The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-03-28

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2s, 1874



SUNDAY SACRED CONCERTS
n Sunday concerts meant that
the band would play Annie
Rooney, or the 'Whiskers on the
Moon the STAR could see reasons .
enough why they should not be
undertaken in this city but the
SUNDAY concert implies the sacred
concert and the expression OF the
highest classical themes in the
musical repertory II should be
remembered that every church IN
Honolulu gives a concert on the
first day of the week, both vocal
and instrumental and surely, If
that is not q sin within doors IT will
be hard 70 prove that the produc-
ton of similar music, in more varied
and artistic form out Of doors,
would be an iniraction Of Christian
doctrine. Time was when the use
Of instrumental music in church
choirs was tabooed on the same
ground that is now taken against
the Sunday concert, but that was
in the hypochondriac era When
as the satirist has it men
whipped their cider barrels in
protest against the habit the fluid
has Of working" on Sunday. The
church has gone far ahead Of its
old position, yet Christianity is said
to be more respected and effective
than ever. In America the church
has advanced much faster than it
has in Honolulu along liberal and
sensible courses, and the organ and
choir are now often supplemented by
the cornet, the piccolo, the violin
and the harp while the outside
afternoon Sunday band concert, so
long as it keeps to its sacred roper
tory, is encouraged by the presence
Of church members generally. In
cidentally we may say that it is not
discouraged by anything that can
be found in the Scriptures. The
one biblical obligation is to keep the
day holy, and that can be done as
we'll by playing sacred music to
non-church-goers under the trees as
to church members under a plaster
of-paris ceiling. The conclusion
Of the whole matter, therefore,
seems 10 be that the objections to
the Sunday concert rest upon mere
traditional prejudice, which most
Of the descendants of the Puritans
have discarded in America; and are
indelensible either by the teachings
Of the Bible, the general practice Of
the Christian body throughout the
world or by the record Of the effect
which Sunday sacred band music
has had upon people who have
been accustomed, in America and
Europe, to hearing it,
Touching the immediate issue of
Sunday concerts in Honolulu the
STAR regrets that any appeal on
the subject should have been made
TO the Councils. The law, as it
has been i lterpreted to several in
quirers, does not prohibit Sunday
concerts, whereat the band might
better have gone ahead and given
its music, leaving anybody to COM
plain Of disturbance to his Sunday
peace and quiet, which Rock Of
Ages" or Nearer My God to
Thee" might have given him. We
very much doubt that the conscien-
tious Sabbatarian would have made
any protest, or would make any
hereafter if the bands should begin
to play next Sunday afternoon. He
would quickly realize that the inAu-
ence ofsacred musicis good wherever
or however it is decorously per-
formed and he would accept it as
one Of the agencies Of human bet
terment.
P. S. There has been no pro-
test against Sunday rifle practice,
Sunday yachting, Sunday political
meetings and Sunday railroad
pleasure travel Why should there
be any against Sunday sacred con
certs :