The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-02-14

Now why. In such different quarters.
do we And such violent and vlrulent
antagonism to church muslcf Let us
first answer that question. and then
see what 1t was that softened that
antagonism. The reason why music
was condemned was because it had
become a traitor in the camp. During
the Middle Ages the trouhadours had
invented many beautiful melodies.
some of them soft ana pathetic some
warllkp and some gay. This Kind of
music has developed along with the
sacred. and the church composers and
precentors have adopted the secular
fumes and incorporated them into the
masses SO that the people even sang
the profane words instead of those OF
the Latin liturgy. IL is as IL to-day
we should have the airs of "Annie
Laurie" or "Way Down on the Suwa-
nee River used as q theme for the
communion Office or played on the
organ at the time Of partuking OF the
Bread ana Wine OF the BoGy ard Blood
Of our Lord This abuse Of music be-
came a scandal In the chancel. Appar-
emily choirS and organists had not
learned that obedience 10 the clergy
while on trust has now been acquired
and the only way which seemed pos
sible TO stop the profanity was TO ST.
lence the voice OF organ and choir
alike. You may rest assured that while
there is some obscurity as TO the real
state Of affairs, yet the desecration
must have been very great when Scotch
Puritans and Roman preates united
in their condemnation of the art.
What saved II, then? In the Prot
estant world it was Luther. His love
OF music was intense. He used TO play
on the flute. and said that the devil
fed from its sound when he played.
lie wrote some Of the stateliest and
nohlest Of the German hymns. And
if he did not compose the music as
well. he certainly superintended its
composition This best of hymn music
is really founded on the old method
Of plain song which Gregory the Great
advocated
In these revelations which are going
on all the time now in the social the
financial and political world. we find
that the standard of ethics Is practically
that of men who have no faith in the
hearing and seeing God. 1t is the
morality for the world. Sin is not sin
unless It is found out. Provided the
scandal is kept out of sight it is OF no
consequence. Large sums will be paid
to the most disreputabe papers under
the guise of subscriptions. to keep
names out Of the scurrlous sheets. Ac-
counts are tampered with and entries
changed or omitted. so that no one may
learn the facts. And all is done be-
cause in the eyes of such men the only
shame is the shame of the police courts
and the cropped hair and striped gar
ments of the prisons. But if the rapid
machinery of modern life would stop
long enough for men to think, maybe
they would hear the psalmist's ques-
ton ringing in their ears. HE that
planted the ear, shall He not hear? He
that made the eye. shall He not see:"
Morality and music are thus seen to
have the same ideal. And the church
which will teach the truth of Christ in
this world of sin, will have her organs |
tuned with the heavenly. and her /.
music will not be made to please the |
ear of man. but to delight the ear Of /
God. No more sublime language eX- |
lists than the passage in the communion |
office, Therefore, with angels and .
and with all the company .
Of heaven we laud and magnify Thy |
glorious name" The church that /
speaks these words is speaking only |
unto God, and the music which must .
accord with such thought and Ian !
guage must be the music of mind |
and heart which belong unto the Lord |
God Almighty.