The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-08-08
SUNDAY SeI1ool sope


an effective Sunday school song?
First-Each school must select one
OF Its number, who must be responsible
for the singing of the school, and for
nothing else. He it is who should adj |
wise the superintendent and teachers,
as to the most suitable tunes for
selected hymns, should encourage soft
singing in the school, prevent the boys
from shouting and forcing their reg
listers, ana hold at least a monthly
practice for learning new tunes, and
correct errors, which may have crept
into old ones. AT this practice he
should be supported by the superin-
tendent and the teachers, and not, as
in many cases, find them conspicuous
by their absence, The Superintendent
during the winter months should start
music classes for the children and
teachers in the notation of music upon
the Tonic Sol Ea method as this SYS-
tenn has been proved to be the system
for schools of all kinds, and also it has
been tested over and over again to be
the best key to the complexities of the
staff notation.
Secondly - Where an instrument is
| used there should be competent ac-
| companiSt, whose duty it should be to
| sustain the voices. to give prominence
| to the melody, to deal very sparingly in
| the left Accomplishments and SNOWY
stops, TO pattern the tune previous to
| its being sung, to carefully watch the
| tempo of the leader, and to follow him
| and support him whenever the school
| may be disposed to follow their own
sweet will and pleasure, by varying
the time OF tune. The school blessed
/ its appreciation of the services rem
| dered by keeping the instrument in
perfect tune and in finding the music
required in suitably bold type to make
it easily read.
| Misunderstanding your leader and &C
cOmpanist, let the superintendent and
teachers give them their hearty SYM
pathy and support, encourage the
| scholars to purchase hymn books and
where able to read music tune books
also, give the scholars prize cards for
recitins scripture, and where the
children are unable to purchase hymn
books make the gift of them the reward
| of attention and good behaviour in the
class. Make the scholars feel it is one
of your greastest delights to make
melody in your heart unto the Lord:
tell your scholars that this exercise of
song is their part of the school services
and that they have no right to COM
plain of the dulness of the address or
the drynesS of the lesson, if they are
silent or care less over their own ser
vice of song.
Always encourage them to sing
their hymns at home, so that they
may become messengers of Gods truth
to the hearts of those around them.
Lastly point them to the time, when
there shall be no more addresses, no
more sermons, no more praying, but
when one grand, sweet song shall as
cend unto Him who hath redeemed
them, and washed them in His Own
precious blood, and made them heirs
with Him in that bright home where
they shall live with Him for evermore.
To sum up. The song of our Sunday
schools needs to be treated in much
more serious manner than hitherto.
Ii must be no longer looked upon as a
| recreatlVe break in the monOtonv OF
class teaching as service of the school
recurring neither care in its prepare
ton nor thought in its utterance, as a
something quite outside the ordinary
work of the school, and only tolerated
to give variety to the service. If there
are those who fancy this picture toe
highly drawn, let them witness the ex
| odus of teachers on any Sunday after
| noon when, instead of the ordinary
address. a practice for the hymns OF
the following Sunday is being held
With the Tonic Sol Fa method of teach
ing music to our hands there
is no reason why our scholars should
not become proficient readers OF must
cal notation. With the talent we have
: in our midst there is no reason why
the Anthem shOnld not be popular
among us: and given the desire on the
part of the school. 1 believe there
would be no difficulty in finding the
men who should be set a part to lead us
in the glorious ministry of song
aud to train the little ones of oul
schools to be ministering angels to those
who may be brought within the in
fluence of their voices.
Henry Ward Beecher in reply to one
who found it difficult to restrain wan
dering thoughts in prayer, said. ii
you cannot pray kneeling- stand up anC
: pray singing We would say the same
to our children. Two-thirds of ouI
hymns are prayers, and if you find i
There is a mighty lever in the
ministry of ing to move the
world, and those who cannot bG
reached by any other means, will! often
listen to the song of the little child:
Sing on, dear children and make d
joyful noise unto the Lord. Sing il
the house, sing by the wayside; sing al
ways and everywhere. pray by singing
recite truths by singing psalms, sing
more in school, let every one of you
sing, sing from village to village from
city to city, and from nation to nation
so that your songs may be like deer
answering deep, until that day shall
come when the heavens and the earth
shall join together and the grand
and final chorus shall roll through thu
universe, when:-"The kingdoms o.
this world are become the kingdoms o.
our Lord and of his Christ and He shall
reign for ever an eyer" Amen. /,
d. O. l.