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Show HOLY FATHER Otf SACRED MUSIC. I The Pope's letter to his vicar, Cardinal Rcspighi, on the subject of sacred music, though 'nominally for -Italy, is intended to apply to the whole Catholic Cath-olic world.: His purpose is to remove abuses that have crept into the field of ecclesiastical music, and to restore it to the rlignity aiid holiness that should distinguish it as an integral part of our liturgical function?. If the spirit of the Pope's prouunciamento is carried out and of course it must be carried out it will lead to the disintegration of female choirs. In time none but male voices will be heard in the organ loft. Many will regard this as a consummation consumma-tion devoutly to be wished, reflecting on the jealousies jeal-ousies which often transcend the vocal abilities of female singers. If the law is to so into effect, at once,. of course it would entail hardship on church congregations not prepared for the change, and nearly all churches in this country would be so affected. af-fected. We hardly think the' admonition of the pontiff is so far-reaching, although in Xew York the proposition, it is said, has created consternation. consterna-tion. Archbishop Farley is on the ocean bound for the Eternal City. A pressdispatch announced before be-fore his departure that one of the questions he will bring up at the Vatican will be this one of female choirs, and that , he will propose an extension of time. "A misprint in the telegram makes it "oppose" "op-pose" an extension of time. The general principle of the Holy Father in the matter is, that Church singing will conduce to the dignity and decorum of our ecclesiastical functions, in proportion as it approaches Gregorian Chant, which is to be. considered as the supremo model of Church music. Tho Pope bestows special praise on classic polyphony, which reached its perfection per-fection in the fifteenth century, under the masterful master-ful guidance of Palestrina. Modern music also contains compositions of such excellence and so-briety so-briety as to be in no way unworthy of liturgical functions. The leading abuse our Holy Father intends to eradicate from sacred music is the use of the theatrical style with its rhythm, conventionalism conven-tionalism and prolificness of useless and tiresome repetitions. : Speed the time when the wishes of the Pontiff j will become a reality in all our Catholic churches, j so that devotion will be distracted no more at High Mass than at Low Mass. . The use of the piano and ' of noisy and frivolous instruments is to be relegated rele-gated from the church; The use of brass bands is to be limited to exceptional eases, according to the judgment of the Ordinary, provided the accompaniment ac-companiment be executed in a grave and suitable style. i . . Our Anglican brethren sot us an example for church choirs when boys were trained for sacred music.. We. note that a boys' choir is undergoing training in our own little cathedral church of St. Mary Magdalen; Tn time), perhaps,' we may incline to congregational singirlg' at Vespers. God bless the Pope for his letter on music I 4 |