THE CHURCH AND COMMERCE, INDUSTRY, SCIENCES, AND ARTS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXV, Issue 49, 8 April 1898, Page 3

THE CHURCH AND COMMERCE, INDUSTRY, SCIENCES, AND ARTS.

(By the Very Rev. T. Le Menant deb Chehxais, S.M.)

Vll. — THE CHtfKCH Atfb MUSIC.

God is infinite and eternal harmony ; made to the image of God, man is a harmonious being. Harmony pleases, delights and enchants him. His feeble voice being too weak to express the sentiments of his heart, he makes use of musical instruments to assist him in praising and glorifying the great God Who made him. Music is the succession of regular sounds, so modulated that they may please the ear. Even savage tribes are moved by harmony : the Hindus, the Chinese, the Japanese, the Assyrian*., the Babylonians, the Persians, the Medcs. the Romans, etc., cultivated music from the earliest times. Musicians were highly esteemed in E»j'pt. In As-ia travelling musicians were wont to stroll through cities and villages relating ancient heroic deeds, with sweet and soft instrumental accompaniment. Who has not heard of the Bards of Erin, who in time of sorrow could with their harp draw tear* from their audience ? In time of war they animated the Iri^-h soldiers to joyously shed their blood for their country, and on festive days they promoted universal laughter and merriment. After the Trojan War, the lyre, the flute and other instruments were taught to the Grecians , particularly to young maidens and youthful warriors. In the Bible Jubal is mentioned as the inventor of the harp and of the organ. Moses, by tbo command of God, instructed the Israelites in music (Numbers x. 8-10). Under David and Solomon there were twenty-four bands of ruuaicians who successively enlivened with

their harmony the various sacred ceremonies. After Josias, a collection of the Hebrew music was made (2 Par. xxxv.), and it is said that " The service of the Lord was made beautiful with all kinds of musical instruments " (11. Par. xvi.) When the Hebrews returned from the captivity of Babylon, they were accompanied by two hundred musicians to comfort them in their journey, So does ohurch music comfort us in our pilgrimage to the heavenly Jerusalem — our true and eternal home. The early Christians cultivated music, and, where it was possible, used musical instruments in their religious ceremonies. They sang in alternate choirs. St. John, in the Apocalypse, beheld the inhabitants of Paradise singing the praises of the Lord with harps in their hands. St. Ignatius, third bishop of Antioch from St. Peter, heard the Holy Angels singing the praises of God in alternate choirs, and he established, in his Metropolitan Church of Antioch, the alternate singing »inoe adopted by all the churches of the East and of the West. Church music is an angelic music. Paradise is a city of artists, and here below we serve our apprenticeship for it, that we may be fit one day to mingle our voices with those of the Seraphim. St. Augustin, himself a musician, pays an eloquent tribute to the touching beauty of the Milanese music in his days. St. Ambrose has been termed the father of music in the Western Church. Flavian, bishop of Antioch, by the music of innocent children drew tears from the eyes of the Emperor Theodosius, and prevailed upon him to forgive the people of Antioch. who had greatly offended him. Charlemagne considered it a privilege to be admitted as a member of the church choir. St. Bernard is not afraid to affirm that nothing is better calculated to give us an insight of the heavenly Jerusalem than the music of our churches, convents and monasteries (S. Bern. Supra Cant.). As no choir is possible without harmony, church music reminds us that we must all be united in faith to sing harmoniously the Divine praises. Even saintly ladies may occasionally take part in church music, in imitation of Mary, the sister of Moses, Debora, Judith, St. Cecilia, and hundreds ot others. St. Gregory reformed and perfected church music. Isidore, archbishop of Seville, composed the first treatise on harmony yet discovered. It is called Sententia be Musica (see Ilintory of Jlusic, by J. Hullah, London ; Longman, S., 1573, p. 18). Hucbald, a monk, of Tournay, in Belgium, published in ÜB2 a treatise on harmony, or diaphony. Pope Silvester 11. was deeply skilled in music, and made considerable improvements on the organ. He founded a school of music at Rome. Guido d'Arezzo is the inventor of the musical scale. The first words of the hymn of St. John, which was composed by Paul, a deacon of the Church of Aquilea, in the reign of Charlinagne, furnished him with the names of the notes of the gamut.

Of all musical instruments, the organ is the most complete and perfect. The origin of the organ was the ancient instrument known as "Pan's Pipe--." It con^ted of reeds of various sizes fixed on a frame, which, being held in the hands, was applied to the lips, and the performer, by the judicious blowing of the various pipes, produced a most swoet mu->ic. Archimedes inventel an organ moved by hydraulic power. Seutonius informs us that the hydraulic organ was the favourite instrument of the Emperor Nero. In Catholic churchet we use the pneumatic organ ; that is, the organ with air pressure. (Jharlcmage put a beautiful pnematic organ in the church at Aix-la-Chapelle. The organ of St. Peter's, in Rome, has one hundred registers. The organ is the great instrument of the Catholic Church. No other instrument could advantageously replace it. Who could listen to the thrilling music of Palestrina, Mo/art, Marcello, Pergolese, Paisiello, Haydn, Allegri, etc., without being deeply impressed ? Most Christian artists were very pious men. Palestrina, before commencing a musical composition, prayed God to inspire him. Pope Pius V. gave him the direction of the Papal Chapel. Mozart was the director of the choir of the Royal Chapel at Versailles. His Requiem Mass is the nc jjlu-i ultra of musical perfection. Pergole-^e is celebrated for his Stabat Mater ; Marcello for his Psalms, arranged for three or four voices. Paisiello, a disciple of the Jesuits, is famous for his oratorios and his Masses, his Miserere and his Passion. Haydn composed fifteen Masses, four Offertories a Sale Regina, a Stabat, and the oratorios of '"The Creation" and of '" The Seasons." Allegri is the author of a famous Miserere ; Charubini of a Requiem Mass. This, I believe, will suffice to show that the Catholic Church has ever been the friend of harmony and of Christian artists. In my next and last paper I shall bpeak of what the Church has done tor painting, sculpture and architecture.