The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1873-03-15
CONGREGATIONAL SINGING.
By RKv. DEWITT rALMAaE.
From the independently

There has been an etfert made for
the last twenty years to kill congre-
gational singing. The attempt has
been tolerably successful; but it
y rms to me that some rules might
given by which the work might
be done quickly and effectually.-
What is the use of having it linger
ing on in this uncertain way? Why
not put it out of its misery? If you
are going to kill snake, kill it
thoroughly, and do not let it keep
wagging it's tail till sundown. Con-
gregational singing is nuisance,
anyhow, to many of the people. It
interiors with their comfort It of
fends their taste. It disposes their
nose to 6exibility in the upward di-
rection. It is too democratic in it's
tendency. Down with congrega-
tional singing and let us have no
more of it!
The first rule for killing 10 TO
have only such tunes as the people
C001Oe axNS. a
In some churches it is the GUS
tom of choirs at each service to sing
one tune which the people know.
It is very generous of the choir to
do that. The people ought to be
thankful for the donation. They do
not deserve it They are all 'smisera-
BILE offenders" [I heard them say
so]; and, if permitted once in a ser
vice to sing, ought to think them-
selves highly favored. But / op
pose this singing of even the one
tune that the people understand It
spoils them. It gets them banker
ing after more. Total abstinence
is the only safety, for if you allow
them to imbibe at all, and the first
thing you know they will be going
around drunk on sacred psalmody.
Besides that, If you let them sing
one tune at q service, they viii be
putting their oar into the other
tunes and bothering the choir.
There is nothing more annoying to
the choir than, at some moment
when they have drawn out note in
exquisite fineness, thin as q split
hair, to have some laundering elder
to come in with O ssPraise ye the
LQrds" Total abstinence I say! Let
all the churches take the pledge,
even against the milder musical
beverages; for they who tamper
with campaign cider soon get to
Dock and old Burgundy.
Now If all the tunes are new
there viii be no new temptation by
the people. They will not keep
hamming along, hoping that they
will find some bars down where
they can break into the clover pas
lures. They will take the tune as
an inextricable conundrum,a and give
it up. Besides that, Pisgah, Orton
vile and Brattle Street are ole
fashioned. They did very well il
their day. Our fathers were sim
pie minded people, and the tunes
| fitted them. But our fathers are
gone, and they ought to have taker
their baggage with them. It is q
| nuisance to have those old tunes
| floating around the church, and
some time, just as we have got the
music as 6ne as On OPERA to hav,
some newborn soul break out il
ssRock of Ages Cleft for mel" till tht
organist stamps the pedal with in
dignation, and the leader of tn,
tune gets red in the face and swears
Certainly anything that makes /,
man swear is wrong ergo, congre
gational singing g wrong. Quod era
demonstrandum; which being trans
lated, means plain as the nose on
mans face. What right have peo
pie to sing who know nothing
about rhythmics, melodies, dynam
les? The old tunes ought to b.
ashamed of themselves when com
pared with our modern beauties
Let Dundee and Portuguese Hymn,
and Silver Street hide their head
beside what we heard not long ag'
in . church-just where I shall no
tell. The minister read the hymn
beautifully. The organ began, AM
the choir sang as near as ] coul'
understand as follows:
Os-aw-gee-bah,
Ah-me-la-le
O-psh- -sah-dah
We-haw-ge-e-ee.
My wife, seated beside me, di
not ike the music. But i said