Further on I shall have a better opportunity to define more clearly the psychology of the value and use of music in church work. I have thus emphasized in a preliminary way the practical attitude I propose to assume in the investigation of church music, because most writers and speakers discussing it have done so from a historical, philosophical, or artistic point of view: and also because I deem it essential and vital to any practically helpful study of this neglected field of church effort. Church music has been treated as pure art, when it is only applied art. Much has been written about standards of musical art, little about its application to church life and work. On the contrary, I shall give only incidental attention to its artistic, philosophical, or historical phases, while its practical application to the needs and purposes of our American churches will be my engrossing theme. I THE CHARACTER OF MUSIC EFORE proceeding to the more detailed practical discussion of my subject, it is proper that I should make clear the character, method of operation, and purpose of sacred music. A wrong conception here will seriously limit and cripple musical effort in the church, or even destroy all its practical efficiency. There are few psychological problems more obscure or perplexing than the mental character of music. The mind recognizes differences of pitch, of duration, and of force and accent in the tones that are heard. But this mental apprehension touches only the superficial facts and does not reach the inner relation between the tones in which lies the musical idea itself. We hear a sound 4 and immediately after another sound 4 The sounds differ in pitch and duration. There may even be a recognition of relation between the pitch of the two tones. But the sounding of these tones separately makes no musical impression upon us. But when we play or sing them one immediately after the other, it makes a musical phrase with a new effect depending on the order of the tones. is calming and gives a sense of finality. There is absolutely nothing in the mere mental facts that should produce this impression. I have purposely chosen a very simple illustration, which I could vary and elaborate still more. We should say of it, here is a musical idea. But in what does the idea consist ? Here is a phrase from a famous solo in "The Messiah." Can I impress any one with its musical value by merely telling him the number of vibrations of each of these eleven tones? There does not seem to be any perceptible relation between the mental observations and the actual effect upon the mind. May we not assume that there is none and that the effect is produced in some other way? A year or two ago I participated in the learning and rendition of Wagner's "Pilgrim Chorus" from "Tannhauser." The men had practiced it somewhat with the piano in previous rehearsals with no particular enthusiasm or interest. At the final rehearsal the orchestra |