, 1861-01-23

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And two hundred others.
Congregational Singing.
Editors Chicago Tribune:
attended one Of your city churches last
Sabbath. My name Is Mentor. The Mentor
family hare a way with them Of speaking their
mind. 1t il my way, and being Of large stat-
ure, have never bsen brought into difficulty
by 1t. How It might work with little naan il
point not well settled
1sttended church in your city. I love mu-
SIC aud the orgnn, and went early to hear the
VoluntaJ. Too many Of the congregation
evidently don't love music, and 50 didn't come
to hear tho Voluntary, And for that reason
weze, what used to be called In the Mentor
family, "late 1t Church." That, OF course,
was pleasant for the early comers-the rustic
and hustle Of those arriving who cid not
choose to hear the Voluntary.
heard the Voluntary, and then sat the ser
vice through. I do not carry my love Of mn-
SIC to the length Of e1cluslyeness prscticcdby
some, who fayor seats near The door, and slip
ont when the sermon hegins. remained
through the entire exercises, and was repaid.
But there we're some things noticed, that bo.
couldn't but speak Of So took my stand in
the vestfbule, and as the congregation pasecd
ont selected my MN, mud mnde up to him.
He seemed glad to sec nc and put out his
hand. "sir,"' said 10 him, II observe that
you sang IL church" Said he, "Ar. Mentor
don't speak Of It. :"
"Aye, but must; you know the Mentor
family. And now about that singing Of yours,
my elderly friend Do you sing Ut home:"
-Cultlvate music in your household"
"Do you ever Sing anywhere e,.c than at
Church,"
"No."
DO me the favor TO give me the scale ;"
IAN this In The vest1bn1e.}
n Pardon PR me. Sir, but really do not know
"Thep, str, why do you sing at church?'
short -"
"Ah, yea, and that Is your mistake, sir. Do
you think anything Is gained to the general CT.
fecto ofchurch music b. your unRractfced voice:
And four good lady,, too. Ton both joined in
verse alone, nor could you twain 80 through q
strain Of Hebron, for instance, without being
towed through By the organ."
"But, sir, the effect Of music in masses, sir,
-n
"Tes, yes, at wholesale; but even In buying
at wholesale, they study samples pretty care-
fully, and Just now We are talking Of yours"
"But the Marsellaise-"
"Yes, the Marae1laiae has done vast amount
OF mischief In this very way. Whist compa1i-
son Is there between your roaring 's1drchong'
at the top Of Eour voice, In great surgingg
eroTd, and -FOUR singing quietly in church IKE
as well as Jenny Lind, Is that any reason why
could you do the Echo songs'"
but hereafter We Ehal1 alr'-{solcmn1y.]
Yes, that Is 1t, and tile sentiment does you
credit We all expect to sing together In
Heaven, 5ou would eay. Well, there arc sew
eral miracles in the music line, reserved for
that happy place. One Of them is assursd!y
tho millenial effect Of frst-clsss musicians
ccasing to quarrel among themselves, else who
would in that vast chotr dare to be responsible
for the golden harpe, to say nothing Of the
heads Of the performers. And the other mira
realizing anything like mnsical results from
| singers with no natural gifts, voices unculti-
vated, and made woree BY loas Of teeth, influ-
enzas, catarrhs, md the use Of snuff and to-
bacco.''
"But Is not singing devotional exercise,
] and should it not be nau{ualF''
swell, sir, If it is your purpose to swell the
amount Of music, why not bring your violin
and help the organ ITSELF and let others do the
same. The tune must be attended to In 4 con-
gregational way, and the more music tho bet
ter79uantty 7San 1ty 6edo5s ,s q99alty' g9' always;
not to sing"
II adTise nothing, only state the case
Here Is Choir Singing on the exotic, high gar
den1ng principle, everything trimmed away
everything perfection ut any cost; and many
like 1t, and will continue to like it, and thcro
will probably be quartette cholrs until the
work Of singing praises Is givcn over to the
great choir you spoke Of But on the other
haud, opposed to this, comes Congregational
Singing, on the broad natural "aowery mead"
order, daisiee, dandelions, star flowers, butter
cups, vlolets, all natural poses free and unre-
strained. Now because flower gemmeds
isn'tR hotlouae, and there is no fear Of the
gardeners rake md roller, is that any reason
| that any oue who chooses should throw In old
boots and broken bottles md bits Of 1ags.
Don'tyou see that would be carrying the mat
ter Of freedom too far I and youf mead would
! look like u chip gard. And yet your voice, my
| old friend, compares with that Of your sweet
| toned daughter MILL, as one Of the Incongruous
articles before named, to daisy With the dew
! on"
swell, sir, who should sing."
II am only Mentor, and the Mentor fanily
t are no tlrushes. 1t strikes me, however, that
If pracslce and skill are worth anything any
where, they arc especially valuable ip music,
I aud the best effects are only to be reached by
| means Of the same. Congregational singing is
the singing Of congregation. Choir singing,
the singing Of Q choir. The latter consists
generality Of those gifted with voices and IN
eir!"
no yes, sir.n
"Then why not pnt congregational and
church singing On the same basis-aatnras
qxasi)fcatsoaa Joined to proetioel Why sig, in
good and fair voices, whose efforts wcre ruined
and destroyed, yes destroyed by-pardon NE,
auch cxecrablc vocalization a. yours, and
others could point out all Of you far below
and far behind the pitch and time Of the organ
where you went stumbling and growling, and
meaning and numbl1nss dlscoraantly along
You did not help At I'll, and jet no one but .
tel {ou q It."
"Finally, my brethren," (tor hero ], Men.
tor, t: rued and saw goodly portion OF she
congregation had gathered abalt 1s as w
stood, 90 sddr. ssea them anally and eollec'
ls In danger Of running itself out Of favor i
the direction spoken Of BY tho worlds people
In the phrase, "running # into tho ground
It b lowering eacEed music little too much
to think Of taelng everybody on board Each
agree to rise no higher than the field mice
could follow them, The partnership couldn'1
last week, and Congregational Singing VIII
fade out from precisely similar canses- Breth
ren aud aisters. don't any Of you sing II
Church unless Jou hare the gift, and if yo1
hare the gift, cultivate IT, aud teach 1t dill
gently to your children" If field mice, yor
must let the lazks alone. II you cannot siag
keep still"
Here several Of the brethren present inter
upted me By inviting me- home 10 dinner.
MENTOR.
LECTURE on JAPAH AND rH1 JAFAxEsE.=
Rev. B. !; Rettelaeim, II. D., nine years resl
dent missionary in Loo -Choo, and fnterprete
to the United States Japan expedition, unde
Commodore Perry, will give his experience
aud observations In Japan, this evening, Jan