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Show SUNDAY NIGHT CONCERTS . In Success, Mr. Cleveland Moffett, after inveighing inveigh-ing against the extravagance of keeping so much money invested in church property which is little used save one day in the week, tells of the wonderful wonder-ful success of a grand concert given one Sunday tvening in the Church of the Ascension, in New York. Free tickets were sent to 1500 people with a request , that each one would not only come, but bring a friend; that the ticketa were sent to the tenement district mostly, and the church was filled and the audience delighted. ' That all. seems a little strange to Western people, peo-ple, wjiere Sunday night concerts are common, but the idea behind it is good. We believe good would come if more churches were open to Sunday night concerts., : ' " . . ". ; -' ' ; - In. the New York case only superb musicians were, singers and performers took part and their work was gratis. That would do for once or twice, but musicians must live as well as other people and the laborer is worthy of his hire. In a big church an admission fee of 10 cents would hire the musicians and keep the furniture in repair' and the people would pay that. It would.be equal to only two glasses of beer, and those same people pay much more than that sum to attend matinee and night performances in the theater. Whether the churches are the best places is doubtful. The natural place is the theater. In many churches wealthy people pay high pew rents, and do not like to have them open to the crowd; then many devout people have a prejudice against the churches being used for any but strictly religious relig-ious purposes. But any device or arrangement through which the poor of the cities might be given fine Sunday night concerts would have none but good results. It takes them out of poor homes or worse places and the lofty music touches and softens soft-ens their, hearts; more, it strengthens their self-respect self-respect while appealing to their better natures. We would be glad to know that there would be a musical festival with the coming of every Sabbath night. . |