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Sacred Music THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG 160 ness. His oratorios St. Paul and Elijah, wherein he makes music serve the Biblical text in masterly fashion, have become typical for a series of com petent masters (Eckert, 1820-79; Reinthaler, 1822 1890; Rheinberger, and others). For the one school, which gives more study to Handel, the oratorio is the Biblical drama without stage scenery. Pro priety and fidelity in the musical interpretation, force and fulness of expression, are the tasks to which the music is committed. The oratorio style is distinguished from that of the musical drama only and exclusively by the peculiar nature of the subject requirements. This theory later leads log ically to the " spiritual opera " of Rubinstein. The others, who consciously or unconsciously bear the mark of Bach, are more or less overshadowed, even in the oratorio, by the relation to the congre gation, to the house of God, to divine worship, whether they have the house of God expressly in view and aim at a combination of oratorio with congregational singing (as, for instance, F. Zimmer, Ludwig Meinardus, Albert Becker, Hermann Francke, Bernecker, Schwalm, Zierau, R. Succo, but above all, Heinrich von Herzogenberg, 1843 1900); or whether they allow the thought of edifying the congregation to operate only ideally upon their creation (Brahms, 1833-96; Kiel, 1821-85) without restricting themselves as musicians; or whether their musical creation seeks closer or more distant affinity with the elements of congregational edifi cation (Felix Woyrsch; Wolfrum). Mendelssohn, again, prompted by King Frederick William IV., im parted new life to and exerted fresh influence upon Evangelical church music in its more limited sense of music for the divine service, by means of a num ber of compositions. And the list of serious and praiseworthy composers of extremely diverging tendencies who have placed themselves at the dis posal of the German Evangelical church in later time is a long and imposing one. See also HYM NOLOGY; PSALMODY. H. A. KS8TLIN.
3. In England and America: Church music in England has had a history peculiar to itself, usually quite distinct from that in Germany, though with obvious analogies. Although music has always
been a stated feature in ecclesiastical 1. The life, its official and professional culti (ieneral vation has varied greatly in quality at
Situation. different periods, so that its progress has been somewhat fitful and inconsistent. It has not been surrounded by so rich and stimulating an atmosphere of popular aptitude for and interest in musical activity as in Germany. Yet, on the other hand, English church music, being a part of the liturgical practise of the national church, has had always a certain traditional dignity, and, at times when other musical fields have been but slightly emphasized, it has provided room for the artistic effort of many worthy musicians. There has naturally been a marked difference between the services of the cathedrals and those of the parish churches. The former have usually been maintained with much more elaboration than the latter. In tracing the history of English church music, then, it is almost inevitable to dwell more upon what is found in the diocesan or metropolitan centers, in-
eluding the chapels of the great univgrsities of Oxford and Cambridge, than upon the usages of the far more numerous parochial or rural churches.
As in the Roman system of worship, much of the scope and character of Anglican church music is directly determined by the character of the liturgy of the Church of England. This liturgy is contained in the Book of Common Prayer (see COMMON PRAYER, BOOK OF), which originated about the middle of the sixteenth century. This important manual provides services for daily worship, morning and evening, for the Holy Communion, and for a variety of special rites and observances, its details being evolved with much freedom and originality from the Missal, Breviary, and other service-books of the medieval Church. The Prayer Book explicitly ordains the use of music at various points in all the principal services, and common custom has sanctioned some musical usages that are not thus prescribed. All Anglican church music, then, like that of the Roman Church, is essentially a part of the liturgical system embodied in the Prayer Book. A considerable number of formulas, especially certain canticles, etc., are fixed and invariable, recurring at every service; but to these are usually added others of different kinds that are suited to particular days or seasons, and that are not definitely prescribed.
Practically, as in other countries, English church music may be regarded as consisting of (a) choir music, including sentences, responses, canticles, etc., liturgically prescribed (and to be read, 2. Character if singing is not feasible), and " an of English thems," which are optional additions
Church Music. to the liturgy; (b) congregational music, including prose canticles or psalms, usually set to brief harmonic forms known as " chants," metrical psalms and hymns, set to more elaborate forms known as " tunes," and occa sionally some freer forms of the " anthem "class; and (c) organ music, usually consisting of service preludes and postludes. In theory, the liturgy of the Prayer Book is strongly congregational, that is, its exercises are conceived, as far as possible, as proceeding from the assembly, even when actu ally spoken through the minister or sung through the choir. The choir, therefore, is normally to be regarded as the agent of the laity, as is demanded by the whole Protestant theory of public worship, rather than as the agent of the hierarchy, as in the Roman theory. In the ab sence of a congregation, or in its silence, the choir performs the musical functions of the congrega tion. But wherever the congregation can be drawn into actual musical activity, it is assumed that the musical worship belongs to it and its action is to be encouraged. Yet, on the other hand, in cathedral services the choir is so closely associated in action with the stated clerical ministrants, usually officia ting with the latter in the chancel, that the tradi tional rule against female officiants is enforced-all cathedral choirs consisting of men and boys only. Furthermore, in cathedral and collegiate services, and now also in many parochial services, there has been a decided tendency to work out a " full choral service," in which all or nearly all of the exercises,