Review. THE BOSTON HANDEL AND HAYDN SOCIETY COLLECTION OF CHURCH MUSICK; BEING A SELECTION OF THE MOST APPROVED PSALM AND HYMN TUNES; TOGETHER WITH MANY BEAUTIFUL EXTRACTS FROM THE WORKS OF HAYDN, MOZART, BEETHOVEN, AND OTHER EMINENT MODERN COMPOSERS. Boston: Richardson & Lord. In the "Directory for the Worship of God" of the Presbyterian church, the divine institution of Psalmody is distinctly recognised as follows: Ch. iv. sect. 1. "It is the duty of Christians to praise God, by singing psalms, or hymns, publickly in the church, as also privately in the family." Sect. 2. "In singing the praises of God, we are to sing with the spirit, and with the understanding also; making melody in our hearts unto the Lord. It is also proper, that we cultivate some knowledge of the rules of musick; that we may praise God in a becoming manner with our voices, as well as with our hearts." But while the divine institution of musick, here so plainly recognised, is almost universally admitted, is it not strange that there should exist such an apathy as certainly does exist in regard to this subject? "Of all our religious solemnities," says Dr. Watts, "psalmody is the most unhappily managed. The very action which should elevate us to the most delightful and divine sensations, doth not only flatten our devotions, but too often touches all the springs of uneasiness within us." This remark applies with but too much truth to the religious musick of our country at the present day; and "sorely would it disquiet the spirit" of good Dr. Watts, if he could rise from the grave, and hear his own inimitable psalms and hymns performed to some of the rude attempts at musical composition, which have found their way into the publick services of religion. Let it here be understood, that it is not with musick abstractedly considered that we have to do, but with musick as connected with religion, and as having an important influence upon publick worship. It is this consideration that brings the subject specially within the design of the Christian Advocate. That the mode of our publick singing is often such as to produce an unfavourable effect upon the mind of the devout worshipper, we think will not be denied. "Musick is a language, and when introduced into the worship of God, its influence cannot be of a negative character." Musical taste is much more intimately connected than may persons imagine, with the cherishing on the one hand, or the destruction on the other, of those feelings which social worship is designed to call into exercise. Psalmody is a part of the publick service of religion which, when properly conducted, is at once most solemn and most delightful; when badly conducted, it becomes a hindrance, rather than a help to devotion. Now it is a mournful fact that the state of our publick singing is, in many instances, a disgrace to our churches. We do not say that this arises altogether from the total neglect of musick; but certainly, matters could never have proceeded to this length, had a proper attention been bestowed on the cultivation of church musick, in conformity with a just taste. We must be allowed to say a few words more, to show that this subject ought not to be regarded as one of subordinate importance. What may be the value or beneficial influence of musick in itself consi dered, or viewed as a secular amusement, we are not concerned at present to determine; we are speaking of it as connected with that sacred object which ought to reflect its own dignity and importance on every thing belonging to it. "We think that there are religious motives which urge an attention to musick as a science; because it is only when studied as we would study any other language, that we can learn to speak and understand it aright. There is no religion in mu sick, we admit; but, if musick were not capable of subserving a religious purpose, it would never have been made a part of divine worship." 99 Will it then be contended that the singing in many of the Presbyterian churches-we are not so well acquainted with others-is calculated to excite or to maintain devotional feeling? We think not. There are some good people, indeed, "who are blessed with no ear for musick," and who, while they cannot tell one tune from another, can make melody in their hearts to the Lord," during the singing of a psalm or hymn. But so far from answering its sublime and pious purpose, the very design of musick in the church seems often to be misapprehended; and instead of being regarded as a direct and solemn act of worship, it is viewed, or at least treated, by a large number of our worshipping assemblies, as nothing more than a kind of interlude to the other parts of divine service. A person unacquainted with our religious solemnities, would naturally suppose that devotional exercises were suspended during the singing of a psalm or hymn; and that the musick of the church, like that of the theatre, is introduced by way of relaxation, to prevent the mind from weariness in the services of the sanctuary. How often is it the case, that although the most profound silence • Eclectick Review. and attention prevail during all the other parts of the service, even while the minister is reading a psalm or hymn, the commencement of singing seems to be looked upon by many as the signal for restlessness and inattention. The mind which was attentive during the reading of the words, is withdrawn from the subject, the moment that exercise commences whose express design is to deepen impression, and to give additional force to what has just been read. We believe that in no part of publick worship is the guilt of "drawing nigh to God with our mouth, and honouring him with our lips, while our hearts are far from him," more frequently incurred, than when we profess to sing the praises of God, and “make melody in our hearts unto the Lord." There is one practice in particular, common in some of our churches (though we are happy to learn it is laid aside in others) against which we must bear our decided testimony. It is that of the communicants selecting their seats, on sacramental occasions, during the singing of a hymn-often a hymn of the most solemn and devotional kind. Were the very words thus addressed to God by the whole assembly of his people, uttered by the minister alone, the practice would be thought highly improper, and would, we are persuaded, be immediately laid aside. But if it be important that 66 decency and order" be preserved while praise is offered, or prayer made, in behalf of the congregation, by the clergyman alone, is it less necessary when "all the people" unite their voices in the same exercise? Surely the one is as strictly a devotional act as the other, and no reason can be given why the same strict silence and profound attention are not equally necessary in both. "It was for the raising up of men's hearts, and the sweetening of their affections towards God," says Hooker, "that the prophet David, having had singular knowledge, not in poetry alone, but in musick also, judged them both to be things most necessary for the house of God; and left behind him to that purpose a number of divinely indited poems; and was further the author of adding unto poetry melody in publick prayer." "Now if the majority of many congregations had not, in some measure, lost sight of this real object of sacred musick, is it possible to believe that such an abuse of psalmody as we have mentioned would be suffered ?""* In what estimation would a congregation be supposed to hold the duty of prayer, if instead of listening to it, they were to make it the signal for restlessness and noise,-for the removal, or dispersion of a large proportion of those present? Were the practice of which we complain merely inconvenient, we are ready to admit that the sanction of custom might render it expedient that it should be endured in silence. But while we guard against unnecessary innovations, let us be careful not to sanction abuses. It cannot be urged that the singing of such a hymn as "Bright King of glory, dreadful God! WATTS, Hy. 51, 2d B. by the whole congregation, is less an act of divine worship, than the same sentiment expressed in prose by the minister alone. What reason can be given why the one should not be performed with the same reverence and solemnity which we require in the other? Among other important qualities in church musick, simplicity and solemnity are indispensably necessary. Without the one, but a small * See a “Dissertation on Musical Taste, &c." by Thomas Hastings, a valuable work, to which we are indebted for se. part of a congregation will be able to unite in this part of divine service; and without the other, no important benefit can be expected to result from its performance. "Florid airs and rapid movements cannot be introduced into religious worship, even if the execution of them were practicable; nor can the flights of fancy, and graces which are too often found in our best modern psalm tunes, produce those placid sensations which always accompany a spirit of true devotion."* When we say that church musick should be simple, we do not mean by this that it should always be written in mere simple counterpoint, note against note; but that there should be such an arrangement, both in melody and harmony, as to render the design intelligible, and the execution easy. But if we examine many of our modern psalm tunes, we shall find that if the authors had any design at all, it was to render them as complex and unfit for congregational use as possible. We shall also find that that solemnity which should characterize church musick has been well nigh banished from many of our churches; and in its place a puerile unmeaning levity of style introduced, which is not only calculated to disgust the rational hearer, but to expose this part of divine service to a certain degree of contempt, from those who know any thing more of musick than its gamut. We rejoice, however, that the torrent of insipid trash which has deluged the church is beginning to subside, and that musick of intrinsick merit is gaining ground. And we trust the time is not far distant when the simple and unadorned melodies of a Purcell or a Croft, will resume their station in the church, and when such tunes as Majesty, and Russia, and Lisbon, will no longer be associated with the publick services of religion. 2 M * Cole. We are by no means opposed to the occasional introduction of a new or a native tune, provided it be a good one; but so far as our observation has extended we think such old tunes as London, St. Matthew's, Old Hundred, Mear and St. Ann's are as far superior to the bulk of modern psalmody (whether American or transatlantic) as are the works of our old standard biblical divines to the modern systems of flimsy theology. It is in the republication of these approved tunes, harmonized with devotional simplicity, and scientifick skill, that the excellence of the "Handel and Haydn collection" principally consists. We regard this work as superior to any other collection of church musick we have seen, both in the selection of the melodies, and in the arrangement of the harmony. The selection embraces most of those old airs which are in every respect composed in the true style of sacred musick-devout, solemn, and often sublime. "Musick," says Forkel "to prepare and maintain devout feelings, requires that the composition be effected in a different manner from what is practised out of the church ;" and Dr. Burney, in speaking of the psalm tunes of Luther and the reformers, observes (History of Musick, vol. 3. p. 38) that "such venerable melodies, when clothed with good harmony, have a solemnity of effect, that totally precludes every idea of secular musick." But it has been the great fault with modern composers for the church, that they have endeavoured to approach as near to the secular style as possible. Consequently the direct tendency of much of their musick is, not to produce, or deepen, but to obliterate religious impressions. We are happy to find that such musick has been rejected by our publishers. The "Handel and Haydn Society" have exerted themselves for the reGerman Historian of Music. introduction of the true church style; and we can hardly recollect a single old tune of real merit that is not included in their work. Besides the selection of old tunes, we find a considerable number of pieces by the most distinguished composers of the present day, which have never before been published in this country. Some of these are admirable, while others seem designed for scientifick display rather than practical utilitySt. Alban's, p. 68, Bridgeport, p. 119, Asylum, p. 147, and St. Austin's, p. 138, may be mentioned as possessing much merit. In addition to these, the work contains several truly classical adaptations, from the works of those great European masters, Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. From compositions of such extraordinary pathos and beauty, we cannot withhold the highest praise. But knowing the actual state of musick in our churches, the little progress that has been made in the art by a great majority of those who compose our worshipping assemblies, and the difficulty attending the proper performance of these pieces, we are forced to believe that an indiscriminate use of them in publick worship would be improper. That they may be used in more private circles, and gradually introduced into the church with good effect, we believe; but this must be done with great caution, and not until after the congregation shall have learned to appreciate them, and to sing them from having heard them performed elsewhere. We find a few tunes which we are sorry to see published, under so much authority and influence. Elysium, p. 160, Northampton, p. 164, Geneva, p. 148, and some few others, are destitute of dignity, and are incompatible with the solemnity of religious worship. But the peculiar merit of the "Handel and Haydn Collection" is the elegant construction of the har mony. There is no species of musick that requires a more strict adherence to the laws of thorough base, than that of psalmody. The simplicity of the style renders every deviation more perceptible, and more offensive here, than in compositions more complex and elaborate. But of all the qualities necessary to good church tunes, this has heretofore been the most neglected. If we examine the most popular collections of sacred musick which our country has produced, we shall find (with one or two exceptions,) the grossest errors in harmony, on almost every page. In the performance of such musick, violations of the grammar of the art will be continually jarring on the ear-calculated to draw off the mind from the words, excite disgust, and consequently to destroy devotion. Such errors have been carefully and successfully avoided by our publishers. Their work evinces a thorough knowledge of the principles of composition, laid down in the works of the best theoretical writers; and in the application of these principles they have constantly aimed at utility. The harmony is simple; plain common chords, and such inversions of chords as are best adapted to vocal purposes, have generally been chosen. The chord of the seventh has been in troduced, particularly in the cadences, with fine effect. Nor must we omit to mention the beautiful arrangement of such passages as that which occurs in Winchester, p. 31, twelfth bar, where the second inversion of the chord of the seventh, viz. follows the common chord upon the supertonick, RE. We observe the frequent use of this passage, instead of the first inversion of the chord of the seventh (g) upon the leading note St. This 3 See the works of Kollman, Shield, Crotch, Callcott, Busby and others, on the theory of Musick, change is always favourable to a correct vocal intonation. The same passage has occasionally been chosen, instead of the common chord upon the sub-dominant, FA. It would be easy to point out a great variety of instances where corrections the most important have been made, in the accompanying parts to many of our favourite tunes. This however, is unnecessary. We merely refer the musical reader to Winchester, p. 31, Islington, p. 32, Cumberland, p. 85, New Sabbath, p. 46, and All-Saints, p. 52, as admirable specimens of chaste and scientific harmony; The "Introduction to the Art of Singing" contained in the work, is written with ease, perspicuity, and and illustrated by examples. We accuracy; the rules given are brief, heartily concur with our publishers in their remarks on the "indiscriminate use of the G Clef." The article on solmization is much superior to any thing we have before seen on the subject. Our compilers with good reason have adopted the principle of Dr. Crotch* in the invariable application of Do to the tonic, RE to the super-tonic, MI to the mediant, FA to the subdominant, SOL to the dominant, LA to the sub-mediant, and Si to the leading note. The great advantage of seven syllables, over the common method of repeating Fa, SOL, LA, must be obvious to every one who reflects that the object of Solfaing is to render "the exact relation which one note bears to another familiar," by "associating the idea of the several syllables used, with their corresponding sounds." We do not recollect to have before seen the diatonic scale, the major and minor modes, the quali See "Elements of Musical Composi tion." |