CONGREGATIONAL PSALMODY.

Evening Star, Issue 3169, 17 April 1873, Page 3

CONGREGATIONAL PSALMODY.

A VISIT TO THE CHURCHES. To the Editor.

No 2.—A Presbyterian Church—

The singing led by a precentor and choir, and consisting of eight ladies (trebles), with well-trained voices, four altos (boys), who sing too loud, and pay very little attention to their time, 1 hose boys, as they grow up, will make good tenors and basses—they read their notes well. The tenors are few, and have great room for improvement. 'lhe bosses are strong ; some of them read well, but a number of them mar the singing by their want of musical knowledge. The first Psalm was the 89th, 13th verse, and sung to the tune “ Scarborough,” the adaptation remarkably good. The character of the 13th and 14th verses is adoration, and were sung in a reverent manner ; the lorii and 16th verses rise to a joyous height, and were sung in a joyous but not boisterous manner.

The second was the 23rd Psalm, and was sung to the tune “Warwick,” which, I think, is too jumping for this Psalm, the character of whioh is assurance. It was sung rather q rick. Notwithstanding the bad adaptation, the expression of the Psalm was well attended to, and in the fourth verse (“ Yea, though 1 walk in death’s dark vale,” &c.), the voices were beautifully subdued; and in the remaining verges rose in grandeur, fully expressing the words, “ And in God’s house for evermore, my dwelling-place shall be.”

The last was the 11th Paraphrase, to which they sang Hrvergal’s tune, “Evan ;” rather plaintive for the Paraphrase ; but they gave it a sprightly effect by singing it at a greater speed than what is generally done, and expressed the instructive senti meat of the Paraphrase well. The singing throughout the Church was hearty, a good many of the male voices singing bass, which added pleasantly to the grandeur of the harmony. The tune-book used in this church is “Scottish Psalmody.” The words are printed in various types for expressive singing, which is a good feature of this work. There Mere a good many tune-books throughout the church, but 1 anticipate the time when they M ill be seen in every pew.— 1 am, &c., A Lover of Psalmody. Dunedin, April 17.