Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-10-06
CHAT WITH EVANGELIST sANKEY.
The Sweet Singer Tells About His Many
sacred SonSs-Thefr Magic Power.

Aho sweet Singer AoLS AOOub HAS nAAhy
Sacred Songs-Their Magic Power.
Ira d. Sankey, the evangelist, was seen
By q reporter Just before he sailed for
Europe. He converssd freely about the
hymnShe has sung so often and well
There are two classes Of songs" he
said, two fields, as It were, that need not
necessarily conflict, viz, the high classical
music and the simple gospel hymns. One
Is music for those educated in music-lt
appeals to their science and knowledge OF
harmony; the other Is the pure and sim
pie music, that interests millions OF peo-
pie who have no knowlede OF music, but
enjoy what they feel The higher grade
Of music serves its purpose, has its vota-
ries, and 1 do not know but what would
be more interested in it myself, If my
audience were all good musicians The
outlying masses Of poor hum ty are not
educated up to difficult classical music;
it takes some sweet and pure melody to
60 straight to their hearts. They gather
their impulses from what they feel, and
TO move the impulse in the right direction,
TO touch it with loving and appealing
music, is the sure way to guide and con.
troll. Music that can not do this would
be Of little service to the evangelist.
at Is the simple, unpretentious reading
Of the sacred songs that is acceptable,
reaches the feeling and prepares the way
for the sermon hat comes afterward and
does the work. Why music has magic
that no soul can fathom; it elevates the
untutored; it enraptures the dull; it
thrills with ecstatie joy the weary and
longing; it opens the heart Of the stony
and sweeps in triumphant waves Of mel
ody through the bosom Of the cold n
cherries. Fifty thousand sermons Will
not move some minds. The eloquence OF
st. Paul, the enthusiasm OF John Knox,
the logic OF Sturgeon, and the magnetic
~earnestness of Mr.. Moody would fail to &C
cOmplish with some people what a simple
and tender strain OF music would under
proper conditions. The charm and power
Of music can not be oyereseimsted, Id IL
is a potent influence in connection with
preaching the word Of God.
Were you always a musician, Mr..
Sankey2'
"Yes, / was borne with music in me. i
sang from the time l car remember. II
came natural to me; 1 felt it and 1t came
forth. But l had no idea that l ever
would DO a preacher and sing with Nh.
Moody. was 8 business man at New
castle, Pa. My father was an internal
revenue collector appointed under Prest
dent Lincoln. was his deputy. In lSS
I met Mr.. Moody at Indianapolis and
after he had heard me sing he said that !
was tho man he wanted. The music /
began to sing with him Is mostly Amer
lean, the outgrowth chiefly Of social
and political conditions. Very few hymns
that l sing are foreign"
How do you manage to gather the best
songsy"
aWhen / read or hear Of a poem that
has beauty and the spirit OF Jehovah
either in the lines or between, l immedl-
ately buy it, even at a high price. l have
paid as high as $50 for a few verses nal
seemed to have the true ring. We are
. composing new hymns all the time"
SHave you anything to say about the
music Of the future3"
AS l have said before there are two
classes OF music-the higher OF classical,
the simple OF touching. The latter Will
be more popular, because easily under.
stood and felt 1t will be many years. II
ever. when classical music will be under
stood by the masses. The experiment
thus far. proved inductiyely by Mr.. Moody
and myself during q long number Oh
wears, shows that simple, pure music
finds a greater response in the average
human breast than any other kind. ReaS-
oninr from this basis | conclude that the
music Of the future must appeal to the
feeling, must be pure, simple and unpre-
tentious. New York Mail and Express