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AT a meeting some years ago, for the
practice of sacred music, in a leading United Presbyterian church in
Glasgow, the leader of psalmody, as those formerly called
precentors are now termed, in the course of some observations on
Church psalmody, called attention to the want of good taste in the
selection of tunes, which in most cases will not bear to be sung to any
other words than those for which they have been specially composed. In one
of them the last line of the verse, which had to be repeated, was, "And
bow before the throne"; but, as sung with the repeat, it was,
"Bow-wow-wow before the throne."
Another was equally ridiculous; the
words were, "And for His sheep He doth us take," which, from a similar
peculiarity in the repeat, was rendered in the singing, "And for His
sheep he’d," "And for His sheep he’d," "And for His sheep He
doth us take!"
In a third the repeat was," O send
down sal," "O send down sal," "O send down salvation to us";
while in a fourth hymn the females had a repeat to themselves, which, it
is to be presumed, the spinsters would sing with heart and soul, "O for a
man," "O for a man," "O for a mansion in the skies
!"
Of course the effect of such outrageous solecisms on
good taste, not to speak of the apparent blasphemy and indecency of them
in many cases, can have no other effect than to destroy that propriety of
feeling and conduct which should always exist among those engaged in such
a solemn exercise. Our leaders of psalmody, therefore, ought to be more
careful in their selection of tunes, and see that they are suitable
the words. Above all, let them avoid repeat tunes,
unless they are certain that incongruities can be avoided; otherwise the
consequences are inevitable, and the services, instead of having that
solemnising effect which they ought to have, will only make the foolish
laugh, and the judicious grieve. |
