Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1899-09-09


trumpet. fashioned out of the horn 81 the
oN or the ram. Then there were the sis
trum and the cymhals. clappcd in the
dance ~ beaten Ia tho march. There
were 1000 Ievite>. the best men Of the
country. whose only business il was TO
look after the music Of The temple.
These 1000 I.evitcs were divided into
two classes and oiliciatcd on different
days. Can you imagine the harmony
when these white robbed lrvifea. before
the symbols 81 Gods presence and 10y
the smoking affairs and the candlesticks
that sprang upward and hranched ont
like trees If gold and under the wings
Of the chcruLm. chaTtcd the one Hun
dred and Thirty-Sixih I'salm of David?
DO you know how il was done! One
part II that great chcir stood MP and
chantcd. ''Oh. give thanks unto the
Lord for he is good" Then the other
part ~ the choir. standing in some other
part 81 the temple. would come in with
the response. For his mercy endureth
forever" Then the first part would
take mp the song again and say. Unto
him who only docih great wonders"
The other part Of the choir would come
In with overwhelming response. For
his mercy endureth forever. until in
the latter part Of the song. the music
floating backward and forward. har-
mony graphing with harmony. every
trumpet sounding every bosom heaving.
one part 81 this great white ROBBED choir
would lift the anthem, "Oh. give thanks
unto the God Of heaven and the other
part Of the I.evi;e choir would come in
with the response. For his mercy en-
durcth forever"
But | am glad TO know that an
through the ages there has been great
attention paid To sacred music Am
hrosius. Augustine Gregory the Great.
Charlcmagnc, gave il their mighty in
fluencc. and in our day the best musical
genius is throwing itself on the affairs Of
God Handel and Mozart and Bach
and Duranie and Wolf and scores Of
other men and women have given the
best part Of their genius To church mu-
sic \ truth in words is not half 81
mighty as a truth in song. I.uther's
sermons have been forgotten. hut the
Judgment Hymn he composed is re-
sounding yet all through Christendom.
Appropriate Caurrh Music.
congratulate the world aud the church
on the advancement made in this art
the Edinburgh societies for the improve
ment az music. the Swiss singing so
cicties. the Exeter hail concerts. the
iricnnial musical ,onvocaiion NJ Dussel-
,lorf. Germany. and birmingham. Eng
land. the controversies ~ music az
Munich and I.eipSic. the Handed and
Haydn and Harmonic AMI Mozart So
cieties Of this country. the academies ~
music in New York. brooklyn. BOSTON.
Charleston. New Orleans. Chicago and
every city which has any enterprise.
Now. my friends. how arr We ia decide
what is appropriate, especially for church
music: Their. mas be great many dif-
fercnccs Of opinion. In some Of the
churches they prefer n trained choir: in
others they prefer the mcludenn. the harp.
the curnci. the organ; in other places
they think these Things are the inven-
ton of the devil. Some would have a
musical instrument played 50 loud you
cannot stand il. and others would have
il played soft you cannot hear il. Some
think a musical instrument ought 10 be
played only ia the iniersticcs of worship.
AMI then with iudcScribaMe softncSs.
while others are not satisfied unless there
Ice startling contrasts aud staccato pas
sages that make the audience jump, with
great eyes and hair on end. aS from a
NlNlfn II Ahf NAt'n Va IsiAiRl- AfhtF NiA''
there may b. great varieties OF opinion
in regard TO music. il seems Ia me that
the general spirit of the word Of God
indicates what oucht 10 hc the great
characteristics Of church music.
And ! remark, in the first place.
prominent characteristic ought To he
adaptiveness To- devotion Music that
may be appropriate for concert hall,
or the opera house. or the drawing room,
may be inappropriate in church. Glees.
madrigalS. ballads. may he as innocent
as psalms in their places. But church
music has only one design. and that is
devotion. and that which comes with the
toss. the swing and the display Of nm
opera house Is hindrancc 10 the wor
ship. From such performances we 60
away saving: What splendid execution,
bid YOU ever hear such n sopranof
Which of those solos did YOU like the
better!' When. if we had been rightly
wrought upon. We would have gone away
saying: oh. how my soul was lifted mp
in the presence of God while they were
singing that first hymn ! never had
such rapiurnus views Of Jesus Christ rs
my Saviour rs when they were singing
that last doxology."
Music ns - Help to Devotion.
My friends there i an everlasting dis
tinction between music as an art and
music as help io devotion. Though a
Schumann composed it. though Mozart
played il. though Sontag sang il. away
with il il il docs not make the heart bet,
ter and honor Christ. Why should We
rob the programmes of worldly gaycty
when we have 81 many appropriate songs
and tunes composed in our own day. rs
we'll as that magnificent inheritance ~
church psalmody which has come down
fragrant with the deyotions Of other
gcncratiuns-tune no more worn ont
than they were when our great granGfa
theirs climbed NJ on them from the
church pew 10 glor9! Dear old souls.
how they used I" sing. When they were
cheerful. our grandfafhers and grand
mothers used to sing Colchester. When
they were very mcdiiative. then the
boarded meeting housc rang with South
Street and Isl Edmund's" We're they
struck through with great tenderness.
they sang Woodstock We're they
wrapped in visions of the glory 81 the
church. they sang Zion We're they
overborne with the hove and glory Of
Christ. they sang Ariel And In those
days there were certain tunes married 10
certain hymns. and they have lived in
peace y great while, these two old pco-
pie. aud we have no right to divorce
them What God hath joined together
l"t no man put asundcr." Born rs we
have been, amid this great wealth Of
church music. augmented 10y the compo-
sitions OF artists in our day. We ought
not to he tempted out of the sphere Of
Christian harmony and try To- seek IN
consecrai"d sounds II is absurd for
millionaire 10 steal
I remark also that correctness ought "a
~ Characteristic 81 church music.
While we all ought 10 take part in this
service. with perhaps few exceptions,
we ought Mt the same time t. cultivate
ourselves In this sacred art God loves
harmony. aud We ought 20 love H. There
Is No devotion In howl or yelp. In this
day. when there are 50 many opporfuni-
ties Of high culture IN this sacred art. I
declare that those parents are guilty ~
neglect who let their sons and daughters
grow MP knowing nothing about music.