The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-01-23

junction with other members, ana
so II draws Christians together. This
is especially true where the con-
gregations sing In 'rarts' so that
the total effect depends upon the
presence of certain voices. This so
clal aspect OF music is much EN-
phasized nawadays. End It may be a
view of some Importance.
Higher Purpose Achieved.
But 10 the individual there is
still higher purpose achieved by sing
ing in public worship. It formed the
medium ty which feelings may lie
more or less adequately expressed.
A good hymn or anthem gives ex-
preston to our most tender and
sacred emotions, for music has, In
itself without any words. the power
Il express emotions. The hymn afte
the sermon should be of this type,
IL should express the emotions
aroused by the sermon. and there
fore. ] think. should always be chosen
by the minister. or by the minister
and precentor jointly.
High as the last mentioned OBJ
ject OF singing Is. there Is fifth
purpose which may be higher still
and highest OF all. Music can arouse
the emotion In most remarkable
degree. degree not attained of any
other art. Thus hymns. like souls
of men why will they scatter.
etc arouse the emotions in n
definite way and to high de-
gree: such hymn as ] have
often felt, becomes preparer OF
way for a good sermon. DO not mis-
understand me in this speaking of the
emotional aspect of music. ] do not
consider. as one said, the mere
arousing of emotion to be worth
much in itself but when emotions
are aroused the heart Is much more
receptive. and do consider n
good emotional hymn to be the best
possible preparation for good ser
mon. In other words. consider
the chief Office of sacred song to be
to prepare the soil for the sowing
Of the gospel seed.
"lf then we grant that the express
sion OF feeling and the arousing of emo
ton are the two highest offices OF
music, the question ut once pre-
sents itself. which of the two
styles of church praise. choir or
congregational. Is better suited to
these purposes?'
'Of this. ] believe. there can be
! no possible doubt: the singing In
which n person can himself join has
far more deeply reaching effects than
that to which he simply listens. A
person can be stirred to greater
depths by singing a good hymn than
he can by listening to good solo.
In other words, the highest type
OF church praise is congregational,
not choir.
, "Mendelssohn saw this and there
, fore in great dramatic scenes, like
the Baal scene in Elijah after ex
hausting all the resources OF solo sing
ing in Lord God of Abraham and
chorus singing In 'Baal, We Cry to
Thee he reaches TO a greater depth
still in the choral Cast Thy Burden
Upon the Lord in which he intend
ed the audience TO join.
Should Have Congregational Singing
Il shall never forget the effect OF
this once at one of cur singing
festivals in the pavilion in Carnar
Z II hfrE han hot h,. I'll. rnr,
praise we should certainly mean
congregational singing and not choir
singing: or, TO use trite reference
Let the People Praise Thee. o God
Let All the People Praise Thee.
Luther saw all this distinctly, saw
the value of the emotional side OF
music: saw that harmony added new
and valuable effects to melody; saw
that the people must not merely
listen. but must themselves sing: saw
that the hymns must be suited to
the modes of thought and life current
among the people He wrote 81 would
have them according to the capacity Of
the common people. quite simple and
vulgar. and yet come out in cleai
and telling way"
ALLOW me to make one refer
ence which may seem to some of yol
out of place. that Wales in my esti
maticn, has the most ideal congre
gational singing. She Is equipped witt
! good voices. strong free-church prin
ciples. ability to sing in harmony. ant
so forth. And yet the congregations
singing there is not always good; ans
: strange to say. the best singing |.
not always met with In the churche.
J whose members are the most musical
Why Is this? II may be because tn,
necessary conditions of good churcl
! praise are not we'll recognized. o.
, because methods are out of date.
"Ore OF our national leaders, no
. long ago gave the following as th,
, conditions OF good modern con;re
gational singing: A congregation
interested in the singing. which con
. tains. good number Of tehors an,
| bases, who can read an ordinar,
, psalm tune at sight. A good hymn
book containing hymns of val
: ious meters and of high intellectual
and emotional order. Tune books Il
the hands Of ,npst of tho con1rouo