Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-04-28

THE SPIRIT OF HEBREW MUSIC AND SONG
the Rev. George II. U.Stlngs at L stnn. week
heiure las, delivered his introductory lecture a!
he Iahernarle, To very large and attentive
audience TIE sabecl Of his lecture was the
Heroic Odes "f the Hebrew. with the inf ierc-
ON the national charicier. After referring IT.
III int, rest VIII ch these nhes have tor the nb
ic,l student, the Christian. and the mnsic,u.
the lecturer proceeded IN eypata" on the great
nf ence which they mast have eXerled IN the
formation II the national character OF the lie.
brew.
The first musical event in he Mosaic history,
he Sald. was the song If Moses, sir ri'y after
the passage OF the Red Sci. Nu'l,ug. was
lur her from the design vi NJ SOS, IN his 81 g,
than a mr-cal sp,av; bat IT exercises a pe.
cuIrar l"iluence on the people, from lis high
poetic merit and the beauty 81 lle laugIage.
TINS sab i'm" suHy was GO npuse more than
one thousand sc ,rS beinre the time OF liomer,
A. MAS The mnr al all the heroic odeS nj the
Hebrews; and though We had he ore lis the
eevlt'd Iang .age aud ihlme Imagery at the
INSPIRED writer, vet we con d have bnt a FAINT
conception If rs thru Ian. effects. The lie turer
neN prnceelrd Ia cons der whether the chorus
with tmbre!s and lancinu, with which tbs song
was accompanied by the lsraehtsh women, WAS
original wiih them, or copied from the Egyptians.
and showed ronclnsively how their kn"w'ed re,
traits, and customs were all derived from Egypt.
From he fact of Moses h'vng been educated
in tho Court Of E!vp'. aud Miriam, who led the
chorus heing an Eyp,an, he drew the inter-
ence that this clIpraS accompan ed by tlinhrels
and dancing must have been brought from
Egypt.
lie also showed how many of the songs Of
Moses, of which he quoted merely the first line,
IN his writings, have been lost TO us; and sad
that, though in the time of Moses and Joshua
he music OF the Hebrews did not extend beyond
rlaning il. 'e it mast. from the spirit ut poetry
VIII ch II ever exhibited, have been highly exhIl
arating.
From The time Of Moses the lecturer passed
tn the are Of Judl res, and expaiia'eI at som"
length IN Debrrah's song of tram III. the Ian
guagc ofwhIch, he sad, was that ol martial pas
SOn
lie referred TO the schools Of The prophet,
established by SInie. TIE sch 'ol ol prophet
vas IN fact, he said, public free system of IA
,ional education. and designed to rekIndle The
expiring patriotism of the Israenes, by sing
ing the heroic Songs Of Moses! and This was The
reason they were called prophets, because the
sang heroic songs The insp'rIilng effect
these songs might be conceived, If we took int,
consideration the effect which hearing them ha'
upon Saul, who, when the prophets came dow
The hills singing. seized harp, and plned them,
beromng III manner INSPIRED.
The above is very brlef and imperfect out
line OF the lecture, which was highly interest
ing the more So from its being illustrated by
| recllalons aud churuses OF the song OF Moses al
ter the passage of the Red Sea, the ooh psalm,
and the song of flabakkuk.
| TIN, choruses were given by ful, and eff.
Client choir. and were highly effective
The si'jact Of hls next lecture, which he an
nnunced would he delivered on Friday next
week, will be the devotional songs of the He
| brews.