The Litchfield County post. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1826-1829, 1827-09-06

they repeat the vowel in the slur which
they most asSuredly will do, they should
be reminded of it upon the spot, personal
ly; and the teacher should gently but
plainly give them specimen Of the man.
ner in which they sing the word or words;
and also an example of the manner in
which he thinks it should be sung. In sing.
ing where there are slurS as we'll as where
there are not, the principal care should be
to pronounce the language as plainly and
with as much simplicity as possible. This
must be done, by gliding from one note of
the slur to the other in SO smooth, swift e.
imperceptible manner that there shall ap-
pear to be but one swell of the voice and
but one sound Of the vowel through the
slur: but still, where there is skip Of
several degrees in the slur, there must in
general be no note sounded between the
real notes of the slur; nor any learning or
approximating of one note toward the 9th
Ell in performing. To do all this graceful
Iy requires faithful and pefsevering indus
try, and after the most laborious exertion,
the cultivated ear will find many passages
which will fall far short of the standard Of
perfection and excellence, to which in his
imagination he would raise them. In fact
there are many slurs in our church music
which cannot be sung by any performer in
such manner as good taste, and graceful
ness with regard to the language would re-
qulre. In singing such slurs as consist Of
| four, or five, or more notes, we are some-
| times driven to the unavoidable necessity
of repeating the vowel until the word be-
comes mere unintelligible jargon. What
person of taste and refinement when list
ening to the tune commonly called Epiph-
| any, performed by full choir, and observe
the ta-a-o-G-aring and the sta-a-a-o-aring
which occur at the close of the first and Sc
cond lines; but would wish that the COM
poser when writing the piece, could have
found more words or less notes by which
to have completed it to his satisfaction 2
There is also another ancient piece called
Esther Hymn, set to the words &c Christ the
Lord is risen to day." &c. where the word
Hallelujah occurs at the end of every line,
but it is so much slurred shat though the
progressions of the mtsic itself are pleas
ing, yet there is great danger that it will be
| SO sung as to resemble the unhallowed re-
joicings of set of bachanalians, rather
than the holy joy of the devout and pious
christian. 1 am not now ready to con-
| denim all long slurs, but on the contrary I
| am aware that some particular word may
be, and sometimes is, rendered doubly ex-
pressive by introducing long and if appli~
! ed to another word an unmeaning slur. But
long sIurs in general are injurious to the
music inasmuch as where the sonnd alone
is concerned they effect nothing either good
or bad !; but the word, which is thus bend
| ed and distorted, is for that time at least, in
effect destroyed. know that the compo-
sitions of Handel stand against me in this
particular; but all would say is, that he
was but an indifferent English scholar and
should regret that the lovers of music at
the present day should be disposed to imi-
tate in their compositions the faults even
of a Handel. STACCATO.
We are told, that a stage filed with passen-
gers crossing New-Jersey state towards the
seashore, was few days since nearly sur
| rounded by fire, which threatened serious
evils to the alarmed inmates.-The woods
| had by some means taken fire, and the deyou-
ring element struck across the road before &,
behind the stage, apparently intercepting its
progress and retreat, and it was not until af-
| ter much exertion and no small degree of APP
prehension. that an escape was affected. Some
hundreds Of persons were got together to stop
the progress of the flames by cutting down
the trees, but without effect. The rain Of
Saturday and Sunday, however completely
| quenched the fre.-PhiI. U. S. Gaz.
Fatal 4ccident.-On Friday last Mr.. Jonah
i nss..... e