HOW TO FILL A CHURCH.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 308, 19 April 1877, Page 4

HOW TO FILL A CHURCH.

At the annua! meeting of the Wafcefortl PobKc li&tacy,.. Sir Henry Cole referred to the cteurubilit? of establishing musical clauwt. He k-a«i during ht» t'utm tried an experiment with ntnstc, which he explained me follow*: "J have long held the opinion that the churches of this country arc not quite M rotich nsed fur the benefit of the people as they might be ; and I was once instigated flleaven knows how) to ace if I cooftS not make usj- of my parish church at Brompton. Of coarse I was at! atle- ? fence to the vicar, ant I said to hint Doctor, I think f ortt t s »w you how to bring the |>e«pt> t<* your church.' Hw gai(V*f wish yovt wwuM." I sard, * I thtok I eottttl invent a plan/ an t I reeom «■•» f this to the notice of t e clergy. I a iid ; *The people are usitdty very fo:»d />f mnsic, and I think if you were to invite thettt to come to thechurch »nw.i week. and allow them to talcr part in the evmservice* giving then* as much simple music as they can welt arm* and nnderstand, yot* wilt find they wilt come.' All that sounds in theory very welt, an I the vicar said, * I wilt Imd y ->-u fie c utrc't for fwor Tuesdays.' So I did ns your e >t»tntttee and other people do. stuck up placards and invited peopte to coine. Then I said. 'L-t alt the seats, be free. and everyone come an t tak„-a seat where he likes.'' Well, my pastor agreed to chut condition, and f said to t.iin. 'Thenext condition I would make, is ttvat there should be a sermon* but that it should not exceed ten minutes.'' Tuen I said. 'They shall have five or six hymns or psalms, which they shall! sing to good old ttines—the Evening Hymn, the Old Hundredth* the Austrian Hymn, and others.' I flaid, * I have '.. een at Kotne and in Germany, and in both—at one in a Lutheran cathedral and in the other at St. iVter's the effect of ancient musical instruments —trumpets, as mentioned in Tue Psalms. and shawms (represented by a kind of trumpet also).—was very grand ; and it yon wilt allow the hymns to be acc-un-panied by these instruments property administered, I am sure it wilt product- a great effect.' So we had silver trumpets and two trombones. In addition to tliem we had two kettledrums ; and I declare it' they were the last words I had to speak, nothing more solemn I never heard. The chttrch was crowded, and they sang their hymns. Sly friend the doctor was the one who disturbed the regulations, by preaching seventeen minutes instead of ten. The result of the atta : r was that »>n each occasion the church was fuller than ever. I met a member of Parliament in the church, and he said to me, * I have been shedding tears att the service : t never heard anything more affecting.' I established an oll'ertory after the first s<r▼ice, and at the second I got more than 12J in pence (J requested everybody to give a penny if he cotitd}; at the n• x.t service t collected L 3 to* , .and at the East nearly Lo; so t.'iat wu paid the expenses. If yon wish to take the people away from public-houses, and perhaps their uru-oui* fortabte homes, von mig it do it by a wi v simple pn.cuss in your churc its if jou tried it."