Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-01-27
The Sacred Concert.

Nine ministers of various denomina-
tions have signed paper, under the
head of "A Word Of Warning" in which
they denounce whst2 A sacred concert |
Why2 because it is to be given in the
thester-and is, as they assert, the thin
edge wedge towards Sunday amuse-
ments. Let US examine their premises.
In the first place they start with mis-
take. If, instead of taking the alarm and
issuing their bull, they had examined the
programme, they would have discovered
it was really "Sacred Concert" and
not AN operate amusement, softened
down by that term"
1. is generally conceded by ministers
of religion that sacred music intensi6es
devotion. They do not deny its human
izing-nsy, spiritual influence. Who
will pretend to say Handel, Rossini,
Beethoven, etc.,w not inspired Who
while listening to their strains will dare
affirm they are not the inspirations of
dicinttys And why should we not be
permitted to listen to these wonderful
combinations of sweet sounds, written
for the praise and glory of God, without
the Gddenda of some particular theory
or dogma disturbing our devotion
Now, then, as to the offense which these
nine ministers denounce as blighting
curse-not the music, but the giving it
in theater-how many clergymen have
taken theaters for the purposes of public
Worship In St. Louis the olympic is so
used every Sunday; in Cincinnati, Woods
Theater; in Indianapolis, the Academy
OF Music, and wherever divine wants a
building in which to assemble his congre-
CATION be seeks the next most convenient
place for the purpose-a thester. DoeD
the edifice sully his doctriue2 Do the
words he utters receive any faint because
the place has been used as theater
No. And we have heard q very able and
pure Christian minister assert be thought
great good was done by preaching in
tbeaters-"Many came to scott, who re-
NAMED to pray" Be this as it may,
there is nothing irreligiOus, nothing
tending toward vice or immortality in a
8 cred concert, and our religious
teachers have only themselves to blame
if by denouncing all ADJUSTMENTS they
lessen the number of their followers.
That Siguor Brignoli, Miss McCulloch
and their associates eau give the sublime
composition of Rossini with great per-
lection few will dispute, and why should
ssctarian prejudice deprive the lovers of
music in this city of this great gratifica-
tion2 We are sure that if any Of the
gentlemen signing this warning could
secure the services of these artists for
their places of meeting, many, if not ell,
would avail themselves Of The oppor'
unity; and the same persons would go
to bear them who will listen to them in
the theater, irrespective Of the church in
which. they sang its tenets or it's dogmas.
As to the curse Of Sunday night amnse-
ments, that is q question with which at
present we have not to deal Noattempt
has been made to give performance oil
a theatrical description il our thsater.
Bat we hays not learned that New Or
leans, where such things are usual, .
any less virtuous on that account. We
think that II our clergy. in their attempts
to reform society, would wisely substitute
for hatred, love as the prevailing moral
sentiment Of lheis religious teachings,
they might convert many whom they nov
disgast, and attract EssF whom they
nov reps,.
/" BE praysth beat. who is.eih bet
All thin-z ssts great a.d fmaui
FOR the dear God. vho leveth Is.
lie made and ioveth AL.