[Editor: This article, regarding Christmas was published in the “Stray notes” section in The Week (Brisbane, Qld.), 17 December 1887.]
Christmas music.
Whatever doubt may be thrown over the genuineness of that carol which the angels sang, there can be no doubt as to its beauty in thought and utterance. If angels did not use the words, they were good enough to come from angels.
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill to men,” is expressive of sentiments than which one cannot think of anything nobler. The singing only then began, it has been kept up ever since. Human brains do not conceive things capable of more numerous combinations and permutations than that angel song or the theme of it.
The mighty Handel was touched by its beauty, inspired by its genius. It gives the keynote to his triumphant production, the “Messiah.” But Handel did not improve on the original. I never heard that he thought he had done so. His music may focus all the best things in harmony and melody, but it leaves “Glory to God in the highest” where the angels left it, ringing through the world and down the ages, where it rolls in language unknown to Handel, and where it will roll when Handel’s work is forgotten, or wherever it lives, not because of Handel’s music but because of Handel’s theme.
The smaller lights of music have tuned their harps. Poets have sung their sweetest and best, but there has been no imitation, no replica of the elegy of the plains of Bethlehem. Charles Wesley, Tate, Byron, Heber, Keble, Watts, Luther, all have essayed to woo the goddess supposed to inspire poets. The great Milton, too, did his level best, but the theme beat all the poets; and the original remains in calm possession of the glory of being the most fascinating record ever penned.
Source:
The Week (Brisbane, Qld.), 17 December 1887, p. 15
Also published in:
The Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld.), 24 December 1887, p. 2
[Editor: Changed “which oae cannot” to “which one cannot”, “Human brains does not” to “Human brains do not”, “Byrom” to “Byron”, “fasinating record” to “fascinating record”.]
[Editor: The original text has been separated into paragraphs.]
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