Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-03-12

MUsIc.-The sound of vocal music from
Smiths Hall, on certain evenings of the week,
comes cheerngly to the editorial sanctum, and
leads to the taking of fresh paper and newly
sharpened pencil, for the saying of something
about music.
1t is far from being misfortune that we
must depend on our home talent If we lived
in large city, and had Boston's Eben Tourice
(Alus. Doc) OF jubilee fame, to conduct grand
choruses; or New Yorks wonderful Geo. w.
Morgan, to bring out, with magic fingers and
feet, the grand effects of the giant organ; or
Jardine or Hook to place such organs before
us as could be so brought out, it would be all
unnecessary for us TO say what we want to
say But all these we have not; and yet in
lieu of them we have rich voices, fine musical
taste, wide range of music for selection, and
an admirable leader
or all this, he who sits now on the ltipod, be
came convinced during the two or three even
lngs which he has stolen from labor and given
to refreshment-allured by the rich harmony
that came from Mr. Tinker's class. But the
visit to the hall was what led to the idea that
our town needs to wake up to its musical needs
and ability. The hall, which we expected to
see crowded. was not half full Our brilliant
singers were most of them there, but the great
number of those whose voices come pleasantly
to our ears in the Sunday schools and day
schools, who sometimes tip charming little
stave on the street, or who hold us with de-
lightful song at the piano, are not there.
The great number Of our singers who mig hit
lao, a. AL.
of the rudiments they wont drill, and yet Oct
us change the % of that word into an "a, Dthey
want drill. The superficial in music is all very
well for one who will take life as butterfly !:
but, ah we will not always be butterflies, for
even while We live, we dof our gaudy wings
and come TO the solid earth, from which we
cannot rise. Then we need the practical, the
inwrought Men who begin to twtch gray
hairs out OF their boards, look back and say, If
only had. Years OF mis-spent time come up
like gibbering ghosts, and no years are more
CHASTITY than those which contained neglected
opportunities for improving the precious gift
that God has made, of song:
The pastime of youth becomes the solace Of
age. That which was only the luxury of
youth, grows INTO necessity III age, and with
it comes charm that rubs out wrinkles, and
sends new blood to keep life in the hair SO that
il shall not turn gray.
But the grand reason why we need to cult
vate thorough knowledge of the art; is be-
cause such cultivation goes deeper than the
voice; and educates taste. By-and-by, when
the voice is broken, and the sweet singer sings
no more, will be found the later fruits of such
cultivation. Then the soul can have Its music
still-one of our greatest composers became
deaf, but his music was ts him, and he COM
posed still.
Let us have wider musical study, sending our
children, going ourselves, for the earnest study
of music, as We would study the sciences. Mr..
Tinker has shown himself thorough teacher
lot us hold him Jet smother term, with,s large
class And an sttsuuYe