THE CHORALE-BOOK FOR ENGLAND.* THE chorale, or psalm-tune, is essentially
a child of the Refor- mation. With its grave, measured movements, which require no elaborate skill to execute, and appeal to the great primary im- pulses of religion which are shared by all, more than to any of the subtler and more individual experiences which necessarily take a less regular form of expression, it marks the re-introduc- tion of the popular element into the Church service. Thousands of Protestant congregations, for two centuries or more, have had no other type of religious art, and even in those communions which, like our own Church, retain more elaborate forms of music
• The Chorale Book for England. The Hymns translated by Catherine Winknortb, the Tnues compiled and edited by William Stemdale Bennett and Otto Ooldsolimidt. London: Longmans.
• The Chorale-Book/or England. Congregational Edition. Hymns and Melodies. also, the "psalm-tune" is still one of the most popular. Its original home is Germany, where it first flourished under the hand of Luther himself, and where the rich stores of hymns pro- duced during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries gave rise to a multitude of tunes composed on purpose for them. The English public have lately gained some knowledge of these hymns from several sources, and especially from the admirable and popular collection entitled "Lyra Germanica," translated by Miss Catherine Winkworth from Baron Bunsen's "Versuch eines allgemeinen Gesang mid Gebetbuchs." In the work now before us, Miss Winkworth presents a selection of German hymns with the original music written for them. About one-third of the hymns have been translated expressly for this work, the remaining portion being taken from the "Lyra Germanica ;" while in those cases where that version was not entirely suited to the rhythm of the tunes the words have been retranslated. The volume contains two hundred hymns, set to one hundred and twenty- one tunes, several of the latter being repeated, as when a tune had become popular fresh hymns were often written for it. Besides separate indexes of the German and the English first lines, there is an elaborate and valuable index to the tunes, stating the composer of each, the title and date of the collection in which it first appeared, and other particulars. The chorales themselves are neatly printed, the words being placed between the treble and bass staves, each of which contains two of the parts. The hymns are arranged in a judicious order, about half being allotted to the services of the English Church from Advent to Trinity, and the remainder being devoted to general sub- jects. All the musical portion of the work has been compiled and edited by Dr. Sterndale Bennett and Mr. Otto Goldsclimidt, who have spared no pains to make the collection a fair and full representation of the "essence of German hymnology in words and music united." The harmonization of the chorales is fault- lessly scholarlike, and is generally well adapted for the average voices of an ordinary English choir.
With respect to the resthetic treatment of the chorales, how- ever, we do not feel so uniformly satisfied. In the preface, after giving a brief sketch of the history of German hymnology, the editors point out that not only the versions of the chief chorales introduced by Bach, Mendelssohn, and other composers into Their great work; but also the editions of a vast number of chorales published by Sebastian Bach, his son, and other com- pilers, are not really the original versions of those tunes, and that the present editors "were bound to go back, not only to the sources from which their melodies might be obtained most accurately, but also in the form most suitable for their object. They have, therefore, drawn either from the works in which the tunes originally appeared, or from those of Winterfeld, Tucher, and others of high standing, into which they had been literally copied. In every case they have endeavoured to give the tune as nearly as possible according to its original version, and in a shape which might at the same time justify the hope of its being accepted by the English public." They have even retained the old 3-2 time in hymns which have since become popular in "common time," saying that "they have seen no right or reason to change" the original form. In many cases they have "retained the harmon- ies of the authors of the tunes, and in general have striven to preserve as far as possible the character belonging to the period of their composition ; thus the melodies of the sixteenth and eighteenth century called for different styles of harmony, clearly indicated by their different flow in respect of distances." Thus the chorales are, on the whole, presented here in a far more anti- quarian form than that in which they are generally known. Now, in a work intended for general use at the present day, this seems to us a clear mistake. We quite admit that the elaborate and often dramatic form given by Mendelssohn, for instance, to some of the chorales introduced in his oratorios, is unattainable by ordinary choirs, and would often be unsuitable to general English taste for congregational use. But because the resources of an ordinary choir are limited, there is no reason that those which it does possess should not be fully employed. The musical culture of three centuries has so developed the musical instincts of cultivated minds, that we do not stand now where we did in the time of Luther. It isnot a question of mere luxurious ornament, which may be added or taken away like the cadences of a bravura song, nor of vocal powers, which some may possess and others may lack ; it is a matter of real intellectual development, which ought not to be stifled, and cannot be ignored without injury to the vitality and delicacy of musical instinct. No one who has fed upon the rich full chords and intellectual progressions of Handel, Purcell, Bach, and Mendelssohn, can feel any satisfaction in uttering the musical aspirations of religion in the archaic and immature forms of the sixteenth century. As the first form which the chorale assumed, those old psalms are, doubtless, of the greatest interest, and were we compiling a history of hymnology, it would be important to preserve carefully the different harmonies given to the psalms of different centuries. But the chorale is essentially a popular composition ; not an expression of some peculiar individuality which we are bound to accept as it stands, if we take it at all, such as an anthem, a painting, or a poem,— but something more resemblinga ballad tune, which may be treated in many ways, and which grows as the nation grows, its deepest significance coming out, perhaps, centuries after its author has left the world. And being a popular composition, intended to utter the general Christiin sentiment, it is surely an error to deprive it of all the added taste and science of the last century or two, and to forbid its resources to expand with the natural growth of advancing Christendom. Turning now to the volume before "us, we have to regret that this backward course has been taken with several favourite tunes. The celebrated chorale, "Nun freut euch lieben Christeng'mein," known in England as "Luther's Hymn," is given in a form so archaic as to spoil half the enjoy- ment of hearing it. Two other chorales, well known to lovers of Mendelssohn's " St. Paul," as "To God on high be thanks and praise" (" Atkin Gott in der 116h' sei Ehr"), and "0 Thou the true and only Light!" (" 0 Jests Christ, meinLebens Licht!") are also given in a pre-Sebastianite form, which shears away much of their beauty, while the preservation of the old triple time sadly mars the dignity and force of both these compositions. In the former of the two this is especially unfortunate, as the chorale is peculiarly beautiful and suitable for con- gregational use.* Of another favourite chorale, "Nun danket alle Gott," we have to complain that the present version is as bare as a harmony exercise, scarcely any chords being allowed beyond those of the tonic and dominant. Now, as we have before us three English editions of this glorious chorale in as many collections of psalmody—in neither of which is it thus deprived of the lovely chords and stirring progressions which naturally belong to it, we feel pretty sure that the quaker-like bareness of Dr. Bennett's version will not prove more acceptable to the general musical public than it does to ourselves. On the other hand, we are glad to acknowledge that the "Old Hundredth," Luther's "Em' feste Burg," and "How brightly beams the Morning Star," are presented in a form quite free from these objections ; while the pathetic chorales " Wer nur den lieben Gott liisst walten," and "0 Gott, du frommer Gott !" are rendered beautifully. In the former of these, the old triple time is retained, but, in this instance, where sweetness and grace are the leading characteristics of the melody, the effect is not injured by this change, as it is in cases where majesty and force are required. The finest rendering of all these chorales is, how- ever, that of " Wachet auf, raft tins die Stimme," which may be heard with pleasure, even by those who cannot forget the magni- ficent and dramatic version, "Sleepers, wake I" in "St. Paul."
Passing on to those tunes which are new to us, we have marked a great many which are quite capable of being popularized in England. Some of these are in the simple measures to whioh the English ear is already accustomed; others are in more com- plex metres, but not so difficult or unusual as to be unmanage- able. Of the former class we may name—" Blessed Jesus, at Thy word ;" "Open now thy gates of beauty ;" "Rejoice, rejoice, ye Christians ;" "0 Jesu, King of Glory !" "Christ, the life of all the living;" "Farewell I gladly bid thee ;" which would soon become favourites. Of the latter class, "Now let us loudly;" " Up ! yes, upward ;" " Ah ! Jesus ;" "Shall I not sing praise to Thee r "Jerusalem ;" and the never-to-be-forgotten, "Wake, awake, the night is flying !" would repay study, and soon win their place. Besides these, and others of similar character, the book contains several chorales, which, although too- peculiar to suit average English taste, are very fine in themselves, and would- be interesting to musicians.
There is, however, one class of these tunes of which we cannot speak so favourably, viz., those which are so decidedly inappro- priate to the words belonging to them as to be of very little use. For instance, Hymns 4,17,34, and 47, are all hymns of rejoicing, in which the higher, richer, more victorious phases of Chris- tian faith are delineated in glowing and touching poetry ; yet they are set to the most lugubrious tunes, whose" sad perplexed minors" must completely neutralize any real sympathy with the
* Those congregations that find bfendelssohn's Torsion too difficult, may use, with advantage, the excellent and more simple edition, edited by Dr. ElTey, under the title" Two Chorales sung at the Funeral of H.R H. theists Prince Consort." (Novella and Co.)
words. In other cases the chorales, though not of so dreary a cast, are yet (at least, as here presented) stiff and commonplace, while the hymns to which they are set are so grand and beautiful as to deserve a much finer rendering. Such is the case with Hymns 23, 25, and 150. Indeed, the reflection is constantly forced upon us that the chorale form is very inadequate to fill the place which the German Churches seem to. allot to it, of expressing the whole circle of religious life. The exquisite hymn by Angelus (John Scheffler), commencing "0 Love, who formedst me to wear The image of Thy Godhead here," though somewhat open to the charge of "confounding the Per- sons," is so extremely beautiful and individual in its tone as to call for a much more artistic and expressive rendering than any chorale can supply. It is here set to a somewhat commonplace tune. "When on the Cross the Saviour hung" (the Seven Last Words), and "Holy Ghost, my Comforter" (King Robert's hymn), are also susceptible of much richer treatment than mere plain counterpoint, and many other hymns in this collection are so poetic and expressive that we regret to see them united to music in which all their finest touches are entirely lost.
Let it not be supposed that we do not value the work before us, because we enter these objections to -portions of its contents. We esteem it very highly as a thoroughly careful, conscientious, and scholarly work, containing so much that is permanently valuable as to be almost indispensable to those who wish to cultivate the subject without going back to the originals. We only regret that its principle of adhering as closely as possible to the ancient forms must render a large proportion of the chorales less available for general Christian worship than would other- wise have been the case. Many of the more celebrated of these tunes have already been published in well-edited English collec- tions of psalmody, where they appear in more modern forms, which will hardly be discarded for those of Dr. Bennett. Among these collections one of the most popular is the "Church Psalter and Hymn-Book" (Nisbet and Co.), which has already gone into three editions. The music in this work has been re- vised by Mr. John Goss, and is fully worthy of his reputation. In some instances, we prefer the rendering of Dr. Bennett, but in those chorales which the latter has treated in a manner more or less archaic we greatly prefer the harmonies of Mr. Goss. Still, no collection of purely German chorales, possessing any claim to be a representative one, had appeared before the present work, and of the German hymns belonging to them our knowledge was still less. The Chorale-Book for England has, therefore, a place of its own; and even if taken as a hymn-book only, that place is a very high one. Indeed, we scarcely know of any hymn- book which contains so much that is beautiful. Miss Wink- worth's verses, combining the passion of the Wesleys with the refinement of Montgomery and the poetic power of Heber, will prove a most welcome substitute for the conventional twaddle which fills two-thirds of almost every English hymn-book. We are, therefore, very glad to see that a congregational edition of the Chorale-Book, containing the hymns and melodies alone, has been issued at the low price of eighteenpence. It is very neatly got up, and ought to become popular, even with those who are not able to enter into the musical study of the larger edition.
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