The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1873-04-02
Fog THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
TIE CULTIVATION OF VOCAL MUSIC BY
THE MINISTRY.

1t has long been matter Of surprise that
there is so little attention paid to the culti
vation Of vocal and sacred music in our the
illogical seminaries. That it is a power for
good when properly used and made available
in the work of the ministry, none of US will
question. We all know the fascination of
music in the general to the cultivated taste,
and the power it wieldS over the masses. In
the great revolutions of human history,
music has been one of the powers used with
greatest efficacy to awaken and move the
passions of the human soul. The national
airs with which we are all familiar, and the
war songs which ere born in all great mill
tary struggles, are, in their use in such eras,
proof of this, manifest to the most casual
observer. Nor can we have overlooked the
fact in the religious history of the human
family that sacred music has great power
to awaken and cultivate the religious emo
tions. which is most evident in seasons Of
special religious interest. And whilst it
may be abused to the cultivation of unguid-
ed and excessive emotional feeling, it is un-
questionable that truth in its most touching
and effective form comes to the soul often
in this channel, Many souls have been born
into spiritual life and peace through some
of these precious hymns with which we are
all familiar. And Gods people ofseu most
nearly approximate the joySo- -pPer
sanctuary, in the spiritual joys which swell
up in the soul in connection with sacred
music. There is to our mind, a power for
good in the proper and full use of this di-
vinely appointed agency far beyond the COM
mon estimate of it, and which deserve an
amount of attention from the church it has
never yet received.
But l designed to suggest the Importance of
this sutje to the ministry especially. They
lead the public devotiOns of Gods people,
and should most assuredly have some con-
siderable knowledge, and if possible practi-
cal facilities in the use of vocal and sacred
music They should be able to lead the con-
gregation when necessary. Its most unfor-
tunate for this part of public worship to be
omitted, as is the case sometimes, from the
utter inability of the minister to sing. And
there are many important fields of useful
ness, especially in our progressive and mis-.
sionary work, which it is simply impossible
for minister to fill with acceptance and
with any degree of success if he can't sing.
But if this were not so there is scarcely a
church in the country in which there is any
systematic attention paid to the cultivation
of sacred music, and where it would not be
most acceptable to have a pastor who could
instruct them, and, if necessary, lead them
in singing. Many ministers owe large
amount of their usefulness to special advan-
tages of this kind.
But besides this, as the leader of the
public worship of the congregation, the
minister is responsible for this part of the
service. He should, therefore, have some
respectable knowledge of its nature, and Of
its appropriate province in religious worship,
and he should use his Influence and know
ledge to make it both an edifying and at
tractive part of worship, and to discourage
the abuse of it, The pastors and sessions
of our churches are undoubtedly responsible
for much of the abuse of sacred music and
for the neglect of it too, which is very
general. The proper and tasteful use of
sacred music in our churches would do much
of itself to counteract and correct the abuses
of it.
There is no one of any experience in the
absolute conditions of usefulness and accept
ance in the work of the ministry at large,
but feels that it is subject of material im'
portance, and deserves, systematic and def
mite consideration. Aud where should this
be done more appropriately than in our
theological schools? Let our candidates fol
the ministry particularly, be careful to give
attention to this subject. NJ.
We MUST be Gods messengers in one way
or another. We may help to bear burden'
or we may impose them. We may cheer