St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1861-01-03
The Seminary Dedication.

:or on their territory if they will only go.
The Seminary Dedication.
This new building was crowded on the
occasion of its dedication, with an audience
Of citizens and strangers. The house is
monument to the personal courage, archi-
tectural taste and industry Of Rev. Mr..
Nelson, the protector and principal Of the
school. The room is 80 * so feet, with
half hectagon wings at each end. One for
vestibule, the other for teachers desk
Over tho vestibule is gallery for choir
and hectagon belfry. The bell rang for
the first time to assemble the audicnce.-
The inside finish is in good taste. The
house was beautifully lighted and tasteful
ly decorated.
The exercises were opened by the choir
singing an anthem when J. G. Wilson
read the history Of the Institution-wc
shall if possible publish this next week.
1t was then proposed, by Mr.. Rogers,
Of St. Paul, to raise the money, on the
spot, to pay off the debt (s67) on the
building. This was done, Mr.. r. giving
$40, small subscription compared to his
great wealth and the property interest he
has here. During the raising of the COL
lection, the choir was requested to sing !;
but couldn't find anything to slng-Oh,
Dcarr
S. Miller announced the money raised !;
and H. z. Mitchell called upon Hon. G. c.
Andrews for an address, which was follow
ed by one from VIM. H. Wood. When a
quartette. sang the dedicatory hymn on our
outside page. Mr. Nelson then read his
address, which we give this week. When
the choir sang Eighty Years Ago. Rev.
Phillips pronounced the benedicton and
the audience dispersed, well pleased
Notwithstanding that Mcsscrs. Wood and
Nelson read their addresses badly, owing
to the light being poorly placed. Mi.
Andrews was spoken without the use of
manuscript and had more animation; but
the music-oh, the music! We we're thor
oughly ashamed of it! There were stran-
gers from distance whom we know had
formed high estimate Of the musical tai
ent Of St. Cloud, from our reports of the
same; and to hear this given as a speci-
men, was trial to human patience. May
be the situation Of the gallery being 50
near the ceiling made it sound worse than
it otherwise would have done; but no sit
uation could have converted those. sounds
into music. We could compare them to
nothing but the squeaking of half dozen
mice in forty foot garrett That choir
has certainly extinguished itself and may
safely retire on its laurels. The members
have had glory enough for any six people;
and ii they want more we will start SUBJ
scription to furnish them wreath piece
of green cabbage leaves, or write to Barn.
un to come for them. We would not
speak thus if it were simply failure; but
it is result Of the smallest and most con-
temptible jealousy Of the small and con-
temptible jealousies prevalent amongst SCI
enti6e singers. The whole tribe are noted
for egotism and jealousy of each other; but
We never before saw set who each and
every one demanded that his and her voice
should be especially and particularly heard
and distinguished, so that two persons can
not sing the same part ct the same time
lest and peradventure, the audience should
not be fully aware that that particular
chord was struck by the astonishing me-.
| My voice must be the voice, or I must be
dumb. Each one must put him or herself
forward and keep every one else back. So
that we never can have full volume of
sound or anything that approaches to rich
harmony. The music on this particular
occasion was a perfect specimen of this lit
tleness. 1t was in consequence desperate
ly .1iue-spun, as thin and weak as milk
skinned three times and then made two
thirds water. If they ever get up any
thing finer and thinner and more saueaky
may we be out of the house.
18 Extra copies of this weeks DEM
oCRAr containing Rev. A. j. Nelson's