to Interpret Texts. He need not be a literary man, but ought at least to have general culture enough to understand and interpret the hymn, solo, and anthem texts of the compositions he ex- pects to play. If they are merely pegs on which the music is hung, how can his playing interpret and express their deeper meanings and feelings? d. He Should Be a Gentleman. ‘The organist ought to be a gentleman. He has relation to so many people, from the pastor down, that he cannot do proper team work with them unless he is considerate and thoughtful of others, gracious, tactful, obliging, patient, ready to help.” *“ The position demands much more than executive ability and skill in building on a figured bass. It requires infinite tact, knowl- edge of human nature, as represented by church officials and chor- isters, presence of mind and general resourcefulness, in addition THE ORGANIST 95 e. He Should Be in Sympathy with the Work of the Church. He must be able to respond to the plans of the pastor, and enter into the feelings of the congregation. A Catholic or a Jewish organist cannot hope, with all good intentions, to fit into a Protestant environment. An organ- ist brought up in a liturgical atmosphere will have diff- culty in fitting into the less formal life of a non-liturgical church. It is not a matter of musical skill, or of outward adaptation, but of the spirit and of the ideals of purpose underlying them. A selfish, self-centered man, regardful only of his own tastes and predilections, unable to enter into points of view and lines of susceptibility other than his own, will not make a religious success of his work however brilliant his merely musical success may be. Many an organist, with a great reputation musically, is actually a pitiable religious failure. What James Orth said of De Pachmann’s playing should be true of every organist: “Unless you can draw tears from your instrument, and incidentally from your auditors as well, the call is not very loud for you to enter the field of music as a performer.” ® to mechanical competence and musical taste. The man who has mixed with his fellows, and bought a varied experience, is of far more worth than the man who has spent his days in finger exer- cises and his nights in cramming for a degree.”—J. Cuthbert Hadden in “ The Choir Leader.” ®“Tt is strange that many churches are utterly indifferent to the spirituality of their musical leaders, when they are solicitous about that of their pastors. Nothing points so clearly as this to the widespread misapprehension of the real function of music in wor- ship. The organist or chorister, if he is anything, is a leader or guide in the act of worship. ... Yet, in many places, he is treated with a frivolous thoughtlessness. He is looked upon as an enter- tainer, a purveyor of luxury, like the upholsterer that cushions the pews. ... He is rarely expected to act as if charged with any religious responsibility. His religious character is often not even considered. Even his morality may be notoriously bad without 96 THE PIPE ORGAN AND THE ORGANIST f. He Should Be a Christian. He must, to do the fore- going, be not only a man of good moral character, but a Christian, a man of devoutness and of earnest religious conviction and understanding. Nothing less will do, if the service is to be devotionally successful.* A stream cannot rise higher than its source; the religious value of church music has its fountain head in the heart of the organist. g. Women Are Eligible. While women have not been prominent as composers or concert organists, they have many conspicuous qualities fitting them for organists and choir directors. They have a higher average than men in responsiveness to high sentiment, in faithfulness to. ac- cepted duty, in alertness of mind and fertility of resources, and in devoutness and spirituality. They are also less prone to mere professionalism, the bane of genuinely re- ligious work. In the selection of an organist, therefore, the question of sex need not be raised. h. The Organist May Be the Director. It is a mooted question whether the organist should be also the choir director. There is no universal answer ; too much depends upon the organist’s personality as well as ability, upon the size of the choir and upon the elaborateness of the musical service. With most players, however, the division of at- tention between their own work and that of the choir is fatal to great success in either. With a competent quartet choir, it is entirely feasible. ‘There are men, here and there, who do succeed with a chorus choir, 4. MerHop oF EXAMINATION It might be well if American churches took the selection apparently disqualifying him.”—-Waldo S. Pratt in “ Parish Problems.” *Henry Ward Beecher, in commending his organist, John Zundel, remarked, “ He prays with his fingers.” THE ORGANIST 97 of an organist as seriously as do those of England, and try out a prospective candidate before actually engaging him. Some bad misfits might be avoided. Such an examination should take place in the presence of the pastor, the music committee, the choir, and of invited guests whose judg- ment may seem desirable. A candidate whose person- ality and work are well known in a community would not call for such a formality, but an outsider, no matter what his references and recommendations, (they usually repre- sent good-will rather than good judgment) should not object to a thorough try-out. The following schedule covers the needed points to be investigated : a. The playing of two church voluntaries, a quiet num- ber, calling for nice interpretation and emotional expres- sion, and a brilliant postlude, both of the candidate’s selection. b. The playing at sight of a voluntary selected by the pastor or one of his aides. c. The transposing a step, or a half step, at sight of a hymn tune selected by the pastor and the modulation from one key to another. d. Accompanying the choir in a hymn and in an anthem, evidencing not only mere digital accuracy, but style and spirit in both the introduction and the manner of accompanying itself. e. Accompanying a solo at sight in a song calling for careful interpretation. Note the registration and the player’s contribution to the effectiveness of the solo. f. If the candidate is to conduct the choir, he should rehearse an anthem, mutually agreed upon, noting his in- terpretation and his ability to control the work of the choir by means of his instrument. It should be remem- bered that the intelligence of the choir is as important a 98 THE PIPE ORGAN AND THE ORGANIST factor as the ability of the organist conductor. If the choir is slow to follow the organ, it may be well to supply a separate director. g. Finally, there should be a test by means of an actual service. Carefully note the adaptation of his work to the service as a whole, his team work with the pastor, with the congregation in the singing of the hymns, with the choir in its anthem and responses, with the soloist in making the accompaniment a help in knitting it closely into the movement of the service, the selection of the voluntaries and the spirit in which they are played, their proper rela- tion to what precedes and to what follows, and to the spirit of the service as a whole.® h. His team work with the choir director and the choir should be noted. His interpretation of the hymns of the service ought also to be carefully observed. i. His arrangement of his music on his desk, ready for immediate use without the loss of a moment, is quite 1m- portant. It will be also significant as indicating his gen- eral competence. While this thorough schedule of examination may not be observed in most churches, it will at least serve to sug- gest the lines of investigation which ought to be privately - pursued. 5. THE OrGANIS?T’S RELATION TO THE PASTOR If the service is to be a unit, the organist must fit his work into the general plan. How can he do this if he doesn’t know it? Who is responsible for the general plan? The minister, of course; the strategy of the service lies in his hands. But what if the minister does not formally 5 This assumes that the minister has carefully built up the order of service, and assigned to the organist his specific share in its development. THE ORGANIST 99 inform the organist what he is planning and consult him about it? Why, then, the wise organist will consult with the unwise minister, for no sensible subordinate will proceed on his own initiative, unless his superior of- ficer has formally instructed and authorised him to do so. No major in a regiment looks upon his colonel as a ‘“ meddlesome, interfering busybody,” because he sends him his instructions and orders. That is the colonel’s business; it is the major’s business to accept and obey them. If the organist is unwilling to know and loyally to accept his subordinate relation, let him resign his commission. The state of war, that often exists between an arbitrary, tactless parson and his self-sufficient, unteachable organ- ist, is amusingly illustrated in Thibaut’s volume quoted above. ‘Thibaut himself says, “ Really, it is above com- prehension how the clergy have quietly borne the delin- quencies of organists,” to which his translator replies in a note, “It is to us quite incomprehensible how educated musicians have so meekly put up with the insolence of unmusical and bigoted clergymen.” Really, both deserve sympathy, in spite of the fact that both are at fault. The clergyman is too domineering and too dogmatic regarding details ; the organist is too self-important over his tech- nical skill, and too narrow in his views and sympathies to comprehend the subordination of his share of the service to the more important general purpose in view. It is the -preacher’s task, as presumably the broader and more sym- pathetic man, to prevent such an ecclesiastical war by establishing the sympathetic co-operation, through which alone the right results can be obtained. 6. THE PLAyinc oF Hymn TuNEsS There can be no good organ playing without plenty of 100 THE PIPE ORGAN AND THE ORGANIST practice on the hymn tunes. Practice on brilliant volun- taries will not take the place of it. The hymn tunes give opportunity for the dignity that is characteristic of the instrument; they also give opportunity for strong, con- secutive, smooth pedalling, as do few instrumental num- bers. The needed steadiness of attack and tempo, the variations of Jegato and staccato needed to keep the con- gregation up to time or to indicate in broad lines the proper expression called for by the sentiment of the sev- eral verses—all have both mental and digital value. It would be well if the organist should memorise thor- oughly at least fifty of the most used tunes. He would be able to watch the hymn more closely and adapt his playing to its sentiment more fully. In depressing weather he can then make the singing easier for the congregation by transposing the tune a half or even a whole step lower. He could also adapt himself in case the congregation flats. 7. INTERLUDES Many organists are unduly fond of interludes. ‘They play a long one after each verse and so waste very valu- able time. Usually a single interlude in a hymn of four or five verses is ample. The habit of always playing an interlude before the last verse is absurdly mechanical.® Too much depends on the development of the thought of * The interlude before the last verse of a hymn has a curious origin. Up to half a century ago it was still the custom for the minister in the Established Church to wear his white robes during the reading of service and lessons and to preach in black robes. During the hymn sung before the sermon the needed change was made in the vestry. The interlude was played before the last verse as a signal for him to enter the pulpit. The change of robes has passed away, but the penultimate interlude persists and has spread to non-liturgical churches. THE ORGANIST 101 the hymn. To divide the last two intimately associated verses of the hymn, “ Alas, and Did My Saviour Bleed,” with a long interlude is sheer wickedness. Interludes are in place only where there is a definite cleavage in the line of thought. If there is a marked change in the emotional character of the verses, an interlude will serve admirably to make the necessary transition. An interlude is valuable only as it is made valuable by thoughtfulness and adaptation to the purpose for which the hymn is sung. To treat it only as a breathing place for the choir and congregation, and to make it a vague groping after ideas that do not materialise into a definite contribution to the song service, is all the more unfortu- nate that it is so common. The best the minister can do in such a case is to consult with the organist regarding the proper place for an interlude, and reduce his thoughtless interruption to the smallest space of time possible. REVIEW QUESTIONS . Why is care in the selection of an organist important? . What share should the pastor ‘have in his selection? . What musical qualifications should an organist have? What personal traits are essential? . Should the organist also be the director? . Why should organists submit to a formal examination? What nine points are suggested as a basis for examination? _ State what the organist’s official and personal relations should be to the pastor. 9, What is needed for good hymn tune playing? 0. Why does an organist play over the tune before the congre- gation sings? 11. Why should an organist memorize the more usual tunes ? 12. What discrimination should be used in playing interludes? ONIAMPRWN VII THE ORGANIST (Conctupep) Class Room Suggestions: Persuade some bright organist to play for the class, illustrating vividly the faults against which warning is given. A little exaggeration will do no harm, nor will a touch of humour. The trouble may be to find an organist who is not himself guilty of some of these objectionable faults. 8. THE ACCOMPANYING OF SoLos a, Sympathetic Understanding. An organist’s ability to accompany soloists well is of prime importance.! It is important that the organist shall be a good accompan- ist rather than merely a good solo player, although, if he is both, so much the better. The work of the soloists depends very much on the proper playing of the accom- paniment. There is a comradeship between a soloist and his sympathetic, comprehending team-mate, the organist, that makes for kindly relations, and, what is even more important, assures the full effect on the audience. The organist knows just what the soloist is trying to do and supplies not only the tonal basis, but the atmosphere of feeling, the background of nervous impression, needed to intensify the impression. The accompaniment helps the singer to sing better, the audience to hear and understand better. b. Adaptation to Soloist’s Tempo. The organist should have no tempo of his own; the singer supplies that. * What is here said of accompanying soloists is equally pertinent to accompanying the choir under a director, mutatis mutandis, of course. 102 THE ORGANIST 103 Colla voce is the slogan of the accompanist, not only in time but in force, in style of attack, in the nuances of phrasing, in the contrasts and climaxes, developed. The ad lib. of the soloist must have absolute respect and co-operation, c. Registration, The soloist must have the right of way in the registration as well—just enough organ to support the voice and enhance its expression, no more. Some organists brutally extinguish the soloist by using the full organ. What stops shall be drawn depends on both the size and quality of the voice. A great, sonorous voice will bear the louder stops; a tender, sympathetic voice of less power will call for the softer stops. It goes without special em- phasis that the character of the song will exercise a con- trolling influence on the registration, as it does on the singer’s voice. There should be no fancy registration to attract attention away from the singer. The touches of imitation of the phrases of the solo in the accompaniment may be slightly stressed by the momentary use of a solo stop that is not too obtrusive. Instead of changing the registration when a stronger tone is called for by the greater emotional stress of a line, or verse, it may be best simply to increase the amount of tone by doubling some of the four notes of each chord. When the occasion for the added force has passed, it will be easy to return to the regular four parts. In general, the putting over to the audience the message and the emotion of the song, is the one important goal, not the merely musical effect. “ Word painting ” in the registration of the accompani- ment of either the congregational hymns, or of the solo, is very rarely in place. It attracts too much attention and so blurs the impression. ‘The effect is not musical but intel- 104 THE PIPE ORGAN AND THE ORGANIST lectual in character, and checks the emotional momentum. Only in broad lines of changes in the sentiment of the text will changes of registration be called for. d. Alertness in Following Soloist’s Interpretation, A good accompanist must needs be not only a good sight reader, but quick in his “uptake ” of the soloist’s spirit, interpretation, and purpose. Emergencies arise when visiting soloists become available, or sudden changes of program are needful, and this quick adaptation is all- important. A dull, mechanical organist will inevitably fail under such a strain. 9. ComMON FAuLt's IN ORGAN PLAYING There are a number of very common faults against which the average organist needs to be warned. a. Initial Pedal Notes. Never start a hymn tune or voluntary with a long-drawn-out pedal note. Its use ordinarily has no justification and is meaningless. On rare occasions when the voices would have no other clue to the pitch of the composition or the movement to be sung, it may be useful. As a mere mannerism, it is annoying. b. Extended Final Pedal Notes. Do not hold on to the pedal note after the other parts have ceased. Usually it is absurd. Only in the rarest compositions, when their nature justifies it, is it permissible. The reverse is equally obnoxious. Do not leave the high notes sounding after the lower ones cease. c. Undue Use of Pedals. There are organists who are not happy unless the pedals are always roaring. They would not hesitate to play a composition without using the Swell or the Great, but to omit the pedals would seem to them like playing a mere reed organ. Two organists out of three use the pedals too much, too obtrusively. Their THE ORGANIST 105 value is lessened or even obliterated by excessive use. This is particularly true of quiet voluntaries and hymn tunes. Where a large body of tone is called for, in the case of brilliant music, or in accompanying a large con- gregation, they are indispensable, of course. Even in softer compositions the pedals may prove invaluable. Warning is given only against the merely mechanical and unmusical use of them.? d. Anticipating First Note of Hymn Tune. The preva- lent habit of giving the cue to the pitch of the first note of the melody by striking it in advance at the beginning of each verse is very offensive and unnecessary ; unnecessary, because the congregation carries over its consciousness of the tonality and because as a signal to begin it is too ob- trusive. The piercing tone is disturbing in its own effect, as being out of relation as far as form is concerned. Strik- ing the note a half step lower as an appoggiatura is even worse. In dealing with children, striking the first note may have some value.? Striking a pedal note has more *“One of the commonest faults is to keep the pedals forever booming, and when to this is added the atrocious habit of playing mostly in the lowest octave, it becomes well-nigh intolerable. Give the pedals a rest once in a while on the quieter verses and observe what a fine effect they have when added dignity and weight are desired.”—P. C. Lutkin in “ Music in the Church.” *Dudley Buck, reprobating the practice in his valuable book, “Choir Accompaniment,” gives a philosophical basis for his criti- cism: “Instead of the pedal entering upon the second half of the measure (in his illustration really the second half of the measure preceding the actual beginning of the tune), the Great Organ enters abruptly upon the second half of the measure with the upper note of the harmony alone. This is very objectionable except in the rarest cases, but is far too frequently heard in our churches. It is illogical, in that the foundation should come first and not the superstructure. The chord should be built up from its fundamental tone to be agreeable to the ear.” 106 THE PIPE ORGAN AND THE ORGANIST plausibility, but may be disturbing as well. Lifting the hands from the keys for a beat is notification enough to the choir and congregation that the next verse is to follow at once. e. Lack of Proper Phrasing. A most reprehensible fault displayed by some organists is to omit the punctua- tion of the compositions they play, that is to say, the phrasing. The touch of the organ does not lend itself to good articulation of the component parts of an organ number. All the more reason that care should be taken to neutralise this defect. It can be done by drawing breath, as it were, that is, lifting the hands for a moment at the close of each phrase. Otherwise the music will be unintelligible, just as a printed page would be without stops and without spates between the words. This applies to both voluntaries and ‘hymn tunes. In the accompaniment of the hymn tunes, the organist should punctuate the several verses differently, according to their sense, by lifting his hands a moment at the right place. This will often be very effective. f. Arpeggio Accompaniment. Occasionally an organist displays a vulgar taste by breaking up the solid chords of a hymn tune into twinkling arpeggios, destroying its mas- sive dignity and weakening the support for the congrega- tion. Where a line or two or a verse are given to a soloist, this may be permitted, if smoothly done, and with reduced registration of the organ. g. Incessant Full Organ. One of the most offensive faults of many organists is their habit of using the full organ in season and chiefly out of season. They not only submerge the soloists whom they accompany, but the con- gregation in the hymns. The exasperating phase is that one hears it in some of the “ best ” churches whose organ- ists might be expected to have more musical sense. ‘The THE ORGANIST 107 writer has been disturbed in his devotions by the bellow- ing organ in churches on Fifth Avenue, New York City, and on Tremont Street, Boston. It is an ancient evil, going back even beyond Rey. Arthur Bedford, Chaplain to the Duke of Bedford, who wrote as follows in 1711: “It would be very convenient in parochial churches that the organist did not play so loud while the congregation is singing. The full organ is generally too loud for a congregation and drowns the voices that they are not heard. . . . It is the opinion of all judges of music that the softest is the best and I am sure it will be the greatest help in singing. Art was only intended to help nature and not to overbear it, and instruments were designed to aid our voices, not to drown them.” Quoted in Curwen’s “ Studies in Worship Music,” First Series.* h. Too Frequent Change of Registration. It is a mis- take to be changing the registration too constantly. Too much thought given the tone colour distracts the organist and prevents concentration on the expression of the un- derlying feeling of the music. There is no sustained inter- est ; the effect is choppy; the listener is impressed by the tone colour at the expense of the music. Registration should be changed only when the music compels it by change of form or of effect. It should never be made in the course of a phrase, always in time for its first note. Dr. Orlando A. Mansfield, well known on two conti- nents for his scholarly writings on music, as well as for *“T use my reed organ just to support my own voice or the voices of the choir. But oh! the rushing and the roaring of the organ that often greets me when I attend a church. The din is sometimes so great that I cannot sing. If the organists must make a noise, let them play a solo. When voices are singing, voices ought to be at the top.”—Ira D. Sankey as quoted in Curwen’s ‘Studies in Worship Music.” Second Series. 108 THE PIPE ORGAN AND THE ORGANIST his thoughtful compositions, animadverts on this serious fault in the following terms: “Some organists seem to imagine that virtue can only exist in a method of registra- tion which shall be as varied in colour as was Joseph’s coat, or as frequent in its changes as a weather-cock or a kaleidoscope. Judicious and rapid change of registration is, of course, one of the many signs of a good organist. It is also an effectual preventive of monotony in tone colour. But frequent and unnecessary changes of regis- tration are at once senseless and irritating, especially if introduced at a mere change of words rather than of sentiment in the vocal text, and if conducted with a certain amount of delay and deliberation instead of promptness and spontaneity.” t. Closing Stops in Improper Order. In reducing the force of the registration, care should be observed to close the stops in the proper order. If mixtures are in use, they are pushed in first, then the two foot stops, then the four foot stops, then the supplementary eight foot stops. To close the four foot stops first would leave too wide a gap between the eight foot stops and the mixtures and two foot stops that are still sounding. j. Abuse of Tremolo Stop. The tremolo stop should not be abused. To use it with anything but the softest stops is in vulgar, disgusting taste. To use it invariably with soft passages shows lack of genuine musical feeling. When used with exceeding restraint, only when the music is extremely emotional, it has its infrequent place. Excess of tremolo is “flapperism” in music. Exactly the same may be said of the frequent use of the “ Vox Humana ” stop or the “ Chimes.” k. Ineffective Improvising Should Be Avoided. Unless there is special aptitude and thorough preparation for extemporisation, it had better not be indulged in, except THE ORGANIST 109 for a few measures as interlude, or to cover the noise of late comers after the long prayer.° Like extempore prayer, and extempore public address, successful musical extemporising is passing out. Our general performance of music is too formal, too conscious of fixed standards, to create the attitude of spontaneity needful for good improvising. 1. Reducing Organ on Last Chord. The habit of reduc- ing the organ gradually on the last chord, leaving the pedal note sounding alone at last, is not merely old-fashioned, it has no artistic justification. m. Abuse of Crescendo Pedal. Clarence Eddy, a name to juggle with in organists’ circles, says when the organist has fully conquered his instrument and its possibilities, then, and not till then, “ the Crescendo Pedal may be util- ised as an adjunct with increased artistic results. But, like the Tremolo, it should be used very sparingly and with much discrimination.” ‘The Crescendo Pedal is “a lazy man’s pedal ” to which he takes refuge when he does not know how else to bring out a climax. n. See-sawing on Swell Pedal. Perhaps one of the worst habits an organist can acquire is to keep his right foot persistently on the Swell Pedal and to nervously see-saw up and down on it as if it were the pedal of a reed organ. The left foot has all the responsibility for the 5 The organ should be used more than it is to cover hiatuses in the service. After the prayer and its response by the choir, the organist should play a few measures to prevent the distraction of the minds of the congregation while late-comers troop in. A few measures after the singing of the hymns will cover the disturbance made by the congregation in being seated. The purpose is not simply to cover disorder, but to carry over the emotional mo- mentum that had been previously secured, unchecked by distract- ing impressions. 110 THE PIPE ORGAN AND THE ORGANIST pedal part, and, in spite of heel and toe, usually makes rather a mess of it.6 Sir Frederick Bridge says of it, “as far as accent is concerned, good results may be obtained by a judicious use of the Swell Pedal, but this must be done with great judgment or the well-known pumping effect, so abhorrent to all good players, will be the inevi- table result.” He further says that “ not only is the musi- cal effect bad, but the habit induced of pedalling with one foot only is in every way objectionable.” 0. Contortions on Organ Bench. Another unfortunate fault, especially if the player is in full sight of the audi- ence, is to indulge in violent movements of the head and shoulders, sometimes of the whole body. ‘These contor- tions greatly lessen the value of the music, because they distract the attention of the hearer from the religious service and produce amusement instead of devotion. “ The first thing to be learned on reaching the organ,” Sir John Stainer shrewdly remarks, “is how to sit.” 10. KEEPING AN INDEX oF ORGAN Music The organist should make and keep up to date an index to his music. Most organists have a much larger stock of music on hand than they realise. Some of the older books *“To play the bass part of a tune on the pedal, an organist must be able to pedal with both feet and also with heel and toe. The inability to do this leads many organists to form the very reprehensible habit of dropping out the pedal notes whenever they are difficult of execution. The effect of this plan upon the listener is much the same as if the bass singer in a quartet were to stop singing about every third beat, and leave the soprano, alto and tenor hanging in the air like Mahomet’s coffin.”—Mrs. E. L, Ash- ford in “The Choir Leader.” Better drop out the pedals alto- gether and depend on the manual for the bass support. An occasional erratic “boom” from the pedal disturbs rather than helps. THE ORGANIST 111 and sheet music that have been covered with later pur- chases have desirable unused voluntaries. A card catalog of this unexploited music with needed index to make it available would be a most valuable aid. It would save money ; it would save much time, very much more than that spent on the inventory, by making random searching during the year unnecessary. Moreover, the selections would likely be more varied and more appropriate. 11. Orcanists UNDERPAID Our organists are not paid enough. Church officials do not realise that in accepting cheap or free organists they are cheapening their whole church service. They dis- courage competent musicians from learning to master the organ and so reduce the number of really efficient organ- ists. The organist who is also director ought to put in as much time in his personal practice at home, in the church, and in his work at rehearsals and at services, as does the janitor. His work calls for special ability of a high char- acter and for expensive preparatory training. Coupling the two is a derogation of the organist’s dignity, but as a comprehensible basis twice the remuneration of the church janitor is suggested, except where the building is large and complicated and in constant use; where they may be the same. Half the salary of the minister would be a better standard as more widely applicable. 12. Movrors For OrGANIS’S On an organ in a remote German village, three mottoes are carved that organists everywhere may ponder over. Across the top of the keyboard may be found: “ Thou playest here not for thyself, thou playest for the congregation; so the playing should elevate the heart, should be simple, earnest and pure.” 112 THE PIPE ORGAN AND THE ORGANIST Above the right hand row of registers appears the following : “The organ tone must ever be adapted to the subject of the song; it is for thee, therefore, to read the hymn en- tirely through so as to catch its true spirit.” Over the left register knobs is found the admonition: “In order that the playing shall not bring the singing into confusion, it is becoming that thou listen sometimes, and as thou hearest thou wilt be likelier to play as God’s people sing.” These ancient German exhortations are still pertinent here in America in our own day and generation. REVIEW QUESTIONS . Who should control the organist’s tempo, force and registra- tion in accompanying a solo? . What adaptation should the organist seek in his registration? . Why is alertness in adaptation important in an organist? What warnings are given regarding use of pedal notes? Why is careful phrasing important? How is it done? . Why should the full organ not be used incessantly? . Why should too frequent change of registration be avoided? . In what order should stops be closed? . When should the “ Tremolo” stop, “ Vox Humana” stop and the “Chimes” be used? 10. Why is the “Crescendo Pedal” called the “lazy man’s pedal”? 11. How is the Swell Pedal frequently abused? 12. Why should excessive motion of the body be avoided? 13. What is the value of an index of organ music on hand? 14. How should the organist’s salary be estimated? 15. Give German mottoes for organists. — WOW ONAMARWHN PAR ITT CONGREGATIONAL SINGING “Tt is indeed remarkable that we are so prone to overlook the good we possess, and to run after that which is perverse. For we have within the Church itself the simplest and grandest materials for a climax worthy of divine worship,—namely, the whole con- gregation. Let but the choir sing, ‘ Hallelujah, Amen, from the organ loft or the chancel, and let the whole congregation respond with a sublimely simple, ‘ Hallelujah, Amen; and one may imagine oneself transported to heaven; and further, one may realise that this is the manner in which God himself is worshipped in heaven.” —Thibaut: “On Purity in Musical Art.” Vill THE DUTY AND VALUE OF CONGREGA- TIONAL SINGING Supplementary Reading: Waldo S. Pratt, ‘“‘ Musical Ministries,” The Fleming H. Revell Co., New York; F. G. Edwards, ‘‘ United Praise,” J. Curwen & Sons, London; Peter C. Lutkin, “ Music in the Church,” The Young Churchman Co., Milwaukee, Wis.; I. E. Reynolds, “ Manual of Practical Church Music,” S. S. Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, Nashville, Tenn.; J. S. Curwen, “ Studies in Worship Music,” First and Second Series, J. Curwen & Sons, London; Carl Engel, “Reflections on Church Music,” Gustav Schauerman & Co., London; Washington Gladden, “ Parish Problems,” The Century Co., New York. 1. Tur Duty oF PRrAIsING Gop Excellence of every kind calls for recognition and ap- preciation. It brings joy to the creator and the perceiver of it alike. A person’s grade of culture is measured by his recognition and appreciation of excellence in art, music, architecture, natural scenery, science, philosophy, litera- ture, poetry, and in the adaptation of means to ends as in electricity, engineering, machinery and agriculture. In- crease of culture is sought by increasing the capacity to apprehend and to praise that which is excellent. The con- summate note of culture is not only to appreciate fully, but to express that appreciation in an adequate and impressive way. If this is true of things human and finite, how much more is it true of the infinite perfections of the divine nature. Here are infinite existence, infinite power, infinite wisdom, infinite truth, infinite holiness, infinite justice, infinite mercy, infinite sympathy—the fundamentals of an 115 116 CONGREGATIONAL SINGING infinitely admirable personality and character. God, therefore, deserves recognition, appreciation, praise to an infinite degree as his own immediate right. Add to this the relation of a creature to its Creator, of a dependent to its Provider and Preserver, and the obli- gation of praise is multiplied many times. Add further the obligation of a redeemed sinner to his Saviour, and the sense of obligation to magnify and praise becomes even more poignant. Hence the Word of God, in its increasing demand for the recognition of God’s supreme sovereignty, and of His infinite perfections,? and for supreme homage and ascrip- tions of praise to be paid Him by all creatures, at all times, and everywhere, has an Sri of equity no normal man can gainsay. a. Praising God the Duty of All To praise God is the supreme duty of all persons. Each one to the full meas- ure of his ability is called upon to recognise the divine perfections. The measure of his spiritual growth is his ability to recognise and appreciate them. b. The Duty to Enhance God’s Praise by Co-operation with Others. But as individual power is increased by co-operation, each being stimulated and inspired by the others joining in his exercises of praise, the duty of co-operation becomes very plain. The aggregate of praise is not merely arithmetical, for each one reaches * Let the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoice; and let men say among the nations, The Lord reigneth.—1 Chron. 16: 31. * Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.—Eph. 3:20. Unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory forever and ever. Amen.—1 Tim. 1:17. VALUE OF CONGREGATIONAL SINGING 117 a height of joy and admiration and of intensity of ap- preciation he could not have attained alone. When a single voice is uplifted, there is inspiration and uplift in it; but when a thousand voices join, there is a majesty, a high solemnity, a rapture in the praise that carries the susceptible soul to the uppermost peaks of its spiritual possibilities. c. Praise That is Sung Better Than Spoken Praise. This co-operation in praise may be spoken as well as sung, but valuable as responsively spoken praise may be made, it is by no means as impressive as praise that is sung; first, because the co-operation cannot be made as perfect and spontaneous, and, secondly, because the nervous stimulus of the music is wanting. d. The Limitations of Praising by Proxy. To praise by proxy, by the officiating priest, or by a choir, lacks the physical, mental and spiritual stimulus of personal par- ticipation, and the soul cannot spread its wings of devo- tion. There is present the distraction of the beauty, or the faultiness, of the rendition, the sense that it is not wholly in accord with one’s own feeling, and above all there is the lack of self-expression. Only by personal effort and exercise of one’s own powers, self-conscious and heedless of others, does the soul take its highest flights in the adoration of God. e. Congregational Praise Can Be Used Everywhere. It is one advantage of congregational singing that it can be had everywhere, no matter what the musical conditions are. The congregation may consist of a dozen or half a hundred persons; it may meet on the street or in a cathe- dral; it may lack instrumental support or be led by a great organ or orchestra, | f. Congregational Singing is the Most Efficient Praise. Congregational singing, therefore, is the most efficient 118 CONGREGATIONAL SINGING form of united praise.? All can join, whatever their indi- vidual deficiencies, for in the composite song these defi- ciencies are submerged; they even add an element of enrichment. All can sing, for there is no one listening to the individual voice to make the singer self-conscious or diffident. The minister represents the people in his prayer, ex- pressing their needs, their holy aspirations, their more intimate devotions. ‘The choir represents the people in their choral praise and prayer, and lifts them to a higher plane of devotion. But the congregational song is their own song, their immediate expression, the climacteric note of thanksgiving and praise. Properly led and properly inspired, the congregational hymn is the very peak of devotion in the whole services. g. Objections to Congregational Singing. ‘There is often a rather loud outcry against congregational singing because of its frequent cacophony, its artistic shortcom- ings, its lack of expression. It is almost shocking to find the elder Thomas Hastings, one of the fathers of American hymnody, argue against it in his treatise on “ Musical Taste,” and he has many echoes in these more modern days. But the criterion of successful congregational singing *“ Congregational singing is the most practicable as well as the most important department of church music. Its glories are within the reach of every active parish. Its restoration as a uni- versal custom is certain, and its supremacy among the forms of church music is only a question of spirituality in Christian work. Its establishment involves no risk or undue expense, and its suc- cess can bring with it no dangers. On the contrary, its main- tenance is almost of necessity a distinct and powerful spur to the religious life of the parish, refreshing, cheering, and edifying all who come within its influence.’—Waldo S. Pratt in “ Parish Problems.” VALUE OF CONGREGATIONAL SINGING 119 is not its artistic musical value, but its effect on the congregation itself. Hence this adverse criticism is beside the point, because it applies standards of attack and expression to which only trained choirs with plenty of practice under competent direction could hope to attain. There should be no mistake! Congregational singing is not cultivated for the purpose of securing artistic results pleasing to cultivated ears. The primary purposes are worship, inspiration and even exhortation, all religious in character. It is desirable that it should be musical in effect, but if the primary purposes are secured, the lack of artistic value is not serious. Musically fastidious people whose sole criterion of music is that it shall please them, often rail at con- gregational singing as rude and offensive —not intelli- gent and broad-minded enough to comprehend its true purpose. “ God is a spirit, and they that worship him must wor- ship him in spirit and in truth.” God is not concerned with the mere vibrations of air or other resilient matter, as some would have us believe. He is not an infinitely fastidious musical critic noting the faults of intonation or of expression, but a spirit, regarding the things of the spirit. That music which will spiritualise His creatures most fully is the music most acceptable to Him, be the individual voices ever so harsh and discordant. 2. CONGREGATIONAL SINGING THE IDEAL ForRM oF CuurcHu Music The ideal form of church music, after all, is congrega- tional singing, where every voice is lifted in praise and thanksgiving, in prayer and petition, in inspiration and encouragement, and in earnest witness for divine truth. 120 CONGREGATIONAL SINGING It is an audible representation of the communion of saints. In no other exercise, not even in prayer, is there such com- munion, such fellowship of feeling, as in the congrega- tional hymn when all are singing. It is not strange that in all ages of the church, even when music was at its rudest, it should have been cultivated and encouraged. 3. RECOGNIZED IN ALL AGES a. The Old Testament Age. At the crossing of the Red Sea by the Israelites, and at the destruction of the hosts of Pharaoh, the song of victory and rejoicing by the children of Israel under the leadership of Moses was general. Of this there is a full report (Ex. 15: 1-19), while the singing of Miriam and her women’s chorus is treated as a mere episode (Ex. 15: 20-21). When David sought to bring back the ark of God from the house of Abinadab, all the people participated in the music. At the dedication of Solomon’s temple, it was the song of the people that struck the consummate note when the fire came down and the glory of the Lord appeared in the temple. The Psalms are full of intimations that the people joined in the musi- cal service of the temple. , b. The Apostolic and Early Patristic Age. In the apostolic and early patristic periods of the church the only intimations of the use of music clearly indicate a purely congregational song service.* When the song was taken from the congregation and *“An author towards the close of the second century could appeal against the Artemonites to a multitude of hymns in proof of the faith of the church in the divinity of Christ: ‘How many psalms and odes of the Christians are there not, which have been written from the beginning by believers, and which in their the- ology, praise Christ as the Logos of God.’ ”’—Schaff’s “ History of the Christian Church.” Vol. II, p. 228. VALUE OF CONGREGATIONAL SINGING 121 given to choirs of monks and of boys, it was both a symptom of the decaying religious life and an additional cause for its future and more rapid decay. c. The Gregorian Age. It is no mere coincidence that the great missionary movement under Gregory the Great was accompanied by a development of the church’s music that laid the foundations for the worship of the ages. The Gregorian system was carried to the ends of Europe by the devoted missionaries sent out from Rome. True, the clergy carried the great body of song in the cathedrals at home, but in the wilds of Northern Europe the people in that age still had a voice in the worship. d. The Age of the Reformation. ‘The German Refor- mation had no more striking manifestation of the change of spirit and conception of the religious life than in the restoration of the congregational hymn. And among the common people it was not so much the doctrine preached, not so much a sense of the imperfection and unworthiness of the Roman Church, as it was the congregational hymn, in which all could participate, that swept the masses into the fold of the reformers. This was recognised by Luther’s enemies, who said that he did more harm by his hymns than he did by his sermons, while Coleridge ex- presses his judgment that ‘“‘ Luther did as much for the Reformation by his hymns as by his translation of the Bible.” e. The Age of the Wesleys. The great English Refor- mation under the Wesleys was likewise a singing reforma- tion. They had no new doctrine to preach, for the Wesleys were doctrinally not far from the Anglican Church and differed from it only in putting spiritual vitality into the practical Arminianism that already con- trolled the thought of England. It was the spiritual hymns which they produced, and which were sung from 122 CONGREGATIONAL SINGING one end of Great Britain to the other, that gave promi- nence to the whole movement. f. The New England Revival. The New England re- vival, in which Jonathan Edwards bore so prominent a part, is so associated in our minds with his severe and even harsh doctrinal preaching, that it comes as a surprise to know how large a place congregational singing had in it. The testimony of Edwards himself to its value is clear: “Our public praises were then greatly enlivened. God was then served in our psalmody, in some measure, in the beauty of holiness. It has been observable that there has been scarce any part of divine worship wherein good men among us have had grace so drawn forth, and their hearts so lifted up in the ways of God, as in singing His praises ; our congregation excelled all that I ever knew in the external part of the duty before,—but now they were evidently wont to sing with unusual elevation of heart and voice, which made the duty pleasant indeed.” g. The Revival Under Moody. ‘The revival work of Moody and Sankey in America and in Great Britain was accompanied by such musical manifestations, by such unanimous delight in the songs that they popularised, that it might be said of Sankey as it was of Charles Wesley, that his work was not very much less influential than that of his more preeminent coadjutor. h. In Our Own Time. The aggressive movements of our own day have been accompanied by popular singing. Our great popular religious conventions are inspired and thrilled with congregational song. Our evangelists organ- ise their musical forces as carefully and thoroughly as they do their personal workers’ staff. Mr. Sunday would find himself shorn of half his power to move great com- munities without Mr. Rodeheaver’s genius and skill in persuading everybody to sing. Mr. Sankey was a singing VALUE OF CONGREGATIONAL SINGING 123 orator and his singing of solos was more than half his public power; but Mr. Rodeheaver’s success is entirely based on the use of congregational song, for his choirs are merely sections of the great congregation. 4, ‘Tur REASONS For Its POWER a. Its Impressiveness. It is not difficult to see why the congregational hymn should have such value. Any one - who has listened to a congregation that fully participated in the song cannot but have been impressed by its dignity and power. It does not greatly matter what the music is; the most shallow ditty when taken up by a great congregation sud- denly rises to a dignity that seemed utterly foreign to its character before. It 1s exalted and sublimated not only by the volume of the sound which is so physically thrilling, but by the enthusiastic and hearty and sympathetic com- munion of the great assembly. Hence it is that the very shallow and artistically vapid “Hold the Fort,” when sung by the great gatherings under Moody, had such over- whelming impressiveness. The same is true of the use of “ Brighten the Corner Where You Are,” by Rodeheaver in the Billy Sunday meetings. b. Its Organising Power. Congregational singing in which all unite unifies the congregation. Every one is thinking the same thoughts, having the same feelings, doing the same things in which all the rest are engaged. The individual is lost in the mass and is affected and swayed by the common reaction to what is done and said. The congregation becomes a great instrument on which the leader or speaker may play, assured of the desired impression. Such a responsiveness is established, such a knitting of the sympathetic natures of the assembly, such a unifying of the otherwise indifferent or antagonistic indi- 124 CONGREGATIONAL SINGING vidualities, that the minister no longer has a mob of unre- lated personalities to deal with, but a great organism into which the units have been welded. c. Its Stimulation of the Minds of the Hearers. ‘The great wave of vibration affects the nervous systems of the hearers and stimulates heart and brain to greater activity. There is greater power of apprehension, greater respon- siveness to appeals to the feelings, stronger impulses of the will. The more enthusiastic the singing, the profounder the preparation for the coming message. Congregational singing is the means of the individual’s self-expression ; that expression affects the singer as much as it does the hearer. That others participate with him, and that he feels the effects of their co-operation, only stimulates his own emotion and its expression, and so in- creases its subjective force.® d. Religious Effect on the Individual Singer. Further- more, true congregational singing will react upon the souls of the individual singers, becoming a veritable moment of transfiguration, sharpening their spiritual apprehension, stimulating their religious feelings, and leading to fresh or renewed determination of loyalty to God and His laws. e. Influence of Congregational Singing on the Unsaved., The influence of really successful congregational singing 5“Tt is not always remembered that congregational singing is emphatically an expressive form of music. Its purpose is not to affect the auditor, but to utter the emotions and thoughts of the singer. It neither aspires to artistic perfection nor offers itself to artistic criticism. Its whole nature is not objective, but subjective. Philosophically considered, it is quite the opposite of choral ora- torio music. Its best success depends primarily upon its univer- sality, and its fervour throughout the given assembly. These qualities are mightily enhanced, no doubt, by artistic excellence, both in music and in performance, but such excellence is a second- ary consideration.”—Waldo §S. Pratt in “ Parish Problems.” VALUE OF CONGREGATIONAL SINGING 125 is exerted also upon the unsaved persons in the assembly. Even in the realm of natural psychic law, aside from the spiritual and divine influences that are above natural law, such a union of mind, feeling, and will, sublimated and concentrated, must have an extraordinary influence upon outsiders. But far above such elements of power, heart- felt congregational singing will bring genuine spiritual forces to bear upon the unsaved that will open up to them at least vague apprehensions of desirable spiritual things and generate in them genuinely religious impulses that lead them to God. f. The Influence of Congregational Singing on the Mtn- ister. ‘Then there is for the minister himself an inspira- tion in the congregational song that will key him up to his highest possibilities. The minister who can stand before a great congregation, and listen indifferently to its united voice, hardly has a place in the pulpit. While the song is preparing the congregation for him, it is also preparing him for the congregation. When such a congregation unites in the praise of the Almighty, the spirit of the min- ister cannot but wake to a deeper spiritual apprehension of the God whose servant he is.® g. Congregational Singing an Act of Worship. But there are higher results to be obtained from the congrega- tional song than the mere preparation of congregation and 6° Mr. John S. Curwen, in his “ Studies in Worship Music,” re- lates an experience with the famous organist, Henry Smart, illus- trating the effect of congregational singing on a great musician: “Mr. Smart’s enthusiasm for the broad voice of the congregation was unbounded. As the service opened, he beckoned me to come and sit on the stool beside him. At the ‘Cantate Domino,’ the people began to make themselves heard. ‘Do you hear that?’ he said, as the sound rose from nave and gallery; ‘that, to my mind, is finer than any choir. And he played away, revelling in ae massive unison which he was accompanying.” 126 CONGREGATIONAL SINGING minister for the discourse. There should be in it an actual communion with God, and a stirring of the soul that will vitalise its every spiritual power. It seems to the writer that no other devotional exercise of assembled saints can be so pleasing to God as the congregation lifting its united voice in His praise. The culminating moments in heaven’s worship, as portrayed in the Revelation, occur when the combined voices of “thousands of thousands” of angels and every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, yea the great multitude which no man could number, sang the new song of accomplished redemption. REVIEW QUESTIONS . What is the basis of the obligation to praise God? . Why should we unite with others in praising God? Why is praise that is sung called for in the Scriptures? What are the limitations of praising God by proxy? Give reasons for value of congregational singing. Who objects to congregational singing, and why? . What is the ideal form of church music, and why? . Give history of congregational singing. . Give illustrations of its value in the great revivals. . Give reasons for its powers. . Who are impressed by congregational singing, and how, and why? 12. Why is God pleased with congregational singing? MP OoOMNAUAWNE a ar IX BUILDING UP CONGREGATIONAL SINGING Class Room Suggestions: Three or four short papers by the more experienced and musical members of the class, bringing out illustrative experiences in building up the congregational singing, will have value in impressing this very important phase of the minister’s duties. If the illustrations should bring out vividly the laxity and indifference of some clergymen, so much the better. If the duty of praising God, individually and collect- ively, is recognised, and if congregational song is the most efficient method of bringing praise, it follows that any person or congregation neglecting it, or doing it ineffi- ciently, is guilty of a sin, the sin of robbing God of what is justly due Him. If congregational song is the most efficient method of praising God, then it should have the first attention of those responsible for the service of song. ‘That attention should be earnest and persistent, as much so as that of the minister to his sermonising. 1, THE First EssenTIAL Is MINISTERIAL INTEREST The first step in building up congregational singing is to create an interest in it in the minister himself. He should have a deep sense of the duty, nay more, the joy of praise. A careful study of the Scriptures, and his own deep sense of what is due his Maker and Father, should awaken a consuming passion to make this part of the service, for the whole of which he is responsible, a glory to God and an unspeakable profit to his people. In most churches the criminal indifference of the preacher, as 127 128 CONGREGATIONAL SINGING manifested in his wretched management of the singing of hymns, and in the absence of any effort to improve it, or to make it appeal to his hearers and co-worshippers, is the chief cause of poor congregational singing. If the minister is full of the impulse to praise, his people will find it contagious and sing with him. If he is per- functory in his announcement of hymns and sits silent, they will generally be silent or, at best, be indifferent in their participation.’ Now a minister who finds little appeal in this part of his service should realise the sinfulness of this attitude and take himself in hand, as he would in the case of any other serious shortcoming. ‘To a minister without the impulse to praise and to inspire others to praise, God is not a reality but a speculative abstraction.* Moreover, the music is too important a part of the 1Dr. Allon, to whom reference has already been made, says of the wonderful congregational singing of his people: “All I have done is to provide good hymns and tunes, to have plenty of prac- tice, and to encourage the congregation by quietly showing my interest in the psalmody. If I have had any advantage over others, it is in a taste for music and in possessing enough knowl- edge to enable me to exercise control with some little intelligence, and in a way which does not give offense.”—Curwen’s “ Studies in Worship Music.” First Series. 2 Henry Ward Beecher, in his preface to the Plymouth Hymnal, one of the first hymnals, properly so called, which was issued, remarks on this point: “If ministers regard singing as but a decorous kind of amusement, pleasantly relieving or separating the more solemn acts of worship, it will always be degraded. The pastor, in many cases, in small rural churches, may be himself the leader. In larger societies, where a musical director is employed, the pastor should still be the animating centre of the music, en- couraging the people to take part in it, keeping before them their duty and their benefit in participating in this most delightful part of public worship.” BUILDING CONGREGATIONAL SINGING 129 services of the house of God to be left to mere amateurs both in spirituality and music, but should have the close study and incessant supervision of the head of the local church, 1. e¢., the minister. ‘The minister should feel as responsible for the music of the service as for the preaching. Without the minister’s close supervision the music of the service will in most churches become futile and profitless, not irreligious, but unreligious. Artistically it may be good; it may add a pleasing attraction to the service, but its active religious value will be practically nil! 2. AWAKENING INTEREST IN THE CONGREGATION Given such an abiding attitude of praise it must be passed on to the congregation. a. By Public Effort. There should be sermons on the various phases of praise, its inculcation and manifestations in the Scriptures, the abundant reasons for praise, the subjective reaction of earnest praise in spiritual growth, affording topics worthy of the most thoughtful and elo- quent preacher. The practical phases of congregational singing will be fruitful topics for sermons, short addresses in the midweek service, in the Sunday-school and in the Young People’s meeting. b. By Private Effort. But this effort to arouse his people to their solemn duty should not be public alone. As opportunity offers in private, he should refer to it in a casual or in a more purposeful way. Expressions of re- gret that the public service of song is inefficient, or of satisfaction when it has been unusually good, encourage- ment to persons who take a noticeable share in trying to make it successful, admonition to persons with good voices who fail to sing, outlining his ideals and ambi- tions for the congregational singing to persons whose 130 CONGREGATIONAL SINGING co-operation is important,—all are helpful private ways of creating an interest in the hymn singing among his people. c. Why People Fail to Sing. This private personal work in behalf of congregational singing is all the more important, in view of the fact that many fail to sing be- cause of diffidence, excessive modesty, or actual prejudice. Many cultured people fail to sing, because they have got- ten out of the habit of singing. Their ideals of perform- ance have become so high through hearing trained soloists in concerts, and even through talking machines, that they despair of realising them and therefore refuse to sing. Unless the voice is one of those very rare raucous voices with no power to sing in varied and concordant pitch, all people, no matter how harsh or unpleasing their voices are, should be encouraged to sing, for their blem- ishes are submerged in the great composite voice of the congregation. High class voices with careful training are not essential to good congregational singing, although, of course, they will be a great help in leading and in keeping up the pitch. d. Creating a Sense of Obligation to Sing. Perhaps the most important result of the pastor’s private discus- sion of the singing of the congregation will be the creation of general interest and a sense of obligation among his people to sing. Consciously or unconsciously the influ- ential members of the church should be led to join the general propaganda in favour of the movement. e. Congregation Needed. Good congregational singing depends on a full congregation. Empty benches do not sing; they depress and discourage the few who are pres- ent and take away the impulse to sing. Good congrega- tions will make good singing and contra-wise, good singing will draw good congregations. BUILDING CONGREGATIONAL SINGING 131 If congregational singing is desired one must get the congregation ° and must train it to sing. Nothing else will suffice. There may be a good choir, there may be a large organ, there may be cornets and horns and trombones, but if the congregation is not there or, if present, declines to sing, these helps are all worse than wasted. 3. INCREASE SPIRITUALITY IN THE CONGREGATION In no way can congregational singing be developed more fully or more rapidly than by raising the standards of spirituality among the people. After all, the most im- perative impulse to sing must come from within. - Give the people a vision of God, and they will want to sing His praise. A sense of the infinite meaning and value of salvation from sin will make Jesus Christ so intense and intimate a reality that the congregation will delight to hail Him as Saviour and Master and to sing His praise with united heart and voice. Give them a realisation of the unspeakable need of the unsaved, and they will enter into the spirit of hymns of exhortation and invitation with deep emotion and earnestness. A spiritual congregation always sings well. An indifferent congregation will never sing well, no matter what plans or devices are used to build up the song service. Let it be clearly realised: poor singing argues low spirituality and the best reviver of con- gregational singing is a revival of religion.‘ 4. Orren Not An Easy Task The building up of good congregational singing is not 3“ The real way to improve psalmody is to increase the number of singers.”—Dr. J. Curwen. 4“ The hymn singing of a congregation is almost an unfailing barometer of its spiritual condition. Good hymn singing is a sure indication of a wide awake and energetic parish. On the contrary, 132 CONGREGATIONAL SINGING always an easy task, for some of the prerequisites are not to be secured without great effort. The congregation may be small. It may be afflicted with an inertia that blocks progress. It may be too highly cultured, or too respect- able to sing spontaneously. Dr. Curwen declared that congregational singing in England was “dying of re- spectability.”° Practically the same influence is at work in the United States. People are self-conscious and pride constrains them from exhibiting their unattractive voices or their lack of vocal training. But pertinacity of pur- pose, and persistence in effort, and faith in the Holy Spirit’s help will in due time win, and the preacher need not yield to despair.® 5. Proreie To Bt INTERESTED Of all the people to be interested, the leader of the choir, the organist and the singers are the most important. poor hymn singing is an index of spiritual indifference and stag- nation.’—P. C. Lutkin in “ Music in the Church.” * The distinguished Scotch writer on musical subjects, J. Cuth- bert Hadden, recently deceased, discussing congregational singing in the churches of Great Britain, in the “ Choir Leader,” remarks: “The reason for the decay of congregational singing is two-fold: It lies, first, in the fact that a large number of the hymn tunes in our church collections are beyond the congregational capacity; and, second, in the fact that many people have conceived the idea that it is quite rude to join heartily in the praise.” *Henry Ward Beecher, in writing of the music in a Methodist service he had attended, says: “ The choir sang better than many choirs in city churches, but no one sang with them. The people were mute. They used their ears and not their mouths! But alas! we missed the old fervour, the good old-fashioned Methodist fire. We have seen the time when one of Charles Wesley’s hymns, taking the congregation by the hand, would have led them up to the gate of heaven. But yesterday it only led them up to the choir, about ten feet above the pews.” BUILDING CONGREGATIONAL SINGING 133 The first mentioned is logically the precentor of the con- gregation. The organist has the control of the singing under his fingers. The singers of the choir are presum- ably the best singers of the congregation. Without the cordial and even enthusiastic support of this great battery of singers, little can be accomplished. a. Winning the Musical Leaders. The first strategic point to make is to win the choir leader and the organist by a thorough discussion of the situation and by an at- tractive statement by the pastor of what he has in mind. Then there will be opportunity for advice on the part of the musical officials regarding the best course and the most efficient methods to be pursued. The wise pastor will accept these suggestions in a most hospitable spirit and try them out as opportunity offers. The minister should make out his list of hymns and mail a copy to the choir director and one to the organist not later than Thursday evening. That will give time for their study and for the practise of them by the choir. Not to do this, one writer on the subject said was “ inde- cent and unfair,” and we would shade the sharpness of the expression only very slightly. The thoughtful pastor will discuss the selected hymns with the choir leader and organist, explaining just what effects he wishes to secure, analysing the sentiment of the hymns, canvassing the availability of the tunes provided in the hymnal, arranging for any unusual methods. b. Winning the Choir. While there is an occasional choral complex that rather antagonises congregational singing, because of narrowmindedness or of impractical ultra-fastidiousness of musical taste on the part of the director of the choir or of the organist, most choirs will respond at once to the pastor’s appeal for help. Then the choir should be used in order to bring out the 134 CONGREGATIONAL SINGING sentiment most impressively. Sometimes a line, some- times a whole verse, by the whole choir, sometimes a solo or a duet by individual voices, where the tune provides an opportunity, will be very impressive as a contrast to the voice of the whole congregation, and at the same time make both the choir and the congregation feel the value of the co-operation. c. Working Through Other Departments of the Church. ‘The thoroughgoing pastor in his determination — to build up the singing of the congregation will not over- look the Sunday-school and the Young People’s meetings. Why not occasionally turn the prayer meeting into a service of song and invite the choir collectively or indi- vidually to assist in the learning of several new tunes? In all these gatherings he will arrange to have both old and new hymns and tunes which he wishes to feature in his congregational singing, sung again and again in a way that will make them attractive. These subordinate gather- ings will be all the better for the introduction of these hymns in an interesting and effective way. ‘This can be done without excluding the lively songs preferred by the younger folks, or the purely devotional Gospel music en- joyed by the older people. Indeed, both will be all the more valuable for their contrast with the congregational tunes. d. Enlisting Christian Homes. It will strengthen the hold of the church upon the people if the organising gifts of the pastor find expression in introducing sacred singing into the homes and social life of the people. If he will sing in his own home as friends come in, or as committees meet at his home, it will set a good example. 6. Tur Duty oF THE CONGREGATION TO PREPARE a. Congregational Rehearsals, As the Bible enjoins BUILDING CONGREGATIONAL SINGING 185 praise as a duty on the people of God oftener than it does either praying or preaching on the minister, we are com- pelled to recognise it as at least an equal obligation. If the minister is expected to prepare for his public work that he may do it efficiently, should not the congregation do likewise for its share of the service? But the holding of special meetings for practice in sing- ing hymn tunes has not been successful either with us here in America nor in England. In Germany the needed prac- tice is had in the public schools where the children are taught the standard chorales. Regular practices not being feasible, because the people will not attend in sufficient numbers, the same result must be sought in other ways. Practices for congregational singing are frequently quite well attended for a meeting or two, then they fail rapidly. The reasons are not far to seek. For a meeting or two they are a novelty, but they soon lose their zest. The people cannot spare an evening a week; there are too many other claims on their time. If they are held monthly, they have no continuous momentum, they are forgotten. b. Substitutes for Congregational Rehearsals. An- nounce only an occasional practice and prepare for it as a special occasion. There may be a short address or lecture by some outsider of large reputation, or the singing of some prominent vocalist, or of some quartet, announced as part of the program. There may be connected with it a short concert, or a church supper or social occa- sion, or, for that matter, arrange for a twenty-five min- ute “sing-song” at an occasional church supper, or social. If introduced spontaneously and spiritedly, and not made a pedagogical exercise, the people will take to it cordially. 136 CONGREGATIONAL SINGING It would be decidedly unwise to turn a regular service of worship into a hymn tune rehearsal. It would not fail to dissipate the attitude of worship. Yet even here, by methods that would at the same time create devoutness, the best sort of practice can be secured, by providing features of intense interest that would impress the tune upon the minds of the congregation. To repeat a stanza first by the choir, or by a soloist, then by the congregation would provide the needed iteration to impress the tune. The congregation should not be made conscious of the tune, only of the sentiment of the hymn; none the less it will improve in the singing much more than in twice the time in mechanical rehearsal. Instead of a formal duplicate of the morning service with its regular discourse, let the evening service be de- voted to a song service of somewhat informal character. The help of the choir will be an important factor. It can be used to vary the singing as well as to impress upon the people the correct way of singing the tunes. The organist will be playing in his dignified church manner and the hymns will be sung just as in regular church service. The informality of the service will permit singing the verses over and over again. The hymn itself as well as the tune will be studied and learned in all its delicate shades of meaning and sentiment. The singing will be intelligent and emotional, and be vital with religious fervour. c. The Church Stinging Class. 'Thereis a substitute for the congregational rehearsal that may be made very useful indeed,—the church singing class. While singing by note is taught ever more efficiently in our public schools, the singing class can be made up of the better voices among the older children and young people, making a point of singing sacred as well as secular selections of a grade higher than the music sung in the public schools, Indeed BUILDING CONGREGATIONAL SINGING 1387 it could be used as a junior choir and occasionally supply numbers for the regular service. It would make a great choir within the general congregation.” 7. THE IMPORTANCE OF HYMNALS a. The Supply of Hymnals. No small item in congre- gational singing is an ample supply of hymnals,—not simply hymn books,—containing both hymns and tunes. The singing of the Scottish churches was nearly wrecked in the seventeenth century because their psalters did not supply the tunes as they had done earlier in their history. When the singing in the New England churches had de- clined to a pitiable degree in the early part of the eigh- teenth century, so that only five tunes were sung in the churches, it was restored when the later psalters were sup- plied with the needed tunes. The supply of hymnals should be ample, a copy for every expected attendant upon the service, for few people enjoy sharing the book with another person. b. The Character of the Hymnals. What the character of that hymnal should be depends on the service and even more on the people who are to sing. An evening service with a popular audience of young people may be best served by a gospel song book containing a good selection of standard hymns and tunes. A more sedate congrega- tion at a solemn morning service of worship will be helped most by a hymnal of a severer order with syl- labic tunes. *“ A choir, using the word in this larger sense, (i. e., the trained portion of the congregation) is the very life of congregational singing, and the life of the choir is the elementary music class. This is as important as fresh fuel to a steam engine, and no church should be without one.”—John S. Curwen, “Studies in Worship Music.” Second Series. 138 CONGREGATIONAL SINGING here should be a tablet, or even two, announcing the hymns to be sung. The minister inadvertently announced the hymn in a low tone of voice, or the worshipper’s atten- tion was wandering when the number was mentioned. The tablet with the numbers meets the difficulty. 8. SINGING WITHOUT THE HYMNALS But why not sing without a hymnal? Why not depend on the memories of the people for at least the more widely used hymns like “ Jesus, Lover of My Soul,” “ Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me,” “ Nearer, My God, to Thee,” ‘ My Faith Looks Up to Thee,” and a score of others? a. A Large Latent Repertoire. While a single singer might not be able to sing many hymns through, it is aston- ishing how many hymns a congregation, as a composite, remembers well enough to sing. They “cannot sing the old songs,” they “ do not know the words,” is true only of individual singers; when others are singing, the gaps of memory of the individual are bridged by the memories of others. ‘The stimulus and impetus of the singing brings up the lines one by one, although perhaps not thought of for years. b. Value of Singing from Memory. Singing “ by heart’ comes from the heart. It has a spontaneity and a genuineness no reading of the lines from the hymnal can evoke. ‘The singer can read the lines very mechanically, with little sense of their deeper meaning and with little appropriation of its sentiment to himself; but what he sings out of his memory, out of himself, has a spiritual vitality made up of associations and experiences of the past. After singing them over several times, depending on the memory, the memory of the hymns will be so re- freshed that they will be fixed for all time. BUILDING CONGREGATIONAL SINGING 139 c. How to Use This Method. Most appropriate in a free order of service, although not shut out from stated worship, it can be genially introduced by the preacher closing his hymnal, reciting from memory the first verse of the selected hymn and asking both choir and congrega- tion to lay aside their hymnals and sing with him. There will likely be enough persons in the congregation to carry it through. If the first effort is rather indifferently suc- cessful, comment on the sentiments expressed in the verse and ask them to sing it again, not as a memory exercise, but in order to bring out the meaning. The other verses may be treated in the same way. Soon after, in a subse- quent meeting, the hymn should be again sung in the same way, but with probably less prompting. REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. If praise is a duty, what other duty is involved? 2. Why should the minister be interested in congregational singing ? 3. How shall the people be interested in it? 4. Why do average people fail to sing? 5. How create a sense of obligation to sing? 6. How does deeper spirituality affect congregational singing? 7. What are some of the difficulties in building up congrega- tional singing? 8. Who are the people first to be interested in it? 9. How can choir director and organist help? 0. How can the choir be of use in building up congregational singing? 11. How can other departments of the church help? 12. What help can Christian homes afford? 13. In what ways can the congregation be induced to rehearse? 14. How can public services be used to improve the people’s singing ? 15. Why is the hymnal in use important? 16. What are the advantages of singing from memory? Xx A STUDY IN CHURCH HYMNALS Class Room Suggestions: Appoint a student to learn the number of hymns in a dozen of the most prominent hymnals, another to report the number of alternative tunes in them, still another of musical experience to check up the number of tunes in them that are unknown to the average church-goer. If practicable, have some discreet man investigate the actual practical experience, and its varied extent, of the responsible editors of leading hymnals. Attend some gathering of ministers and raise the question of the practicability of their hymnals and report results to your classes. All these concrete facts will have great value in the study of this chapter. 1. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE HYMNAL The importance of the church hymnal can hardly be unduly stressed. The co-operation of the congregation in the worship and the ultimate effects of the church service are almost impossible without it. In this day and gener- ation, it is impossible to depend on the memory of the people for the hymns and tunes which make their united effort in their portion of the service possible. Whatever value congregational singing may have, there- fore, depends on the existence of the hymnal. It enters into every part of the active church life as expressed in public meetings. It is more indispensable than the organ or the choir, important as these are. It makes co-operation possible to the aggregate of individual units. It is impor- tant, therefore, that there should be careful analysis of the features that are essential to its proper functioning. 2. THE HyMNaL 1s A MEANS To AN END a. Its Function to Help the Congregation. A hymnal 140 A STUDY IN CHURCH HYMNALS 141 has no excuse for being except as a practical help in actual church service. It is furnished to the congregation in order that they may unite in the singing. The choir does not need it for its special contribution to the service; its music is otherwise provided for. ‘The whole purpose of a hymnal, combining the hymns and their tunes,! is to assist the congregation in their share of the musical service. For many of the members of the congregation a mere hymn book would be sufficient, for they know the familiar tunes and need no notes. But in few congregations are there wanting those who do read notes, and perhaps enjoy singing some part other than the melody. These people are usually the best singers in the congregation, whose cordial co-operation is very desirable, if not essential, The hymnal is a practical tool intended to secure a defi- nite, practical result: the completest possible co-operation of the members of the congregation in the service of song, That is the primary function of the hymnal. But the hymnal includes the hymn book and has a wider purpose than the co-operation of the singers: the highest efficiency of the song service in its social and religious results. But even so it is still a tool to be used for secur- ing these larger results. The construction of any tool is in every detail condi- tioned by the purpose for which it is used. Whether it is to be made from wood, or iron, or steel, depends on the effect it is to produce, as do all the details of its construc- tion. In like manner, the kind of hymns to be used, the character of the tunes and their detailed combinations will be determined by the effects that are sought. *The writer is aware that the dictionaries do not authorise the distinction here made between “hymn book” and “ hymnal,” but the distinction is too valuable in clearly expressing one’s thought to forego its advantage for that reason. 142 CONGREGATIONAL SINGING Moreover, the character of the tool will be modified by the material on which it is to work. A steam shovel and an ordinary spade are differentiated by the magnitude of the task they are to accomplish, working on the same fun- damental principle and made of practically the same ma- terial. In very much the same way, a hymnal must be adapted to the circumstances under which it is to be used and to the character of the people who are to use it and who are to be affected by it. b. The Hymnal is Not a Mere Anthology. From the foregoing consideration it follows that the hymnal is not a mere anthology, a collection of hymns on a basis of mere literary merit. Literary values count, of course, but do not cast the decisive vote. It is not enough to say that a hymn has a high literary quality, that it is poetical in its imagery, lyrical in its spirit, polished and accurate in its verbiage, musical and smooth in its varied rhythm, fresh and impressive in its thought, and profoundly devout in its devotional character; it may be all these and yet by these very excellencies be sorely handicapped in actual use among average people, because they lie outside the horizon of the experience of the singers. The hymns that are born of mountain-top experiences breathe too thin an atmos- phere and leave the dwellers in the plain below gasping and suffering for lack of their wonted air. c. Practical Criteria in Selection of Hymns. The cri- terion to be applied in the selection of hymns for a hymnal, therefore, should be practical availability for the average congregation, which does not entirely shut out provision for the small minority whose literary tastes and profound spiritual experiences sweep wider horizons. On the other hand, it may permit the use of hymns whose lack of high quality is atoned for by their prac- tical value. A STUDY IN CHURCH HYMNALS 143 d. Selection of Impracticable Tunes, ‘There is even greater danger of the lack of proper adaptation of the hymnal to the purposes of the song service in the selection and mating of hymn tunes. Some hymnal editors are so fanatical in their devotion to what they suppose to be high musical standards, and to the compositions of hymn tune composers of high repute, or so susceptible to the influence of antique tradition, that they are unable to discriminate, and lose sight entirely of the practical usefulness of the individual tunes. ‘To use a tune simply because it was written by Dykes, or Monk, or Barnby, is to forget that these composers by no means “ struck twelve” with every tune; that, like other composers, they frequently had an impulse to write without being able to summon the essen- tial inspiration.? Again the verdict regarding a given hymn tune is too often based on its effect when played on an organ instead of being tried out with a group of average singers. Edi- tors forget that hymn tunes are to be sung, not played upon an organ.? The voice finds difficulties and unspon- *“A good tune is most difficult to write because within very circumscribed limits something definite and characteristic must be expressed. While comparatively simple material must be used, it should neither be commonplace nor reminiscent. The parts must be in convenient range of the different voices. The harmonic frame must not be too elaborate for the melodic picture. It must be concise, logical, artistic, and well-balanced. It must have senti- ment without sentimentality, dignity without angularity. It is not surprising, then, that one of the foremost of American composers when invited to contribute to the hymnal of a leading denomina- tion declined with thanks, excusing himself on the grounds that he would rather write a sonata than a hymn tune! ”—P, C, Lutkin in “ Music in the Church.” *The writer, early in his editorial career, discovered that he could not always depend for his final judgment of a composition on his reading of it, or even on his playing it over. He organised 144 CONGREGATIONAL SINGING taneous combinations of tones that the pliant fingers of the player do not discover. Some of the older German, and of the modern English and American tunes, make admirable little organ volun- taries, but have little distinctiveness of tune. They present fine harmonic effects and interesting instrumental develop- ments, but they do not sing well, their ostensible tunes not being rememberable. Some tunes, though singable in themselves, are spoiled by the intricate harmony that underlies them. The alto, tenor, and bass parts are so difficult and angular that the singers cannot sing them. Accustomed to sing these parts, they are reluctant to sing the tune as a unison, Moreover those who sing the tune find themselves without a normal harmonic basis and are confused and disturbed, and hence discouraged in singing. There is another consideration that seems entirely over- looked by many hymnal compilers ; that hymn tunes, to be really useful, must be in the idiom natural to the singers, in other words, must fall spontaneously from their lips. A professor of music recently said, “It is perfectly clear that the nearer our approach to the stately chorales of the German churches, the greater is the possibility of such utterance and volume of sound in the singing as are vital to its effectiveness.” He was a professional musician whose whole horizon was bounded by musical “ effective- ness.” He had no conception of the final religious pur- pose. He overlooked the fact that the practical value of a tune is not determined finally by its intrinsic value, nor even by its practical value in another country or in another a quartet to try out every composition to be issued and, more fre- quently than his pride enjoyed, found his previous judgment at fault. A STUDY IN CHURCH HYMNALS 145 age, but by its efficiency in the particular congregations where it is to be used. “Ein Feste Burg,” by Martin Luther, is intrinsically a strong, expressive melody, nobly harmonised. It was the Battle Hymn of the Reformation and of the political and national struggles that followed it. It still holds its place in the affections, admiration, and religious consciousness of German Protestantism. To hear it sung by a great body of German soldiers, as the writer did in the Garnisons-Kirche at Bonn, is to be lifted into the seventh heaven of noble ecstasy, to get a new grasp upon the majestic power of an invincible God. But when an American congregation feebly pipes the noble melody three or four times as fast as the German people habit- ually sing it, its locks of power and dignity are shorn and it becomes a blinded Samson feebly grinding corn. Yet undiscriminating musicians and preachers try to force their people to sing this thoroughly alien tune, simply because it is good music intrinsically ; then they wonder why the effort is a failure. The same statement is less true of “ Nun danket alle Gott,” “ Now thank we all our God,” another great German chorale. Nicolai’s “ Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme,” “ Sleep- ers, Wake,” called “ the King of German Chorales,” as it it found in the German chorale books, not as Men- delssohn arranged it for his oratorio, is really superior to either in its majesty and pomp, having an elevation and dignity combined with a richness and variety of melodic invention and harmonic strength that vainly seek their equal elsewhere. It is sung with transcendent effective- ness by large German congregations, but an American audience would be crushed by its very greatness. It is a significant fact that the German hymn tunes that have been really adopted into our American psalmody are 146 CONGREGATIONAL SINGING none of them chorales, but easy folk-songs, spiritual and secular, which are melodious and unpretentious in har- mony. “ Lischer,” ‘‘ Messiah,” “ Rosefield,” “‘ Azmon,” “ St, Hilda,” “ Hendon,” “ Dennis,” “ Goshen,’ “ Halle,” “Seymour,” “ Nuremburg,” “Hursley,” “ Wilmot,” “ Arator,” “ Rhine,” are all cases in point. These simpler German tunes have had a great influence upon American psalmody, as Lowell Mason, Hastings, and others made them their models rather than the English and Scotch tunes that had previously been largely in use. 3. Tur HyMNAL A PROBLEM OF PRACTICABILITY a. It Affects Practical Results. ‘The hymnal is a prac- tical problem that calls for solution from the compilers of hymnals. They must solve it, for it cannot be left to the minister and his musical helpers. Once the book is made, it is a rigid, unpliable fact that cannot be readjusted in actual use in the congregation where it is adopted. If hymns and tunes are to be readapted, because of the im- practicability of the work of the compiler, there is no reason for having a hymnal. The hymnal compiler, there- fore, has the weal or woe of the musical service in his hands. He can spoil the congregational song service of thousands of churches and defeat the whole purpose of millions of services by false ideals and mistaken selections. b. Practicability Too Often Ignored. Impracticable hymnals are by no means rare—indeed, there are few that have been prepared with a clear-eyed view to practical efficiency. ‘The conception of a hymnal as merely a col- lection of hymns of high literary excellence, and of tunes approved by musical experts, as well as by tradition, still rules hymnal editors. It is their pride, and that of the denominations they represent, to have a hymnal that ex- presses their ideals of culture and scholarship. There is A STUDY IN CHURCH HYMNALS 147 no organised effort to learn the actual needs of the churches, by questionnaires, and otherwise. ‘The editorial taste, with the co-operation of some conspicuous concert organist who is a great man in his own field, but who knows little of the needs and limitations of the average congregation, determines the selection. ‘Tunes are chosen, not because they are singable, but because they are har- monised in a strong, technically interesting style, or even because they appear in other hymnals of like class. Ef- ficiency, practicability, spiritual results, if they are can- vassed at all, are subordinated to the ostensible high standards of literary and musical excellence. c. Experts Are Good Advisors. A hymnal by an expert hymnologist and an equally expert musician is not necessarily a good one for actual use. In both cases, expertness depends upon a microscopic study of details, a knowledge of obscure facts and considerations, and a taste that is nice in its discrimination. ‘The best hymnal,—that is, the one which serves the purpose of a hymnal best,—is made by a practical man who knows all the varied needs of the churches, assisted by hymnological and musical experts. Only in this way can the proper subordination of literary and musical art to the religious purpose be secured. 4. Tue Mecuanicar, Aspects of HyMNALS The lack of consideration of practical efficiency is note- worthy in some merely mechanical aspects of our hymnals. a, Place of Indexes. For many years the indexes were placed between the hymns and the responsive readings, which compelled leafing over in order to find them. ‘Then some sensible editor placed the index of first lines at the front, because it was used hundreds of times where the other indexes were used once. But it hurt the sense of L— 148 CONGREGATIONAL SINGING logic and symmetry of later hymnal editors and they brought the rest of the indexes forward as well. While that is better than the old arrangement, one must still waste too much time finding the index that is most wanted. If put in front, the Index of First Lines should be put first; if at the back, it should come last. b. Separation of Text and Music. The time was when the congregation had the hymn book and the organist and choir had tune books from which they selected the tunes to be used. When the hymn book was transformed into a hymnal, the idea was that the tune was supplied for the accommodation of the organist and choir, and that the congregation only in rare instances had any interest in the notes. Hence the music was printed at the top of the page, or even on the opposite page, sometimes with no text whatever. In this way the tradition was established and the awkward, troublesome separation has been handed down for three generations as a sacrosanct typography which no self-respecting editor may violate. In all other music the text is placed within the music in order to facilitate the union of, the two: why make an exception of the hymnal? c. Use of Open Faced Notes. One of the most exas- perating foibles of some hymnal editors is their slavish copying of an English tradition to print hymn tunes in whole and half notes. It is exasperating because the fine stem that distinguishes the half note from the whole is often so faint as to become confusing to the eye in the dim religious light of many of our churches. There can be no such difficulty in distinguishing between the half note and the solid black quarter. d. Useless Double Bars. In many of the more ecclesi- astical hymnals there is a double bar at the end of each line. It sometimes misleads organists into making a pause A STUDY IN CHURCH HYMNALS 149 with unfortunate effects upon the speed and the mo- mentum of the tune. These double bars are a tradition, perhaps due to the lining out of the hymns, perhaps an adoption from the German chorale-books, where the ultra absurd fashion of playing interludes between the lines had to be provided for. In any case, the need of the double bar has passed away and it should no longer be allowed to mess up the page. e. Impracticable Size. The conception of a hymnal as a hymnic anthology in which all hymns of high intrinsic merit shall appear has led to impracticable and cumber- some hymnals with a thousand and more hymns. It is another manifestation of the lack of practical efficiency in the making of hymnals. Why not cull out the many didactic, abstract hymns, reduce the number provided for unusual and ceremonial occasions, which are so rarely used, simplify the organisation of the subjects of the hymns, and produce a smaller, less cumbersome hymnal? Half a century ago Prof. B. B. Edwards, of Andover, made the same plea from the literary standpoint: “ Two or three hundred of the most exquisite songs of Zion . . . would include all the psalms and hymns which are of sterling value for the sanctuary.” We may sympathise with that plea from the practical side,—but who shall select the two or three hundred? A hymnal containing over eleven hundred hymns was sub- mitted to fifteen competent clerical critics for suggestions as to the exclusion of unnecessary hymns—less than one hundred hymns were retained by unanimous vote. ‘Ten American clergymen were asked to indicate what six hun- dred hymns ought to be dropped out of a collection of nearly thirteen hundred—only fifty-six were unanimously rejected. We have reached, in many of our recent hymnals, a 150 CONGREGATIONAL SINGING very practical compromise between the “ two or three hun- dred” of Dr. Edwards, and the twelve hundred justified by Dr. Austin Phelps. The ‘Carmina Sanctorum ” and the Methodist Hymnal have less than seven hundred and fifty hymns, and “The Church Hymnal” of the Prot- estant Episcopal Church less than seven hundred. But while the number of hymns is only half what it was, the fashion of furnishing alternative tunes for nearly every hymn has kept our hymn books quite as cumber- some as before. To reproduce a single hymn three or four times, in order to introduce as many different tunes, pads our hymn books monstrously. Some of the hymns thus honoured but ill deserve such high distinction ; others are appropriate so rarely that it hardly seems worth while to burden the worshipper by supplying so many alterna- tive tunes. “ This, too, will pass,” and we shall presently have hymnals containing about five hundred hymns, or even less, with only additional alternative tunes in the rare cases where they are actually necessary. 5. LARGE DENOMINATIONS NEED Mort THAN ONE HyMNATI, One reason for the inefficiency of so many of our hymnals is that they are assumed to cover all the needs of all the congregations of a given denomination. This assumption is based not on practical tests but on a theoret- ical desire for unity of church activity. There are few denominations whose local churches do not differ widely in musical resources, general culture, social life, and in the character of the community in which they operate. Yet a single hymnal is supposed to cover the needs of these differing congregations. The smaller denominations are usually more homogeneous in social, intellectual, and musical culture; but the larger denominations vary very A STUDY IN CHURCH HYMNALS 151 greatly in their local conditions, and for these a single hymnal must prove inadequate. ‘That the less resourceful congregations substitute gospel song books for the church hymnal in all services is unfortunate. The range of se- lection of hymns of worship for the regular service is exceedingly limited. Many gospel songs are excellent in their place, but they rarely have a place in a dignified, worshipful service. Instead of but one hymnal of a high class type, every denomination of two hundred and more thousands of members should have two at least: one for its larger and more cultured societies and one of a more popular type in which the people’s music shall be well represented. It may add a third of even more popular character for its Sunday-schools, Young People’s Societies, and gospel services. Only in this way can complete adaptation to all the needs of the several denominations be secured. REVIEW QUESTIONS . Why is the hymnal important? . What is the function of a hymnal? _ . In what ways is a hymnal to be compared to a tool? . Is a hymnal simply a collection of good hymns? What practical considerations obtain in selecting hymns? . What false criteria are sometimes applied in the selection of tunes ? . What tunes are impracticable? . State the problem presented by the hymnal. . Practicability being essential to a hymnal, what is the value of experts? 10. Where should indexes be placed? 11. Why should hymns be placed within the music? 12. Why should open faced notes not be used? 13. In what two ways do hymnals become excessive in size? 14. How many alternative tunes should be used? 15. How many hymnals should a denomination issue? AnhWNE oon XI THE TESTS OF A GOOD HYMN TUNE Class Room Suggestions: This is an important chapter, but it will be easily recited. At least half the hour should be spent in laboratory work, trying out new tunes in the hymnal at hand and applying the suggested criteria. If there is no good player in the class, arrange to have one come in. Perhaps a double quartet can be engaged to assist in the tests. Preparatory to the work of the following chapter ask the mem- bers of the class to study the hymnal and report the hymns they find which could not be effectively sung by the congregations of which they have knowledge, because of the unknown or in- effective tunes. It is not possible to formulate final criteria by which one shall infallibly measure the value of any given tune. Tunes differ in their attractiveness, so that, while lacking apparently most of the theoretical essentials of a good congregational tune, by its mere individual appeal a tune may still prove successful in actual use. Then tunes vary in the degree in which they possess the required essentials of a good melody for the use of a congregation. 1. Wuat Is A TUNE? Melody is the general term, covering a designed succes- sion of tones of any kind. Tune is a melody of pro- nounced individuality and clearly defined form and cadences. ‘The terms are often loosely used as syno- nyms. A hymn tune is a tune fitted to a special form of stanza, expressing in a general way the sentiment of the hymn and also adapted to the use of an assembly of people. 152 THE TESTS OF A GOOD HYMN TUNE | 153 2. BEWARE OF Harp AND FAst FoRMULAS a. A Limited Scope of Hymn Tunes. Ina recent book discussing hymn tunes the following statement was made: “The fundamental form of the best tune embraces the following features: common time, one syllable to each note, simple melody and radical chords.” Let the censor apply that rule to our best hymnals and when he is done “blacking out” those failing to meet these tests, what would he have left? Looking over the first fifty tunes of the latest edition of the Presbyterian Hymnal, a part of the most stately portion of the book, being purely wor- shipful, we find nineteen tunes that are in other than com- mon time, seventeen have slurred notes—4. e., more than one note to a syllable-—and seventeen have several notes of melody to the same bass notes. As some of these tunes trespass against two or even all the items of the pro- posed rule, twenty duplicates must be counted out, leaving seventeen, a fraction more than one-third of the fifty, that will meet the conditions, and even some of these have oc- casional slurred notes. The tunes to be rejected would include “ Aurelia,” ‘“ Evan,” “ Evening Praise,” “ Ger- many,” “ Holley,” ‘“ Hursley,” “ Seymour,” “ Warwick,” and even “ Tallis’ Evening Hymn,” some of our most useful congregational melodies. The seventeen retained include some most excellent tunes, but the only one of commanding importance among them is “ Eventide.” They have a limited range of expression, being dignified and massive, but unfitted to express all the vast gamut of religious emotion. b. Objections to Triple Time and Certasn Combinations of Notes. The suggestion that triple time should not be used in church music is often made. One German- American writer even deprecates organ music in this time as having sensuous suggestions. There is quite as much 154 CONGREGATIONAL SINGING propriety in the idea of the old monks of the eleventh century that triple time is “ perfect time ” because it recog- nises the doctrine of the Trinity! Yet another critic ob- jects to it because it is too slow! On the other hand, William Mason, a writer on congregational singing in the early nineteenth century, inveighs against the drawling singing then in vogue in the churches, and as a cure asks “that the first note be as short again as the second, the third as the fourth, and so on to the end of each line,”— t. €., compound triple time, six-quarters or six-eighths— “prolonging the time of the whole strain to about twice that of solemn recitation. This, while it added to intelli- gibility, would take from psalmody its tedious drawl and certainly leave it sufficient gravity.” Another American writer, afflicted with the “gush of amateurism,” objects to “quick repeated successions of accented and unaccented notes, and dotted notes with rhythmical pulsations.” ‘These, he says, are “ opposed to the very nature of a religious subject. Nothing sacred should be written in three-four, three-eight or six-eight time.” What a rabbinical tithing of anise and cummin, what a forgetting of the weightier matters of the law all this represents. This narrow, scholastic, mechanical attitude, moreover, is taken with infinite self-complacency as ex- clusive and superior. Let us freshen the atmosphere by quoting from Luther a passage regarding hymns whose broad catholicity is as admirable as it is sensible: “I can- not praise those who banish all the Latin hymns from the church, On the other hand, it is not less wrong to sing only Latin hymns for the congregation.”