DECLINE OF CHURCH MUSIC
Corollary of Religious Decadence
fjpHK decline of Church music, was hut the corollary of the decadence of formal religion, said Dr William Prendergast in a Teeent address to a society of organists. The Church —organised religion of all denominations —might he the biggest thing in the world if it were Christian, but in how many cases could it be honestly said that the spirit of Christ found any place in it? The commonly accepted view of worship was extraordinarily narrow and inadcejuate. Could they shut their eyes to the fact that the artistic level of divine : worship was very much below that of 1 what were regarded as secular perform- o
ances in the theatre and concert hall? Dared they say that they took less pains in church, or that it was perforce inferior for financial reasons? Worship should be of the highest character attainable. It was a mockery to offer to God in church that which would be hissed at in a theatre or hall. There was no reason why a church should not be managed as regarded finance and decorum as efficiently as a theatre. If the Church were alive to the potentiality of good music it would secure the services of the best musicians. As it was it was losing/both its music and music makers. i
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Hawera Star, Volume LII, 19 November 1932, Page 14
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223DECLINE OF CHURCH MUSIC Hawera Star, Volume LII, 19 November 1932, Page 14
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