Show 7 X at atie HE first christmas night was gods special be benediction ne diction on UJ music ey DY ills divine sanction 14 it was the means of proclaiming the advent of a ayi hope and happiness hitherto not considered ordained for humanity on uie the night when nuben n the christ child was wag born heavenly angers were sent forth and the music of 0 celestial choirs was heard for the first time tarr e by human huma a oars ears the melody of that glorious hymn came and passed into the harmony of the spheres beyond our ken hen and only the message of peace was handed down to the generations orations erat ions lons to come how different the destiny of music had the pattern of celestial harmony and the melody this the angels song been preserved tor for us it was left for man to find within him self the heavenly music no event in the history of the world bas bag sot set vibrating the finest chords of music in the hearts of the gifted ones equal to the festival of the birth of the christ child the supernatural messengers announcing his 1118 coming the loveliness of character of nis ils mother tho the heavens themselves exulting at ills his birth are subjects which to contemplate but a moment awakens music in the heart and forms a song in the tha stillness thereof that Is tile the echo of that song that rang through the universe that starry night 2000 years ago yet the melody the angels sang was lost mary ills his mother gave vent to the fullness of her heart when she knew that she was to be the chosen one of her people in the magnificent magnificat ni ficat the poetry of which still has power to thrill whenever its spontaneous glorification of the lord Is heard yet the melody the virgin sang Is lost X A N A A V tender lullabye Lul Lui labys were crooned by the young mother the lullabye lul labys crooned by the young mother in the stillness of the moments when the tha divine child was lulled to sleep have had no listener who passed them on to an eager world v orld what could have been the burden of the intimate things of which the mother sang when the restless world was shut away and the two closely entwined communed together with the knowledge of their destiny hovering about them did she sing him tender baby songs that made no reference to ills divinity or did the she praise him as her god and sing lier her fidelity as she held him close and soothed ills his earthly weariness did she beg of nim him to spare her the suffering she knew awaited them or did she encourage him in tender human fashion to bear the terrible human agony fore ordained tor for him the lullabies lull that soothed the sacred child r were ere never heard by profane ears cars in the life of christ there must have been much music descended from the greatest singer of all times the psalmist david and nis ills advent into the world proclaimed by the singers from his heavenly home there was a human and chine heritage of music woven into the scheme of his existence on earth in the childhood years of the lord what were ills his childish pleasures what were ills childish songs was the soul of the young saviour too sad for singing oraid or did lie ile fashion himself songs from a heavenly source whispered by angels or did ile he sing the songs of his people heard on the lips of I 1 its his companions in the synagogue did he praise his father after the manner of david and to the tune of the lute and was his sacred voice heard beard when ire he read from the scriptures the songs the saviour sang have vanished yet the music of that sacred time Is not lost for it Is born again in the hearts of the great composers bit by the me was the christmas night has come back to us distilled from the pens of the specially chosen and who Is there to say it Is not akin to the music of the celestial choirs the inexplicable urge of metody melody the grandeur of 0 musical thought though the loftiness of inspiration must surely be from the same source as was the music that was heard beard but once on earth it was not without intent that the message of peace was sent out on the wings of 0 song tor for that Is the power of music to bring peace nor was it by chance that the melody came from the heavens tor for ever the inward eyet eyes of the soul turn heavenward under aade the influence of oe great earthly music the radiance of the star shines in the heart under the touch of melody and the soul expands to a fuller comprehension lien slon of the promises for eternity washington star W service |