John Weeks Moore

“ We have visited a village whose whole moral aspect was changed in a few years by the introduction of' music of this character, even among adults, and where the aged were compelled to express their astonishment at seeing the young abandon their corrupting and riotous amusements for this delightful and improving exercise." Music is one of the fine arts ; it therefore deals with abstract beauty, and so lifts man to the source of all beauty - from finite to infinite, and from the world of matter to the world of spirits and to God. Music is the great handmaid to civilization. ”

“ Another consideration which gives music special claims on our regard, as a branch of' culture, is, that the best specimens of the art are within our reach. It is rare that the pupil can ever look, in this country, on the original works of a master, in painting or sculpture. We have engravings, casts, and other copies, but they can give us only faint conceptions of the artist's design, and of his execution hardly an idea. In written music, we have a transcript of the conceptions of the composer, almost as complete as in written poetry, or eloquence, and as easy of access. ”

“ It is worthy of remark, that as the susceptibility to no other art is so universal, so none seems to have so strong an affinity for virtue, and for the purer and gentler affections. It is certain that from the fabled days of Orpheus and Apollo, music has always been regarded as the handmaid of civilization and moral refinement. ”

“ The doctor enjoyed my surprise, and on going out, remarked, ' I always keep these little rogues singing at their work ; for while the children sing, the devil cannot come among them at all ; he can only sit out doors there and growl; but if they stop singing, in the devil comes.' The Bible, and the singing of religious hymns, are amongst the most efficient instruments which he employs for softening the hardened heart, and bringing the vicious and stubborn will to docility." It would seem that so long as any remains of humanity linger in the heart, it retains its susceptibility to music. ”

“ Music can have connection only with our better nature. Abused it doubtless may be ; for which of God's gifts is not abused? but its value, when properly employed as a means of culture, as a source of refined pleasure, and as the proper aid and ally of our efforts and aspirations after good, is clear and unquestionable. "In music," says Hooker, "the very image of vice and virtue is perceived. ”

“ Indeed, the fact, that among the ancients, and in the schools of the middle ages, music was regarded as indispensable in a lull course of education, might of itself teach us that the prejudice in question is founded in error. ”

“ If vocal music were generally adopted as a branch of instruction in these schools, it might be reasonably expected, that in at least two generations we should be changed into a musical people. The great point to be considered, in reference to the introduction of vocal music into popular elementary instruction, is, that thereby you set in motion a mighty power, which silently, but surely in the end, will humanize, refine, and elevate a whole community. ”

“ In all these arts, however, much may be done to call forth and improve the taste of our people. By multiplying exhibitions of art; by extending patronage to native talent for painting and sculpture which abounds among us ; by promoting efforts for the diffusion of a correct taste in music, and a love for that art, so essential in our devotions, and so useful every where ; and finally and especially, by introducing elementary instruction in music into our common schools, - we can do much towards securing a general love for the art. ”

“ All men are more or less susceptible to the influence of music. It is also true that all can acquire the rudiments of the art. It has long been supposed that, in order to learn to sing, a child must be endowed with what is called a musical ear. That this, however, is an error, is evident from experiments which have been made on the most extensive scale in Germany, and which are now repeating in this country. In Germany, almost every child at school is instructed in singing, as well as in reading. ”

“ We have seen them assemble in groups at night, chanting a hymn of' praise for the glories of the heavens, or joining in some patriotic chorus, or some social melody, instead of the frivolous and corrupting conversation which so often renders such meetings the source of evil. ”

“ Since the days of Martin Luther, music has contributed to the refinement of taste and the strengthening of moral feeling. The greatest composers of Germany have consecrated their genius to the service of religion. ”

“ Perhaps no kind of music has so much influence with the multitude as ballad or song singing. Andrew Fletcher once said, " Give me the making of the songs of a nation, and I care not who makes the laws." Foreign travellers have complained of the American people, that they rarely have leisure, and that when they have, they know not how to enjoy it. There is some truth in the remark. We are eminently a working people. ”

“ Let no such man be trusted."
Well may this be said of an art which has power to raise the coarsest veteran to noble sentiments of deeds, and to inspire the rawest and most timorous recruit with a contempt of death. ”

“ A gentleman, who in this country has had more than four thou-sand pupils in music, affirms that his experience gives the same result. The number of schools among us, in which music is made one of the regular branches of elementary instruction, is already great, and is constantly increasing ”

“ It is a thing that delighteth all ages, and beseemeth all states - a thing as seasonable in grief as joy, as decent being added to actions of greatest solemnity as being used when men sequester themselves from actions." Bishop Beveridge says, "That which I have found the best recreation both to my mind and body, whensoever either of them stands in need of it, is music, which exercises both my body and soul, especially when I play myself ”

“ In addition to this, we visited communities where the youth had been trained from child-hood to exercises in vocal music, of such a character as to elevate instead of debasing the mind, and have found that it served in the same manner to cheer the social assemblies, in place of the voice of folly or the poisoned cup of intoxication. We have seen the young men of such a community assembled to the number of several hundreds, from a circuit of twenty miles ”

“ Not a few of the rash adventures and ruinous speculations, by which we have distinguished ourselves in years past, had their origin in a love of excitement, and in our aversion to being without employment. ”

“ Here boys are placed, who have committed offences that bring them under the supervision of the police, to be instructed and rescued from vice, instead of being hardened in iniquity by living in the common prison with old offenders. ”