The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction - Volume 13, No. 386, August 22, 1829 by Various
page 4 of 53 (07%)
page 4 of 53 (07%)
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heard as an objection to their joining in the psalmody with any extensive
power, that there are no persons, exclusively of the organist, to lead the voices, whether treble, counter, tenor, or bass, and yet what a delightful opportunity do these new churches afford; in general the sound is well and equally distributed. The sublimity of this part of divine worship has been well expressed by many of our poets, translators, and versifiers of the Psalms--one of them speaks the feelings of a sincere congregation when he says, Arise my heart! my soul arise! Jehovah praise! sing till the skies Re-echo his ascending fame! Rejoice and celebrate his name! this does not admit of a deadly silence in the churches; and another excellent appeal to the true believer is made in the following beautiful and sublime act of devotion:-- Salvation! let the echo fly! The spacious earth around! While all the armies of the sky! Conspire to raise the sound. It is the conviction not only of myself but of others who are in the same order of the musical profession, that the means of drawing forth the universal voices of congregations is by a number, not less than four, nor more than twelve, being _appointed_ by the authority of the clergyman or minister, to sing with correct harmony, and with rather a louder tone than they might do if only an ordinary singer in the worship of the day as a |
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