The Portland daily press., 1866-01-11
0Dauil Musin,, In Church.

No doubt very unsuitable music, to awaken
devotion, is often incorporated into the servic-
es of the sanctuary. Some people are sorely
troubled If an air or melody Is there produced,
which they have ever heard connected with
secular words, and particularly if those word.
hive not been free from impure associations
Notwithstanding the squeamishness of many
pions and truly devout people IN this respect,
there was sound, good sense in the remark Of
the celebrated White6eld, when demonstrated
with for allowing and encouraging such tunes
In his revival meetings, that he had no idea OF
letting the Devil have all the good tunes. Ii
sacrilegioas scamp sees fit to adapt impious
sacred old choral should be given up to the
Devil without severe contest. We are told
that some of the most pc 3ulaf sacred melo-
dies of apast generation were written by fat,
rollicking fellow in town in Androscoggin
County, a man of no particular religious pro-
cliyities, some of them with words composed
by him for the sole purpose of lampooning
those who, by their oddities, their bachelor
eccentricities or perhaps by their awkward
love adventures had attracted the t .nefuI DC !,
cts attention and thus inspired his mischiev-
Gus muse The tunes must have sounded
oddly enough in church to those who knew
their secret history; yet they had power to
lift the soul on the wings of devotion, and into
that service they were wisely pressed. 81
1t Is not a great many years since the intro
duction of bass viol into some christian
churches was sufficient to divide the asaints'
into opposing parties, and TO produce the
most bitter feuds. A violin was absolutely in
tolerable In the house Of God even to those
who would consent to tolerate the larger in
strunent-the @father of fiddles." Many per-
sons have heard, no doubt, Of the old divine
who, on espying violin In the singing gallery,
as he rose to read the first hymn when on ex-
change with ministering brother, gave vent
to his chafng spirit by requesting the choir to
fiddle and sing" the Goth psa1ml We have
an impression that in this city, trouble was
created in what is now known as Casco street
Church, by the introduction OF instrumental
music, and as one Of the results chapel was
built on Temple street-burnt several years
since-and society worshipped there some.
times styled by the ungodly Nthe dnti-bass viol
Socie.y" : ILL.," .''S'A'aa'st sos s'A S9a
p One Of the great questions Of the present
time struggling for solution, is whether choir,
or quartette, or congregational singing shall
have precedence in the sanctuary. Each kind
has its advocates and friends, and it is not too
much to say that each has its merits, and per-
haps also its defects or drawbacks. Without
entering into the defence of either astyle," we
will close this article with an anecdote of re-
cent occurrence, which uggested the caption
we have placed at the head. 1t runs on this
wise: 'A-'a S-''i % tH-tie afiA d5I
After sermon on Congregational Music,
DIR. Arnitage of the Fifth Avenue New York;
Baptist Church, recently, set his congregation
to laughing by relating his experience in Ire
mont Temple, Boston. He had heard of its
choir OF one hundred singers, and the organ
which required steam engine to fill the bel
lowS-expected to hear something grand
Heard ajigl Gave out another hymn. An
other jigl "pll fix you" he said; sIIl give
you one that can't be sung to dancing tune"
So he selected the hymn - - 'A'4A
"From all that dwell below the skies, z4
Let the Creators praise arise" II hi .lY5
"Sing II to devil music if you cam" he said
to himself Sure enough, another jigI Il
went from fremont Temple as soon as posi-
BILE" he said, @and have not been there since,
and to get me there again to have my expert
enes repeated would need bigger steam en-
CINE than the one that works their organ"