BISHOP NELIGAN ON CHURCH MUSIC.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 190, 25 August 1903, Page 2

BISHOP NELIGAN ON CHURCH MUSIC.

«> „ ITS USB AXD FUNCTION. f r t jiKE most tbl.gswi'h which we are , m liar throughout om' livi s the .. .-,1 portion if the Ciiuro'i eeivic* is apt z l i bti taken for granted without a noinent's troughs <>s to its par'iculai " ue and i'utic ion. Mos'people hav- " heir ide-'S on the question of tlio rue-i's , >r the revois iof particular services, . ind accoidi»g o thtd-.- liglr, culture, or , aate aro »o: ; t to praise, tolerate, or ioiidenm the eli'o-ts of church ch ire, " fa taking thetpportunity of the Choral K-stivJ at St. Maiy'ti on Friday to f ip'jn up a much needed ave> ue of •hought on this question, Bishop Neli»an has done a great service, and his remarks shou'd bo read and, it ia tap-id, ' remember »d by a far wider circle thau the large congregation on whom they ftil with such teliiog force, His Lord * ship divided the subject into two parts, . [1) fhe particular use of Ohoril Festivals and (2) the pirtici'hr use of functions of music in the Ohurih c servic?. l THE LONELY OUTPOSTS OF THE WHITEMAK, ■ One graat advantage of an annual Choral Fes'iv 1 wn?, he siidj that it , brought together choirs from all pirts : of the archidiaeonate, Occe a year, ther.fore, those who dwelt in the desperately lonely outposts of the whitsman were associated with those who . enjoyed all the advantages of social . iatercourse to be obtained in a populated town, and this association with , others g-we strength, a bond cf union . and gladness in the service of God. They met together in a church worthy of the name, which had an organ far different to tha instrument do : ng duty in their country churchos. They could feel thit they were not always alone, and could be stimulated to higher aims and encouraged to belter work. H« appealed to his hearers to try and think of sottn of the lonely places whera men and women lived—where some cf the price's pissed their lives, and where, but tea frequently, a clergyman was almost unknown ; to think of the result of this dreadful isolation, often the I cause of lows of faith. He drew an eloquent picture of the life of priests in thtss back block* and of their heroic courage in carrying on their work under such feaiful circumstances. It wis wrong to leavo the settlers alone in the wilderness and think that the whitcmau did not nutter. There were Missions for ovingelising the coloured race.', but what good could result in that work if the whiteman was not evangelised. The Ust state would be worsj than the first. He therefore -ppeilrd earnestly to tha congregation to assist by their contributions that evening the Country Clergy Fund. FUNCTION OF MUSIC. The function of State in these days, said the Bishop, was to register and carry into effect the opinions of the pe; pie, but, it was the mission of the church to influence and quicken the individual co r science, and if it did not attain this end it ceased to discharge its function, Music must partake of the s.iniH and therefore ic must be intill-jctu.il— not in a technical ssnse —but as the outcome of a proper understanding, Music failed in its purpose if it did not interpret God's truth. In singing with due valua would ta given to the words to convay the meaning intended by the wi iter, so as to txpres the full fore and beauty of the theme. The most beautiful hymns cjuld aud were mide nonsense by non-observance of punctuation, and he gave several examples to show this. He urged, therefore, the necessity of singing with understanding, pointing out that music should be ; ducuiona', and not nngl >ct the spirit- . u»l part of man. An opjra would b:> •dtogethcr out of pl«ce in a church, but , ia i e s place it was admirable in itself i and a very useful adjunct to musical ' eriuoation. There were Home who laid ; great stress on bright musical servioss as a means of attracting p-;op'e to church, but this should not be. Peoph' Aould be attracted to church by the spiritual nature of the service, and not • by what was called a bright service, Bach part of th.9 church service had it* appointed place and use jusV the samp • as each part of the building fitted into 1 and helped to comp'ete the wholu, 1 Bach had its purpose to fulfil. , HODKBN MUSIC. It was sometimes hard, said the ' Bishop, for members of choirs to keep their thoughts devotional, and it was especially hard where modern mush' [ whs used, The greatest part cf the I items of modern music had a tendency to hystfria, ncd were either mawkish or sivoured of the music hall. Th l old church music, however, was full of t solemn beauty and grand w, while it exercised a devotional influence, Th,' - , music that was suitable for the choir of . a citheirnl was beyond the capacity oi i an ordinary church choir, and phould i not ba atteti'pt'd, but it happen d ' som <tim°s that choirs attempted mush' [ beyond their powers, nrd thismilit\t d against devotion. He contra - ul-t;d th se responsible for the music that evening, that it had been cjniined to I the capacity of the choir, ADVICE TO THE CHOIR. 1 " I charge you as your Bishop," said Dr, Neligan, "that you see to it to 1 interpret the three characteristics of I mudc -intellectual, .educational, and di vo'ional —and above all have grace in your hearts. your lives he a' ' clean as the whi'e surplices you put ' on. See to it also that you submit yourselves to discipline, not having s your own will, but sink all petty dif- \ ferencas and work together in unity. i Writing from New Plymouth, Messrs Sole Bros., butchers, horse -breakers and dealers, . write as follows to Messrs Olapham Bros.:— Dear Sirs, —We can with plonsnre testify to ' he efficacy of your Patent Horee Holde> ; Besides heing perfectly effective it has this merit; it does not ts.ke two seconds to apply , Some time ago we were recommended to use ! j this patent, and we fully intended to do so \ | We delayed a day, bowe«er, and in conss- \ I quence had a smash-up that coat us more ' i than the prine of 50 holders. Three davs I j after the a-cident we put the same horsa in, ' j using the hoWor, which guve every satisfaoII en. We have had no trouble sir.ee. We , are getting your patent holders fixed to all out carts, traps, etc., and we strongly '. recommer 1 their use to every butcher and \ j bake in the district.—Advfc. ■; HOLLOW AY'S AND PIM.B. • Indisontable remedies. In the u*e of these ' medicaments thire need <oi no he-ifrttion or . ""doubt of thei' cooling, hral : ng and purifvin. i propcrti--w. 'I ha Ointment stun ts urrivallol ! in relieving, healing and thoroughly curing ' the most inveterate corns and u'cers, and in cases of bad legs and bad hrea9ts they acta* acuarui. The Pills are the most effectual remedy for the cure of liver complaints, which deransre all the proper functions of the org»ni affected, induci-g rertlessnes-', raelnncholy, weariness, inability to sleep, pain in the sl'to, etc These wonderful Pills if taken according ta the printed directions ' accompanying each boy, strike at the root of the m:vla3y and stimulate the stomach and liver iuto a healthy action. For Bronchial Cough, take Woods; Groat Popperm'"*. Our«, Is 6d and 2stid uvorywhore.-- Vdvfc.