Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-10-19
tcoRREsPoNpEycE OF The FREE rRIss.l
Letters from England.
NV' az IL "
LONDON, Sept

LONDON, sept, 20, 1000
am afraid the Anglo-Saxon race is not
musical. You know as we'll as I that tho
American. as nation are poor musicians,
and don see that the English are a whit
better. Parlor music, should say, does not
much differ in style or in execution from that
to which we are accustomed ladies are
quite as reluctant to sing, and almost as
ready with excuses when you ask them to
play. In church music. we decidedly excel.
Save in the Cathedral and Collegiate churches,
where the singing is performed by trained
choristers, church music in England is in
general wretched enough. Congregational
singing is almost universal among all denom-
nations, and as every body sings, those who
have neither ear nor voice as well as those
who have. it is needless to say that you often
find immortal verse married to something
that is not music. Where there is an organ,
as in almost all the parish churches and in
f'w of tho nissentcrs' Chapels, the multitu-
dinous discord is partially drowned, but
when there is nothing to depend on but a
single leader deliver US from the heteroge-
II GUS SOInIOullu VI IOIScS YOU bOlIelIlutH
hear I he idea Of whole congregation
i)ining in a song of praise, is very beauti.
fIl one unfortunately, however, you never
find them all singing the same song. Tho
leader may strike Dundee but three fourths
Of the congregation will be singing wild,
warbing measures Of their own. am sorry
& say it, but the two old ladies', one playing
" Aud Lang Syne'' and the other singing
{" Seats wha ha' wi Wallace bled," come
into my mind great deal too often while
In at church. The style of church music
too is very different from ours. OF course
where congregational singing is the custom,
the number of tunes mus. be very limited.
and their movement the simplest possible,
You might attend the same church for a year,
and not hear more than dozen different
tunes, and doubtless you might have heard
the same set there fifty year, ago. 1t follows
that the old fashioned tunes are used eIclu-
sively, and unless am much mistaken, they
have been greatly corrupted, saddled with
great number of those not very ornamental
slurs and slips-up for which unskillful per-
formers always show so great an attachment.
should say too that they are sung consi-
derably faster than We are accustomed 70
sing them. | am bound to add that for few
years past good deal of pains has been
taken in different quarters to raise the style
of church music, and that here and there
you may hear really good singing.
Until quite recently, the church Of En-
gland has persisted in singing from the in.
sipid collection of Tate and Brady, rather
than be indebted to Disorders for a better
psalinody. Lately, new eIpedent has been
adopted. A collection has been introduced,
consisting largely of the hymns of Watts and
Doidridge, but ne names of authors are
g,ren. The Independents or Congregation
aists use the good old Watts and Select
Tac Methodists sing the hymns Of Wesley,
as in the United States. The Unitarians use
a beautiful collection by Mr.. Martineau Of
Liverpool, The Presbyterians retain the old
Scotch version of the Psalms, which in spite
Of its almost barbarous harshness, its bald
ness, its un-English diversions is said in the
/ P-alm-hook itself to be more plain, smooth,
7
fore, which might have been true enough
in the antiquated times which gave it birth.
1t is also described by DR.. Cumming az
unquestionahly the best ever executed"
Take one or two specimens. Here is a verse
from Psalm LNXlV:
A famous and vss had
In estimatIo-,
According as he lifted up
His az thick trees upon
The non is constantly used as two syllables.
Here is Psalm CXLVlII:
Praise God. From heaven. praise the Lord
In heights praise to him be
All ye his angels, praise We him
His hosts all praise him ye.
T These are by no means the worst specimens,
Some of the diversions are absolu tely ludi.
crous. On tho other hand il cannot he denied
that some of the Psalms are rendered with
a quaint and simple energy which is unsur'
passed in English lyrical poetry. greatly
admire the closing verses of the Oath Psslm
- thou the year most literally
post with thy goodness crown
And all thy paths sbundantiy
on US DROP fatness down.
They dror upon the prstnrcs side
That do in deserts lie
Ihe little hills on ev,rv side
l,sjoice right pleasantly.
With focf- the las'.j RI th-ed be,
The wales with corn are ,ibG,
And now they shout and y'rg tv thee,
Tor thou hast made them glad