But what is learnt will, naturally, be sung. And oh! how many Christian
parents give their daughters the advantage of singing lessons without
troubling themselves in the least about what songs are learnt, provided
they are not exceptionally foolish! Still more pressingly I would say,
how many Christian principals, to whom young lives are entrusted at the
most important time of all for training, do not give themselves the least
concern about this matter! As I write, I turn aside to refer to a list of
songs learnt last term by a fresh young voice which would willingly be
trained for higher work. There is just one 'sacred' song in the whole
long list, and even that hardly such a one as the writer of the letter
above quoted would care to sing in her fervent-spirited service of
Christ. All the rest are harmless and pleasing, but only suggestive of
the things of earth, the things of the world that is passing away; not
one that might lead upward and onward, not one that might touch a
careless heart to seek first the kingdom of God, not one that might show
forth the glory and praise of our King, not one that tells out His grace
and love, not one that carries His comfort to His weary ones or His joy
to His loving ones. She is left to find and learn _such_ songs as best
she may; those which she will sing with all the ease and force gained by
good teaching of them are no help at all, but rather hindrance in
anything like wish or attempt to 'sing _for Jesus_.'
There is not the excuse that the songs of God's kingdom, songs which waft
His own words to the souls around, would not have answered the teacher's
purpose as well. God has taken care of that. He has not left Himself
without witness in this direction. He has given the most perfect melodies
and the richest harmonies to be linked with His own words, and no singer
can be trained beyond His wonderful provision in this way. I pray that
even these poor words of mine may reach the consciences of some of those
who have this responsibility, and lead them to be no longer unfaithful in
this important matter, no longer giving this strangely divided
service--training, as they profess to desire, the souls for God, and yet
allowing the voices to be trained only for the world.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account