Massachusetts spy and Worcester advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1823-1825, 1825-02-02

Full of ".4uld lang syne," / went
home and began TO think Of the matter.
"A real good plan, thought |, may it be
carried, and our Churches will be real.
ly jolly places. thought there might
be other tunes as we'll as ".4uld lang
Syne," that might be concerted, and take
Christian names, with little pains; but
what was my establishment when found
that " Green grOOp the rushes or would
go in L. M. without any alteration, (es-
pecially if it were christianized by call
ing it Dragon, in honor of our neighbor
ing town. and what is of more impor-
lance, our old national song Of " Yankee
DOODLE" is fitted exactly to c. M. Ma
ny other tunes, such as John anderson
my 10 John" Sandy and Jenny" and
Z" The old Maids lament" might all be-
come right regular, and decently be-
haved Psalm tunes, with very little dis
cipline. But the advantages Of having
" Yankee Doodle" thus converted are
very great. First-every body knows
it, and could therefore join in singing it.
Second-every one might put such
words as he pleased to the tune, either
the hymn, or the original words, and
this would be more in accordance with
the rights of conscience than making
man sing just such words as the minister
chooses. Perhaps some may object TO
I" Yankee DOODLE" that lift were sung in
Church, strangers lettering near the
Churches, not hearing the cords of the
Psalm, might mistake the Church for a
ball room. To this it would be sufficient
to answer, not more than if they sung
{" Auld lang syne." But | have better
answer: is it not obvious, that if these
loiterers hear such tunes, they will be
induced 10 go into the Churcb-just
where we wish TO get them and that
these tunes are like cheese IN mouse
trap to bait these vermin Again, it may
be said, that all our associations with
90 Yankee DOODLE" are of the light and
frivolous kind, and that hearing it in
Church would only excite the same
kind of feelings, by a natural association
Of ideas, and that the tune being so necr-
~, and The qvords of the Psalm so solemn,
there would be disagreeable inconsis-
tency. To the former objection, | an
swer, that "it IS poor rule that cont
cork both zvdys," and if the association of
ideas has any thing TO do with it, it is
just as likely we shall have solemn ideas
when we hear " Yankee Doodle" in q
ball room, from having heard it in
Church, as the contrary. As TO the lat
ter objection, | say analogy is against it;
we all know that most delicious bever-
age called Punch owes its chief excel
lence to the union of contraries, of veak
and strong, and sreet and sour now |
contend that solemn Psalm, sung to
" Yankee DOODLE" is calculated, on this
very principle of contrariety, to produce
delightful effect, and the more solemn
the CORDS, and the quicker the time Of
the tune, the more perfect will be this
effect.
While on this subject, I would observe
that there is practice among the sing
ers in our Churches which wish were
universally adopted. 1t is that of enter
tanning the congregation, after the bless
ing has been given, with some of those
merry jgs called anthems. How de-
lightful it is, after one has been listen
ing TO a serious solemn sermon, for half
an hour, till one feels dull and melan-
choly, and begins to think of repentance
and salvation, and great many other
gloomy things, how delightful, say, it
is to see all the choir Suddenly squat
down into their places, and to hear the
busy note of preparation for a jig-I
mean anthem--at the first wheeze of the
pitch-pipe, "dull care" begins to be
gone, and by the time they have sung
over the tenth or twelfth repeat Of
forever and ever,'' every gloomy
thought has fled, and one feels as blythe
aud cheerful as when he first came to
Church. My favorite song on these oc-
casions is one Vamesbury-(this is the
Christian name-what its heather name
was don't know, this tune has a pecu-
liar effect on me. 1t is said " the memo
ry of past pain is pleasure y it is on this
principle that | account for my pIeasur-
able feelings when | hear .Amesbury. |
am, at times, much afflicted with the
cholic, and | never hear Anles6ury, but
every groan and contortion is brought
fresh TO my mind, and on the contrary, |
never have the cholic but | think of
Amesbury. would suggest that sc Pad
dy Whack," " Corporal Casey" and +" Ju-
dy O'Flandgan," with many other excel
lent Irish favorites, ifthey could be con-
verled, would add richly TO the list of
entertaining anthems.
am glad to find, that the true end of
Church music, viz. TO neutraIize, By d
little sedsona6le gaiety and sprightiiaess,
the great excess Of seriousness IN the other
r n