Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1907-10-17
ANNALS OF OUR VILLAGE CHoRS.
BY ST. JOHN BYER.

6f 64s JOhp o1Hh'
The emotional elements that give
novels their interest are always pre-
dominant in choristers-so perchance
these annals and anecdotes may not
be unlnteresting.
Far back in Him distance-seem-
ingly more ancient than Moses and
the Flood, tradition tells that in this
old town the Lutheran Church gath
cred the largest body of singers, like
ly because the Germans were more ad.
dicted to music than their English
and Scotch neighbors. Moreover, this
choir was assisted by instrumental ad-
iuncts-the Master.armorer Sheetz led
the soprano with his clarionet, Wood
carver Humrickhouse futed the tenor,
while village Schoolmaster Byers
pedalled the bass on his violincello,
the alto being left to 20 on its course
unmolested. They were led by Direc'
tor Thompson Johnson, a good-natur.
ed, pious leader, whose command,
"Take the sound" when keynote was
piped from the clarionet, was an or
der that the choristers should pull a
"hum" through their windpipes to
tune them to proper pitch, though it
sounded much like an admonition to
"take your medicine"
His directions and criticism of their
technique were Of a mild, gentle
STYLE. For instance, "LawO.a.massy !
That's no way to sing" For many
years he was the master spirit and ex-
ponent of choir singing. Good uncle
Thompson-if the other world be on
the Swedenborg projection he is now
polishing up the walls Of the New
Jerusalem and perchance adding his
barytope voice to the oherubic psal-
mody.
After him came the invasion of the
Yankee singing-schule masters, with
their blackboard exercises in the syl.
Liable scales. Signor Gills, the second
Of. these mercenary music marauders, q
thin-blooded, pale-faced consumptive,
with a piping tenor voice, for time
assumed the Leadership of this largest
choir, then reinforced and enlarged
from his night class. who paid him
half-a' dollar term per capita. for
leading them up and down the do.re.
mi diatonics. He was strong and
precise in his rhythms, and, as jok-
er remarked, in beating time his thin,
sharpened hand sawed the air pow
erfully." So when they would all
start out very emphatically in that
old popular hymn, "Saw-ye my Saw
ior," the meaning of the word "saw"
was somewhat confusing to an infant
mind. He succeeded in Saving off,
the instrumental accompaniment, who
disappeared like unappfeciated and
unpaid pipers. 1t is to be doubted
whether the substitution of the New
England new-made hymn-tunes for
the. German chorals was step in
progress; but perchance the early
colonists had not brought with them
the classic chants and fine intonations
of the old Dresden missals which are
now used in the Lutheran choirs, so
that this service, if the choir and cap
pslmsister be not handicapped by re-
strictions and ignorant criticism, it can
be made as grand, religious and soul
lifting as the Roman Ritual.
On the other side Of the street the
German Reformed exponents Of CAL
vinism avoided the separate choir, be.
ing desirous of cultivating congrega-
tional psalmody, where the joining in
Of the laity would not be looked upon
as an impertinence by the musical
choir aristocr,cy. So the tunes must
be raised by some subaltern whose
voice entitled him to give the first
pull, his lead-of to be joined in by
the brethren, according to their wind
and discretion. For many years this
prominence was accorded to Mr.. David
Hensel, he having a beautiful lyric
tenor voice, which sounded quite as
well when not reinforced. His voice
came forth without any effort, unsc-
oompanied by any oorporeal motions
for emphaais-an auditor sitting be.
hind him would not have surmised
that the strain was proceeding from
him. he was az correct and imper-
turbsble as barrel organ-when he
sat up and started on his tune, it was
bound to go through, maugre any dis
cordsnt in joining. Some of the
brethren, as, for instance, good old
Mr.. Joseph Welshans, essaYed bass