Page:Letters of Life.djvu/141

Rh Sabbath worship. We were instructed the remainder of the time by our own regular choir-leader.

The gentleman to whom I was first indebted for initiation into the rules and practice of sacred vocal music, was a resident in a distant part of the State. He was somewhat past middle age, of a very comely aspect, and sufficiently scientific. I now recall the thrill of pleasure with which, having completed the rather long process of examining the voice, and what was technically called "learning the gamut," we were permitted to execute our first tune—a simple, common metre, in the minor key. It was called "Lebanon," and is probably out of print in modern collections of music; but its notes, which I now sing while I write, give force to the plaintive words to which they were wedded:

We were led on gradually to complex music, elaborate anthems, and some of the noble compositions of Handel. The teacher had in his book some pieces of music not contained in any selections which we had opportunity to purchase. When these were given out, it was necessary to copy them for the classes; and he, being more expert with the voice than the pen, deputed this