4. Children should be early taught to sing. Early cultivation, when rightly directed, is uniformly attended with success. The measure of this success will not always be equal; but in those districts of country on either side the Atlantic, where juvenile instruction prevails, the imaginary distinction of natural and unnatural voices is never thought of. All are found to make progress in the art; and to receive impressions which will be lasting as life. And when we recollect that voices which have been neglected in childhood and youth, are afterwards prone through the increasing difficulties of cultivation, to be neglected in riper years, we see at once the importance of commencing at the right period. In places where vocal music is made one of the regular branches of primary education, the children become fond of the exercises, and make rapid attainments in the art. Music is found to have an important influence upon their temper and conduct and physical health. It furnishes also an interesting method of impressing moral and religious truth upon the understanding and the heart. Testimony to this effect is abundant and unequivocal. Much good, therefore, can be effected in the way of juvenile cultivation. Children can be taught in public schools, in private classes, at the Sabbath school, or at the domestic fireside.* Why should not this species of instruction form one of the regular branches of a Christian education? If the matter were so understood, the happiest results would follow. An * The earliest access which the teacher usually gains to his pupils, is at the infant school, where the process is chiefly that of imitation. In primary schools and juvenile classes, the rudiments of notation form a prominent object of attention; while the drilling exercises are occasionally relieved by the performance of songs sacred or secular, as solos, duos, choruses, &c., adapted to the juvenile taste, which the pupils are allowed to sing from memory. Lessons for the exercises should be so simple as to be adapted to the weakest capacity, and so numerous and so progressive, as to lead onward by easy steps to the higher walks in execution. Meanwhile the claims of style, as well as the affections of the heart, should not be disregarded; as early impressions, whether right or wrong, will be liable to have an abiding influence. In this last respect our existing manuals of instruction are doubtless susceptible of improvement. entire generation might thus be raised up to unite in celebrating the praises of God, without a discordant voice. Our country is just beginning, in a few limited sections, to reap the advantages of such an enterprise; and the efforts which have thus been made are worthy of all commendation. But in most sections the case is far otherwise. In many Christian families, where there is an abundance of secular cultivation, the songs of Zion are either unknown, or known only as the sources of tasteful amusement. What an inconsistency! What would have been thought of such management in the days of the patriarchs and prophets, and apostles, and martyrs, and reformers! 5. A school of a peculiar character is needed for the cultivation of church music;-one which shall not pursue the less important properties of style, to the neglect of such as are essential to the interests of devotion;-one which shall thoroughly develop the powers of vocal enunciation, in connection with pious sentiments and motives. Mere secular cultivation has its uses. It can do much towards disciplining the vocal powers. When well conducted, it can promote skill and susceptibility almost to any extent. It can in these respects go far beyond what is ordinarily attained in our schools of church music. But there is one thing all essential to the interests we are advocating, which it never cherishes. It never cherishes a devotional spirit. True, the strains of secular music are sometimes deeply pathetic, carrying with them the imposing influences of solemnity; and especially so when applied to sacred words. But this influence, so far as religion is concerned, is often of a questionable character. It is more like the effect of religion dramatized, than like the genuine breathings of devotion. The latter are entirely of a different nature. They are by no means the necessary results of musical mechanism or imaginative sentimentality. They require special culture. They require self-examination, watchfulness and prayer, and holy meditation; and where these are wanting, it is in vain to look for any thing better than the subdued tastefulness of musical display. Unless religious influences, therefore, influences of a decided character,—are carried into our schools of church music, and made to abide there, the habits of dulness on the one hand, and of imaginative sentimentality on the other will continue to prevail. There will perchance be other things which in themselves are desirable. There may be taste and skill and verbal adaptation; and, musically speaking, there may be pathos, and energy, and expression; but after all, the fervors of genuine devotion will be wanting. This truth has been abundantly realized as a matter of history; and yet the churches are slow to understand it. Why do they not consider that a sacrifice which is so uniformly heartless in its preparation, will in all ordinary circumstances be heartless at the altar of public devotion? The principle is perfectly plain and intelligible. One of two things, therefore, is inevitable. Either we must relinquish all ideas of permanent reform among singers in regard to spirituality, or else religious influences of an abiding character must be made to pervade our whole system of cultivation, from the nursery to the house of public worship. Let secular music be cultivated with secular feelings and secular associations. This is perfectly appropriate and in strict accordance with the principles of the art; but the hallowed nature of divine song disclaims such alliances. We honor the men who are successfully devoting themselves to music as an art. Especially do we honor the Christian teachers, who are so zealously promoting elementary knowledge of this sort. among the rising generation. They are doing a good work, and we love to bid them "God speed.' One of the great difficulties at present to be encountered among adult pupils, may thus in time be removed.* Yet, as the praises of Zion cannot wait for a future generation, something effectual should be done for their immediate improvement. Nor does the distinction we are now insisting upon, lose any of its importance through the increase of elementary instruction. Volumes would fail to show its importance; and to a practical disregard of it in our schools, and social circles and families, is in a great measure to be attributed the want of spirituality in the music of our churches. 6. Religious influences should, as far as practicable, be carried into our larger concerts and rehearsals of sacred music. These * The difficulty of connecting elementary criticism with influences which are strictly religious. The habit of constant drilling, tends to promote fastidiousness and musical exhilaration, rather than the purity or the elevation of religious feel. ing; while yet in the present state of things, much of this kind of drilling is indispensable. The tendency is too strong to be counteracted by any trifling exertions. A few formal petitions in prayer with languid cautionary admonitions will never suffice. The hallowed breathings of devotion will not be felt in the school unless there is habitual watchfulness, with a fervent spirit of supplication. are often as entirely secular in their character and tendency, as if the themes of song had actually been designed for the worship of some heathen divinity. Much of the music applied to sacred themes by the first masters in the art, is imaginative rather than devotional-more adapted to exhilarate the feelings of animal nature, than to win the pure affections of the heart to the love of divine truth.* Such music is often full of professional merit-tender, figurative, bold or sublime-beautifully simple or scientifically elaborate; but, like many other productions of human genius, it occupies the regions of taste without entering the recesses of the heart. Music of this kind is peculiarly atractive to a portion of the community; and there is in many places a propensity to substitute it even in the church, in place of that which is strictly devotional. This tendency is far from being lessened by concerts and rehearsals of the ordinary kind. Concerts of sacred music might doubtless be rendered occasions of religious improvement. When this is not done, their influence, to say the least, is of a questionable cha racter. 7. If such an amount of responsibility, as we have seen, is involved in the office of praise, is it right to confide the whole management of this interest to a few inexperienced individuals? * A single example may serve to illustrate our meaning. Let us take the sentiment," Hosanna in the highest," which often occurs in musical pieces. If the singer on the one hand were to utter this sentiment as coming from the deep settled affections of his own soul in the presence of a heart-searching God, he would in most cases choose to give it a sweet, mild and tender enunciation, but the music should indicate higher feelings of real devotion than he possesses or recognizes in his fellow worshippers; but if, on the other hand, he is simply painting to our imaginations the enthusiasms of the multitude who uttered that sentiment some eighteen centuries ago, why then he is allowed to be vociferous and exclamatory. He may fill the ancient multitude with the highest possible rhapsody,and become frantic himself in the representation. In either of the two cases, musically speaking, he would act in character. In the one, he would be actually worshipping; in the other, he would be merely personating the ancient worshippers. † Much might be said as to the character of tunes for devotional purposes, did our limits allow. Probably a reform in other respects would lead to great improvements here. This was not the primitive method. David and Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun and the prophets and the apostles, who led in the praises of God, were men distinguished for their piety and influence. The same was true of the ancient fathers and the modern reformers. Luther's example is conspicuous. He not only sung, but he compiled and composed music for the churches; and while his sermons, that caused millions to tremble, are now forgotten, his Old Hundred and his Judgment Hymn may continue to edify the people of God to the remotest generations. We know it has been said in these latter times, that singers are irritable, that their dissensions are incurable, and that in cases of difficulty, all authoritative interference will be worse than useless. Nor can we much wonder at the prevalence of such an opinion. The managers of operas and oratorios and grand concerts and festivals, have had sufficient experience of the bitterness of musical dissensions. Churches have sometimes been rent asunder and ministers driven from their charges by such unhappy causes. Many a sad incident has occurred to show the danger of such dissensions. But how does it happen that no examples of this nature are found in the Scriptures, which abound in the details of human imperfection? The truth is, that the sacred institution of praise has been neglected and abused in these modern days, till, in many respects, there is a general want of correct information in regard to it. Music is the language of feeling. When cultivated merely for the purposes of personal gratification, emolument, distinction or display, it is of course liable, in many instances, to awaken among its patrons and devotees, some of the worst passions of the human heart; but when it is cultivated strictly for social and beneficent purposes, and especially for the promotion of the praise and glory of God and the edification of his people, its tendencies are necessarily and decidedly of the opposite nature. It strengthens the social principle. It awakens sympathy, cherishes affection, and contributes to mutual gratification and refined enjoyment. And here lies the true secret in management with regard to religious music. Such music is not to be obtained without labor and care. It will never produce or regulate or preserve itself. Its interests cannot safely be confided to those who are destitute of piety or deficient in general influence. If music as a fine art has its difficulties and dangers, this is the very reason why devotional song should be more thoroughly taken in hand. Let |