Organization and Maintenance of Choirs

;

Organization and Maintenance of Choirs

Among the Latter-day Saints

BY PROF. JOSEPH P.Ar,LANTYNE, DIRECTOR OF THE OGDEN TABER-

NACLE CHOIR

Organization

No choir leader, no matter what his ability, can reach any

degree of efficiency in chorus work, without a properly voiced

choir. Whether large or small in number it should be made up

from the best voices in the ward or stake.

The selection should be made by invitation, or call, from the

bishopric or (if a stake choir) by the presidency of the stake.

This method gives it the stamp of authority and presupposes

the support, moral and financial, of the presiding authorities,

which is a most important factor.

The membership of a choir should never be made up from

volunteers, as is true of so many organizations. There are many,

many persons who love music ahd would be the very first to prof-

fer their services, as members of a choir, but lack entirely in

voice qualifications. No condition is more serious than the one

mentioned. First you begin with a membership wholly incapable

of carrying out the suggestions of a leader, through lack of voice

and secondly, should you have a number of good voices in the

choir, they become disheartened because of failure in results, and

through the consciousness of too much individual responsibility.

It is most discouraging for a member, with a good voice to sit

next person from whom no assistance comes and the discourage-

ment, of course, comes to the persons most valuable, with the

good voice.

It is not always possible, especially in wards, to procure the

right balance of parts, but the more nearly this important matter

is adhered to, the more beautiful will be the chorus work.

For a membership, of say fifty in a choir, the following num-

ber on each part would give a good balance. Soprano 15, alto 13,

bass 12, tenor 10.

A most important essential in the organization of a choir is

the service of a competent organist. It is a serious condition

where the leader is burdened with an incapable accompanist.

Choir members are so susceptible to the dynamic effects of an

organ that it is an impossibility to attain any efficiency in interpre-

tation without the uplift of a good organist, one who supports

and not overpowers, and a person who is possessed of enough

Tin-: OGDEN TABERNACL1-: CHOIR

Owing to the tire in the Eccles building, some two years ago, in

which the Church records of the Weber stake were destroyed, it has

not been possible to obtain for this sketch the early history of the

Tabernacle Choir in Ogden. Suffice it to say, that good leaders were

installed, and a proficient choir organized for those early times for

the greater part of the period from 1856 up to the time, in 1900, when

the Ogden Tabernacle Choir, under the present directorship of Jo-

seph Ballantync, was organized with a membership of 150 voices. In

1904, the choir-loft was enlarged, and the membership increased to

240, the present number. "The choir is a musical medium between

the composer and the people. For this reason it has been the con-

stant aim of the Ogden Tabernacle Choir," writes Professor Ballan-

tync, "to present music of the highest order so that its educational

value might be felt among the masses. Since the present choir's

organization many standard cantatas and oratorios have been given,

among which are the following. 'Elijah,' Mendelssohn; 'Christ the

Victor,' Buck; "Stabat Mater,' Rossini; 'Lazarus,' Edwards; 'The First

Christmas,' Coombs; 'The Holy Cit-^' Gaul; '46th Psalm,' Buck; and

a number of others. It has been the custom, each year, to give an

interpretative afternoon in the Tabernacle when a cantata or oratorio

has been sung with the necessary thematic explanations. By invita-

tion of the National Irrigation Congress, and President Goode of the

Lewis and Clark Exposition, the Ogden choir made a trip to Portland,

in 1905. 'The Irrigation Ode,' by Professor John J. McClellan, was

sung and a series of concerts were given in Festival Hall to packed

houses and with pronounced success. Miss Emma Lucy Gates, Pro-

fessor John J. McClellan and Willard Weihe were the soloists. In

1907, another trip was made to Sacramento, California, on the invi-

tation of the National Irrigation Congress, when the Ode was again

sung and a concert given in the Agricultural Building to an audience

of nearly 11,000 paid admissions, the largest audience, according to

the statement of officials, ever assembled in Sacramento. On this

trip two concerts were given in the Auditorium in San Francisco.

The Presidency of the Church have given their official sanction for

the choir to go to the Panama-Pacific Exposition in California, in

1915. The choir contemplates a trip to the San Diego Exposition,

with a series of concerts in the larger cities of California, and ending

with a number of appearances in Festival Hall, San Francisco. Prep-

arations for this important tour have been going on for some time,

and will continue until the departure of the choir July, 1915. The

choir has made a number of visits to Salt Lake City, and other Utah

cities, and at the invitation of the President of the Church and the

Deseret Sunday School Union Board, furnished the music for the

afternoon session of the April, 1914, conference, in the Assembly

Hall, and the Deseret Sunday School Union session, at the Taber-

nacle, in the evening." The present officers of the choir are: Di-

rector, Joseph Ballantyne; Organist, Samuel F. Whitaker; President,

Willard Scowcroft; Manager, Charles J. Ross- Secretary, Annis B.

Brown; Librarian, Alonzo West.

THE OGDEN TABERNACLE ORGAN

By information received from organist Samuel F. Whitaker, we

learn that through the efforts of President L. W. Shurtliff, Professor

Joseph Ballantyne and Charles J. Ross, the organ was purchased and

installed Januarv. 1907. It was built and placed by the W. W. Kim-

ball Company, of Chicago. It comprises four complete organs, namely:

Choir, Great, Swell and Pedal. It has a total of 25 speak-

ing stops. Each stop runs entirely through both the manuals and

pedals, giving a total of 1,401 pipes. It requires 45 couplers and ac-

MAINTENANCE OF CHOIRS 771

cessories to manage the stops and manuals. The organ is of the

latest Duplex Tubular Pneumatic action throughout. The Rey-desk

and Console are detatched and extended 45 feet from the organ

proper. Stop-action is controlled by a system of adjustable com-

bination pistons, placed between the manuals within the easy reach

of the performer. In short, all modern methods known to up-to-date

organ builders were employed in its construction. There are no du-

plications in the stops, which gives a great variety of tone color-

ing; yet care was taken to preserve the solidity of the organ quality,

so necessary to any instrument. The "string," "reed" and "flute"

sections are very fine and characteristic. The diapason, or foundation

organ tone, has great depth and body; and a possible total of 150

separate and distinct tonal varieties or combinations can be had by

the organist. The instrument is blown by a 4 horse-power Kinetic

Blower, capable of supplying 1,700 cubic feet of wind at a 5-inch pres-

sure per minute. The width is 40 feet and it has a depth of 14 feet.

The total cost in round numbers was $9,000, though the increase in

price in all materials would at present total upwards of $12,000. The

outside case is finished in solid walnut wood, varnished and rubbed

in oil. The front decorative pipes are finished in gold leaf. Samuel

F. Whitaker has held the position of organist since the organ was

installed.

emotional power to feel the content of the music, and has the

ability to sympathize with the conductor in his interpretations.

Blessed indeed is the choir leader who is fortunate to be

associated with such an organist.

It would seem a wise thing, if such an organist is not avail-

able, that —

if necessary —

a fund be raised to educate the proper

person for this position.

The choir should be well officered.

The president, especially, should be a man with qualifications

of leadership — —

not necessarily musical leadership but a man with

heart and head who can command the love and confidence of the

entire choir membership, for upon him logically falls the responsi-

bility of looking after the attendance, and many other details in

the conduct of a choir.

Of course we all know how important it is to have a qualified

leader, not only a director of music but fortunate indeed is the

;

musical director who possesses also the gift of the leadership of

men, for his task is made the easier and his chances of success

the greater. The other officers can be easily filled from the ranks

of the choir.

Maintenance of a Choir

Once rightly organized, the responsibility for the mainte-

nance of a choir rests largely upon the choir leader.

It is his authority that reigns supreme during rehearsal, and

proportionately as he succeeds in maintaining an interest will he

be successful.

A conductor should not appeal to choir members to attend

772 IMPROVEMENT ERA

rehearsal through sense of duty alone. A number will do this, but

many more will attend, or remain away, according to the interest

aroused from the efforts of the leader.

No choir director has a right to invite his members to a re-

hearsal without giving them value received for coming. His

music should be so well selected and his preparation so thorough

that an evening of enjoyment, as well as profit, is the result. If

a leader is unable to do this his task is a laborious one and can-

not be fruitful of results. It is the rehearsal that acts as the

barometer. You compel an interest in your rehearsals and the

membership will be retained and your success assured. The re-

action will occur just as sure as you fail to feed your flock when

they come for musical uplift.

The use of hymns, alone, is not sufficient to maintain the

interest of your choir members. I heartily approve of their use,

but we should also use appropriate choruses and anthems in the

larger forms. In this way the musical horizon is extended, and

the opportunity given for a higher and more elastic degree of

interpretation. Nothing so interests the members of a choir as

to delvebeneath the surface of the cold, printed page, both in

hymn and chorus, and search out the mental and emotional content

of the text.

While hymns serve excellently well for this purpose, the mu-

sical thought is limited by the shortness of the composition, and

prevents an elaboration of the musical idea.

Anthems and choruses go a little farther and consequently

give a greater scope for analysis and interpretation.

The music for a choir should be selected with great care if

one wishes to maintain interest. There are so many works writ-

ten of a high order by standard composers, both simple and dif-

ficult, that it is wasting both time and energy to prepare music

which has no merit. Good music, as in literature, improves with

acquaintance.

A choir leader should keep three or four new choruses in —

—

preparation before his choir at all times. Take up the more dif-

ficult in the beginning of a practice and alternate with the more

simple to avoid tiring the voices of the choir members, and, which

is as important, to give variety of subject and music.

The changing off from one chorus to another after a thorough

drill on only a part of the work is a great factor in maintaining

choir discipline and interest. One chorus with music learned and

ready for refinement of interpretation, should always be used in

an evening. It is the spiritualizing of the music and the most en-

joyable part of choir work, both for leader and members. If

three or four choruses are being studied at the same time this

can easily be done. When one is finished for public presentation

add a new one to your repertoire.

THE OGDEN STAKE TABERNACLE

This building is used by the Weber, North Weber and Ogden

stakes and is located in Ogden, Utah, within the confines of the North

Weber stake. It was erected in 1856-7, and remodeled in 1897. It

was dedicated in 1859-1860. It has a rock foundation, adobe and

brick walls and a shingle roof. The exterior of the walls is painted.

The cost cannot be definitely ascertained. The remodeling cost ap-

proximately $20,000, and since then a $6,500 organ has been installed,

and $5,000 "has recently been expended for other improvements. The

size of the building is 30 by 54 feet, exclusive of the entrances, and

vestry on each side, which are 8 to 10 feet wide each. The building is

40 feet high and has a seating capacity of one thousand; under

crowded conditions it has held over 1,300 people. It consists of one

main auditorium, and a vestibule entrance, small vestry, furnace,

storage and toilet rooms. Walter Thompson, and W. N. Fife were

the architects of the old building and Wm. W. Fife for the remodeled

structure. There are ten acres of land connected with the building.

One acre, however, was deeded to the Ogden Third ward, on which

there is now erected the Third ward meeting house, amusement hall

and Relief Society stake house. The nine acres of land are at

present unimproved but the ground is being graded, leveled and pre-

pared for lawn, walks, trees and shrubbery. Most of the square will

be parked during this vear. The house is used by the three stakes in

Weber county. A janitor cares for the building, and a caretaker of

the grounds will be appointed.

The erection of this tabernacle forms an interestmg part of the

city's history. It was begun in 1856, the year of the building

of the city wall, at that time an important undertaking. Considering

the financial condition of the people at that time, their suffering

from the effects of the hard winter of 1855-6, and the cost of the city

wall, erected that year, the eners-y displayed in building the Tabernacle

was 'nothing short of remarkable. The wood was procured from the

canyon, hewed and fitted, the big roof arches being fastened together

by wooden pins. The flooring and finishing work was all dressed

by hand, there being no machinery. It was so far completed and un-

der cover that it could be used by the Utah militia in

preparing to

774 imi'R()V1':mI":nt era

go out and meet Johnston's army, in the fall of 1857. Meetings were

held in it thereafter but it was not dedicated until 1859-60. Prac-

tically every member of the First Presidency and of the Quorum of

the Twelve Apostles, and other general authorities, from President

Brigham Young to this day, has attended conferences and addressed

tlie Saints in this house. John V. Bluth, Secretary Ogclen Tabernacle

Committee, and iirst counselor North Weber stake presidency.

As before stig'gestecl, the successful maintenance of a choir

depends entirely upon the interest of its members, and for this

interest the chorister is larg-el}^ responsible. So the discipline

and activities of the choir should be an important consideration.

To assist in maintaining interest at rehearsals, the director

— —

should have one section either men or women meet for early

practice —

say a half hour before the regular rehearsal —where new

notes should be taug'ht. The sections could alternate so that

when the music is taken up with the whole, one would avoid

the monotony of keeping all parts waiting while teaching the one

part new music. The purpose of every choir leader should be to

keep the entire membership at work during the practice. If he

cannot, his discipline is gone and with it the interest of his mem-

bers. I have learned that choir members have come to work, and

if the opportunity is not presented for continuous application your

evening has passed without serving its purpose. Choir members

should leave rehearsal with a spirit of enthusiasm and interest,

so that they will welcome the rehearsal evening the next week.

This must be the chief concern of every chorister.

The choir should have a periodical stimulus in the giving of

song services, concerts and cantatas.

It is a strong incentive to work and is productive of the very

best results.

A song service in a stake or ward chapel, with talks on the

content of the words, makes a most interesting service. It not

only emphasizes the importance of music in our religious ser-

vices, but is a means of illustrating- the many truths contained in

the hvmns and anthems we sing. In the preparation of a can-

tata the choir leader is doing a service, not only to his choir but

to the g'eneral public. Wise selection of a standard work gives

the choir music of a high order on which to work, and serves

excellently well as an interpretative service which elevates the

standard of music in the community and produces a musical

atmosphere among choir members which is most important in the

maintenqnce of a choir.

In the selection of a cantata, care should be taken that it is

so constructed that the numbers can be used as separate choruses

and solos for regular meetings. In this way no time is wasted

in the preparation of music for the regular Sunday service, for

then the cantata music can be regularly used.

MAINTENANCE OF CHOIRS 775

Concerts are often necessary to secure money to purchase

music and for other laudable purposes.

Any choir leader of experience knows that interest is better

maintained when there is ^ahead some definite attraction for

SUMMIT STAKE HOUSE

Located in Coalville, Su mmit county, Utah. It was erected in

1883, and dedicated May 7 by President Lorenzo Snow. It is

built of brick and stone, and cost $65,000. The size of the building,

outside, is 55 by 100 feet, he ight of the main building 35 feet, tower

117 feet. It has a seating ca pacity of fifteen hundred people. There

are five rooms in the building T. L. Allen architect. One acre of land

,

is connected with it, and th is has been beautified by lawns, flower

beds, trees, flowering shrubs and evergreens. The building is steam-

heated, electric-lighted, and is furnished with water from the city

water works.

THE POCATELLO FIRST WARD MEETING HOUSE

In the Pocatello stake there is no tabernacle, but the First

ward building, shown above, is used instead. It is located in Pocatello,

Idaho, was erected in 1903, and dedicated in 1909. It is built of brick

with a five-foot foundation of grey sandstone, at a cost of $17,000. The

size of the building outside is 40 by 80 feet, height to the square, 25

feet, with a seating capacity of six hundred. There are nine rooms

besides coal room, toilets, etc. The architect is William Allen, Kays-

ville, Utah. Size of land connected with it, 70 by 90 feet. The

grounds and house are cared for by volunteer work of members of

the congregation, on the outside, and by a regular jaintor, on the in-

side. The building occupies one of the most prominent corners in the

city and is one of the most striking structures in Pocatello.

which to work. It is a perfectly legitimate motive, for then the

choir works for higher standards of interpretation.

The choir leader should be firm, courteous and dignified in

his work, and should rarely scold.

If you have just rsason to reprimand, do it with dignity, and

while in possession of all your faculties. In anger we loose our

powers of reasoning and often display a childishness which les-

sens the dignity of leader and results in disaster to our discipline.

We all know how a feeling of irritability, on the part of a

choir leader, very soon pervades the whole atmosphere, and

results are impossible under such conditions. Wise, indeed, is the

director who plans his work, knows just what he desires to ac-

complish, and with firmness goes at his task in a profitable and

certain manner.

If leaders of choirs are largely responsible for their main-

— —

tenance which is true we should sense our great responsibility

and seek to make profitable every session of the choir, for in this

way alone can we hope for success.