Church Music Broadcasts

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 31, 12 February 1932, Page 15

Church Music Broadcasts

For Churches Without Choirs | Discusstne the question of supplying really good musie to smal churches without choirs, the Rev. EK. E. Malden writes in the "Church News" as follows :- "Some day we hope the church will have its own wireless station and every small place whigh finds it difficult to raise’ a choir will then be able to tune in to a certain choir for its music. Meanwhile at Leithfield and Baleairn we are trying an experiment which so far has proved quite a suecess, Armed with an electric gramophone and a good supply of hymn reeords sung by some of: the best choirs in England. we are now able to turn on a choir at a moment's notice; but since a gramophone by itself might prove too feeble we have a racdio-amplifier with a dynamic speaker attached to it, by which means we can have it as loud or as soft as we like: the whole outfit, which was built specially for us by a local expert, can be easily taken in the back of a car and fitted up'‘in ehureh: in a few minutes.

"Canticles are the only weak .spot in the service. . So far we have-been unable*to get any sung to sufficiently simple chants for the eongregation’ to join in also; this no doubt is a weakness, because people do like to sing themselves, no matter how beautifully it may be rendered by the choir of St. George's, Windsor, or Rochester . Cathedral. "The main thing is that we have a choir that really functions and leads the singing, and which is not dependent on. the weather for its size or efficiency-also we are able to put on good voluntaries, and anthems will no longer be heard only when we go to town."