St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1895-10-25

in those days when vocal music was
almost the only accomplishment peo'
pie knew, he led large choir of sing
ors on the Sabbath.
In 1906 he gathered the best OF his
musical productions into this vol
ume, which is certainly very inter
esting IN many ways. 1t contains
twelve pages OF instructions, and one
hundred and forty tunes and set
pieces, most OF them composed by
himself. Some of them are set to
familiar hymns, and others to words
Of his own. Elder John Colby, whose
name was once a household word III
this part Of the country, is said to
have written many of these hymns.
do not propose TO anaIyze this
volume, because music is only d mem
DRY of many years with me, and
those whom | heard sing these old
tunes SO well are long dead.
have the opinion of one of the
best known musicians in this state,
that "these musical compositions
show a decided taste for harmo ny,
and most ofthe melodies are thought
full and reverent. For his time, he
was vastly above the ordinary com.
poser"
Later musicians have adapted his
tunes to their own uses, and many
familiar strains might be traced
back to the "Christian Harmony"
a volume now extremely rare.
Only about twenty Of these tunes
are written in four parts-bass,
treble, counter and tenor, the Others
are written without the counter.
This was a part which correspondent
to the alto of the present day, except
that it was written an octave above
the present use, and was sung as
high as it was written.
1t used to be said that only few
voices could sing counter, and that
does not seem strange as some Of
the notes run up as high as the high {.
Few living people, | am told, know
how to sing it. Mrs. Stowe in "O,d
Town Folks" saws that ANY one at
tempting to sing counter nowadays
in church, would shortly be led out
OF tie house as a demented person"
OF all these tunes about dozen
continue in one shape or another to
find a place in modern collections.
The best of all is "Northheld," which
is immortal. 1t is one of the few
fugue tunes which our grandtathers
loved so well, that survives. 1t has
found its way into every part OF the
country, and into foreign lands, and
is still a great tavorite in the south
and west, where the stately march
of its solemn music is very effective,
when sung by great assemblies in the
open air,
New Jerusalem" is usually sung
at old folks concerts, but is not
equal to "North6eld" OF whose max
ing there is pleasing tradition.
Many of these pieces are only
quaint and curious, but some are
singularly sweet and plaintive.
OF only one other wish to speak
as it has an hist orical value. 1t is
the ELECTION Ode" and ELECTION
Hymn" which was written when the
General Assembly met for the last
time in Newbury in 1901.
The election sermon was preached
in the old meeting house by Rev.
Nathaniel Lambert and Mr.. Ingalls,
drilled tor several weeks a large choir
who sang this ode.
He composed the music, but the
author of the ode | do not know. |
have a letter in beautiful penman-
ship, written by Barnes Buckminster
o. Peacham to Col. Thomas Johnson
OF Newbury, with which he encloses
some verses to be submitted to the
committee appointed to select AT
ode for that occasion, and mentions
several we'll known gentlemen who
were also to compete.
This meeting of the legislature al
Newbury is also interesting histori
cally, as at that time church bel
which had been ordered severa
months before, was placed in tn,
steeple of the meeting house at New
bury. This was, probably, the frs
church bell in this part of New
England, north OF Dartmouth col
lege, and it must have been a grea
day for the people when
"The sound of the church going bell"