South Canterbury Times. THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 1880.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2190, 25 March 1880, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 1880.

In his solicitude for the due observance of Good Friday, the Yen. Archdeacon Harper, a gentleman whom we all hold in high esteem, has written a letter to our morning contemporary, which we think must astonish not a few in this Christian community. The Archdeacon has a grievance. He expresses his regret “ that a professional Company are about to give a public ‘ Festival of Sacred Music ’ on Good Friday evening in Timaru.” After complimenting the Compaiyy alluded to,he goes on to say:— “ But on Good Friday, a day which both custom and law. keep a-s a close holiday, and which is in itself so sacred a daj', an}' public professional entertainment must be, I am sure, a cause of serious offence to the consciences of many who, at another time, would gladly patronise so excellent a company as the one of which I write.” Wc think these sentiments coming from such a model of Christian enlightenment and toleration as the Yen. Archdeacon must excite profound astonishment. When the members of the Carandini Company announced a “ Grand Festival of Sacred Music ” on Good Friday evening, wc were under the impression that Timaru was being highly favored by the opportunity which was offered for suitably celebrating this Christian holiday. That the consciences of the most sensitive church - goers could possibly be offended by the reproduction in their midst of the choicest gems of the Great. Masters never occurred to us. Last of all did wc imagine that a festival of sacred music could wound and deeply grieve the forebearing and gentle spirit of our venerable Archdeacon. As the Company, however, have now arranged for a performance, and a programme has been published which embraces choice selections from the sacred oratorios, it may perhaps be as well to alleviate the regretful anguish of mind, which our worthy Archdeacon must inevitably sustain, by calling his attention to the way in which Good Friday is kept in other places besides Timaru. In the first place, it ma3 r comfort him to be assured that this sinful company have been in the habit for years past of celebrating Good Friday in the same wa3 r as they propose to do to-morrow evening,and that that this is the first time that a clerical protest on behalf of the consciences of the people has ever been raised. On the contrary, clergymen of deferent denominations have publicly recognised their efforts to delight and cultivate the tastes of the masses by the production during religious festivals, of soal-clcvat-ing performances. During their stay in Queensland their entertainments were again and again commended publicly b3 r the Episcopalian Bishop of that colony, and only on last Good Friday they gave a “Festival of Sacred Music ” in Sydney under the patronage of the ActingGovernor, which was attended by an audience comprising some of the leading dignitaries of the Church. Nor will the conduct of the company suffer by comparison with other devotees of the art sublime. The members of the Philharmonic Societ3 r of Melbourne give a performance annually on Good Fihhry, and on the same evening the theatres are frequently open, 3 r et no protest has been entered against the violation of this close holi(k;i3’. If wc remember aright the Georgia Minstrels gave a jubilee concert in Dunedin on Good Eighty evening, and the Philharmonic Society of that cit3 r arc in the habit of holding musical festivals on that night at the theatres. Yet neither Dunedin, nor Melbourne, nor Sydney, nor at thousand other centres, have realised the fate of Ninevah because they have ventured to indulge in musical festivals of a public character on Good Fikhoy. Up to the present we were under the impression that the Church in New Zealand was extending the hand of fellowship to the professors of refined music, and the belief has been strengthened by the fact that divine service owes much of its attraction to the quality of the music dispensed. Only a few days ago a Presbyterian divine, at Invercargill, presided over a church parade on Sunday, and the music was led by five picked instrumentalists and a choir. It may he that Archdeacon Harper has no ear for music, hut, if so, his want of appreciation should not load him to discountenance the enjoyment of others. Had he raised his voice against the sailing of boats, the running of trains, cabs and omnibuses, or a score of other things that are calculated to have a disturbing influence on the puritanical conscience, we might have sympathised with him ; but in getting up his back at selections from the Messiah, Naaman, Elijah, and the other prophets, he has exceeded the zeal of the Glasgow Magistrate who made whistling on Sunda3 r a penal offence, and out-Cromwcllcd Cromwell.