The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-04-22 00:00:00

I am. Sir,
A DORCHESTER MAN WHO REGREW;
PRINCE ALBERT.

CHUSC II SINGING.

To the Editor of the Dorset (bulgy &erne and

Agricultural Gazetti.

SIR,—My attention has fdt some time past been
directed to the way in which the singing portion of
Div ine worship is performed in several of the &wain
of this town: Now, Ido not in the least wish to
find fault with the system of having paid choirs In
lead that portion of the service, which in those days
is almost indispensable to its efficiency. But
would ask, how is it that with this help nearly all
the congregation take no part in what kJ, te sly
mind, one of the most beautiful portions of the
service? Take, for instance, thechurch hi this pariah,
where as efficient a choir it maintained, I suppose,
as is to be found in any church in a country town—
how very few of the congregation ever via their
lips id swelling the notes of praise thanks.
giving ascending week by week to the Giver if all
Good. Why is this? Is it because they think dos
the choir and the choir alone should celebrate thaws
praises? I can hardly think that this lithe cause,
as in other parts of the service wiry many audibly
join. The reason, I believe, • two causes,
let, That the congregation, as a body, have never
been instructed in church psalmody, and feel a kind
of diffidence from that cause in uniting their Vele=
ith the choir; and 2ndly, The tunes used for
the psalms are so quickly sung, that only than
continually practising them are able to keep stsp
time. In country towns, as Dorchester, WIN
anthems are sung in the churches, the coagregaatim
except those who are well instructedin mum, bo
only be listeners, as any attempt to join Wads to
mar the beauty of the harmony. It is, however-,
much to be questioned whether it would.
not be best to choose only such oaths's* ws
are of the most simple kind, so that thpr
may be easily learned by the oongregation.
I trust these few remarks will draw the attention of
those whose duty it is to arrange this part of the
service, and of all who desire that every part of the
beautiful service of the church is conducted in such a
mariner as will, by the blessing of God, tend to the
edification of all, by a united ascription of praise**
Hitn.—l remain, Sir, yours truly,

A CHURCHMAN.

P.S.—ln a future letter I hope to be able to show
that with very little trouble this desirable abject—
the hearty co-operation of the worshippers in church
singing—may be attained.

Additional experi-nente bare been made at fiboehory,
new with the gun that penetrated the Warrior tellrgel7
the lingo( those monster pieees of ordnance doweribed
the chronology of the future, written by Mr: Pima.
The new experiments demonstrate still more clearly She
superiority of the means of attack which Sir WilSaca
Armstrong has furnished us with ever the means of 4.-
fence. We are told that the gun was tried with • Nfla„
charge of powder against • target of three lvedikek
plates of wrought iron, bolted together, • solid Mai of
iron of about four times the thickness of the Warrior's
plates. This formidable target was pierced at each shot.
The Brad plate was crashed, the seeded was ripped and
split up, and the third was treated in such • MINIM SS
to show that at short ranges, with such a gun, even 15
Inches of metal is no adequate protection to Woe.
The woman Mary 11masey, now lying under seatenee
of death at Dumfries, for the murder of a seighbear;
Ann Hannah, lass made a confession of her Mao to
the gaol chaplain. If the miserable woman can he Ise-
heved the crime would seem to es I. be more el man-
slaughter than m
. .

Lord

Ldvoesto

been furnished vil
in all likelihood, wi

ith the woman's statement,
ill lay it before the Hoeve.Seeretery,
watesise, we thiskop sot tie

end •
.eomm atation

probikie,