Omaha daily bee., 1902-03-30
Musical
sprinEtidel Eastertide!

Springtide! Eastertide!
To many people in the world this morn
ing's dawn was the dawn Of hope, OF faith,
Of Joy. TIC others 1t was the Official entry
Of the spring season.
To some It meant the Strengthening Of
Easter hope In a glorious immortality, to
others the wearing OF a spring suit or bon
net.
To some 1t suggests the thought Of soul
training for life on a higher plane, to 9TH
ers 1t suggests merely a spring house
cleaning.
Some people will be lifted to the highest
realms Of soul existence possible with our
present earthly limitations, by the singing
of the triumphant strains Of Easter music,
the Catholics with their Gloria" and their
Regina Coeli;" and the Protestants with
their "Hallelujah," while others will be
satisfied with Mendelssohn's Spring Song"
To hosts Of people the church bells will
peal forth a message of rhythmic hope, for
hope must be full of rhythm, and rhythm
Is Gods first law.
Yes! the bells ring in rhythm, the heart
beats In rhythm, and when the rhythm is
interrupted life-animal life becomes ex-
tinct. So when the Soul is out Of rhythm
WlLn tue eternal SOUL, WutTS ID SOUL ill6 Z
Does it not stagnate or cease?
We have perceived the law Of rhythm,
but 1t has existed since creation. when
chaos was made rhythmic by the Spirit of
God moving upon the face Of the waters"
So our hearts beat high with the eternal
rhythm today and we sing because we be-
leve that those who have entered into the
fuller life are not lost, but simply gone a
few short hours before.
We sing because Of what we have ex-
perienced of the psychic possibilities, and
we know whereof we sing. Others may say
to US: Wherefore sing? There is nc
music after this life" But we who sing
know. We can bear witness to a truth
which anyone can demonstrate, but which
cannot be argued about.
Let US sing therefore a new song. A sons
of belief in our higher selves, a song OF our
rhythmic attunement to the eternal har-
monies, and be a song of thanksgiving fol-
those intuitions which suggest omniscience
those love impulses towar our fellowmer
which suggest eternal love, and those soul.
forces which today we are just beginning
to perceive and make use OF and which sug-
gest omnipotence.
Let US sing a song OF Joy because we are
proving our divine inheritance and kinship
n what have the greatest musicians II
offer as their tribute to the Easter thought
Let US consider for a moment.
Let US eliminate from musical compost.
ton all works pertaining to the Christ, who
as Jesus the man, taught the plain, prac'
tical lessons OF life, and whose resurTec'
tion we today celebrate.
Let us take from the list Of composer!
those who received inspiration from thu
Christ-theme
We will not go further back than johann
Sebastian Bach (period 16S5-1750), but W.
must first drop him, because OF his Christ
mas Oratorio' and his est. Matthew Pas
SION music.
Beethoven must go on account OF hi
Mount Of olives"
Handel must be eliminated because Of hi
immortal oratorio 1.-The Messiah"
Haydn, on account OF his "stabat Mater.
his masses and Seven Last Words"
Mozart, on account of his masses.
Rossini because Of his incomparabl,
"Stabat Mater"
Schubert on account Of his masses an
schumann because of ais advent Hymn.
Mendelssohn must be omitted because o
his beautiful "Christus."
akuCl NC NOAA AANhACooAy hOWh "
account of his "Lohengrin" with the Hol.
Grail mOtif). his "Parsifal' and his Love
feast music.
Sc OF course must Gounod with hi
masses. his Redemption" "Mors ct Vita,
"Gallia," etc.
Spohr must go because OF his Calvary,
IL nothing else.
Verdi because OF his famous Requiem
and "Stabat Mater"
List because OF his "Christus'' and "Hol
Elizabeth"
saint-Saens because OF his Christina
Oratorto."
Brahms, whose German Requiem frs
made him famous.
Massenet because Of his MARY Mag
dalen."
And so on up TO the immediate present.
May this Easter be an inspiration to othe
musicians. and may buried hopes be resur