Show n of II Sing L I k J c 4 bt t 7 k 5 rJ r 7 tN J I 1 i 4 1 I 6 ih d ft 1 Y 1 M I t f i 1 i 1 I 5 I II I I t 1 AFT OP OF THE WOMAN IS NOW QUEEN GUSSET OF OP THE TEE CHOIR The evolution of the woman choir sing singer er has been no less drastic and fruitful than womans entrance into the trades and professions In all alt countries prod previous ous to this century o the female voice oice was w denied place in divine worship In Italy Spain and Russia today the wo woman woman woman man chorister is unknown and she has little or no part In the church choirs of France outside of Paris The early earl Puri Purl Puritan Puritan tan church denounced singing as Quaker ish and Po perish Until after atter the Amer Arner American American ican revolution womans right to lift her voice In sacred song in church was as vigorously contested as was her posses possession possession possession sion of a soul in the days das of Plato Today city churches compete for the highest cultured women soloists and their choice is only limited by their treasury The salary of women soloists ranges from I Ito to 1500 a year while instances are not wanting where a soloist has received a year j With Vilh the adoption of choir system in 1790 and tolerance of the woman singer question rose as to the place the choir should occupy in meeting houses In warrants issued for town meetings s in New England an article was inserted ask asking askIng j ing ins that liberty be granted singers to sit 1 together in some convenient place in church Old meeting houses had bad three I or four long seats in front of the pulpit I II I on each side of the broad aisle for aged and deaf and those unable to purchase pews peWIt Similar seats s ts were reserved in the galleries on right and left of pulpit Some Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes times there were square pews in front gallery Where to seat the singers was the Gibraltar upon which split spilt parson deacon and elder Singing was first done I Ion on the ground floor and some singers sin ers preferred to continue there Four of the seats were partitioned off making long Jong pews When they the rose to sing the front seats faced about It was considered im important important for the singers to face each other so that the voices might mingle and har bar harmonize harmonize monize The next liberty granted was a seat jn ja the gallery galleo As the front gallery was usually occupied by pews owned by in m individuals Individuals the choir was forced to the side i galleries This position was too for the minister when he gave out the hymns Then the congregation could not see the singers consequently romance languished Finally they occupied the gallery in front of the minister A seat in the stock exchange is no less ie difficult to obtain today than were many of these pews whose owners were as tenacious us of vested right as are their English EngUs cousins Less than fifty years ago Dr Tucker author of the famous hymn book in lieu of boy voices trained a girl choir for choral service In red bonnets they lent a picturesque color ool note to the services at Holy Cross Tro Troy New York Tort Admission to the choir te is through examination Voice accepted the th singer stager has her ber measure taken for cap and gown which is worn over h hr r treet j suit uit during service The church bears the ex et expense pense of ot the surplice costume Whet robed it would be difficult to distinguish men from women were were it not for the cap car which the latter batter wear in compliance with SL St Pauls injunction that women houd shoud not enter the temple with hi head ad uncovered unNered ered Unlike her early prototype v pe whose who services were gratuitous the wo We woman 0 man tuna chorister is paid from 5 tents cents to toa toa s sa a Sunday Weddings and funerals a wh whet h n D full fuli choir service is desired increase ther thet revenue In some churches where the organist is given full fuU control of the music and around round a sum is allotted h him m by bs th trustees for the payment of the chars chon h service the salary is left to his discretion di tion Often he trains the in exchange for its services servi i iE ir the i hurch In this manner many women f fin na 54 natural natural tural voice voke get their tb ir fir first t in instruction while advanced students are enabled w tO t pursue voice culture under special teach teath ers era with the money ney they earn a as choriS ch choriSters In one of the high hish churches of New York women n occupY the choir loft in rear of church white while hil the men are In front outside the The women wear blue veils eis after u tilt manner of convent |