Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-09-08

But church music has only one ueSiSh'
and that is devotion. aud that which
comes with the toss. the swing ana the
display OF an opera house is hin
drance to the worship. From such per-
formances we go away saying: what
splendid execution. Did you ever hear
such a soprano? Which Of those solos
did you like the betterY When, II we
had been rightly wrought upon. we
would have gone away saying: ION,
how my soul was lifted up in the pres
ence Of God while they were singing
that first hymn | never had such
rapturous views Of Jesus Christ as my
Saviour as when they were singing
that last doxology."
Ny friends, there Is an everlasting
between music as an art
and music as a help to devotion.
a Schumann composed 1t.
though a Mozart played 1t, though a
Sontag sang V, away with II II 1t does
not make th4 heart better and honor
Christ.
Why should we rob the programmes
of worldly gayety when when we have
so many appropriate songs and tunes
composed in our own day, as well as
that magnificent Inheritance OF church
psalmody which has come down fra
grant with the deyotions Of other gem
eratiOns-tunes no more worn out than
they were when our great-grandfathers
up on them from the church
pew to glory? Dear old souls, how
they used to sing. When they were
cheerful, our grandfathers and grand
mothers used to sing Colchester"
When they were very medltatiye, then
the boarded meeting house rang
with South Street" and "St. Ed
munds." Were they struck through
with great tenderness, they sang
Woodstock" Were they wrapped
in visions of the glory Of the
church, they sang Zion" Were
they overborne with the love and glory
of Christ, they sang Ariel" And In
those days there were certain tunes
married to certain hymns. and they
have lived in peace great while. these
two old people. aud we have no right
to divorce them. What God hath
ioined together let no man put asun-
der" Born as we have been amid this
great wealth OF church music, aug
mented by the compositions Of artists
in our day, we ought not to be tempted
out Of the sphere OF Christian harmony
and try to seek unconsecrated sounds.
1t is absurd for n millionaire TO steal
God Loves Harmony.
I remark also that correctness ought
10 be characteristic Of church music.
While we all ought to take part In this
service, with perhaps a few excep-
tions. We ought at the same time to
cultivate ourselves in this sacred art.
God loves harmony, and we ought TO
love il. There is no devotion in a howl
or a yelp. |, this day. when there are
so many opportunities Of high culture
in this sacred art, | declare that those
parents are guilty of neglect who let
their sons and daughters grow up
knowing nothing about music. In
some Of the European cathedrals the
choir assemble every morning and
afternoon of every day the whole year
to perfect themselves in this art, and
shall we begrudge the half hour we
spend Friday nights in the rehearsal
of sacred song for the SabbathT
Another characteristic must be spirit
and life. Music ought to rush from the
audience like the water from a rock
clear. bright, sparkling. If all the 9TH
or part OF the church service Is dull,
do not have the music dull. With so
many thrilling things TO sing about,
away with all drawing and stupidity.
There is nothing that makes me SO
nervous as to sit in pulpit and look
off on an audience with their eyes
three-fourths closed and their lips
almost shut, mumbling the praises
of God. During one of my journeys
I preached to an audience of 1000
or 5000 people, and all the music
they made together did not equal one
skylark. People do not sleep at
coronation: do not let us sleep when
we come to SayiOur's crowning.
In order to a proper discharge OF this
duty, let us stand up, save as age or
weakness or fatigue excuse us. Seated
in an easy pew we cannot do this duty
half so well as when upright we throw
our whole body into 1t. Let our song De
like an acclamation Of victory. You
have a right to sing; do not surrender
vour prerogative. If in the performance
of your duty, or the attempt at 1t, you
should lose your place In the muslcai
scale and be one C below when you
ought to be one C above, or you should
come In half a bar behind. we Will ex'
cuse youl Stlll, 1t is better to DO as
Paul saws. and sing with the spirit
and the understanding also"
CONGREGATIONAL Music.
Again. | remark church music must
be congregational. This opportunity
must be brought down within the
range Of the whole audience. A song
that the worshipers cannot sing Is OF
no more use 10 them than a sermon
In Choctaw. What an easy kind OF
church it must be where the minister
does all the preaching, and the elders
all the praying, and the choir all the
sinclngl There are but very Few
churches where there are "two nun
dred and forty and five singing uen
and singing women" -,
In some churches 1t is almost cohsiu'
erred a disturbance II a man let out MS
voice to full compass, and the people
get ND on tiptoe and look over De
tween the spring hats and wonder
what that man is making all that noise
about In Syracuse in Presbyterian
church there was one member VIC
came TO me when ! was the pastor ol
another church In that city AMI toiu
me his trouble-how that as he per
sisted in singing on the Sabbath day
committee, made up Of the session
and the choir, had come TO ask hlm u
he would not just please to keep st'ii
You have no right to sing. Jonathan
s..I n a