| Citation |
BNL.764.004
12 Jan 1764:31,33 (3125)
Our old friend's piece on Psalmody last week has created
some uneasiness in the minds of those for whose benefit it
was design; -- to clear ourselves from the imputation of
partiality, we shall give place to the following pieces from
two of our correspondents;
assuring our readers that they should not have been thus
troubled, had any the most ordinary advices arrived.
To the printers.
When you have a dearth of news, please to insert the
following dialogue, which actually passed between Mr.
Timothy Standish, an elderly gentleman, Mr. Charles Anthem,
a musical young gentleman, and the parson of this parish; as
it will serve to show the different notions and humours of
people, with respect to what one of your correspondents
calleth, "the awful solemnity of church music," your humble
servant, Chrononhotonthologos.
Mr. Anthem was humming over a tune, when Mr. Standish thus
accosted him:
Standish. Young man, I perceive you are singing; pray tell
me what tune it may be ?
Anthem. the tune, Sir, I was singing is St. Martin's.
Stan. St. Martin's, why I never heard of that before, it's
a brand new dance lately come over, isn't it ?
Anthem. Dance, Sir, what d' ye mean ? It's a psalm-tune,
very much in vogue.
Stan. That's impossible, I'm sure it do'sn't go in 8 and 6
or 6 and 8, how can it be a Psalm-Tune ?
Anth. I tell you, Sir, it is a Psalm-Tune, and sung in most
of the congregations----
Stan. I'm amaz'd--sung in congregations !--it is surely a
step to popery----what is the world a-coming to ?--it is'nt
a bit better than fiddling.
Anth Ha, ha, ha; why we sing some that goe more like a
fiddle than that: and ev'ry body looks upon it, that our
public worship is much refin'd and polish'd by means of
them.
Stan. Aye, aye, but the preface to my Psalm-Book say, that
" God's altar needs not our polishings," and I'm sure it is
a very great sin to introduce such 'light, airy, jiggish '
tunes into the meeting-houses, when there is enough without
'em; there is Humphrey's, and Windsor, and Oxford, and
others in the old psalm books that are much better, and
ev'ry-body can sing them.
Anth. O, they are old things, and out of date; People hae
got a getter taste in singing now-a-days.
Stan. Age is honourable;--I am old enough to be your
grandfather, and therefore must know better than you: this
is none of the good old primitive singing--our forefathers
would as soon have conform'd at once, or have laid down
their necks to the block, which is much better, than have
changed the good old way for these new tunes; or David's
psalms for your Tates and Brady's, as you do in Boston.
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