Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-02-22
Observation-Disclosures.
LOCKER ON in IOWA.
esoOsDssD0sssDsYesS00ss:
For the Times Republican.

RriStoW, Feb 21.-The writer ma:
been in church again. This time i
was in big church (not here). where
! 500 to 1000 people gather every sun
cay morning and hear good. sensible
preaching year in and year out. Thi:
| preacher needs attention in this col
unn only occasionally Things are Very
much to the LOCKER On's satisfaction
in this church, or rather have been
Lately, that is, since the writer's las
visit to the town, they have reorgan.
lied the choir. Now they have pro
| fcssional organist to play the big or
gan. Now they have big choir and {
! leader, also a professional, who stands
| before the choir during the singing ant
| leads them with his little baton. Ane
| 4 must be confessed that in the render
ing of the anthem music there has beer
| :; big Improvement over former meth
eds. Now the choir does not go tc
sleep. When he shakes that little stick
at the basso they proceed to praise the
Lord--on time. The tenors even, II
there is only one of them, if that wood
en- emblem of authority points his way
| Immediately gets on his high horse
(speaking musically) and does not dis
mount till the baton DROPS. And the
alto and contralto voices now keep vi
with the procession. 1t goes without
saying that the sopronos always lead
and it's only when q solo is on the pro-
gram that the leader and his club give
them much attention. This leader
business is all right, that is, when you
get used TO 1t. There is no disputing In
the oratorio style of music, even in a
regular church service. this leader and
this baton are very effective.
All this can be admitted, and yet
when 1t comes to the hymns, especially
many of the old familiar hymns. the
old fogies (the writer among them) OBJ
ject. Some of US. when it comes to
hymns, indulge in little singing our
selves. In fact on this referred to last
Sunday the preacher looked right over
towards the writer and asked him to
assist in the singing! OF course it hurt
our feelings to be told we never had
seemed to learn that hymn, just as tho
in that audience there were not 500
people who could read the music as
we'll as the words of the hymn. Right
in front of the writer sat an old gray
haired ex-choir singer. I'VE" started
in to sing. And then the trouble COM
menced. Before I'VE" were half thru
that first line the leader. the baton and
the choir had finished It, There was a
great big half-note at the end of IL
I'VE" like to hang on to. 1t tastes good.
But the baton would not have 1T that
way, so I'VE" determined to reform and
sing like that reorganized choir And
It's a fact that Eve" We're only two
words and a half behind when the four
lines We're finished. But we counted on
an interlude to catch up. To our Won
derment there wasn't any interlude
The organ bit off the last notes of the
last line of the first verse, the baton
pointed savagely at the tenors, and off
went the choir at three minute gait
on the second verse We" the con-
gregation that was invited to assist
in the singing of the hymns, managed
the finish were only one word behind
Gaining some, you see. Now for a rest
an interlude No, sir! The preacher
needs all of the time. Away went the
choir again, the organ leading, the ba-
ton waving, all hands not having a sec
ond to spare. Excitement reached the
audience, and we turned off that last
verse in PIP as. or course the choir
and audience We're a little out of
breath, but the thirty minute sermon
that followed gave us plenty OF time to
catch 1t.
And strange to relate. some of thosr
old fogies In that church object to the
n-gentle style of singing How Gentle
Gods Commands" That baton is all
right to Awake. My Soul" and hurry
Coward. Christian Soldier" But
when the hymn invites Come, Ye Dis
"where'er we anguish" If we're told
There's stranger at the door," before
he can get In the boy behind the cur
tain blowing that big organ thinks a
special request has been made for The
Watch on the Rhine Exquisite
sweetness sits enthroned" only very
short time after that baton begins to
vibrate.
Seriously, many Of the older and
some of the younger members of that
church are not enjoying the singing
part of that service. They do enjoy the
splendid rendition of some of these an
thems. For years, in fact ever since the
big organ was placed in the church.
they've not had any better or more en-
icHable music from that instrument
But don't take away our style of
hymn singing. Suppose we did drag
little on Sun of My Soul?" and when
Softly Now the Light of Day let us
sing 1t "our" way. Somehow we like
10 praise God from whom all blessings
flow in ''our" way. We like to sing
4 , Vsllg w 81 ! VA