The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1891-10-02

Now, would like 10 add fourth
school. and that is the school of Christ
The voice of contritc broken heart,
although 1t may not be able to stand
/ human criticism, makes better music TO
Gods ear thDn the most artistic per.
Torrance when the heart Is wanting
! know II Is easier TO preach on this
than il is TO practice, bat sing for two
reasons first, because | like IL, and
next because ! want to encourage
those who do not know how | have
but very little faculty in that direction,
yet am resolved to sing. God has
commanded II, aud dare not be silent
He calls ON the beasts. on the cattle on
the dragons TO praise Him, and we
ought not to be behind the cattle and
the dragons
Another obstacle that has been In the
way of the advancement of this holy
art has been the fact that there has
been so much angry discussion ON the
subject Of music. There are those who
would have this exercise conducted by
musical instruments. In the same
church there are those who do not
like musical instruments, and 50 il
Is organ and no organ, and there
is fight In another church, II
is question whether the music
shall be conducted by precentor or
10y drilled choir Some want drilled
choir and some want n precentor, and
there is a fight Then there are those
who would like in the church Co have
the organ playing in dull, lifeless,
droning way, while there are others
who would have IL wreathed into fam
TASTES, branching out in jets and
spangles of sound, rolling and tossing
in marvellous commissions, as when, in
rpyS0technic display, after you think
a piece is exhausted. IL breaks
out in wheels, rockets. blue
lights and serpentine demonstra-
tons Some would have the organ
played in almost inaudible sweetness,
and others would have II full of stacca.
to passages that make the audience
jump with great eyes. and hair on end,
as though by vision OF the Witch OF
Endor. And he who tries to please all,
will fail in every thing Nevertheless
you are 10 admit the fact that this con
test which is going on, not in hundreds
but in thousands of the churches of the
United States to-day. is mighty him
derance to the advancement of this art
In this way scores and scores of
churches are entirely crippled as to in
fuence, and the music Is damage
rather than 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 wat an easy time we
shall have. This minister will do the
preaching. the choir will do the singing
and we will have nothing to do" And
you know as well a. that there are
great multitude of churches all
through this land where the people are
not expected 20 sing; the whole
work Is done by delegation of
four, six or ten persons and the au-
dience is silent In such n church in
Syracuse an old elder persisted in sing
ing. and so the choir appointed COM
mittee to go and ask the squire II he
would not stop You know that in a
great multitude of churches the choir
is expected to do all the singing and
the great mass Of the people are ex-
pected to be silent. and IL you utter
your voice you are interfering. There
they stand. the four, with opera-glasses
dangling at their sides, Rock Of Ages,
Cleft for Me" with the same spirit that
the night before, on the stage they
took their parts in THE Grand Duchess
or don Giovanni"
My Christian friends have we right
to delegate 10 others the discharge Of
this duty which God demands of US?
Suppose that four wood thrushes should
propose TO do all the Staging some
bright day when all the woods are ring
ing with bird voices II is decided that
four wood-thrushes shall do all the
singing OF the forest Let all other
voices keep silent How beautifully
the four MARBLE. II is really fine music
But how low will you keep the forest
stilip