The Preface: My Introduction
When I was about 12 years old, I was sitting in my family's Methodist church one Sunday flipping through the Methodist Book of Hymns (1964 edition, I believe). It was hard to find many hymns I liked, though there were a few. But then I happened on page viii, the "Directions for Singing" excerpted from John Wesley's preface to the 1761 publication of "Sacred Melody", one of the Wesley brothers' great hymnals. Looking back, I believe this was the first "preface" I'd actually read, and it stuck with me for its brevity, its pointedness, and the certainty and authority with which its author spoke. The fact that the kind of enthusiastic singing championed by Wesley helped sell me on a Presbyterian church later in life ("These people must really believe this stuff; listen to how loud they're singing!") may have made it continue to stick in my memory. In any case, I've paid special attention to "Prefaces" ever since.
Here is the 1968 Methodist Hymnal's excerpt from Wesley's 1761 Preface in full, copied direclty from the hymnal given "for the glory of God" in memory of my great-grandmother, Estella Ponder, by my mother's sister Maxine and her husband Bill:
"I. Learn these tunes before you learn any others; afterwards learn as many as you please.
"II. Sing them exactly as they are printed here, without altering or mending them at all; and if you have learned to sing them otherwise, unlearn it as soon as you can.
"III. Sing all. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a slight degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross to you, take it up, and you will find it a blessing.
"IV. Sing lustily [!] and with a good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, than when you sung the songs of Satan.
"V. Sing modestly. Do not bawl, so as to be heard above or distinct from the rest of the congregation, that you may not detroy the harmony; but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound.
"VI. Sing in time. Whatever time is sung be sure to keep with it. Do not run before nor stay behind it; but attend close to the leading voices, and move therewith as exactly as you can; and take care not to sing too slow. This drawling way naturally stales on all who are lazy; and it is high time to drive it out from us, and sing all our tunes just as quick as we did at first.
"VII. Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to do this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve here, and reward you when he cometh in the clouds of heaven."
Here is the 1968 Methodist Hymnal's excerpt from Wesley's 1761 Preface in full, copied direclty from the hymnal given "for the glory of God" in memory of my great-grandmother, Estella Ponder, by my mother's sister Maxine and her husband Bill:
"I. Learn these tunes before you learn any others; afterwards learn as many as you please.
"II. Sing them exactly as they are printed here, without altering or mending them at all; and if you have learned to sing them otherwise, unlearn it as soon as you can.
"III. Sing all. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a slight degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross to you, take it up, and you will find it a blessing.
"IV. Sing lustily [!] and with a good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, than when you sung the songs of Satan.
"V. Sing modestly. Do not bawl, so as to be heard above or distinct from the rest of the congregation, that you may not detroy the harmony; but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound.
"VI. Sing in time. Whatever time is sung be sure to keep with it. Do not run before nor stay behind it; but attend close to the leading voices, and move therewith as exactly as you can; and take care not to sing too slow. This drawling way naturally stales on all who are lazy; and it is high time to drive it out from us, and sing all our tunes just as quick as we did at first.
"VII. Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to do this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve here, and reward you when he cometh in the clouds of heaven."
posted by Under The Mountain | 8:11 PM
5 Comments:
I've always liked that particular hymnal for some reason I can't put my finger on. I want to say it's the way the hymns are laid out very readably on the page. I have never been a Methodist and the edition I have is a sad shade of off purple so it's definitely not an overall winner for beauty. Maybe it's the preface, after all.
Yeah, I remember the purple cover. I'm guessing yours is faded; it used to be a pretty bright purple. I think I may have one of those somewhere, too. Somewhere in the late 70s or early 80s they went red, though. Red seems to be the color of choice for hymnals these days.
i think that we need that read aloud at red mountain about once every month. i love it.
Thanks, andrew spear. That's encouraging to me.
Doesn't the Bible talk about people in Heaven constantly singing praise to God? If so, do you think that when we first get there, as part of the Day 1 orientation class, Wesley himself will give this speech?
Post a Comment
<< Home