Short Musical Notes

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jun 11, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 23.

Short Musical Notes.

THERE are two ideas of time in the execution of tunes: the first respects the relative length of sounds in the same tune; the second has respect to manner of executing the tune as a whole—whether slowly or rapidly. It is generally conceded that time is an important factor in all music, either vocal or instrumental, where a number of performers are required. There is really no music made by a choir or a congregation where time is not observed; there is only a medley of discordant sounds. This is one method of murdering (instead of executing) a tune.

The object of church music being to give expression to words, there must not only be a correspondence between the words and the music, but the time must be suitable to both. It is a great mistake to suppose that a tune sung slowly is necessarily “dragged,” and it is a mistake to suppose that church music sung rapidly is necessarily “artistic.” We remember hearing a piece of Sabbath-school music begun in quick time, and the leader cried “faster!” and he led the way in a gallop, so rapidly that it was not possible for the singers to distinctly articulate the words. Such singing is as far as can be from giving proper expression to the words. If there was any devotional feeling at the outset, it was dissipated before many lines were sung.

And it is an error to suppose that in order to be artistic a tune must be sung in staccato style. There is comparatively little church music that requires that style in a marked degree; while there is much that must be sung in a smooth, flowing style, to do it justice. No mere musician—that is, one who has studied music alone—is fit to lead in church music; he must be a student in language, in expression, to do justice to sacred verse. Even the different parts of a verse may require different styles as to time; but here another error must be guarded against: changes from fast to slow or slow to fast must not be too violently made.

And yet one more error we will notice. It is that of supposing that the same tune or the same words have a fixed time from which they cannot be varied. A quartette, or a company of six to ten singers, may sing a piece more rapidly than sixty or a hundred could sing the same piece. It would be quite proper for a few performers to sing a piece in the time which would utterly spoil that piece if sung by a large congregation. A leader must possess judgment, and understand the material he has to handle.

Speaking of tunes, we would remark that there are few tunes as useful—as capable of varied execution—as Arlington. A judicious leader with a sensible company of singers can make of it just what he pleases. He can suit it to a funeral or a jubilee. But this requires skill and taste.