Modern Music In Church Services Deplored

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29984, 20 November 1962, Page 21

Modern Music In Church Services Deplored

“I don’t like religious limericks that have the rhythmic devices of the dance hall. People don’t expect to hear the same sort of music in churches as they hear in dance halls,” said Major D. Goffin, secretary for Salvation Army bands in Britain, in Christchurch when asked his view on modem music in church services.

“I do not think our faith should be expressed in out-of-date music but in rhythmic, happy, bright music still with that Christian note of sincerity,” he said. “The best of our Christian music will never be outdated.”

Major Goffin, who is in Christchurch for six days, is in New Zealand on a tour of duty. He was a New Zealand Salvation Army officer and band conductor, and has been in Britain for the last six years and a half. “Music does not attract young people to church, I don’t think they are impressed by gimmicks,” said Major Goffin. “Music can be a handmaiden of religion but I would not use it as a bait to attract young people to church.

“I don’t believe in treating teen-agers as a race apart. AM teen-agers have always thought they are unique and we are feeding their conceit. We are trying hard to attract teen-agers to religion. People do not come to church to be entertained by music, the music is incidental as long as the sincerity is there.” The standard of technique in New Zealand band music was improving, Major Goffin said. New Zealand was producing clever musicians, but they were lacking depth in their playing. “I always used to admire the Woolston Band and its bandmaster, Mr R. J. Estall, because they found true beauty in the music, and I am wondering if our modem bands have lost something of this quality,” he said. “I am very impressed with the National Band. There again I admire technique and brilliance, but I think the previous band that went to Britain, the 1953 National Band of New Zealand, had more depth in its playing,” said Major Goffin. Brass bands, in their endeavour to remain popular, played too much worthless music, he said. If they played

the best of the brass band repertoire they would be more appreciated. “England is the home of brass bands, and the best come from there. They are not popular in comparison with dance bands, but there is a section of the community who, often through family tradition and loyalties, are enthusiastic admirers of band music,” said Major Goffin.