From the Church Music Committee

From the Church Music Committee To the Stake and Ward Music Committees Dear Brethren and Sisters: — This is the first of a number of lessons for choristers that will hereafter appear monthly in the Era from the Church Music committee. These lessons are to be presented by the stake chorister at the monthly union meetings The manual containing lessons for organists will be ready for distribution within thirty days at the Deseret Book Company, Salt Lake City, 25 cents each, postpaid. Your Brother, Melvin J. Ballard, Chairman. Choristers' Manual Lesson 1. The Chorister "The choir depends on the choirmaster. As his personality, so will be that of the choir. The choir is the instrument upon which he plays, the living medium through which he expresses his musical thoughts. If we can find a perfect choirmaster, then we shall have a perfect choir." — A. Modeley Richardson, in The Choirtrdiner's Art. In any position of leadership it is well to define some things specifically, both requirements and opportunities, which may contribute to the success of that leadership, personally to the leader as well as to those who are expected to follow. With the born leader these qualities and gifts may be inherent. But oftimes persons are called into positions of leader- ship who are not naturally gifted with those qualities which make successful leaders. In both cases there is much to gain from a realization of what the position offers as responsibilities and opportunities. In the offices of the Church men and women are chosen to preside because of some special evidence of leadership. It is not difficult, even in the offices of the Priesthood to find men with special gifts in this direction, because of the great number of men from which to choose. The task becomes more difficult when a leader is being sought for some particular position demanding special training. Among the latter is the position of chorister of the ward. The number who are available to choice is few, from that few the choice is difficult because of the general ability and special training demanded by this important office, if the branch of Church activity which this leader is to direct is to function effectively and fruitfully. The work of a choir in the Church is, or ought to be, an exalted and holy work, but it cannot be made ideally helpful and thoroughly fruitful in its place in the scheme of our worship unless its leaders and members fully appreciate the potentiality of it as an agency in carrying forward God's work. Before considering the attitude and ideal disposition of individuals toward the purpose and possibility of the choir, it may be profitable to attempt to advance some definite functions of the choir in order to form a basis upon which to build the structure of ideal leadership and membership. The first purpose of our choirs is generally to support and encourage congregational singing. If this is not the case, the fault lies with the persons who have failed to recognize this fact. All singing requires magnetic leadership and inspiration, and the congregation will sing better when the lead is taken by a choir, because these singers form a nucleous to which the people may attach themselves, a positive mass of harmony

FROM THE CHURCH MUSIC COMMITTEE 1043 in which every singer in the congregation can find his place with confidence and comfort. Obviously, a choir of all voices lends more support to a heterogeneous mass of voices such as compose an ordinary congregation, than individual vocal leadership wherein one voice predominates to the consternation and confusion of such as are not accustomed to sing the part which thereby has become so prominent. A chorister who has not observed the effect of choir leadership on the congregation should make the trial, giving care that this leadership is consciously given with vigor of attack, sustained sonority; it should include "a conscious mental effort of the singers" part to transmit to the people, through their singing, a forceful suggestion of the inner sense and beauty of both hymns and tunes, so that the guidance provided shall not be simply tonal and rhythmical, but intellectual and spiritual." — Pratt. Such leadership can be made to serve as genuine revelation and inspiration. The second function of the chior may be looked upon as a continuation of the first, and as growing out of it, and as a logical complement to it. Congregational singing offers both praise and prayer to God in mutual words of the hymns. But congregational singing cannot, save in exceptional cases, pass beyond the simple and austere form of the hymn with its like musical setting for each verse. Yet the tonal possibility of praise ana prayer constantly stretch far beyond this simple form, and points toward a quality of excellence, both in conception and performance, which require a technical skill far beyond the fondest hopes of the most hopeful and ardent exponent of congregational singing. Here the choir comes in to supplement the congregation as a vicarious agency. In this light then, it might be said that the choir supplies forms of congregational expression that the people generally are not able to offer in person. "This function," says Pratt, "is distinctively representative in nature. It may even be styled priestly." This conception of the position of the choir opens the way for the use of anthems, etc., by the choir, which may be kept in perfect accord with the service, no matter of what character it may be. The specific use of this material will be treated later, but the desire here is to throw off the idea that the whole use of anthems, etc., may be such that the people can be brought to say and feel that they go just a step, or even far beyond what the congregational song was able to express, thus becoming a logical sequence to the expression of the congregation. It is the employment of the choir in this light which will prevent any service from becoming spectacular and sensational instead of devotional. The third function of the choir might be to act in the manner of a specialized branch of the priesthood, existing for the same purpose in the worship of the people. It serves the people as a leader; also as a sub- stitute and assistant in aiding them to feel beyond what they alone are capable. But it also serves as an inspirer and teacher. Its message is both expressive for them, and impressive upon them. "The office of its music is two-fold: to serve as an expressive utterance toward God and to provide impressive instruction and stimulus for the congregation."PraM. The foregoing is advanced for the purpose of justifying the assertion that one of the first requirements, if not the first of the chorister, in the Church, is full appreciation of the seriousness, dignity, and importance of his calling. If the singers under his direction are to function so integrally in the religious life of the people, he it is who must have the testimony, the vision, the desire and the determination of a real servant of God. He must seek to possess the Spirit just the same as the other teachers, for his calling is verily one of teacher, and the Lord says: "The Spirit shall be given unto you by the prayer of faith, and if ye receive not the Spirit ye shall not teach." He should know the gospel and live it. He should know how to take advantage of every opportunity to make his choir

1044 IMPROVEMENT ERA function in building up faith and generating inspiration in the lives of the Saints. He must possess a love of his art as a musician. He must have patience, perseverance, tact, and firmness; he should have a kindly and attractive manner, and courage in abundance. Of course he should have a knowledge of music notation. He will do better work if he understands something of literature and poetry, and has developed a discrimination in the use of words for their own sake. He ought to keep abreast the times in all things. He should possess an understanding of voice production. Though he need not be a solo singer, he ought to know what is required to produce a pure tone, and should be able to cause his singers to produce it. A knowledge of the art of vocal expression, as well as of what the voice is capable of, is essential to success. He must be dis- ciplinarian and organizer, but above all a Latter-day Saint. The aim of these lessons is to provide help for the choristers of the Church in realizing the ideals herein set forth, aiding in the establishment of music as a genuine part of worship. The following opinion of Waldo Selden Pratt is worthy of serious contemplation: "Not enough time and thought are expended by the leaders upon the plan of action, on the aim and strategy of their campaign. Exercises are jumbled together without connection, without dramatic power, and, above all, without any visible or tangible religious fruitfulness. In too many cases the people are led to regard such services merely as a free entertainment, mercifully provided at a time when other recreations are interdicted, something to enjoy for its aesthetic satisfaction merely, or to carp at and criticize like any secular spectacle, something whose success is considered proportional to the size of the crowd it draws and the commotion it makes in the community. The reaction upon the choir is often unfortunate, causing them to aspire after merely sensational achievements, and perhaps perverting the whole notion of their work." The sacred grove, Palmyra, to the right, the residence to the left