SIMPLER SERVICES.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 234, 2 October 1931, Page 4

SIMPLER SERVICES.

Clergyman’s Appeal to Anglicans. MUSIC CRITICISED. The need for improving church music was stressed by the Rev J. Feron, of Rangiora, at the Cathedral last evening, when he preached at the annual festival of the Church of England Choral Association. Mr Feron stressed the point that to improve church congregations it was necessary that simpler and easier tunes should be selected for the churchgoer, and not ones with terribly high’ notes in them. He stressed the need of teaching the children to sing at Sunday Schools. “ Music, religion and worship go hand in hand down the ages,” said Mr Feron. “ Music puts men into a frame of mind that is cheerful. Every day we see further evidences of the value of music. In these times of depression, people are realising that singing cheers the heart of man—it enables him to burst into song and forget his worries for the time being. The Church of England does not value music as an aid to improving worship. We have the same old psalms, the same uninteresting tunes and dry old sermons, and how can we expect people to come to church. “ What we want,’ said Mr Feron, “is simple hymns so that a man can understand what he is singing, simple sermons, and simple tunes, and not ones with a top note which only the organ can reach. But the Church will realise some day. Parson Not Everyting.

“ There is plenty of improvement needed in these modern days in our methods of church worship. People think the parson is the church,” continued the preacher, “ but he is not. A good choir and a good congregation, taught how to sing and worship, is the church. A sound choir is one of the best bodies a church can have, and it is surprising what a big asset it is to a parson.

“ The wonder is that people go to church. They hear a dull sermon, dull music, dull singing and a stale service. In fact, I wonder they go at all and I don’t blame them for not going, if they fail to get what they want.” Dealing with the children, the preacher said that the Church of England paid very little attention to the child and the Sunday Schools must less. “ They go there willing to sing and to be brightened up,” he said, “but what do they get? Only a few stale old stories from the Testaments and the result is they are left out in the cold. No one teaches them simple tunes, because the Church hymn books have not got them. Parents and Children. “ Some day (I am a bit of an optimist) the Church of England will get anthems with plain tunes, simple hymns which can be understood, and when they do it will be a pleasure for the child to go to worship,” said Mr Feron. “ When the child is interested, the parents will become interested, and then the church services will be well attended and the parents happier. Give the people something they can sing and enjoy and their worship will be a pleasure, and the Church will not go back,” concluded Mr Feron.