Music is the perfect rhythm of broken Silences.

As the Spectroscope breaks the white light to the gaze in perfect and harmonious division of color, so does perfect music (through harmonics) break the white silence of the Soul into rapturous sound.

Here, again, Mathematics becomes the one perfect means of expression. Poetry may well be the twin sister of Music, but perfect music requires no other language than itself. Properly, Love and Worship should form its only themes, since these are the Divine Emotions of the Spirit; and the Masters of Music have made these the themes of their most perfect compositions.

We find many of the sources of the inspiration of Music in the poetic mythological histories of nations.

The pipings of Sweet Pan lead us to its primal well-springs; Aeolus breathes it to us from the pulsations of the air; Orpheus touches his magic lute and we are silent before htm; Apollo sweeps his Stellar Harp and we bend, we praise, we adore.

Where Isis lulled the Infant Horus, the soft-voiced Naiades sang their soothing songs, and far, far in the first Eden of Earth all Nature breathed and pulsated to the Morning Song of Eros.

When Angels of Music touch the chords of their perfect harmony on earth, the nations, the ages listen. A perfect composition sung by a perfect human voice is as the voice of an Angel. Perfect choral music is as a choir of Angels. One violin in the hands of a Master is as the Music of Heaven.

Perfect orchestration will combine every sound known in Nature and Art into one sublime symphony - sometime.

Harps of the forest, we sigh for you. Sobbings and sighings, what do you say?

Waves of the seashore, broken into white spray, sun gilt or storm-tossed, we bow with you upon the sands - we sob, we weep!

Egypt, Babylon, Palestine, Phoenicia, Greece, Italy (all the Latin nations), Germany, all the Anglo Saxon nations have their typical music.

The songs of a people are its heart beats.

The Hymns of a people are its Soul, and there must be words from the heart and soul to accompany the sweet sounds.

The Orchestration of a people is its Soul, Spirit, Mind and Heart, merged into One.

When the Master is there (the composer may also be the performer, the conductor), then the Soul and body of Music are perfectly united, are one.

We must briefly trace those lives in Music that are near enough to touch your spirits with their surpassing strains. A century ago Italy was the acknowledged home of Music, the shrine of all sweet sounds, as it was of Painting and Sculpture. As earlier was Greece the Shrine of Art. But it was not the birthplace of all, or even many of the geniuses that were hastening into the culminating period of Music; nor of the Angels of the Groups that stood ready to reach the earth with the rapturous music of the skies. Ah, yes, the Italian music was supreme for a period. Its matchless melody was the cause of its supremacy, but only for a time do we linger amid those enchanting strains.

Here they come, surging to the century of culminations on the waves of the northern seas, on the wings of the northern breezes, from the Halls of Valhalla they cornel The breath of Odin still upon them, the kisses of Frieda (Frizza) still on their lips:

Handel, Master of the Music of Worship.

Mozart, Master of pure tone; composer, performer.

Beethoven, Master of the Soul of Sound; the deep.

Schumann, deep.

Mendelssohn, Master of Aerial Music.

Scores and scores of lesser musicians, until we arrive; we reach the height; we know for whom the centuries have waited:

Wagner I

Scorned, derided, ridiculed, now all music that is written, even by Italian composers, is Wagnerized. Once, one or many could sing or play the score of the Musician. Now they must live it, must embody it.

What Michelangelo is to sculpture, painting, architecture, is Wagner to Dramatic Music (the opera).

From the Italian to the German schools of music is a long stride. The world of sentimental Music lovers reveled in the former; but the Harp of the Universe was strung in Germany, and we pass from Verdi, Donizetti, to the Masters of Germany almost without a pang. In the Northlands we find them.

England has yielded her masters. France has touched the popular mind and heart, the Western Continent has added its wonderful echoes, but German Music rules the world today.

More than any other Art (except perfect language), is Music allied to Religion, and even there succeeds, where language (as expressing ideas and emotions), fails. The Churches, realizing this, often cause Music to occupy more than one-half the time and importance of the usual service; and most of the service on unusual occasions, especially the Roman Catholic and "High-church" branch of the Protestant Episcopal Churches.

As a reaction against this appeal to the senses some of the denominations of Christian worshipers have abolished all Art as sensuous: the paintings, carvings and music of the Churches. The early "Reformers," the Quakers, primitive Methodists, Puritans, etc., rejected all aids to religious exercises (except, sometimes, the singing of simple hymns by the congregation), but more recently music, art, flowers, all desirable adjuncts to "worship," have been restored and many times take the place of the more spiritual exaltation and teaching, but next to silence music will always be the perfect language of love and devotion.