The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1886-06-18

at tie union serrices IN the Congregational
church Sunday eoening, June g.
AS we journey along the pathway OF life
we are constantly coming in contact with
ideas, represented by persons, who, owing
perhaps to the circumstances by which they
are individually surrounded, view things
in general from widely different stand
points. So it is in regard to the subject
to which we shall call your attention to-
night. BY some the art of music is re
garded as merely an accomplishment, a
fashionable luxury, serving to relieve the
conversation at an evening party; or, it
may be to enlicen the religious exercises in
the house of worship There are others,
however, who see in this art the cmbodi-
ment of all that is pure and noble; they
recognize therein the highest expression of
human thought, leading to the absolute
IDEAL and they go to 1t as to a friend to
whom they can coniidc their joys and sor-
rows, and find response to every emotion
of the SOUL
The word emusic" was in all probabili-
ty derived from the Latin word "musa"
for muse, as it was supposed to have emin-
ated from the muses.. The arts of gesture,
poetry and song were supposed by the an
cient Greeks to be presided over by the
nine muses., and were all comprehendcd
in the one word music" There is no
doubt however that music existed from all
eternity; that the heavenly hosts sang the
praises Of Jehovah long before he COM
menced the work of the creation; and we
are told that that night when the Saviour
of the world was born the angels sang,
GLORY to God in the highest, on earth
peace, good will to men," There is music
in and throughout all nature if we only
the hum of the bees and insects, and in
the voices of the birds; there is music in
the wind as it sweeps through the trees of
the forest, and there is music in the deep
toned roar of the ocean. Have you never
observed that drop of rain falling upon
the sand will produce tiny sound, differ
ing from that produced by the drop falling
upon the leaf, or upon the rock? Thus
thousands of falling rain drops produce a
harmony which unconsciously takes pos
session of the senses and luls the weary
listener to sleep. There is no discord, all
is harmony-beautiful, sublime harmony
and although the sounds of this earth may
often seem discordant to us, yet have no
doubt that taken as whole they produce
harmony which rises upward as a grand
voluntary of praise TO the Creator.
In regard to the music of the earlier in.
habitants of the world we know but little.
We are told that David, the great Israelt-
ish musician, had choirs or organized
bands of singers, but we know nothing in
regard to the rythmical form or style of
his music. Judging however from the
Psalms OF David, which were doubtless
performed to some of this music, we ven
ture to say that it was by no means of a
low order. 1t may not be amiss perhaps
to suggest that while that young sheI herd
watched his sheep out upon the mountain
side, in close communion with nature and
natures God, the highest musical thoughts
and forms became implanted in his soul.
1t is mentioned in one of the gospels that
our Saviour and his disciples after supper
went out into the mount and sang an
hymn. What grand him that must have
been-the voice of the son of God ming.
ling in harmony with the voices of his dis
ciples III a song of praise ard thanksgiving.
As the Dark ages settle down upon the
earth we almost loose sight of this art AT
one time during the reign of ignorance
and superstition, music came TO be looked
upon as belonging exclusively to satan
consequently welded an evil influence
over mankind, and was on this account
abolished from the church. In the fourth
century St. Ambrose invented kind of
musical performance for the church, which
was entirely without rythem; it was simp.
ly reading OF speaking in pitch. Pope
Gregory, in his day, took up this idea and
improved and developed it, This has
gradually been improved and developed,
and hanced down to us through the church,
until today it is that beautiful form of
music which we call the "chant." While
this is the plainest form of musical compo-
sition, it Is withal the most expressive; and
may truly be said to be sacred to the
church. As the reign of the Dark ages
was overthrown, as the true enlightened
spirit of christianity begins to spread
among mankind, some of the greatest mu-
slcians that the world has ever known, ap.
pear upon the scene; among whom we
might mention Palistrina, the founder OF
our present system of psalmody, and
Handle, who made his name immortal by
composing the oratorio of the Messiah.
Also Hayden, Mozart, Mendelssohn and O
score of others whose names have become
| household words in every musical home