HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY

FROM THE ESTATE OF
REV. CHARLES HUTCHINS
MAY 24, 1939

Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1870.

By C. J. HOPKINS

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District
of New York.

M

2136
·H583

54

1870

Electrotyped by SMITH & MCDOUGAL, 82 and 84 Beekman St., N. Y.

Printed by S. W. GREEN, 16 Jacob St., N. Y.

hos 23, 30, 15.71. 58

1

PREFACE.

TWENTY-THREE years of the most varied practical experience, have established convictions and formed opinions which few can cavil at. During these years I have directed Chorus-choirs of men and women, paid and volunteer; Quartet-choirs, paid and volunteer; choirs of children, as in the late Beekman Street St. George's Chapel, where the choir was composed of 69 boys and girls; choirs of men and boys, surpliced in the chancel as well as without surplices in the organ loft. My acquaintance with the Reverend the clergy has been almost equally varied. I have enjoyed the ministrations of some who were, in truth, excellent amateur musicians; of others whose estimation of Church Music was only in so far as it served to rest their own voices; of others, again, who persisted in regarding the Organist and Choir as irritating competitors with the clergyman in the race for popular admiration, and who systematically snubbed and mortified them by bobtailing their performances in consequence. Then again, I have served under the same consecrated roof with clergymen who were so apathetic and indifferent to the music that they would give out the same hymn three Lord's Days in succession, and never know it: others, again, who could not tell the difference between a Psalm-tune and an isosceles triangle if they were to die for it; from all of which I have deduced the following conclusions:

I. That the Congregations of the period are musically sick.

II. That the majority of the Clergymen of the period are musically indisposed. III. That most Organists and Choir-masters of the period are out of order in their musical economies.

IV. That Choir-singers of the period, either in professions or performance, are far from healthy.

V. That they all need physic. And, consequently,

VI. That I ought to assume the by no means pleasant but necessary office of "Gallipot-bearer extraordinary" to their Clerical, Musical, Organic, Vocal, Religious, Sincere, or Hypocritical Highnesses.

The compositions in this book, with but few exceptions, have been tried "like as silver is tried," so as by the fire of many years' service, either in public or in private. To persons who may not at once fancy certain tunes, I would respectfully repeat Mr. John Hullah's forcible remark, that "time is a surer guide than our fancy, for we often now love many tunes which we most disliked on a first hearing." I can but urge my sick friends to take my physic often and in large doses, and see if it does not do them good. Before such as are helplessly, hopelessly, incurably unmusical, I am mute; but to so-called musical persons who can hear such tunes as York, Crucifixion, The Old Hundredth (as here arranged from Havergal), Luther, Heber, Consolation, S. Saviour's, Seymour, Abasement, Hursely, S. Alphege, Ewing, Benediction, The War-song, S. Bride, Hullah, Cornell, and hear them unmoved, I would say that they are in a very bad state, and had better take even stronger or weaker physic than is here provided for them.

Many will object to the low keys of the entire book, but this is indispensably needed by boy-choirs. A capable organist can, of course, transpose to higher keys to suit women's voices, if desired, while choirs who employ blockheads for organists, to the injury of Artists, deserve to be bothered.

In conclusion, I would state that I have no idea that my physic is the best, purest, strongest, most palatable or most efficacious in market, but it is the best at my command, and I shall feel sincerely grateful for any suggestions for its improvement from Clergymen, Editors, Organists, Choir-masters or Choralists who may consider the subject of Church Music and the elevation of its general (not exceptional) tone as worthy of careful, nay, prayerful study and close attention.

COOPER UNION, DEC., 1869.

JEROME HOPKINS.

And those that choose thy upright ways 3 'Tis God's all-animating voice