The Church Union has suddenly taken to discussing choral and
congregational music ; and on Thursday Mr. Joscelyn Courtenay read a paper before that High-Church Society, the drift of which was that if you want to aim at exert- ing the- higher musical influences of religion, congregations should not join in the singing, or wish to join in it, but should throw their hearts into the music of trained musicians ; while, if you want to aim at a manifestation of congregational heartiness and unity, then the less use you make of choral music the better. You may either use music as a pore devo- tional influence, or you may accept the clumsy efforts of untrained musicians to recognise the law of harmony as a pathetic endeavour after religions unity, but you cannot combine the two. The higher music will not admit untrained intrusions. The tentatives of untrained intruders will not admit of the higher music. Let one church choose one, and another another, but let none attempt to combine both. Such was Mr. Joscelyn Courtenay's admirable doctrine, and certainly the discussion did not tend to shake it.
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