Phonograph Monthly Review, Vol. 2, No. 10 (1928-07)

358 The Phonograph Monthly Review July, 1928 hymn is exceedingly beautiful. Two translations of the words, both in common use, and two arrangements of the tune, have been recorded. The first—“Fairest Lord Jesus”—as it occurs in many modern hymnals, is sung by the Victor Male Chorus (Victor 20152) ; the second, F. Melius Christiansen’s elaborate choral arrange- ment, with the words “Beautiful Savior,” is sung by the St. Olaf Choir (Victor 35813). The Dutch Folksong—“We Gather Together”—in Kremser’s arrangement has gained great popularity. It is called a Prayer of Thanksgiving. The Associated Glee Clubs of America sang it at the Philadelphia Sesqui-Centennial in 1926 (Victor 35770). Some of the old Scottish Psalter tunes have been re- corded by the Westbourne Choir (English Col- umbia 4518-19-20). Many of the tunes produced in such endless profusion by the English Victor- ians are available on records. There is a marked tendency among Church musicians today to go back from this romanticism and cloying sweet- ness to the traditional Plainsong melodies, and the sturdy Chorales and Psalter-tunes and Folksongs. These tunes are generally diatonic in character and are far nearer the true language of devotion than are the composed chromaticisms of the last century. Two splendid examples of modern hymn-tunes are Joseph Parry’s “Aberystwyth,” associated with two hymns—“Jesus Lover of My Soul” and “Saviour When in Dust to Thee” (Victor 72813), and Vaughan-Williams’ magnifi- cent “Sine Nomine,” which is fast replacing the Barnby tune to “For All the Saints” (English Columbia 3659). Sometimes it is difficult to draw the line be- tween carols and hymns, but carols are usually of a more informal nature and in triple time, betray- ing their secular origin. There are many record- ings, principally of those associated with the Christmas festival. ‘ Revival songs cannot claim serious considera- tion in an article on Church Music. They bear the same relationship to Church Music that the ephemeral secular ballads which emerge and dis- appear within a few months bear to the enduring music of the Masters. Two notable waves of them swept over America with the Moody-Sankey evangelistic effort of the 1870’s and the Sunday- Rodeheaver campaigns about fifteen years ago. Many of them have been recorded. Likewise Negro Spirituals really demand sep- arate consideration. While they are intensely religious in character and are extremely inter- esting and moving as the folk expression of a race, their manifest crudities preclude anything like an extensive use of them in Church services. Perhaps the finest recordings are the solo records of Paul Robeson for Victor, and the choral ones by the Fisk University Jubilee Singers for Columbia. 4. CANTATA AND ORATORIO MUSIC. The Church cantata was the product of seven- teenth and eighteenth century Protestant Ger- many. It is made up of four elements—the old chorales of the people, the Latin motet, the use of the solo voice borrowed from Italian opera, and instrumental accompaniment. It reached its climax with Bach, as the oratorio did with Handel and Haydn. Although it is not often possible to sing entire cantatas or oratorios in Church, ex- cerpts from them may very fittingly be rendered at Church services. The Westminster Abbey Special Choir has sung an excerpt arranged by Stanford from the Bach St. Matthew Passion, entitled “We Bow Our Heads” (H.M.V.—D1084). Some excerpts from the St. John Passion are reported to have been released by the French Columbia Company, but I have no definite infor- mation about them. The most important oratorio release has been the recording of all that is ever given of Handel’s “Messiah,” by a great Choir, with soloists, organ, and orchestra, conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham (English Columbia L2018- 35). There are also many other solo and choral records from this oratorio in the various cata- logues. Mendelssohn’s “Elijah” and “St. Paul” are two other oratorios which are drawn upon extensively for Church use, and from which there are records. Stainer’s “Crucifixion” remains the most popular Lenten cantata. There is a very beautiful recent recording from it, of the un- accompanied chorus—“God So Loved the World” —provided one can overlook the few sickly organ chords which introduce it, and which are not in the score. It is sung by Trinity Choir (Victor 21254). Sir Edward Elgar’s “Dream of Geron- tius” is one of the most important of modern oratorios. The Royal Choral Society, with solo- ists and orchestra conducted by the composer, has made four records from it (H.M.V.—D1242- 3), and four more were made at the Three Choirs Festival at Hereford last year (H.M.V.—D1348 and D1350). 5. SACRED SOLOS. As stated earlier in this paper, it is felt that the solo voice has a place in the worship of the Church, but a place that is incidental rather than featured. There are many recordings of sacred solos, but they are usually of the operatic or super-emotional type, following 1 the Gounod tradition. A better sort of devotional solo may be seen, for example, in Cesar Franck’s “Panis Angelius,” sung by John McCormack (Victor 6708). Many of these sacred songs have been taken and arranged as anthems, usually with incidental solo parts, and there are records of a number of them so treated. 6. ORGAN MUSIC. While organs are usually considered indispensable in modern Churches, it must be remembered that the world’s most beautiful and most devotional Church music was written for voices uanccompanied. Electrical recording has made it possible for the tones of the organ to be reproduced with great fidelity and sonority. Strange to say, in spite of the number and variety of fine organ records by the greatest performers on that instruments which have been released, practically none of any con- sequence have been released in this country. This subject really requires a separate article. Having now surveyed the field of Recorded