MODERN MUSIC

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19374, 24 December 1932, Page 9

MODERN MUSIC

BEGAN WITH CAROLS The word carol has, now, become so indentified with Christmas that to the majority of people it means, simply and solely, a Christmas hymn. A carol, however, is just a popular, cheerful song with a religious impulse, and it need not of necessity be bound to any particular subject. The word “carol” has a dancing origin; to carol once meant to dance in a ring, and it was the definite rhythmic features of these little songs which led to their being known, eventually, as carols. A change of very great importance to musical development may be seen in the earliest carols, for here, for the first time, the plain song melodies of the church were forsaken, and a new foundation—that of the rhythmic movement of the dance —was substituted. These small compositions were definitely popular In that essentially popular music was wedded to popular words, and their beginning marks the commencement of folk music which, although it really sprouted like a tiny twig from its parent tree, church muic, has developed into the highly complicated organism, modern securlar music, says H.W.- in an exchange.

Started in Italy It was at Greccio, a tiny Italian village, that the movement which was to have such far-reaching results began, for there, on Christmas Eve about seven hundred years ago the first Christmas Carols were sung, and in so far as Saint Francis of Assisi—that amazing medieval mystic who was, withal, so intensely practical—was responsible for those tentative efforts towards popular music, he may be regarded as the precursor, if not the originator, of all that is modern in music.

During the Christmas reason of the year 1223 Saint Francis was travelling from Rome towards Assisi. At this period the Manichean heresy was prevalent; asserting that all matter was evil, it was in direct opposition to the church’s teaching, especially in the matter of the Incarnation, and as Saint Francis trudged along he turned over in his mind various ways of combating the obnoxious heresy.

When on Christmas Eve he arrived at Greccio a plan had occurred to him, which he at once put into operation. Obtaining permission from a doubtless surprised parish priest he erected in the little church a representation of the stable of Bethlehem. Nothing that he could get to form a complete and realistic tableau was lacking; the farmyard animals were there, and the shepherds too; Joseph and Mary and, as the centre and focus of the scene, the Child wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.

From contemporary accounts of this, the first creche or crib, it seem> likely that some—at any rate—living actors took part in the representation. The success of the scheme was instantaneous; all night long the church was thronged by the villagers, and, as news of the Innovation spread, by the neighbouring country folk.

The scene must have been sufficiently striking; the little building was crowded with people carrying torches and tapers while Francis and his brethren stood by the crib singing “new hyms” in honour of the wonderful birth. In these new hymns lay the germ of secular music, which was to be free and spontaneous as part from eccle~iastical music with its strict regard to form and usage.

On this memorable Christmas Eve Saint Francis gave an impetus to dramatic as well as to musical art, and the Mystery Play—which became so extremely popular during the middle ages—was born.

The subjects of the first mystery plays, like those of the earliest carols, were all connected with the birth of Christ. At these enactments of Chri~tmas scenes and stories carols w 7 ere first performed as intermezzi, or incidental music between the acts of the drama being presented on the stage; however, the musical interludes found such favour with audiences that they soon became an intergral part of the play, and before long they took on a separate existence, and so the carol, as we under:tand the term to-day, came into being.

A pretty girl, spending a Christmas holiday, and wearing the very latest in bathing suits, was sitting on the beach when a young man approached her and took off his hat, remarking that it was a fine day. “How dare you speak to me!” said the girl indignantly. “I don’t know you from Adam.” • Well.” returned the young man unconcernedly, “I would scarcely know you from Eve."