one or two persons appeared at the doors of the houses in the side scenes, as though to ascertain what the uproar meant; ere long the head of a procession appeared, and soon the whole stage was filled by a shouting, excited multitude of men, women, and children-some of the latter being little more than infants. Louder and louder swelled their Hosannas, when the object of all this tumultuous rejoicing "meek, and sitting upon an ass," rode in, accompanied by His twelve disciples. Surely there was not a heart in all that audience, that did not beat fast as the eye rested for the first time upon that pale, sad face, apparently wearied unto death with the weight of "the sins of all the world." Slowly dismounting from the ass, He, after a few words to His disciples, enters the Temple, and finds traders there carrying on their impious traffic. He upbraids them, and with a simple dignity, impossible to describe, overthrows their money-tables, and drives them with thongs from the place. After speaking a few words to the people, He withdraws with the disciples and the curtain falls. This ended the first of the seventeen divisions of the Play. now re-entered, and the Type and Antitype followed in due course, and in the same order as already described; the two succeeding scenes in the council-chamber being wonderfully realistic. The third division, the parting of our Lord from His mother, was one of the most touching of all, the whole audience, both men and women, being affected to tears. The fourth division was taken up chiefly by the arrangement between Judas and the Priests for the betrayal of Christ. The fifth division, showing our Lord washing His disciples' feet, was also very remarkable. It was done with such a marvellous grace and dignity that, although the act was thoroughly completed, and occupied considerable time, there was no sense of monotony or weariness produced. The following division represented our Lord on Mount Olivet. The disciples fall asleep, whilst the Saviour, bending to the ground, prays aloud three times; at the third time the angel appears strengthening Him. Immediately following this was the scene of the Betrayal. Then came the

The chorus

examinations before Annas the High Priest, and Caiaphas and the Council; the mocking and buffeting-the latter done with an amount of realism almost too painful to witness; the suicide of Judas; the trial before Pilate, and afterwards Herod; the scourging of Jesus; the investiture with the kingly robe, sceptre, and crown of thorns-a scene which from its intense reality, was most harrowing to the feelings; the last trial before Pilate— the Virgin Mother being present-ending with His condemnation to death.

Then succeeded the scene of the Via Crucis: our Lord, sinking beneath the weight of the Cross, and dragged hither and thither by the brutal soldiery, who hail every stumble with shouts of execration and mockery. Simon, the Cyrenian, is however, compelled to bear the cross, when our Lord turns to the weeping women, and addresses them in those touching words, "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children." The Blessed Virgin with St. John and the Magdalene follow at a distance.

And now, as the great scene of the Redemption draws near, the chorus appears attired in mourning. The principal member no longer sings his recitative, but speaks it with an instrumental accompaniment of a mournful character. The curtain then rose upon the scene of the crucifixion. The three crosses are there. Those on which the two thieves are hanging, are already in an upright position. The centre one still lies upon the earth, and upon it rests the figure of our Lord. This is shortly raised and fixed into the ground, during which process the figure drags heavily downward, to all appearances the nails in the hands being the only support. Then the soldiers begin to part His garments between them, and cast lots for the seamless coat. The Blessed Virgin with St. John and the Magdalene now approach the cross, and our Lord utters the words, "Woman, behold thy son." Soon follows the cry, "Eloi, eloi, lama, sabachthani," which is answered by derisive shouts and laughter from the soldiers. Again He speaks, "I thirst;" and the sponge filled with

vinegar is coarsely pressed to His mouth and quietly rejected. Then with His last parting breath He sighs," Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit." Immediately terrible sounds of earthquake succeed, and fear and horror are depicted in every face. Many of those who mocked and reviled Him rush from the scene, whilst a priest arrives and breathlessly announces the rending of the veil of the temple. The soldiers, however, untouched by these fearful visitations, proceed to break the legs of the two malefactors, and are approaching the body of our Lord when the Magdalene passionately calls their attention to the fact that He is already dead, and defends His Body from their touch; the Centurion, however, with a spear pierces His side, from which flow blood and water; the body is then taken down from the Cross.

A most vivid pourtrayal of the succeeding events in the history of our Lord follows, viz., the Entombment, the Resurrection, and the Ascension; the latter scene bringing this wonderful drama to a close.

Little remains to be added, except to record one or two general impressions. First as to the acting. From the principal character down to the members of the chorus, the power, grace and appropriateness of action exhibited by each would have suggested that all the theatres in Europe had been ransacked for actors for this play but for one fact. Not once through the whole day did a stage trick exhibit itself. All was perfectly natural. A matter equally astonishing was the manner in which each actor reproduced the conventional appearance of the character he represented, without the use of false hair, beard, or any theatrical arrangements. But most remarkable of all is the fact that the six hundred people who take part in these performances all belong to OberAmmergau-a village of only one thousand inhabitants. Perhaps the least satisfactory part of the play was the music. The orchestra-though much better than might have been anticipated in such a place was by no means perfect. Nor were any of the voices in the chorus at all remarkable

perhaps with the exception of one soprano. It should be mentioned, however, that in addition to many other advantages pertaining to the Christus, his speaking voice is one of the most beautiful and characteristic I ever heard.

To those who are disposed to doubt the advantage of seeing such a performance, I can say with truth, that had the representation come in the slightest degree below the high ideal I had formed in my own mind, the effect upon me would have been disastrous. But, on the contrary, it was higher. And to such as might imagine that a representation of certain historical facts-in a language not clearly understandable, would prove uninteresting, I have only to say that, so intensely enthralling was it to me, that from the time of taking my seat-a quarter before seven in the morning-to the time of my leaving it-five o'clock in the afternoon-I had no notion whatever of the passing of time. And had there been nothing else to be said in favour of this Play, the fact that nearly six thousand persons of all nationalities and nearly all shades of religious opinion, met on the ground of their common Christianity, to witness and be deeply moved by a representation of the Redemption of mankind, could hardly fail to be an advantage in these days of sectarian intolerance.-Musical Times.

JOSEPH BARNBY.

HOW TO SING THE SERVICE WELL.

THE great changes now being made in the Choir, and the consequent evident interest that is kindled in the musical conduct of the service; the invitation to the members of the congregation to take their part in this revival of sweet song; and lastly, the hearty, zealous spirit of our Choir-Director, must set us, both Choir and Congregation, asking ourselves: How can we Sing the Service Well? how render it more worthy of Him to whom it is offered ? how make it more like the songs which the angels sing. How is this to be achieved? Such would seem the pressing question at this time.

For I think there is but
It is this: Live well,

I will make bold to answer it. one answer, and that a very plain one. if you would sing well. Or, to put it in Scriptural language, "Whatsoever thou doest do it with all thy might, as unto the "Lord, and not as unto men."

This way and this way only will our songs of praise, as all else, be well and worthily done.

We are told that the great painters of the Sacred Story such as Fra Angelico, and others, never put touch to picture without either meditation, prayer, or Holy Communion. And I much fear that we, in these days, are not so spiritually their superiors, that we can do worthy work for God without such aid.

Music is our painting, by means of which we picture to the soul the beauties and joys of Heaven, even the very love of God. We cannot paint these fair pictures for the soul with a worldly mind. We must be holy to be happy; we must be happy to sing. In order, therefore, to sing well, we must live Christian lives.

C. ANDERSON.