Year: 1873

The Service OF Song.


BY REV. II. @. FARRAR.


Very much of the sacred song in our
Sabbath services is anything but inspir-
ing. Measure it by an artistic standard.
and it falls far below mediocrity. Con-
sidered as an aid to worship, it is almost
worthless. The question has been asked
epeatedly-what shall we do with our
singing How shall we render it ser
vicable toour spiritual interests How
by it shall all the people praise God?


These are vital questions in the inter
ests of our Sabbath services. They are
worthy of being put and answered. To
answer them satisfactorily is not so easy,
from the fact that there are so many
crude and vague notions as to what con-
stitutes the real service of song. The
music of the sanctuary is not merely to
please-it is not primarily designed to
excite the Imagination. The character
istic service of music in the sanctuary
is to praise God by the expression of
the religious feeling. 1t is not so much
music as it is praise not so much art as
heart not so much artistic perform
ance Of the quartette as the hearty
praise to God, coming from the whole
congregation. The Psalmist said, Let
all the people praise thee, o God Here
IS Just the full thought of the true ser
vice of sacred song. 1t is not to grant
an opportunity to a few to show their
skill in operate rawlings, but that all may
start intelligently and heartily. 1t is
not matter of wonder then that in ey-
cry aim to revive the true spirit of praise
in our churches, there has been an effort
to put it on its true basis, viz,:-the
whole congregation. But it is no easy
thing to have good congregational sing
ing. Yet the difficulty may be overcome.
The conditions of success are within the
reach of nearly every congregation. LIST.
A strong desire to have such singing.
Confessedly this goes a great ways. Cd.
A leader who is in full sympathy with
congregational singing, and will in all
proper ways work for it. Such leaders,
confess, are rare, and yet there are
such Sd. The leader, with a good or
Gan and several strong independent
voices, should stand in front of the cou-
gregation. with the choir in the rear-it
is almost impossible to have good con-
gregational singing. 4th. Suitable
hymns, tune books for the people The
people must have books, and the books
must have the tunes and the tunes for
the largest part must be the old tried
and true tunes that have come down to
us from the masters Of song 5th. X
hearty eXhortatiOn from the pastor for
all, old and young, to join in the ser
vice of praise as their lawful part. 9th.
Weekly or fortnightly meeting for the
purpose Of practicing over the tunes to-
gether, and drilling somewhat, as Is nee
essary in the elements. Get out out to
these meetings as many as possible of
the older people. The pastor and leader
should prepare themselves to make them
occasions of interest-m8ke them praise
| meetings.


There are few necessary rules un-
deriving true success in the service of
song in our sanctoriums. They are sim
pie and can be made effective if there be
a VIII. | know it is the cry Of every
pastor and indeed of the churches, 80
for a revival of the revival of the true
spirit of praise.


Hearty and spirited singing gives to
every part of the Sabbath service. 1t
belongs to the people and the people
want it. 1t is the only part they take
an active interest in, in most of our
churches. Why not give it to them, and
| help them work it up to the state of
commanding excellence. 1t takes time.
So it does to have a good choir. So ii
does to have anything good and grand.
Why is it in our Sabbath schools, we
have such inspiring songs, and as soon
as we come into the sanctuary, those me-
lOdious voices of the children are as mute
as death, as if it were a sin to sing?
Why is it we have such sOul-inspiring
songs in our prayer meetings and none
ia our public congregations Because
the tunes of the Sabbath service are not
such as the people kn07o or Ike. And
most choirs are bound that the cOngre-
cations shall not sing with them. They
mOnopOliZe the service of song. They
select new music and nine-tenths of it
is unfit to be the vehicle.Of those grand
hymns the people love. The peopleshave
to listen to what? Very many chOirs
have the wonderful faculty of render
ing the words they sing about as intelli-
gible as ChoCtaw.


The following is clipped from the
C0ngregdtj0nahSt, the editor of which, a
few Sabbaths ago, had the exquisite
pleasure of hearing quartette choir rem
der an impressive piece about after this
order:


SOLO :-'Hyah thar fayar fra M'siah,
Aw blow Ow aw miah iniqui yah.
CHORUs:-Cah me nav waya,"


The picture is not oyerdrawn, as many
of your readers can testify. What is
the remedy for such sacriligeP Have
plenty of tune hymn books, and have
| congregational singing, led by good


choir. Let US have less music, if it


must be so, and more praise. Rather
! combine the two by hard work and
| painstaking, for what is worth doing is


worth doing We'll And certainly the
| singing in our churches is worth doing


well, if anything is. If the people in
sist that the minister shall have an excel
/ lent discourse, let the minister insist that


the people shall render hearty and excel
| lent praise to God.


We rejoice in every attempt to i'm


prove the singing.


| Governor Dix.