Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1853-03-24
A HINT TO CHOIRS.


In the new work entitled .The Rector Of
ST. BardoIph's," is the following graphic
descri ption Of the mode of singing a hvmn
Sin fngue," as prac'sed a, St. BardoIph's:
"When you heard the brass rings rattle
over The iron rod to which the red curtain
was attached, shutting up the choristers in
the seclns'on OF their pe,ched-up loft, then
you might know that some grand exploits
Of vocalism were to come off The sexton,
who had been despatched in good season to
The "sacrisly," to obtain from the rector the
number of the psalm and hymn, having re-
turned with small slip of paper on which
they were indicated in pencil, great whis-
perlng and consultation having taken place,
which resulted in the selection of tunes, M.
Tuhingen placed the music book on the
rack, and the bellows of the li.,le-big organ
were Pu, in play. Never was a more bril-.
liant sparkle and scin,illa,ion elicl,ed from
the windy bellows Of a backsmilh's forge.
The head and shoulders of the organis,
swayed up and down like those Of Chinese
eater of the narcotic drug, in the accompa-
nimsnt Of an improvisation upon the keys,
which made the whole congregation invol-
UNFAIRLY twist their necks and look aloft
and a, last, with full choral bias, from ten
or, bass, and treble, the magical effect was
complete.
"There were, no doubt, many present who
came expressly to 'hear The music,' and the
knowledge Of this fac. inspired the artists
with desire to do themselves uslce. 1t
is true some of the old people did no, like
the conca,ena,ion of sounds. These, how
ever, were considered behind the age, and
the opinion Of such as worthy Of small re-
spect in the onward 'smarch of improve
menl." They were swept away in their slen-
der opposition by the force Of public opini.
on, if no, By a whi6Iwind Of sound. A. any
rate, Death was fast removing them, one by
one, while their deaf ears were becoming
sealed TO such annoyance. 1t was to the
great surprise of the Rector tha. the choir
one clay struck upon the Te Deum, which
he had been hitherto accustomed 10 read !;
and through various turns, and windings,
and repel,ions, they discoursed upon ii for
a full half hour. 1t was, however, the last
time ,ha. they so distinguished themselves
befse the musical world, There was no
nia/npf --,hedral composition which the
o''@e =, -t~l's- d;A no, cnsidar
themselves competent to perform, and had
they been allowed their own way, would
have sung the sermon, and made more out
of the Amen Than any other part. Mr.. Hi
vox had indeed composed something origi-
nal on, of the theme of an .4acn.en, full tif-
teen minutes long, and we are sure thai
when it was finished no hearer Of sound
judgment would have instinctively ejacula-
ted with bis whole heart. .Avmen ! But the
triumph of all the voices was in some Of
the fugue tunes in which they emula,ed to
in.errup. and ou,slrip each o,her, as in the
one hundred and lhirty'hird psalm:
''True love IS like that precious oil
Which, pourd on Aaron's head,
Ran down his beard, and FER his robes
Its costly moisture she'd"
"ln the prodigious effort Of his perform
ance, the ear-spli,ling combination Of the
several voices hardly bore resemblance to
,ha, oily cu1ren. poured on Aaron's head,
and which
"Ran down his beard and o'er his head
Ran down his beard -