Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-09-21

It wreathed into fantasies. branching |
out in Jets and spangles of sound, roll
ing and tossing in marvellous convolu
tions, as when, in pyrotechnic display,
after you think piece is exhausted, it
breaks out in wheels. rockets, blue
lights and serpeDtine demonstrations.
Some would have the organ played
in almost inaudible sweetness, and
others would have it full of staccato
passages that make the audience jump,
with great eyes and hair on end, as
though by a vision of the Witch OF
Endor. And he who tries to please all
will fail in everything. Nevertheless,
you are to admit the fact that this con-
test which is going on, not in hundreds,
but in thousands Of the churches of
the United States today is a mighty
hindrance TO the advancement of this
art In this way scores of churches
are entirely crippled as to all influence,
and the music is damage rather than
a praise
Another obstacle In the advancement
of this art has been the erroneous no
ton that this part of the service could
be conducted by delegation Churches
have said "Oh, what an easy time we
shall have This minister will do the
preaching, the choir will do the sing
ing and we will have nothing to do"
And you know as well as that there
are a great multitude of churches adj
through this land where the people
are not expected to sing, the whole
work is done by delegation Of four or
six or ten persons and the audience
are silent.
In such church in Syracuse an old
elder persisted in singing. and so the
choir appointed n committee to go and
ask the squire If he would not stop.
churches the choir are expected to do
all the singing, and the great mass of
the people are expected to be silent,
and If you utter your voice you are in
terfering. There they stand, the four,
with opera glass dangling at their side,
singing Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me, "
with the same spirit that the night be-
fore, on the stage, they took their part
In the "Grand Duchess" or Don Clio
vanni.
ALL SHOULD SING WHO CAN.
My Christian friends, have we a
right to delegate to others the dis
charge OF this duty which God de-
mands of us1 Suppose that four wood
thrushes should propose to do all the
singing some bright day when the woods
are ringing with bird voices. 1t is de-
cided that four wood tllrushes shall do
the other voices keep silent. How beau
tifully the four warble 1t is really
fine music. But how long will you
keep the forest still Why, Christ
would come into that forest and look
up as he looked through the olives,
and he would wave his hand and say,
LET everything that hath breath
praise the Lord" and. keeping time
with the stroke of innumerable wings,
there would be five thousand bird
voices leaping into the harmony.
Suppose this delegation of musical
performers were tried in heaven; sup
pose that four choice spirits should try
to do the singing of the upper temple.
| Hush, now, thrones and doninions and
| principalities David be still, though
you were ''the sweet singer of Israel. !"
PAUL keep quiet, though you have
come to that crown of rejoicing. Rich.
ard Baxter keep still, though this is
the Saints everlasting Rest" Four
spirits now do all the singing. But
how long would heaven be quietl How
long2 "Hallelujah" would cry some
gloritled Methodist from under the
altar Praise the Lord |" would sing
the martyrs from among the thrones.
Thanks be unto God who giveth us
the victory" great multitude of re-
deemed spirits would cry
Myriads of voices coming into the
harmony, and the one hundred and
forty and four thousand breaking forth
into one acclamation. Stop that loud
singing Stop Oh no, they cannot
hear me. You might as well try to
drown the thunder of the sky, or beat
back the roar of the sea, for every soul
in heaven has resolved to do its own
singing Aasl that we should have
tried on earth that which they cannot
do in heaven, and instead of joining all
our voices in the praise of the most
high God, dolegating perhaps to un-
consecrated men and women this most
solemn and most delightful service
Now, In this church, we have re-
solved upon the plan of conducting the
music by orgas and cornet We do it for
two reasons--one is that by throwing
the whole responsibility upon the mass
of the people, making the great mul-
titude the choir we might rouse moro
heartiness, The congregation coming
on the Sabbath day feel that they can
not delegate this part of the great serv