The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1868-02-18 00:00:00

BLANDFORD.

OPENING OF THR_NFM ORGAN AT THE

INDEPENDENT CHAPEL

Oa Friday last • very interesting service took place
in the Independent chapel in this town, on the owmaion
of the opening of • new organ in that plat* of warship.
The whole of the money regnired for building the new
chapel, amounting to about £2,000, having rather been
raised or guaranteed, and one of the prettiest and most
comfortable building" of the claim in this county pro-
riled, the chapel wardens and congregation agreed to
procure such an instrument aa should not only be useful
as an aecompaniment in the ringing, bat also be in itself
an ornament to their chapel. r. Rrindley, of Sheffield,
was entrusted to carry oat their wishes, and nothing
can be more chute and neat than the instrument be has
supplied. The organ it endued in • very handsome
front of stained wood, with decorated pipes, and in of
the following proportions :

OLIAT Ofteeir Coster. CC to 0.
Feet Pipes
54
stnptlis. It
44
Eltleer for Clar:ionette
Slider for Flute
Beni Osear Tywa, C to 0.
Feet

Pipe,
.41
Spre Sifter for '
o St. Matteson
Spore Slider for Trumpet
Platt Oaoas.
Botudon, CCC to E, 29 note..
Cocruau.
Swell to Greta Great to Pedtl.
Throe Compodtlon Pedals to Greet Organ.

Oboe

The organ is a very sweet toned instrument of oon-
siderthle power, and its capabilities were fully tested by
Mr. Frank Spinney, who very kindly proffered his ser-
vices at the opening.
In the afternoon • public tea took piths in the sehool-
room, edjoining the chapel, of which about 130 partook,
and at halt Paef six the service eemmeneed in the chapel
with • prelude on the organ by Mr. F. Spinner.
The Rev, B. Gray, who presided, stated that be lad
received • letter from Mr. White, of Tisbury, expreasing
his regret in not being able to be present.
The Rev. J. Keynes offered prayer.
The choir then sang the Kyrie Bledsoe, "I will call
upon the Lord," from Mozart's 12th Mass • an imam-
mental piece, beautifully played by 16. Spinney,
followed.

The Rev. J. Keynes said be was mod happy to be I
resent on such an orcurion, and to take his pert In so
interesting • eervice. He earnestly prayed that those
who were eegued in °oviduct ng this part of God's
worship would be enabled to raise their thoughts to '
heaven, and that whilst their lips were uttering anthems
of praise • response to what was sung might be felt by
all. After alluding to a bereavement in his faintly,
which be said prevented some of its members being
present, Kr. Ksynu acid that due he received an I
intimation that hie pretence would be required, and •
welcome extended to him, his thoughts had beet
oampied in the recollection of many of those, who in his
youthful days joined with him in taking part in con-
cluding the tinging In the old chapel in that place. He
bad been interested, he 'nicht say, in the service of song
in God's house for nearly 50 years, for he wee very early
brought to God's house by those who *ore DOW singing
Hit praises in the better world. With Memel Um
to this port of God's he wished to make a tomark or
two. Yr. Ward Boocherot name well kaolin is this

country, and one of the roost popular Praseluni °a the
other side of the Atlantic, in • letter to • friend remarks
Oast •herever there had been a marked revival of God's
work, there bad been • marked interest in singing Goers
praises. Southey also, in his hie of Wesley, has this
'mirage. "It may be questioned whether the Wealeyans
as • body are not as much indebted to the man Miln
wrote their hynina as they the to the elder brother for .
hie preaching."— Hr. Joy, in his remai Its on
devotion also advises th.t hymns should be Dune. and
is (Mr. Keynes) father bet very often expressed his
regret that he could not acquire toe power of setting •
iune, and said how glad he would bane been to be able
to +tot at least one Mine in each metre. As psalm
singing was such an important part of the worth'', of
God, it was only right that considerable attention should
be paid to it. He was glad to say that they bad arrived
at &time when the prejudice against instrumental music
wee fast passing away, for greatly ash. wouli prefer Sing'
lug without any instrument, of this he was ears from
experience that it erm a very dilioulc thing to attain
indeed. This be found especially when at their week
evening meetings, the kind friend who led the singing
on a small instrument, happened to be away. Ties
singing was sure to drag. There was one thing, in con-
nection with singing, very important, and especially so
to them who led it, that the tones should
be of that character in which all could join. In
this particular • v-ry great improvement had been made
of late years. Formerly there were many tones used in
which only the thole could take • part, sod many of
them were so arranged as that the words were divided
in half sometimes most ludicrously. Andrew Full. r,
who was rather a severe censor, and decidedly objected
to instrumental music, says :—" La order to judge
whether a tune is good, do not ooneider it so if it will
please a fastidious taste, or a critic's ear, but if it is
taken up by to. congregation." Psalmody is for the
oongregation. and the choir and coeliac are oaly good as
helping a c.a./elation toning. The more be saw of
! the ministry of God's word, and of the service of song
lin his hones, the deeper was his persuasion that every
'part of that service should be carried out decently eud
in order. He would therefore my to those who were
entrusted with choosing the tunes, that whilst there
ought to be nothing offensive in them to the ear of a
magical men, yet, at the throe time, they should be
each as all could, by hearing them • few times, join in
singing them.- - Mr. Keyses than alluded to the practice
in some places of wor.hip of the greeter part of the eon.
gregetion singing by outs, and expressed an opinion
that where *eels a moieties was adopted there was to
much reason to fear that greater attention was paid to
music than to the words sung. Mr. Keynes then
referred to the delight he felt in hearing at the Crystal
Pathos some 30,000 persons sing • hymn, all of whom,
with the exception of the choir, sang the air, sod mod
that Um effect was overpowenag. liniat he had said
with respect to seine plasm of worship did not in the
least degree, however, apply to them. For no far as
his expenance went, the choir did not seek to overbear
the congregation, and the congregation took their part
in following the oboir. Yr. Keynes concladed by
reekarking en the awful respoluibility of ttioth who
led the singing in God's house without at the sone
' time meaning what they sung, and exhorted all present
so to sag God's presses on earth, es that by mob este
' of praise they might be better fitted to Ong them
hereafter.
The choir this sang a "Gloria," after which the
Iles. B. Grey gave • short address. After alluding to
. one or two points in Mr. Keynoth speech, be proceeded
to remark that all should do their best in promoting
, good singing in the House of Clod, and though some-
times when new tunes were introduced by the choir,
I the congregation might not possibly at first be able to
join, ortipposine the tunes were suitable, they would soon
iearn them. Let them try to make its matter of duty
as well as a source of religions enjoyment in sissies
God's praises, and thee the singing would become to
/ them • great help. He trusted that the aid which the
beautiful instrument whose tones they bad heard

-
would be a great help to them not only at their Sunday,
but week-evening services. The remaining portion of
the service was as follows :-250th hymn, • , Praise the
Lord, his glories shine," sang by the oongregation.
In-t-umenttil pines, anthem, "in Jewry is God
known." Instrumental piece, sothent. "Behold how
gooi and bow jo)ful." Hr. Grey said that it would
not be right to Mose the meeting without expressing to
Mr. Frank Spinney their thanks for his kindness in
presiding at tie organ. He was sure all present joined
in that expression of thanks, and at the Dame time their
hest thanks were due to the choir for the able manner
in which they had sang the pieces they hid selected.
Toe congregation then j,ined in isinging Kieble's
beautiful hymn. "Sun of my soul," and after the
benediction had been pronounced, the sonfire4stsoll
separated. The collections amounted to a 14s.