The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-29 00:00:00

ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE AND CIRCUS, HOLBORN.

This EVENING, The Great Carre Troupe and magnificent Stud
of 50 Horses; also n Avolo, Alfred Bradbury, M. Clifton,
Captain Austin, Miss Carrie, and Samwell's Performing Dogs.

CHRISTY MINSTRELS. St. James's Hall, Every Night, at 8
Wednesdays and Saturdays, at 8 and 8 all the year round.

ROYAL AL [IAMB R A PALACE. THREE BALLET&
Promenade Concert. Band of 60. Begin at 8. ls. Box-office
open from 11 to 4.

ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS, Regerfs=paik, OPEN daily (ex
cept Sundays). Admission, Is.; on Mrndays, 6d.; Children
under twelve, 6d.

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LONDON, TUESDAY, DEC. 29, 1868.

The Conference proposed by Prussia and Russia,
and accepted, as it is said, by England, France, and

Austria, will assemble, according to one of the latest
rumours in circulation, at Paris, and on the 2nd of
January. A Circular, according to a telegram de-
spatched yesterday from Constantinople, has already
been addressed by the Turkish Government to its
diplomatic representatives abroad upon the matter
of this very invitation to a Conference. And, if we
are to believe the statement set forth tersely
by the electric telegraph, the purport of
that Circular is to the effect that the Sublime
Porte, although by no means admitting the necessity
for any such proposed Conference, will, nevertheless,
be prepared to assent to its being holden, but with
the distinct proviso that the five points of the Turkish
Ultimatum, recently addressed to the Hellenic Go-
vernment, shall be recognized by the Powers of Europe
as the basis of discussion—into which discussion,
however, the Cretan Question is not on any
account to be introduced. According to the
Patrie of last night these very rigid conditions
have been accepted as reasonable by the Great
Powers ; namely, that the terms of the Turkish ulti-
matum, that the integrity of the Ottoman empire,
that the maintenance coute qui coute of the status quo
ante bellunz shall constitute, as required by the Sub-
lime Porte, the basis of discusion at the Conference.
It is even added that only upon these conditions
would England assent to the proposal of any such
Conference. Certainly the restricting thus the scope
of the problem to be submitted to the Conference,
with a view to its solution, if possible, by the assem-
bled European Plenipotentiaries, would very much
simplify the otherwise enormous, entangled, and almost
bewildering difficulty which would have without those
conditions to be brought immediately under their
consideration. Nevertheless, at the same time, as
has already been judiciously remarked, it is some-
what puzz!ing beforehand to draw very rigidly lines of
demarcation beyond which the representatives of the
great Powers are not to pass under any circumstances.
It is from Berlin that the announcement comes to us
that Paris is to be the scene, and the second proximo
the date, of the new Conference which has been thus
rapidly arranged. Conferences or Congresses it has
long been known are among the favourite notions of
the Emperor NAPOLEON ILL A Congress is his bobby.

It is more than a whim with him ; it amounts—or has
at any rate upon one or two rather memorable ocla-
sions amounted—almost to what Mr. COBDEN would
have called a craze : so implicit, upon these occasions,
has appeared to be the EMPEROR'S confidence in the
capacity of a group of plenipotentaries, in Con-
ference assembled, to unravel any diplomatic knot
that may be submitted to their subtle and
dexterous manipulation. Besides his Majesty the
Emperor of the FRENCH, however, there are but very
few indeed, we should imagine, who have anything
like this absolute reliance upon the skill or the capa-
bilities of an European Conference. Other knots
besides the Gordian Knot are only unhappily to be
disentangled by being cloven asunder by the stroke
of a sword. It remains even now to be seen whe-
ther the Eastern Question is after all a knot of
that particular character. The Schleswig-Holstein
question proved to be so, and was only finally
loosened when the last sword was sheathed, the last
cannon limbered, the last needlegun shouldered upon
the deadly field of Sadowa. Still, there is a possibi-
lity, of course, that, with regard to the Eastern
Question, the wished-for result may even yet be ar-
rived at very differently—through peaceful discus-
sions at a Conference—not through blind-
ing fusillades upon another of the world's great
battlefields. And it is in the thought of that bare
possibility, of course, that the Powers of Europe are
now proposing to assemble once more in solemn con-
clave in the persons of their representatives. That
Turkey, before assenting to anything of the kind,
should make the distinct stipulations already
particularised, is only what might reasonably have
been expected on the part of any Government having
a proper regard for the preservation of its own cha-
racter for independence. Otherwise than by making
some such proviso as this the Sublime Porte would
necessarily have compromised its position before the
whole world by consenting—as England would never
consent, as France could never consent—to admit
that the integrity of its Empire should, under any
conceivable circumstances, become matter for
discussion and deliberation before other great
Powers, howsoever select or howsoever exalted.
Therefore it is, precisely for that reason, in vindi•
cation of its own honour and dignity as an inde-
pendent Sovereignty, that Turkey stipulates, most
naturally and most reasonably, that its ultimatum
to Greece should be the basis of the proposed discus-
sions. Under the actual circumstances of the case the
probabilities are that the result of those proposed
discussions will be that the Greek Government will
be snubbed (as it richly deserves to be) by the final
decision of the Conference, next week to be as-
sembled together iu Paris, for the examination of the
Turco-Greek difficulty. If only for the shame-
less despatch of M. DELTANNI, the Government of
Athens deserves the reprehension of the assembled
Powers of Christendom. The vindication of the
majesty of the law of nations demands that the
Great Powers of the world, now about to be imme-
diately assembled together in Paris, in the persons
of their Plenipotentiaries, should reprehend, with
the scorn and indignation required, these recent acts
of a so-called Christian but a certainly Piratical and
Filibustering Government.

THE desire for an improvement in the mode of
conducting public worship has become general.
Although it originated with a party in the English
Church, it now belongs to no party. All sects have
accepted the principle, Dissenters as well as Church-
men. English churches and chapels now generally
boast some architectural merit, instead of being like
unsightly warehouses or hovels ; and a better ordered
ritual has been adopted at the same time. While,
however, the eye is in most cases satisfied, the ear is
not. The music of these services is bad. And here it
should be noted that the ritualists can claim little
advantage over their brethren. It is not an un-
usual thing, amidst clouds of incense and gorgeous
vestments, to hear music which is simply intolerable.
Perhaps as decided a movement has been made in
the direction of better music as in other parts of the
improved ritual. But it has as yet been attended
with failure. The cause, we believe, is not difficult
to find, and we will presently point it out. But
before doing so it will be interesting to trace the
history of church music, of course only in a super-
ficial manner, during the last twenty years. Twenty
years ago, in most parish churches in towns, the
music was chiefly restricted to the singing of a few
hymns, special favour being shewn to the Psalter of
STERNIIOLD and HOPKINS ; while of course the psalms
for the day were read by parson and clerk, the con-
gregation exhibiting the most perfect indifference,
whilst divine worship was conducted by deputy. In
those days men deposited a short prayer in their hats
before the commencement of the service, and then
made themselves comfortable to the end, kneeling
being out of the question and infra dig. In some
village churches barrel organs had just been intro-
duced, and these were limited to a few tunes which
would now put an Anglican precentor in a fit.
They were "Mount Ephraim," "Shirland," "Devizes,"
and the like. Before this innovation of barrel
organs there had been in many village churches
no attempt at music whatever, but when local
talent permitted, a very simple orchestra was formed,
composed of the flute, played by the squire's or the
parson's man-servant ; the violin, by the village shoe-
maker ; and the violoncello, by the village tailor ;
while the parish clerk would lead the vocal part.
When we take into consideration the effect of the
tuning of these instruments during the service, and
the occasional absence of the only man with the
slightest pretence to capacity as a musical leader, the
effect was astounding. The music of the Dissenting
chapels was chiefly vocal, and, although of the most
doleful type, was rather better than that of
the Established Church, because congrega-
tional singing was cultivated more. Some
bold innovators in the Church now found that
the Canticles should be chanted. The " Puseyites"
went so far as to chant the Psalms, to the great in-
dignation of churchwardens and others. All this
time the cathedral services had been unchanged, and
had maintained to some extent the traditions of
TAWS and other great masters of English church
music. The cathedral service was not considered, as
it is now, the pattern for other churches in the
diocese, but was held to be a remnant of mediaeval
profanity and frivolity not permissible elsewhere:
Now, all is changed ; Churchmen and Dissenters
alike recognise the importance of music in
public worship. Some services are now entirely
musical ; the Low Church party chant the Psalms, and
even adopt choral service, while the chanting of the
Te Deum and the singing of anthems may be heard
in the conventicle.

With all this we hold that the performance of Eng-
lish church music is generally bad. There are several
reasons for this : among them the excessive meanness
in providing for the musical portions of the services,
the indifference of those to whom music has never
presented itself as an intellectual study, the ignorance
or imperfect training of the clergy, and the jealousy
of those to whom the performance is allotted.
But, above all, the great reason for the failure is to
be found in the strange neglect exhibited in
the cultivation of the human voice. We are
nearly all of us born with a talent which we are con-
tent to hide in a napkin. We have a musical voice
registering an average of twelve notes (an octave
and a half) which a moderate education would easily
qualify for the ordinary purposes of congregational
singing. If schoolgirls, for instance, would devote
a tithe of the time to this study which they now
give to the torture of the pianoforte, to the great
detriment of art in general and THALBERG
in particular, the result would be eminently
satisfactory. At charity schools children might
easily be taught to read music, to their
great advantage and pleasure in after life, There'

' would then be very few persons in a congregation
physically incapable of taking part in the ordinary
hymns and chants. The elaborate anthems, if
adopted, might be left to the choir. What do we
find now ? Our cathedral services, with well-paid
choirs, are frequently slovenly. There can be no
excuse for this if the choirmaster and the precentor
know anything of their business, and will consent
to work together on any terms. In the large parish
churches may be frequently found the musical portion
of the services conducted by an indifferent choir, the
congregation making the lamest attempt to follow. In
such congregations there is in one part of the church
the well-known and energetic bass, who being perhaps
deaf, and possessing original ideas upon the subjects
of time and tune, betrays the misplaced confidence of
those who follow him, and at last becomes a recog-
nised nuisance. At other parts of the church the
solitary alto, treble, or tenor is heard, each leading a
forlorn hope. In village churches the munificence of the
congregation provides a harmonium at the price of
five pounds, an organist is found in the village school-
master, and a choir in the schoolchildren. In
churches which are recognised as " High," it
is considered correct to chant Gregorian
tones at a breathless pace, and horribly flat. If
" Hymns Ancient and Modern " are sung as fast as
they can be, the musical ritual is complete. In some
celebrated metropolitan churches, where processionals
and recessionals are the order of the day, MONK'S
Hymns are not found sensational enough, and a debased
and sometimes coarse ritual is accompanied by such
monstrosities as " 0 Paradise !"

A few Roman Catholic and Anglican cathedrals
and churches will include all the really excellent con-
gregational singing in the country. In the metro-
polis good music can be heard at St. George's Roman
Catholic Cathedral, the Brompton Oratory, All
Saints Church Margaret-street, St. Andrew's Wells-
street, and a few others. At the Temple and the
Foundling, and occasionally at Westminster Abbey,
the music is good, but is in no sense congre-
gational. The Roman Catholics have the advan-
tage of the Anglicans in the use of the
full orchestra upon festivals. There is no reason
why Protestant churches should limit themselves
to the organ. The trumpet is occasionally used in
Westminster Abbey, and the harp in St. Andrew's
Wells-street. There seems to be an idea that a man
scraping a fiddle or beating a kettle-drum cannot be
praising God ; but the same argument might be
urged against the organist at the key-board and the
man at the bellows. For all ordinary use, however,
the organ is ample as an accompaniment. We are
taught that music has ever been the holiest and
chiefest employment of the heavenly hosts. The
discords of chaos resolved themselves into harmonies
as the Spirit of GOD moved over the face of the
waters. " The morning stars sang together, and the
sons of GOD shouted for joy." Occasionally we hear
the echoes of—

That undisturbdd song of pure consent,
Aye sung before the sapphire-coloured throne.

At this season we are reminded of the first
" Gloria in Excelsis " sung by the hosts of
heaven to celebrate the coming of the Author of all
harmony in the natural and spiritualworld. Finally,
we read of the time when, all things being madenew,
the diapason of an emancipated universe shall
thunder round the Throne of GOD, and every tongue
and every heart shall join in those " Hallelujahs"
which are like the voice of many waters and the
roaring of the sea.

LATEST INTELL MENGE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

TURKEY.

CONSTANTINOPLE, Dec. 28, Evening.

The Russian and Prussian Ambassadors here
have received notice of the meeting of the Con-
ference on the 2d proximo. The other representa-
tives of Forleign Powers are still without official
intimation from their Governments. There is no
foundation for the rumour that M. de Boaree, the
French. Ambassador, has been recalled.