The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-06-30
Sunday Concerts In the Park.

The resolutions recently adopted by sever
al Christian Endeavor societies in ldenuncia-
tion Of band concerts at Deering Park on
Sunday afternoon strike us as somewhat
0Verdrawn. In one of these resolutions
these concerts are characterized as desc
Grafton of Gods holy Sabbath day. Yet it is
difficult to see why the playing of
tunes by a band out of doors is
In itself any more of dissertation of
the Sabbath than the singing of tune,
by a choir inside a building. One of the
attractions of almost every church in this city
is trained choir, paid liberal salaries to
render certain tunes. Sometimes the accom-
panimeDt is furnished by an organ and some
times by cornet. In most cases the sing
ing is a purely artistic performance. The
Idea that they are praisiDg God rarely enters
the heads Of members OF these choirs. What
they seek to do is to please the ear of the
congregation which is listening, and their
success IN that direction generally determines
the amount of their annual salary. Singing
In choir in city churches is just as much
business nowadays as singing at a secular
concert or playing In band. Nine-tenths
OF the singers in our choirs sing nei-
Their for the glory Of God nor the promotion
of religion but for cash. To our religious
forefathers the idea of statoning in the
singing gallery quartette of men and
women chosen simply for their fine voices
and their ability to render tunes so as to
please the ear of the listeners, would have
appeared quite as great a dissertation of
Gods molly Sabbath day as band concert in
Deering Park does to the Christian Endeay-
or Societies of today, and perhaps with
quite as much reason. We do not think we
hazard much In saying that If professional
church choir should change the words Of a
hymn from praise to blasphemy no con.
siderable number of the congregation would
hnd 1t out, so purely is the church singing of
today, In oar cities at least, designed to graf
lily the love for sweet sounds.
Yet choir of trained singers has come to
Dc regarded as an almost indispensable
adjunct OF our church meetings on Sunday
why? Simply because the church has felt
the need Of more attractions than are fur.
nlsbed by the purely religious part of the
service, namely, the reading of the scrip
lures, and the preaching of sermon, and of
adl1erent character, for the quality which
makes the singing draw is not the quality
which makes the strictly religious part of
the service draw. The music is entertain
ment, quite as much as the music at a seen
lar concert, and 1t attracts just in proportion
to the amount of pleasure it gives. Now the
question arises. if it is not dissertation of
the Sabbath for the churches to furnish mn
sic for the entertainment of the public, why
does it become dissertation when similar
music is furnished by the city government
on public park for their entertainment?
The answer will be made probably that
the singing in the churches has the effect to
draw in people who would not otherwise
attend, and in this way gets before their
minds gospel truths which might otherwise
not reach them. But If musical perform.
ance on Sunday-and the professional sing.
ing in most Of our city churches is nothing
more-is dissertation Of Gods holy Sabbath
day, does the mere fact that it indirectly
may be the means of good, relieve it of its
original character? Is it right to do evil
even If good does come Of it?
The line of reasoning that would condemn
the band concert on Sunday simply because