The Litchfield County post. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1826-1829, 1827-02-16
. FROM The Utica Recorder.
SACRED MUSIC.

choirs, and pointing out the course OF I'M
movement which should be pursued re-
specting them, Mr.. Mason brings home
the following serious charges against the
Christian community charge which our
readers may rest assured, cannot be easily
refuted -
''The abuses of which we now complain
are wholly to be attributed to the apathy OF
the church on this subject. The difficult
ties and disputes that so frequently occur
in chojrs the gross violations of the Sab
bath which grow out of the existing state
of things the whistling and talking and
leyity so often observable in the singers
seat thoughtless and even blasphemous
manner in which the name of God is often
used all the solemn mockery of singing,
as it now exists,is chargeable to the church.
The guilt lies at her door, and the remedy
is in her hands and yet,alas Christians
and ministers suffer this thing to go on,
without lifting finger to stay its progress
or to direct it into proper channel, and
without seeming to know or desiring to
know what their duty is in relation to it,
or that they have any responsibility in the
case whatever"
Most fully are we persuaded that every
word of this accusation is true; aud we
make this declaration after years of pain
full experience and observation having
been ourselves actively engaged in the field
Of cultivation, and enjoyed uncommon
opportunities for ascertaining the existing
causes of declension. Singing schools have
been extensively conducted by incompetent
men, and often by men without moral or
religions principle. Christian professors
have neglected these schools, and not I'M
frequently have felt ii sinful 10 participate
in them. They have neglected and prac-
tically despised the art 8; and have after
wards, when called TO discharge an 0c-
knowledged duty, brought all 1her rongh.
ness of tone, false information, fal-e accent
false time, false articulation, false expression
into the service, as if the lame, the blind
the torn, the MANNED, might be accepted
before the altar of the Highest in his
sactuary. O. moi presumiug to make such
an-offsring in their own persons they
have often made 1t in the persons Of The
young, in half-tutored choir-few of whom
have any sympathies IN common with the
Christian worshiper, or any higher motives
for singing, than 10 build % society, TO be
personally amused, or 10 be sen as skill
ttizl performers, before their ttHoac-men.
Sometimes. indeed. church have sud-
denly aroused, under the sire ng impulse OF
a conviction of duty. But what have thew
done They have driven the singers from
their seats, s. almost literally scourged
them from the temple and after endeav-
r. 49, -
into their own hands, have discovered their
own incompetency, abdicated the places
they had taken, solicited the return of those
whom they had dispersed, and then settled
down into their former stupidity, under
a conviction that some strange fatality is
attached to the art, and that they had
done all that could have been done re-
speeding it.
But the truth is, they began at the
wrong point; and their efforts we're mis-
directed. They should have commenced
with schools of cultivation, have gone per-
sonally there, corrected every abuse-all
the irregularity, lovity, ofanepess-should
have carried with them decided religious
influence, and have thus qualified them
selves for leaders, before they assumed the
direction.
Nor in doing this, would they have been
under the least necessity Of driving others
from the seats. They might have even
encouraged them to stay, and have infused
into their minds deep feelings of solemni-
ty; and in many instances, too, have been
the means of awakening them to sense of
their lost condition. Such things haze
been done; and they might do it again, if
the churches could only come into gener-
al effort respecting them. Nothing else
is wanting to lay sure foundation of inn
provement.