COMIC SIDE OF CHOIR MUSIC.

Northland Age, Volume IV, Issue 42, 22 June 1908, Page 8

COMIC SIDE OF CHOIR MUSIC.

We have read about the. newly imported German tenor who, on an Easter morning, electrified a “heavily mortgaged" congregation by singing over and over again, “He wjll raise ze debt, He will raise ze debt, in ze twinkling of an eye" ; but the following musical incident is related by one whq recently attended a fashion*able church. The choir started with a inference to the ililies of the field, and after ringing the changes on the word

“consider" until all idea of its connection was lost, they began to tell the congregation through the mouth of the leading boy, that “Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed." Straightway the treble was reinforced by the basso, who declared that Solomon was most decidedly and emphatically not arrayed—was not arrayed. Then the alto ventured opinion that Solomon was not arrayed, when the tenor without a moments hesitation sang as if it had been officially announced; that 1 “he was not arrayed." Then when the feeling of the congregation had beeiv harrowed up sufficiently, and our sympathies all arroused for poor Solomon, whose numerous wives allowed him to go about in such a state, the choir at length, in a mqst cool and composed manner, informed us that the idea they intended to convey was that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed “like one of these"—these what ?

j3o long a time had elapsed since they sang of the lilies, that the thread was entirely lost, and by “these" one naturally concluded that the choir was designated. Arrayed like one oi these ? We should think not, indeed ! Solomon in a surplice ? No. most decidedly. Solomon in thezenth of his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Despite the experience qf the morning, the hope still remained that' in the evening a sacred song might be sung in a manner that would not excite our risibilities or leave the impression that we had listened to a case of blackmail.

But again off went the nimble treble*with the very laudable thought startling announcement “I will wash. Straightway the alto, not to be outdorfe, declared that he would wash. And the tenor, finding it to be the thing, warbled forth that he would wash. Then the deep-chested basso, as though calling up his fortitude for the plunge, bellowed forth the stern resolve that he also would wash.

Next a short interlude on the organ, strongly suggestive of'.the escaping steam or the splash of water, after which the choir individually and collectively asserted the firm, unshaken resolve that they would wash. At last they solved the problem by stating that they proposed to “wash their hands in mnocency.’’—“Chat."