SUNDAY READING.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1716, 18 January 1905, Page 77 (Supplement)

SUNDAY READING.

Clergymen and all interested in religious work are invited to send news items and other contributions suitable for publication in this column to “Mfzpah," flare of Editor "New Zealand Mail/' Wellington.

THE iVIOSIO OF THE SPHERES

(By a Ban3cor.) From very early times music, has had a most potent influence upon mankind: A popular chant or song has swayed.entire nations, even contributing to the overturning of dynasties; while many a. .great movement, political or otherwise', has been very greatly aided by popular songs and hymns. How tiring does the soldier j find a long march if there be no band, or j drums and fifes, or bagpipes, - to enliven j its monotony; or how utterly uninterest- j ing would a dance be without music of i any kind. j Yv li >, unless indeed Iris senses were be- j numbed into adamant, could listen to, j for instance, the harp duet, from j A‘l Martiri," as it used to be. sung by | a Guiglini and a Piccolomini, without j a trembling, thrill coursing through and j through., his veins. Or who could hear ; the soul-stirring Garibaldi's hymn sung ' by a choir and orchestra of five thou- | sand, an . audience of more than twenty j thousand singing the choruses, the splen- j did hero himself standing there on a j platform between the two, without a i throbbing passion pulsating through his ! very soul, and. inflaming him ■with a. ; wild quiver of uncontrollable errMimhasin • 'for the gallant and intrepid warrior, who ; elands there impassive as when on the j plains of Melasszo Francesco's cannon f gitot and bombs were hurtling around j him. Of all the musical instrn mentis ever i invented, the organ must surely he the ! one Avj.lieh both for grandeur • and for ; sublimity excels tlie.s: all. To hoar, j for '.exam |do, Jh-ei imvi n : ‘S(orsi» Sym- | phony ' played upon the great Ereibuvg ’ organ, one -of the finest in Europe, is a ; treat indeed. The bi ids :•*•'«- «•; ng ntg. the i shepherd i« piping, .ami i si r<mm M' ; purling and rippling. Bat in / c b>r •. distance a low muttering rumble s<. m-M. approaching ever nearer ami nearer. :he ; birds cease their singing and a deluge ; of rain commences to fall. Soon the roiling peats of tcvi.'rberal.ing th under ' l ‘.i e . and roar, now for a mom on r hu.-.ae.-i info silence. only to burst fnMh aga.it ; and again in a rend.ing. eraslmig ola-u, j a very orgasm of fury am! j tirmod. t j length the violence of th.e storm mod or- * rites, fin- stridor of Mm (bunder P'xils is le«s and less violent, soon smwly vmr.ng ba-ek and becoming ever fainter and

| softer, until at length a solemn-hush has i ! supervened. Now again are heard, the ! | rollicking thrill of the song birds, . the '< 1 co!itouted lowing of the herds, and the ] silvery harmony of the shepherd’s pipes j and all nature is gay and joyous. -| But if we with our instruments can pro- | cluce such melodious harmony; if avc i can create such thrilling, and soul-stir- ! j ring melody, what must be the music of | the celestial spheres; Avhat the choruses ! of the angelic choirs; Avhat the anthems !. and chants of heaven. Surely tliese must | as tar surpass the finest and grandest | of our efforts as the glories of the ceJes- | tial realm!? surpass the beauties of our 1 fair earth. Ah! and Ayitlr wha-t fervour . i and passionate emotion will those join : in the songs of praise to their Redeemer, , who in virtue of His sufferings have at-' t I. fained to the glory, and have escaped the ) dread Avratli to come.