CHURCH MUSIC—PALESTRINA AND THE SIXTINE CHAPEL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 196, 5 January 1877, Page 13

CHURCH MUSIC— PALESTRINA AND THE SIXTINE CHAPEL.

It cannot be doubted that from the very first the Church has made use of song in her offices. St. Basil and St. Augustine both assert the fact in their letters ; and, before them, St. Paul wrote to the Colossians — " 1/ocentes et commonenies vosmetipsos psalmis, Itymnte, et caniicis spiritualibus, in gratia cantanies in cordibus vesiris Deo." Brossart affirms that at the end of the second century the Christians of Bythinia sang together in chorus; and St. Gregory Nazianzen speaks of singing as already established in the Church at his time. The ancient Romans, being engrossed with war and the desire of conquest, gave but little attention to music or the sister arts, painting and sculpture, but contented themselves with adopting that of the Greeks, which being, therefore, in use at the time of the foundation of Christianity, was the first accepted by the Church. It is easily understood that the Christians of the first three centuries, hiding in the Catacombs and laying down their lives by thousands, made use of the most simple melodies, singing together in unison. Thus it may be said that, like the Church, the divine art of music lay hidden for a while ; though we cannot doubt that the Christians found consolation in singing together, following the injunctions of the Apostle St. Paul. After three centuries of persecution, with the accession of Constantine to the throne, came a day of triumph, when the Church, issuing from the Catacombs, was exalted before the whole world, and then it was Cat music began to progress. It appears, however, after a time, have deteriorated and fallen away from its first simplicity, when in the fourth century St. Ambrose appeared, with his sublime genius, ardent affections, and rare piety. He could not endure that the worship of God's house should be spoiled by trivial and profane melodies. Accordingly, the holy archbishop set about improving and reforming the Church music in his own diocese. By many St. Ambrose is looked upon as the inventor, of chaunting, according to the diatonic method of the Greeks. However this may be, one thing is most certain, that he reformed, improved, and perfected it, not only at Milan, but also at Florence and divers other places, till by degrees his influence became felt throughout the whole Church. Although at the first no musical instruments were permitted during the Divine Office, yet it is known that later on St. Flavian at Antiocb, St. Chrysostoai at Constantinople, and St. Ambrose at Milan admitted the use of instruments, which became universally adopted. It is true that St. Athanasius forbade tnem at Alexandria, yet the general testimony of history goes to prove that the Fathers of the Church only opposed the use of instruments when,

from a help to devotion, they degenerated into a profane distraction. One thing is abolishing altogether and another circumscribing within due bounds. The latter would seem to have been the custom of the Church in all ages. Two centuries elapsed from the reform of St. Ambrose to that of St. Gregory, during which the Ambrosian method continued to be followed. St. Augustine, whose vast and comprehensive mind embraced so many subjects, wrote a treatise on music, in which the principles were the same as those of the Greeks, followed by St. Ambrose. It appears, however, that little by little practice and theory became so separated that church music no longer, as at the time of the Bishop of Hippo, helped souls to piety, likfl that of which he wrote, saying— 'The voices penetrated my ears, the truth my heart, aad sweet tears of devotion flowed from my eyes." But in the sixth century appeared a vast genius, the vigor and energy of whose great soul were directed to remedying all abuses, and among others those into which Church music had fallen. This was Pope Gregory the Great. With him originated the mode of chaunting called in England Gregorian, in Italy " Canto fernio," in France " Plain Chant," and in Germany " Canto Corale." The most important change made by St. Gregory was the substitution of the Latin letters for the Greek. Kalkbrenner, in his " History of Music," tells us that in the year 594 Pope Gregory made three octaves of notes, signing them with the Latin letters — the first octave with capital letters, the second with small letters, and the third with small letters doubled. Besides this, St. Gregory founded two schools of music, and endowed them with necessary funds, securing to the pupils instruction not alone in music, but in literature and science. From this institution the famous Pap al Chapel in Rome took its origin. — ' London Weekly Register.'