The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1906-01-31
CONGREGATIONAL SINGING.


Two communications have appeared recently in the
central upon the subject of congregational singing
accompanied by suggestions as to how to promote
more general singing by the congregations.
The writer as Il youth sang bass in the choir in
the church of DR.. Foote in Romney. The church was
not possessed of an organ The choir instead OF
being seated in the gallery, sat in the middle block
of pews, about halfway between the front door and
the pulpit. The doctor usually lined the hymns
giving out two lines at time Hymn books were
literally distributed among the congregation, and
everybody rule joined in the worship of singing
The negroes in the gallery joined in with a vim that
Is peculiar them.
The whole congregation seemed to be familiar with
the tunes in those days, and sometimes there would
90 up volume of song that would seem almost TO
lift the roof from the old church. There was not
much OF the scientific in congregational singing in
those days. 1t did not appeal to the intellect but
IT stirred the emotions. If any musical dude had
been called upon to raise the in singing when
can read my title clear mansions in the skies
or 10 ON a narrow neck of land 'twiXt two I'M
bounded seas | stand had started with some new
tangled tune about as musical Yankee Doodle
some old lady feeling outraged such sacriege like
Jenny Geddis OF old would have felt tempted to fling
her hymn book at him.
The writer's memory carries him still farther back
to the times when he a small boy when the SING
ing was led by his grandfather, white -headed and
highlX-esteemed elder, who blessed with a voice
that penetrated every nook and corner of that old
''"i'i ]NhoIhel e1ually respected ana blessed
white-headed elder led the bass. Every one Joined
in the singing; there a worship in song that
filled the hearts of all with gladness.
We have no such singing nowadays The new
hymn-book Is full of hymns you never saw before;
sung to tunes you never heard before and even the
old hymns familiar to you from childhood sang to
old tunes that have become sacred to YOU because YOU
have so often heard them sung by those nearest and
dearest to YOU have been set to some new tunes
When the choir starts with the old hymns and the
new tune they have all the singing to themselves:
they become proxies to worship song; the CON
gregaton sit with unmoved lips with their hymn
books before their faces. Congregational singing
may be said to be practically at end. The con
gregaton sing little that they have lost the habit
of Joining in this part of the Worship and so will
never learn to sing the tunes that now crowd the
present hymn book. 1t is unfortunate it seems to
me, that the new hymn-book was ever adopted The
inevitable effect of it must be to Danish in short
time congregational singing. The congregation is
expected, required and invited to praise God by on-
ing In songs of praise; yet generally one-half the
tunes now sung are entirely unknown to them.
1t reminds of the fable of the Fox and the
Stork. The Fox invited the Stork to dine with him
When both sat down to the dinner. the Stork dis
covered that the sole provision for the dinner was
soup in very shallow pan. The Stork in vain en-.
deavored to bury his bill in the soup The Fox readi-
~ Tapped up all, and the poor Stork though hungry
to Join in with the Fox, went home dinnerless
STORK.
Charlestown W. Va, Jan. D. 1906