Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1855-05-16
Neligions 9epartnellt.
NEOS EPISCOPOS, Editor.
CHURCH MUSIC.

" lie guSt,ouS non est dtSPutdHo~M 10 d"
old adage which, rendered into plain English,
means, there's no disputing about tastes"
The reason ofthis is. that taste is something
which is innate, inborn; not thing to be ac-
auired by study like the knowledge Of As
4ronomy or Mathematics. You can't reason
Il man into a perception of the beautiful, if
there is no sentiment in his heart, any more
than you can reason him into relish for
oysters, when his whole nature recos from
the sight, taste or smell of them. A certain
free thinking, and for ought we know, loose
acting fellow, in criticising a poetical pro.
duction of staid Presbyterian divine, said
in contempt of the performance:
A man no more can make himself poet,
Than sheep can make itself goat"
Just so man who has no taste for the
beautiful in nature, would be no more charm.
ed with green hills, blue vistas, dreamy val
lies, purling streams and singing birds, than
he would with cherries barrens, stagnant
ponds, and croaking frogs. To such u one
beautiful garden with gravelled walks,
tastefully arranged bowers, roses, vines and
shade-trees, would be no more interesting
than cotton.feld, or an old pine thicket.
One must be born gentleman, it may be in
apoverty stricken hove, with filth and coarse
ness, and every thing uncongenial to his ma.
ture about it, or in Il stately mansion, with
gilded cornicing and Turkey carpets, silver
forks and gold spoons; ina room, the light of
which is shaded aud meowed and softened
by the all the appliances which art can ac-
compsh, appointments the most perfect which
taste can suggest and means obtain it makes
no difference, if he is born 4 fool, he never
will attain to the eminence of Solomon, and
if he is not by nature gentleman, taiors
and boot makers can never do more than
polish the outside But it he is born with
an intellect, and soul refined in natures
crucible, although rough logs and clap.boards
may give back the FIRST, echoes Of his ulI infant
wall, he'll make mark upon his generation.
And Just so i, is with that indescribable, un-
learnable, and inalenable thing called taste.
True. it may be that where it exists it may
be cultivated to some extent though this is to
our mind somewhat doubtful. But where
are we wandering to? We started to write
something about Church Music, and here we
are rambling off on any essay which may be
thought entirely fruitless: To come back
then. What constitutes good Church Mu.
sic! Does it consist in harmonious blend.
ing of the melody of human voices, or does
it require the appendages of organ, bass voil
or melodeon, to adapt it to its intention,
which is of course to excite the better emo
tious of the soul, and engage the devotion of
the heart to the service OF GOD. Should this
blending of voices extend to all who can sing
in the congregation, or should the music be
gathered up and concentrated in a Choir,
from which it shall flow out in artistic perfec.
ton. Well, at the risk Of running a tilt
dSdiHSl tue NiIlu'tiiHlS vi "udI 10 leS'tiueu
as refined public sentiment, we must confess
to something of the spirit Of the Methodist,
who prayed that the Lord would long pre-.
serve the Church from choirs and rented
pews. organs, fddles and the devil. We
love to hear whole congregation break
forth in one great, harmonious, whole souled
song Of praise, alteration and love. And yet
we would BY no means have the direction
of the singing left to the whole body Of
worshippers. In everything which requires
concert of action, there must be some to
lead and direct; otherwise, discord will take
the place of harmony and unless this rule
is observed i'll congregational singing, it will
often happen that music, heavenly, sou.in-
spirting music, which is calculated to lift one
out of himself and translate him almost to
paradise, will degenerate into harsh jar
gon, or dull, dry, soul.depressng exercise.
BY all means then let there be leader, and
associated with this leader, those who can
at once support him, and carry 90 the parts
assigned. There are many reasons for this,
some of which we propose to notice in
another issue.