The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-04-26

musically speaking and otherwise, of
the plainest character, resembling that
of an English dissenting chapel. A
curious feature is the almost absolute
dumbness of the congrega ion. They
do not sing. the whole duty of vocal
praise being delegated to the choir. and
the make no responses to the extempor-
aneous prayers; only when some elo-
uuent orator-and there are many
among the Mormons-dwells passion
ately upon their prosecutions and fore
tells an ultimate triumph, loud
Amen" rings through the building.
The hymns are sung to tunes of an old
| fashioned type, such as may be found
in Rippon's English collection of sixty
or seventy years ago, and in almost
every popular American collection of
the present day. Even tunes which
necessitate repeated lines, and those
containing passages of imitation, are
not discarded from Mormon use; their
spirited and sometimes rather rollicking
strains being delivered with every APP
pearance of real enjoyment. The
hymn, whatever the number of its
verses, while the huge congregation,
turning sea of faces full upon the per-
formers. sit and quietly listen. Some
times. as on the occasion of my visit.
music of more complex character is
attempted. The anthem l heard, for
example, contained short solo, very
well delivered by young Scandinavian
professional, to the accompaniment OF
small orchestra as well as the organ.
By this time the Mormons have among
them again young musician, (son of
the late Brigham Young who has been
trained at our own Royal Academy of
Music, and will doubtless make con-
spicuous feature in the Tabernacle ser
vices. But, quite apart from him and
the Scandinavian aforesaid, there seems
to be no lack of musical talent in the
Mormon ranks. L was especially struck
with the sopranos, the quality of whose
tone, and the fervor of whose style, sug
gested the existence of considerable
Welsh element-the more readily be-
cause Wales sends to Utah large num-
Der of converts. 1t is clear that the
Latter-day Saints devote a proper
amount of attention to music, regarded
as an element in public worship. The
fine Tabernacle organ of sixty stops
affords, in itself, proof of this. 1t was
der the superintendent of Mr.. Joseph
the spot being brought in wagons from
the railway terminus, then many hun
dred miles away, on the other side of
the great plains. The instrument,
which has three manuals and power
full pedal organ, is of noble proportions,
and contains many excellent stops. 1t
is now, for repair and extension, in the
hands of Mr.. Johnson, Scandinavian
immigrant, who has himself built fine
two manual organ in the Mormon As
sembly Hall. l am indebted to Mr.
Johnson for an opportunity of trying
both these instruments, and I regard
both as instances of victory over the
difficulties presented by a remote and
spot where no skilled labor,
save that Of the builder himself, could
be obtained. In the present work of
enlarging the Tabernacle instrument l
found Mr.. Johnsoni assisted by nobody
save a young man, son of President
Taylor.
Ny space is now exhausted, if not my
theme. Going from details to deduc-
tons, arrive at no other conclusion
than that America. notwithstanding a
bad start in Church music, and various
present drawbacks, is on the right path
and making progress.