Preface
interest in the music they sing, while the eternal war between choir and congregation, each considering the other an unnecessary appendage to the services of the church, is done away with.
The congregation might be encouraged to sing and appreciate the finer melodies if a system of monthly congregational practices were held, at which the less known tunes could be made familiar in some such way as the following :—The first two verses might be sung by the choir alone, or some body of singers with good voices who already knew the melody: at the third verse the congregation would be invited to join in, and would finally sing a verse unaided by the trained singers. A hymn recital, at which some of the less familiar hymns might be sung by the choir, would also be a pleasant variety from the Sunday evening organ recital.
(d) Speed.—The present custom in English churches is to sing hymns much too fast. It is distressing to hear 'Nun Danket' or 'St. Anne' raced through at about twice the proper speed. Metronome marks are added to each hymn, which, the editor believes, indicate the proper speed in a fairly large building with a congregation of average size. The speed indications should not be judged at the pianoforte. Another painful experience is to hear an organist trying to play through a C. M. or L. M. tune in absolutely strict time, regardless of the slight pauses which the congregation, with unconscious artistic insight, are inclined to make at the end of every line. Pauses have been marked wherever they should be made, and a sign 𝄒 has also been extensively used to designate a very short break, less than the ordinary pause (𝄐). Sometimes 𝄐 and 𝄒 are used together, signifying a pause as well as a complete break in the sound.
Some of the hymns are marked to be sung ‘in free rhythm’. This direction is especially applicable to unmeasured tunes, but all hymn tunes should be sung more or less freely; at all events a stiff clock-work rendering should be avoided. If this is borne in mind, and the hymns are not sung too fast, the bad effect will he largely
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