The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-10-21
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Quartettes versus Choru. C..,..,

From time immemorial there H. No..
two contending factions on the sph;sc, .,
music, ia every church, and as Is ALWAYS th,
case, high art triumphs one year, and quar-
tette choir is engaged, but is defeated the fol-
lowing year when chorus choir obtains.
Were these revolutions effected without the
sacrifice of anybody's feelings, no evil results
would be attendant upon them; but unfortu-
nately such is tar from being the case. One
leading member, who Is rich and generous,
appreciates the essential part that music
plays IN the worship of God, but likewise rec
ognzes the fact that noise is not music. He
is both able and willing TO aid the church,
but only in the line of his peculiar views.
Another member, poor, but jealous Chris
tian, with voice like Bashan bull, labors
under the impression that he can sing great
deal better than anybody whom his rich
neighbor is willing to pay tor singing. Now,
these two men are directly opposed to each
other The first may be correct, but the
other is an earnest worke-, q regular attend
ant upon divine worship and always ready 20
respond when called upon to act for the good
OF the church so far as in him lies. SO they
are equal in their influence, or nearly so.
These men lead the factions. They both
steadfastly adhere to their respective positions
and have an equal right to their opinions.
What then remains to be done? The church
needs its moneyed helper and its most earn
est worker. Nothing but compromise can re-
tain both. The triumph of either alone OF
necessity antasonizes the other, who either
leaves the church at once or devotes his re-
manning time and energy to stirring up ami
mostly to the triumphant party, with view
to an ultimate overthrow, which when it
comes only changes the boot to the other
foot, and the same thing goes on another
year with merely change of position. Now,
it is not necessary that there should be full
surrender of either party. There is happy
medium course which should be pursued.
Every member of the church militant feels it
his privilege to tell his brethren what the
Creator has done for him. yet every member
does not feel it to be his place to get up in
the pulpit and hold forth because OF his
intensity of feeling. Yet why should he
not do so? Simply because of his in
competency. A man wants something more
than heart full of love to stand at the sa-
cred desk. He needs a careful training; an
education that will enable him to cope with
narrow, bigoted minds, and lift them up to-
ward light. Music is second only to the
preaching of the Gospel in the true worship Of
God. And as the privilege of every man to
tell what Christ has done for his soul does
not do away with the necessity for minister
trained to tell the same story, so the privilege
of every man to lift up his voice, as well as his
heart, in praise to the Almighty, does not do
away with the necessity for singers trained to
sing hymn of praise, instead of dragging it
like dirge. And as a church wherein the
minister alone is the actor becomes dead, even
so is the church where the skilled vocalist
trills and quavers to suit himself alone. There
fore, let the rich man pay for as good quar-
tette as he has mind to the finer the be tier.
| Let these have their solos, Duets, tros AID
| quartettes to please those not musically criti-
cal. Let soprano and tenor soar beavenward
to the full extent of their compass, and con-
tralto and basso sink into depths profound; !;
but il with them there is good full chorus to
lead the congregation in the uplifting OF their
may sing, not with the spirit only, but
"with the understanding also. Ign
argus.