There the quartette sang the "Kyrie," and "Gloria in Excelsis" from the
masses of Mozart and Haydn. An edition had just been published and
forwarded from London, and by degrees they became familiar to us as
household words. Did it not seem strange, you may ask, that these
radical thinkers and "come-outers" from ordinary forms of society,
should turn with pleasure to the emanations of a profoundly
conservative church? I answer that, having freed their minds from
sectarian prejudices, they recognized beauty and genius wherever found,
and did not care what church or creed they had served, so that they
found the gift of beauty from the infinite Father to man in them. With
one glorious soprano voice and boundless talent, how much of joy was
added to the circle! How we revelled in the choice creations of the
masters of harmony, and how, slowly but surely, the missing link that
was wanting in my mind to realize that music could cover the void that
separated sound from feeling, came to its place--I am tempted to tell.
The sweet songstress was asked to sing. Did she make excuses? Of course
she would do so to follow traditional usage. She must have a slight
cold, she must think she won't, must be coaxed, and then--why, do it
with a grace.
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