5 MARCH 1842, Page 19

MUSIC.

The Chris' tian Month ; a series of Original Hymns, adapted from the Daily Psalms, with Chants and Anthems. The Poetry by the Reverend W. PALIN ; the Music by Miss Mourtssy.

How often do we see enterprises commenced with excellent intentions, which yet prove abortive because their projectors have not brought knowledge to the aid of their zeal ! Of this truth the work before us is a proof. Mr. PALtst is a clergyman in Essex, known and respected for an earnest and zealous discharge of his duties. Probably offended with the careless and vulgar psalm-singing in his country-church, he sets himself about reforming it. He hears a succession of tunes, pos- sibly the composition of his clerk, or of some one equally "skilled in music's art"; and concluding these to exhibit the average excellence of the psalmody of the Church of England, rightly thinks that something better ought to be produced for its service. And in order to make the reform complete, he writes a new version of certain Psalms; which he commits into the hands of a young lady to set to music. As to the ne- cessity of a reform, we agree with the worthy divine ; we only differ as to the means by which it should be accomplished. There is no need either of new versions of the Psalms or of new tunes. Indeed, as to the former, the objections against using any version not sanctioned "by authority" are most serious. If every clergyman is at liberty to in- troduce new psalms and hymns into our church, what becomes of its uniformity of faith and worship? One will make his selection from WESLEY; another from WHITFIELD, ROMAINE, and NEWTON; another from WATTS and DODDRIDGE ; and another from BAR- BAuLn and Roscom Then as to psalm-tunes—if there be any productions of man which abound to redundance, they are good psalm-tunes. True it is that the tares have grown and choked the wheat ; but if the produce were properly weeded, the wheat would be found. Let us take the earliest English collection to begin with, which contains a tune in four parts for every psalm ; composed by DOWLAND, KIRBY, FARMER, TO/MINS, GILES, and other authors of known reputation : one hundred and fifty this volume furnishes as a commencement. Then there is SANDYS'S magnificent version of the Psalter, with about fifty tunes more: after which, we come to RAVENS• caorr's collection—that of Temoult—that of Sir Wn.Litst LEIGHTON, to which GIBBONS, BYRD, WEELKES, and WILBYE contributed—next to the Psalms of CROFT, and more recently those of NAMES, BATTISHILL, and Csizcorr. Now here must be at least five hundred psalm-tunes, written by masters of their art, and all of English growth. But call in foreign aid of equal power, and the number will be quadrupled : SEBAS- TIAN Baca alone will supply four hundred. Therefore, if there be any thing in the world which we may decidedly say is not needed', it is an additional psalm-tune. We possess variety enough, and excellence combined with it, to furnish a congregation with new tunes every Sun- day for seven years, at the rate of six a week.

With reference to the execution of the work before us, we regret that we cannot honestly say much in commendation. Clergymen so rarely make any effort in behalf of music, that it is mortifying to see a well- meant exertion not well-directed. Of Miss MOUNSEY'S talents as a composer we think highly—her song "Fair Daffodils" is the best pro- duction of its kind that we have seen from the pen of a lady. But here she is out of her sphere : she is evidently not read in church-music. Her parts are a succession of isolated chords, not a combination of me- lodies: they are neither organic nor vocal—neither fit for playing nor fit for singing. Parochial psalmody—the only music appointed for the parish-church—will be best reformed by a recurrence to the practice of the early ages of the Reformation, when singing from parts was uni- versal, and when only such persons undertook to compose psalm-tunes as were really competent to the task. The present system is that of absolute noneonformity—every clergyman his own poet, and every clerk his own composer.