CHORAL SERVICE AT ST. PAUL'S.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXXII, Issue 5238, 26 July 1876, Page 2

CHORAL S ERVICE AT ST. PAUL'S.

Yhij-hdai evening a speci.il clior.il sen ice wai given at St. Paul's Chuich, mainly with the v iew of insisting to augment the fund now being laiscd for tho widow and family of tho lute Row J. B. Dykes, Mas. Hoc, and Vicar of St. Oswald's, Dmhmi, a name very piecious to all loveis of sacicd psalmody. In spite of the thieatoning weather, there was a large attend anco, iind the building was well filled. Mr. J. A. ]«ealo pieside<l at tho oigan, ami n olioir nclcbluil fiom icully good singeis, led the musical j).ut of the seivice, under tike conductorship of Mr. Josej li Ijiuwu. It commenced with a boautiful oigin solo, being a caiol " In tona pax," followed by tho hymn, "Through the night of doubt and sonow," sung to tho tune, "fc>t. Oswald," in which —and we may particulariie it ui a featuie in the singing throughout —the phiasing was leraaikably good and appropriate. Tho IUv. Hi. Dudley ascended the pulpit, and the usual evening seivieo was begun by him, monotoning it on G. Instead «f tho IVUms foi tho day, thice hvnins weio substituted ; the first to St. licmaids woids ".resin, the vory thought of Thee" was set to the tune "St. Agnes," worthy of being sought out by all to whom it is not yet known; the next " Tho King of Love my ■hepherd" la sot to "Dominus regit me ;" and tho third "Como unto me, yo weary" to its own tune, the 2jGth in " Hymns Ancient and Modem." —The lesson for tho day was then read by tho Rov. Mr. Willu. Tho music of the "To Deum" following was worthy — if it bo possible—of that glorious ascription of piaise, and the i enduring of it all bat perfect. — Tho Rev. Mr. Hassard road the second lesson, and tho " Nunc Diuiittis" followed, canying out in the music to which it was adapted the peculiarities of all Dr. Dykes' compositions—their suitability to tho sense of the woids. The anthem " For the Lamb" was taken from a much longer composition entitled "These are they which came out of gie it tubul ition" —a rua»ter-j>ieo« of churcli composition. It commenced with un oigan include in I) minoi, which the basso* and tonoi s take up Of it we c in only say it is most admirable, being pure, chaste, devotional music, possessing the quality of growing on one as they mako its closer acquaintance. It must become a favouuto as it become* bettor known. Then followed the prayors for all sorts md conditions of men, tec. And " Vox Dchcta" was sung to tho woids " I heard the voice of Jesus say"—quite an old farounte. — The \Iqv. Mr. Nelson then preached an eloquent Keunon fiom II. Ohroii. xxix. .50, Riid referietl to tho lcfoi mation under Kings He^ekiah and Josiah, pointing out that when things were at thiir daikest with men God made himself specially known. What ft mighty chango was Mine, lie said, when He/ekiah came to the tin one, and tho Home of tho Loidwaa again opened, and one special point was noticed in the account given to us of it—the musical part of the sei wee of (toil's House was ie established. And this should not be foigotten, in all revivals of lehgion mimic and singing have held a very high pi. ice. When men liavo been awakened by tho spirit of the Loid they ha\o sought to t-vpiess their feelings by music. So it was with Augustm, Luther, and tho Wesleys —who wellknew tho hum mising and evangelistic value of sicied bong. Coming to our own times we saw how tho gieat woik in England accomplished by the Ameucan eringelists was helped by it. In then own chuich tho impetus of a revival wan given by the Wesleys, succeeded by Simeon, and after him followed what he might term a moic Catholic levival. God's blessing has been on it and they had much giound to bless God foi the labouieis ho had sent among them. It h id not been confined either to theii own cominuriion, but thoso who walked not with them entiiely had also benefited. Heie in New Zealand we had not reached poi fection in our sei vices by f.ir, and ceitainly should not apptoadi it till in eveiy place the Psalms Are sung as thon authois intended thorn to be. Who tint hail lieaid the bevutiful stiains that night hut would wish thorn to bo in common uso ' Then aei vice that night was specially to aid tho widow and family of Dr. Dykts, to whom the Church of Englnmd specially owed a deep debt of gmtitude. (iiviiif; a linef sketch of his life, ho stated that Di. Djkes died a poor man. Like many iinothei, he had tiled to insure his lift*, hut failed twice, fiom inability to secure a medical ctitific.tte, Ho will long be remcmbcied for his hymn tunes, which will lemaiii dear to all. The Houtt of that was their fullness of melody, and tho fact thsy weie always coinposed to exploits the Dense. They are not easy to le.un, but aie worth all the pains. The era of distaste foi good music has passed and gone. ],et it bo otns to cheilnh his memory, and ours also, when wo have dono our work, to exchang* the toils of earth foi the glories of tho skies. An offeitoiy was then taken, which lealised £13 8s. -id., during which Mi. Beale played literally ion umvu a voluntaiy, also taken from a caiol, " Sleep, holy bibe," in E 11 »t, the beauty of which took the congiogation by surprise. The well known " Nieuja," to the woids, " I hoard the voice of Jesus siy," was sung, and tho benediction pronounced by his Lordship the Ilishop. The s»rvico concluded with tho tune " Alford," set to tho hymn, "Ten thousand times ten thousand." All tho music was by tho Hev. Dr. Dykes, and as an out voluntaiy "Tho march of tho Israelites out of Egypt," from Oosta'* " Eli," w»i siren.