Page:Anecdotes of Great Musicians.djvu/222

210 with intense energy and feeling, unheeding the auditors, who, after the first moment of incredulous surprise, rose to their feet and attempted to drown the hated strains of the French revolutionary hymn in groans and hisses.  

There are different ways of singing at sight. So Händel found out one time, on a visit to Ireland. He was detained at a certain point for several days, and wishing to prove some copied parts of the "Messiah," he arranged to have several choristers of the town where he was, meet him and study the music with him. But one fellow failed so completely that Händel turned on him in wrath and cried:

"You schountrel! Did you nod dell me dat you could sing at sight?"

"Yis, sorr, Oi did. And Oi can; but not at first soight!"

Very many readers at first sight seem to be blessed with the gift only of "second sight."  

Many of the pipe organs used in our churches are poor affairs. The church committee that is vested with purchasing power seems generally to be chosen, like jurymen, on account of entire absence of knowledge of the subject in hand,—in this case of music in general and organs in particular. The result is that they are at the mercy of the organ builder in matters of construction, though he is at their mercy in the matter of money; for in many cases the main consideration is to expend as little as possible and get in return not the best action, stop combinations, and material,—but the greatest possible quantity of external display.

Consequently we find organs having the tone quality poor, the key action hard and stiff, the stops requiring