Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1886-05-21


Song could be heard, as the speech of
all life and motion, If men had ears that
could hear. The child revels in the
whirring song from his top or the hum
OF the toy he twirls about his head; with
what awe would we sta nd in the pres
ence of the grand chorus of the universe
while the mighty God sends singing
through space his countless suns and
worlds, had we ears that could hear.
By the centrifugal force of His might,
they speed along. singing the grandeur
of His glory, held in their paths by the
centripetal power of His love.
The roar of the thunder, the sigh of
the wind, the ripple Of the stream. the
swing Of the sea, the march of the sys-
tens, these are Natures songs to her
common children.
DIR. II. r. Palmer, in his "Theory of
Music" work of great merit and
highly commended, defines song to be ''a
term which, in general sense, embraces
all utterances made by musical modula-
tions of the voice.
Song is of very ancient origin. and has
existed in every nation prior to any other
kind Of literary composition. The Ian
guage Of song is universal, and is not
confined TO the realm of musical science.
Persons who have made no study of mu-
sic are good judges of song singing.
They can discern errors, discover breaks
in movements and notice deviations in
the delivery Of songs. This fact is evil
dence Of the universally of song lam
guage.
Not only is man invariably Influenced
by song, but all animals, as we'll, feel its
power. Upon this point Shakespeare
wrote:
"Do but note wild and wanton herd
Or race Of youthful and unhandied colts.
Fetching mad bounds. believing and neigh
Which Is the hot condition of their blood;
Il they but hear, perchsnsSe, trumpet sound
You shall perceive them make mutual
stand,
Their savage eyes turned to modest gaze
By the sweet power Of music; therefore the
Did feign. that orpheus drew trees, stones
aud foods,
Since naught so stocked. hard. and full of
But music, for time, doth change his ma
ture"
The writer has witnessed the effect of
song upon mouse. Singing brought it
out upon the carpeted floor, where it re-
manned and with upright ears listened
for some time, when it returned to
hiding place. only to be again drawn
out by the repetition Of the song.
Since the morning stars sang togeth.
err. song has been the winged angel
whispering messages to the soul. The
sweet spirit of song follows US all our
journey through. With us, in all the
changes and the vicissitudes of time and
fortune; from the cradle, when the
sweet lullaby sang US to sleep, even to
the grave--the narrow bed, when dear
friends sing us into the long sleep of
death. The gentle touch upon the soul,
made by the love-song Of the one whose
voice was. to our ears, the sweetest, left
an impression still uneffaced by the
storms of years.
A song has won the heart OF king.
has determined the fate of nation and
has changed the condition of a psep,e.
A song has opened the door to millions
of hearts, and through the opened pas.
sage has let in the light of Heaven
brightest glory. ....e
Song being musical meditation Of
enunciation or speech, how important is
it that the forms of speech are correct;
and that intelligence accompanies the
singing. If the musical clothing does
not make more beautiful and impressive
the delivery, better the plain recitation.
Our Anglo-Saxon abounds in opporti-
mites for effective speech in song; and
the American people. especially, need
not resort to the language of an inferior
no tionality to become acceptable song
singers. Proper use Of the organs of
speech is O rarity, and to understand the
sentiment of the song offered the audi
ence Is the notable exception.
False method, and still worse teacher,
fashion, are chsrgeabls with these re-
suits. While these things remain true
and poor use of our native tongue and
a worse use of some half-dead language
obtains in our public gatherings, singers
need expect only dissatisfied audiences,
abundance of empty seats and cash re-
eeipts hardly equslling expenses.
Songs. as we'll as music, should be Ian
guage from soul TO soul. Let then our
songs be our honest thought, the themes
having common interest and heart.
All will welcome them. Let us sing our
own country's glory, the patriotism Of
our fathers, the grandeur of our own
mountains and valleys. the dignity aud
peace of our American hearthstones, the
heroism of our women, the love Of our
mothers; laying the scenes Of our
efforts among and with our own people.
Then the voice of the singer will find the
heart of the hearer. Across the foot
lights, the soul language of music and
song will leap from the stage to well
filled seats and enthusiastic patrons.
When the choir, with plain speech and
worshipful hearts, sing the hymns and
spiritual songs of the sanctuary, then
will the spirits of the people be borne
upward until there could almest be
heard the echo Of angels round the
throne.