Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-09-13

tiEe, Gregory the Great, Cnariemagne gave
It their mighty influence, and in our day
the best musical genius Is throwing itself
on the affairs Of Godi Handel and Mozart
scores Of other men and women have given
the best part of their genius to church
music. A truth in words fs net half so
mighty as truth In song. Luther's ser
mons have been forgotten, but the "Ju ic-
ment Hymn" he composed is resoundlng
vet through all Christendom.
congratulate the world and the church
on the advancement made In this art-the
Edinburgh societies for the Improvement
Of music, the Swiss singing societies, the
Exeter hall concerts, the trIennial musical
convocation at Dusseldorf. Germany, and
Birmingham, England, the conservntories
of music at Munich and Leipsic, the
Handel and Haydn and Harmonic and
Mozart societies OF this country, the
academies OF music In New York. Brooklyn,
and every CITY which has any enterprise.
Now, my friends, how are We to decide
what is appropriate. especially for church
Ilusics TEa:e mly be a great many differ
ences OF opinion. In some OF the churches
they prefer n trained choir; in others, the
old style precehtor. In some places they
prefer the msiodeon, the harp, the cornet,
the organ. In other places they think these
things are the invention Of the devil. Some
would have musical instrument played
so loud you cannot stand 1t, and others
wonld have it played so soft you cannot
hear II. Some think musical instrument
ght to be played only in the interstices
OF worship and then with Understandable
softness, while others are not satisfied un-
less there be startling contrasts and STAG
cato passages that make the audience jump,
with great eyes and hair on end, as from q
vision of the witch OF Endor. But. while
there may be great varieties of opinion in
ri m fn that fha
general spirit Of the Word OF God indicates
what ought to be the great characteristics
pf church music.
And L remark, In the frs. place, a
prominent characteristic ought to be
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, madrlgals,
ballads may be as innocent as psalms in
their places. But church music has only
| one design. and tina, Is devotion, and that
which comes with the toss, the swing and
| the display OF an opera house Is him
dranceto the worship. From such per-
formances We go away saying. "What
( splen1 1ii executioni Did you ever hear
such soprano? Which OF those solos did
you like the better2" When. II We had
| been rightly wrought upon, We would have
gone away saying: "Oh, how my soul was
lifted up in the presence of God while they
| were singing that first hymni l never ad
| such rapturous views OF Jesus Christ rs
my Saviour as when they we're singing
that last doxologv."
remark also that correctness ought to
| be a characteristic OF church music. While
| we all ought T. take part in this service
| with perhaps n few exceptions, we ought
| Mt tho same time to cultivate ourselves fT
this sacred art. God loves harmony, ant
we ought to love it. There is no devotion
in n howl or yslp. In this day, whel
there are SO many opportunities Of higi
culture in this art, declare that thos'
parents are guilty OF neglect who let thei
sons AMI daughters grow up knowing
nothing about music. In some OF the Eu
ropean cathedrals the choir assembf,
every morning and afternoon of every da,
the whole year to perfect themselves Il
this art, and shall we begrudge the hal
hour we spend Friday nights In the re
hearsal OF sacred song for the Sabbath?
Another characteristic must be spirit
and lie. Music ought to rush from th'
audience like the water from q rock-clear
bright, sparkling. II all tie other part o
the church service Is duh. do not have ths
music dull. With ss many thrilling thing
= - - -.--ss-" sh.all draNiinR q: