The Portland daily press., 1885-02-24
Music nnd Its Innnsnce.


A lecture upon the above subject by DIR.
Charles r. Crandall postponed from one
week ago, was delivered last evening at the
Congress Street M. e. Church. The subiect
was treated in an exhaustive and eloquent
manner, as seen by the following abstract, and
was listened to with close attention.
After referring briefly to the origin and evo-
luton of music, the Doctor went on to define
the term, and this he did by quoting from Her
bert Spencer. This distinguished writer
claims that, as speech is the natural expression
of thought, SO music is the natural language
OF emotion. Ii the words re speak convey our
ideas, SO do the tones in which they are ut
tered convey our feelings in regard to them.
Pain or pleasure, satisfaction or discomfort,
interest or Indifference, are much more appar-
ent in the emphasis, cadence and information
of the voice than in the words themse Ives.
The history of music was then rapidly sketched
from Egypt through Greece and Rome,
Germany and England &c the present
time. Its rise and march across nation and
continent was compared to the rise and march
of the itself,as it has risen higher and high
or, identifying all things, and has ever been an
object of reverence and admiration Consider
ation was then given to the higher and finer
music perfected by Bach, Handel, Haydn,
Mozart, Beethoven, and Mendessohn. The
impulse given by these masters to the Fart d.
vine" bas gone all over the civilized world,
and the influence thereof surpasses the power
of description or Imagination. Music was then
classed as one of the fine arts, and the reason
given why it should occupy position of first
Importance. From these preliminary consider
ations the lecturer entered into lengthy dis
cussion of its influence upon the individual, its
service in the home circle, tits potent power in
the great charitable institutions for the blind,
insane aud idiotic, its inspiring effects in
fare, it's dangerous tendencies when perverted
to bad purposes of war and crime, its force in
shaping the sentiment of State and Nation,
and its long and glorious fellowship with
the varying forms and growths of religion.
In closing his remarks regarding music and
religion the lecturer said that it is the art that
does most and does best in helping onward the
of the church, it emphasizes the eloauence of
the pulpit; it adds concord to the meditations
between the soul and God and becomes a
beautiful crown for the sentiments of the
cross Finally. it was claimed that music is
vast in its relations and won, erful in its DOW
or. Influenced by its tones, mankind has
marched to a higher level. The individual, the
family the church and the State, have each and
ALL been made happier and better by its pathos
and its power. To literature art morals, sci.
ence, and religion, it has been net oaly com.
panion and friend, but an immense help
towards ,hieving the grandest of all aims
perfection. Hence civilization owes to music,
''The debt immense of everlasting gratitude
Floating away from old Egypt, like the Nile,
| it has swept on for age after age, through diff
| ferent races aud varying chimes, slowly ex-
banding in its march, until its changing tides
have mingled at last in the shoreless sea of hui
ma nifty.