The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-01-05

EDo, why ) e
And to what eGecti'
TJl, / don't know to what effect,
be poker soas 1."s."
WY WARD BEECHER ON con-
GREGATI0NAL SINGING.
~ Tallsyrand who said, that i
i;oa succeeds 90 well as success.
true in regard to singing, certain
hat nothing u % we'll adapted to
sncs Congregational singing, as
vhich shalt make people sing
unnot cay to q community, this
1. ought 70 be popular, and there
,ou must like It. The wise labor
.ust begin with music which the
N DO Ike; which they choose to
Now the American people are
usdihtive, they are not slow and
Ne; they arc nervous, active, anu
,ciouI. Yet their are veins OF
unity and Of pensiveness running
bush their experiences. They
music which haA vivacity Of move.
&, tenderness Of feeling, and heart
y.
he efforts to..promote congregation
iuging have been not . few. The
~ has been rare, except among
ultivatsd people. Now and then
pscial administration succeeds in
sloping congregational singing in
Mined and inislligsnt congregation.
reason ID obvious; at least one
kof the reason. A congregation OF
kn common people scarcely think
music - . science or ins art
" would q soon think Of conver-
su ~ an elegant literature. They
for the sake Of exciting and ex-
ssing religious and social feelings. |
tunes which they employ may be
!, bu. the principle on which they
nd their singing 10 fundamentally
net. The educated city worship
i iaatidous in his taste, and sets
bat the selection Of chasts and clas.
u tunes, and 10 extremely sensitive
be apt and finished performance OF
J music. His tunes are better, the
eution Of them more finished, than
As former case, but be is destitute
|hs fundamental quality ofreligious
bing. Singing has been the ex
siou Of his taste, and not OF his
pss feelings.
hs reply 10 made, that religious
pings can be Just as well expressed
eood taste q in bad. 1t is true, at
hgh. But il, in the selection Of
lsaris wherswith to develop con
Hgatioual singing, the secret and
Ping influence 10 taste, and not de-
|tonal feeling, it will utterly miscar-
Or succeed upon 3 false basis. 1t
|u,t not be n,,ssioal fervor that devel-
congregational singing-but mu-
fl rasa;egs fervor.
Now there have sprung up in our
|pd two classes Of tunes. One is a
ltve, wild, mslodious tune, plaintive
vivacious, full and overaowing
th feeling. When men are cold,
Fnal, worldly, these tunes are rath-
repugnant TO them. When men
y pervaded with religious feelings,
|ss tunes come to them 40 .the very
plee Of their hearts, and none other
len 70 tit to be chanted. They arc
eald whenever q revival draws forth
ontsrencs meetings. They become
ls voice Of the great congregation,
% break upon the heavens a. waves
suPon the shore. They nightly fill
y forest in times Of camp. meetings,
% rise up often in the night, through
le pale green leaves, whose top sur,
~ reflect the starlight, and whose
adsr side glows to . hundred ruddy
lnps.
lh to be noticed. too, that around
'sse tunes has twined q love, a sa-
sdness, that criticisms cannot cut
Wy, nor contempt blight. Music
':chsrs Condemn them, and musical
arm treads upon them, and young
'a'ical - critics, taking counsel Of con
's rather than Of feeling, denounce
len. But pothing kills them. They
70 On. and whenever there is . revi.
ing ofreligiona teeling in the church
tnsss tunes 'arise from their hiding
aeee, and do Gnd's work among the
's0pls, and renew their youth, like
y y. .!gle. They are the children q
@Ssgssas feeling. ..-
There il, besides these, another de,
si1ment oftunes, more massive, often
40 majestic; as the old chorals; and
'%s, more purely and strictly musi'
n, q the tunes drawn from the works
, eminent masters; and some that
w want sss, and associations, Il
better for religious expression, thar
~; and scme, ~ q long, meager
'aious procession Of classical tunes
.at aa are for ever washing their hands
~ holding mp their borders from th'
FOUND, t0u lest somebody should thinl