CHAPTER IX

SANG IN THEIR OWN TONGUES

What seems to me important and inspiring is that in hours of deep religious emotion Christian faith in different nations should find expression in the same words.

--_The Christian Advocate._

Wondrous power of music!...

It touches the chords of memory, and brings back the happy scenes of the past.

In the rude mining camp, cut off by the snows of winter, in the narrow cabin of the ship ice-bound in the Arctic seas, in the bare, dark rooms of the war-prison where the captive soldiers are trying to beguile the heavy time in company, tears steal down the rough cheeks when some one strikes up the familiar notes of "Home, Sweet Home." ...

It borrows the comfort of hope.

It drops the threads of sorrow one by one, and catches the beams of light reflected from the future, and weaves them in among its harmonies, blending, brightening, softening the mystic web, until we are enclosed, we know not how, in a garment of consolation, and the cold, tired heart finds itself warmed, and rested, and filled with courage.

Most gracious ministry of music!

--_"Six Days in the Week," by Henry van Dyke_ (Charles Scribner's Sons).

Chinese and Americans Sang a Negro Spiritual

The distinguished Negro musician who was the guest of honor of The Hymn Society of America at its spring meeting, in 1944, was Dr. Harry T. Burleigh, who had then been associated for half a century with the music of St. George's Church, New York City. This prominent man began by tracing his love of music to his mother, and also his blind grandfather, who taught him many, many of the old Negro melodies when a lad. Then, perseveringly, he won a scholarship at the National Conservatory of Music in New York.

After relating how much of his time had been devoted to the task of arranging and composing Negro spirituals he sat at the piano and thrilled his audience as he sang these beautiful songs: "Weeping Mary," "Go Down in the Lonesome Valley to Meet Your Saviour There," "I'm Seeking for a City, Hallelujah!" "Lord, I Want to be a Christian."

Happily there was present that day the Rev. Timothy Tingfang Lew, professor at Yengching University, Chengtu, West China. He narrated how there was produced in China a common hymnal for the leading evangelical churches, and stated that "the present Chinese hymnbook, 'Hymns of Universal Praise,' was the result of effective team-work." Included in this book was, he indicated, "Lord, I Want to Be a Christian," and suggested that they all sing it with Dr. Burleigh. Everybody liked the idea.

Two Chinese missionaries were accompanying Dr. and Mrs. Lew; so these four sang it in the Chinese language, while the others sang in English. Thus their voices blended in one of the beloved spirituals of the Negro race, while they were accompanied by a Negro on the piano.

"Lord, I want to be a Christian, In-a my heart, in-a my heart Lord, I want to be a Christian In-a my heart."

Writers of hymns, composers of tunes, church organists and choir leaders were in that company of men and women who joyfully sang the verses of that beloved spiritual, and their faces were radiant as they came to the words:

"Lord, I want to be like Jesus In-a my heart, in-a my heart, Lord, I want to be like Jesus In-a my heart."

The entire company felt and affirmed that the effect was most touching.

When the United States entered World War II five leaders of the Salvation Army, who knew what American youth liked to sing, and what is also profitable for them, made a small selection of hymns for the use of the armed forces in both their religious services and social gatherings. That thin little book wisely contained the appealing spiritual:

"Lord, I want to be a Christian."

Thus it went around the world with our American lads. The people of Great Britain, the newspapers affirmed, became greatly attached to it, and particularly enjoyed hearing it sung by the colored soldiers.

Christmas Carols in Two Tongues

"It required an attentive ear to notice that the singing was in two languages at once," said a reporter in _The New York Times_ when he gave a vivid description of the Christmas service conducted in the First Chinese Church in New York City on the Sunday following Christmas Day, in 1946. Children took a very prominent part, especially in the rendering of Christmas music.

The building was decorated in the traditional fashion. Both the United States flag and that of the Chinese were displayed, and between them was a white banner with "red cut-out characters saying 'Merry Christmas' in Chinese." Various Christmas exercises were rendered, and then a speaker emphasized the fact that Christmas belongs to everybody.

Together they sang, "The First Noel" and "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing."

Before the service closed the "two stars of the program, small brothers," sang the lovely hymn attributed to Martin Luther:

"Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head. The stars in the sky looked down where He lay, The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay."

"It was a big day for these Chinese children and their parents," commented the reporter. For many visitors, also, it was a time of happiness. The joyful strains of Christmas music make human hearts glad wherever the story of the Christ Child is told.

"Everybody Knows 'Holy Night'"

"Can we not sing something together?" This was the question asked in the days of the First World War at a gathering in the Young Women's Christian Association in Boston.

"Why," someone exclaimed, "how can we?" Then she added, "There is no language which all of us speak."

The answer appeared to be discouragingly decisive until a French girl made a happy suggestion. "But tunes," said she, "are the same, and there ought to be a tune which we all know, even if we have to sing different words."

"Everybody knows 'Holy Night,'" remarked a young woman of large musical ability, born in Russia. Her parentage was English and German, and she had cousins in each of the three nations. She sat down at the piano and began to play the song.

An American concert singer with a rare voice, invited in for the occasion, stood by her and led. Those who spoke English began to sing:

"Silent night, holy night, All is calm, all is bright."

One after another others joined, and soon, French, Swiss, German, Austrian, Belgian, Pole, Russian and Italian were all singing together the same message to the same music--but each in her own tongue.

"If we all start from Christ," said Henry Churchill King, who once related this incident, "the nations can come into harmony, even though each sings in its own tongue."

Unifying Influence of Song at Eastertide

The spirit of Easter has an exhilarating effect on all peoples in Christian lands. The following from the news columns of _The New York Times_ on Easter Monday (April 26, 1943) indicates that representatives of various nationalities entered into the joy of the festive season. Among the many services described that day was the sunrise service at Central Park, as follows:

More than 6,000 persons gathered for the annual service on the Mall in Central Park at 7 A.M. A group of Waves and Spars and members of the Marine Corps Auxiliary served as ushers. The services were principally musical, with the singing of Easter hymns by various foreign-language groups, as well as hymns in English.

The services were opened with the singing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" by Miss Lucy Monroe, accompanied by the Maritime Band, and continued with the singing of hymns by choirs from foreign-language churches in the metropolitan area. Twelve Mohawk Indians in tribal regalia, the choir of the Cuyler Presbyterian Church, Brooklyn, sang "Up From the Grave He Rose," and a group of sixteen Chinese children sang the same hymn in their native tongue.

The choir of the Russian Evangelical Pentecostal Church sang the hymn, "He Arose From the Dead," in Russian, and "He Lives" was sung by an Italian choir led by the Rev. D. Lisciandrello, pastor of Calvary Church, Brooklyn.

Other foreign language groups participating included the Syrian Protestant Church, Brooklyn; the Spanish Christian Church, and a Polish choir.

People of many lands, therefore, sang in their own tongue the glad story of the resurrection of Christ.