Newspapers / Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, … / Jan. 23, 1921, edition 1 / Page 16
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- A ALEXANDER THE CHOIR-SMITH Some Personal Reminiscences Ht WILLIAM WOODFORD BOCK A cJJ Eighteen years ago In the city of Melbourne. Australia, preparations were on foot for an evangelistic cam paign on I scale hitherto unknown tn the land of the Sputbern cross. A great choir of 1,000 roices had been organized, and had already began -to meet for practice. The two American evangelists who were to conduct the campaign had not yet arrived. But there had landed from the American boat a young man who said in a slow, quiet vole that he had come "to. help a If ttle with the singing." This young man dropped into meeting of the executive committee, where he had to Introduce himself. , Some members of the committee were a little suspicious that this unknown singer from America might introduce x innovations that would jar the relig- ious susceptibilities of the Australian public, and the chairman hinted as delicately as he could, that they did , rot wish any sensational methods in the campaign. By way "of replyT the youBg man leaned across the table, flashed his winsome smile, and gripped the speaker's hand. Jn'that moment the two men understood each other, and the young man had captured the executive committee. One of the four . secretaries present said to a friend: "There's something about that fellow I like." In the months that followed. Australia and later tne English-speak lng world, twere captivated by that '"something which baffles accurate definition, but which made the possess cor the incomparable Alexander, Captures Tern Tboauid ' When Charles M. Alexander stepped on the platform before his first Aus tralian audience of 10,000 people, he was a stranger to most of them; when that meeting was over the 10,000 were his friends. Australia is a land of sunshine, and it asks for a religion of . sunshine a religion that ean sing, and set others singing. Alexander (brought fust that kind of a religion. A few days after his arrival, In re sponse to a newspaper man's request for a photograph, he produced a long cut. The editor, unused to a highly lu lustrated press, was a little dismayed at the size of it. He did not know then that this cut was to be the fore runner of a hundred others, or that the original of the ent was to be one pf the attracting forces of tnree great cam paigns throughout the commonwealth. "Wrapped ,around the cut were a few hymn sheets, one of which bore the . title, "The Glory Song." The young singer put his finger Pn it, -There," he said, "is a Gospel song that this country will be singing from end to end, before this campaign is over." His . prophecy was not ambitious enough. Alexander and "The Glory Song" leapt into fame simultaneously in Mel bourne. In cay or two the whole city was singing the song. In a few weeks it swept from one end of the country to the other. The entire Eng lish speaking world has been singing it since. . Charles M. Alexander represented a r i i , I - ' -i i Hinging reunion, no one wuu oas Been that erect, alert figure standing on a platform, with radiant face and up lifted arms, kindling a great audience into song, will ever forget the picture. He had that indefinable touch of ge nius that could draw the suppressed song from the hearts of people. His tall figure, alive wltn !energyf his ra diant face, his mellow voice rich In the broad-vowelled softness of the south, his bubbling humor linked to a passionate earnestness, formed for any audience an irresistable combination. It may be said that Alexander re discovered for the church the function of music in religion. Certainly he res urrected the joyous note in religious music, and the singing of the churches all over the world will gain, as a re suit of his influence, a happier tone, a more uplifting beat, a more spiritual measure. He mastered for himself, : and taught to others, the art of mak ing song the channel and servant' of religious forces. t No other Gospel singer within a cen tury possessed to sucn an, extent the power to make people sing, or to sway a crowd so completely. To take an t audience of anything from tl 5,000 to 10,000 men and women, to gather, as it were, their disconnected strands of thought, and weld mem into a single wire for the dispatcn of the message, is the work of consecrated genius, Gifted with a rare, spontaneous humor, Alexander understood- the psychology of a crowd, although tie hintself never used the term. To an unusual degree he possessed the ability to lift people out of them sed ves, and to make them forget their troubles. i The apex of his evangelistic career was reached in London in 903, where, wUh Dr. R. A. Torrey. he conducted one of the most remarkable meetings himself, the "life and soul", of his . evan gelistic party, as he was of any com, pany, group or coterie- with whom he foregathered? An Australian editor once likened him to "a bit of embodied sunshine." - Living fn close'; contact with him for . a number of . years, the present writer has tried, to discover and define just exactly what is that sunny quality, which lifted him a little and placed him above the ordinary. It must have been that when he was born the sun came out to grace the day.' a laughter-laden breeze sprang up from the south andt drove the last of the clouds over khe horizon until, no thing remained but blue sky and a wind that laughed. - That day crept into the heart of Charles Alexander, - and stay ed there. That sunny quality did not diminish with . the passing of the years. There, were courage and a steadfastness 6f purpose behind it. It was this courage that shone out in dif ficult places, it was this steadfastness that kept Alexander In the .forefront where the trouble was thickest and the fight hardest, and there was, enough of both to inspire otner people not so richly endowed. There - were times when ho ' wis misrepresented, misun derstood and criticised, there were times when he suffered from ' the thoughtless injustice of people who did not understand him, but no one ever heard an unkind word pass, from his lips. 'Always, he was "the captain of his soul." To know, Charles M. Alexander in private life,' and under the roof .of his own hospitable home in Birmingham, England, was a privilege indeed. Andv yet h was exactly the same, man on a platform before 5,000 people, as by hs own fireside with a single friend. With him, religion was woven into the tex-. turo pf body, brain and heart. It was as natural for him to talk about re ligion or to sing about It, as it was to breathe. His religion was not. only a part of him, ft was an atmosphere In which he lived. " ! The doorpf his home, which he call- j ed "Tennessee" in bonor of his native . State, was alwayvs open to visitors from ' all parts of the world Americans, Ca nadians, Australians, missionaries from far-off corners, of tho earth, have so journed there, and have gone away with a new light In their eyes and a pew feope in their hearts. When Alex ander was present, his infectious laugh rang through the house; when he was away, the home no matter how full of people, . seemed strangely empty. An English writer in describing a visit to "Tennessee," says: "WJjen people crit- icised Mr. Alexander, I always wished I could take them to his home." j Friend-Making Genius I Alexander possessed . a genius for making friends, and. what is of great er worth, he had an uncommon genius for helping them. He was equally at home in every strata of society. The porter in a hotel held Just as strong ' a claim upon his interest as the man . who drove up to the front- entrance In a high-powered automobile. Alexander saw in each a possible son of God. I used to think of Charles M. Alexan. der solely as a choir, leader; but I was wrong. Before everything else, he was a winner of souls. Until the last, he still handled large choirs with that rare touch that was peculiarly his own. Until the last, he still swayed-"great audiences witn those strong, compel-? tng hands of his. But the office of cnoir-ieaqer was always secondary, an accessory only to the main purpose of 1 X 11 J. m . m . his me. x miDK me text, "He. that winnetn souls is wise," must haye danced continually before his eyes. mat tnougnt, that ambition, that pur pose was never absent from him. First, last, and all the time, Alexander was a souwwinner, and he died at work Two impressions of my friend nrst and nnai imprint are stamped maeiiDiy upon, my mind. The first is of a man in bed under doctor's orders, a man overflowing with good humor, "u Bnuiea up uiroagn a neavy cold, and asked a few direct questions con cerning the relation of a soul to God, His concern was genuine, his ques tions were put witn a wonderful ten. derness, his earnestness was irresist. able. As an ultimate result of that personal wont in writer became a unristian. . ' The last impression came two months ina wo prove in a taxi xrom a New York hotel to the wharf to say bouu oye io tne singer as he sailed fer a visit to his English home. Alexan der was ln high spirits that mornln. and his humor flowed like a mountain stream. There were four of us In the cito, ana we laugned hllariouslv. it eimraciensuc rareweu. ;on such, occasions Alexander refused to allow anyone to , become mournful. Two diocks rrom tne wharf he paused. His face became serious, and he requested It nick 7-5-3 JOSEIPS COTTONSEED MEAL' AND J1SH SCRAP MIXTURES ; 8 4 1 :. r m ACID PHOSPHATE POTASH As Good As the Best And Better Than the Rest - --; May we serve you this spring for a por tion of your Fertilizer requirements? BL B. Josey Guano Company WILMINGTON. N. C. inlDortanrp nf o K, ness man s nfFair i that his car be absolutely trust worthy. That is why Buick is a favorite among business men. The new Buick Nineteen Twenty One models, powerful and comfortable, are as beauti f ul as they are efficient. There is Authorized1 Buick Service, too, wherever you go. Effective Jtmuary , regular equipment on all models will include cord tires W IF V: (S-731 SUM MOWS W. D. Macllllan, Jr., WHEN BEnm AUIDMOBILES ARE BUILT. BV1CX. WILL Rimn thp Court of Special Session - that Great BriUin has ever seen. Al-f his old friend and colleaeue. Clear exander tOOk th rreat mtrnnnUm T. B. Davis, to ofTer a. nmv n- storm. For two months the Royal Al- j cause of Jesus Christ around the world I ueiore we separated. Alexander was a bert hall, London's greatest auditorium was packed twice daily with audiences of 15,000 people, and It was the song leader who was the attracting force. London had heard many great preach ers, but never before had it seen a man 'who radiated such a joyous religion, and who made the city sing whether it wanted to or not. . A London First Night The opening pight of that campaign is memorable. It was a typical first night English audience, somewhat cold and a good deal inclined to be critical. In the boxes were titled people, and men prominent in public affairs, When Alexander mounted the high rostrum on the platform and looked out with Jhis disarming smile on the great mo saic of human faces, there were some who wondered if he could subdue that vast crowd to his will, as h tin so many others. Behind him sat a cnoir or voices, the largest evan gelistic choir ever organized in Eng land, waiting his word of command The song-leader had only half 'an hour in which to break down a wall of indifference and Inborn prejudice. Much of he future success of "the London work ; depended upon that" opening night, an Alexander knew it. But ha did not hesitate. The choir surpassed itself in its Instant response to the magic of the conductor's hand an voice. Calling into play every faculty and-all his persuasive power, the sonr Jeader coaxed, exhorted, threatened ca joled and laughed the vast audience into singing, and soon there rose . wave of exultant song that proclaimed his victory. "Alexander the Great" was greater than ever that night. Jt was an un doubted, triumph, The daily newspa pers sang his praises in superlative terms, and thus" at the very outset of ,v,.uK..Bi, j g, result of Alexander's work., received an Impetus that did much' to carry it to success Almost over night his Gospel sontrs leapt into a popularity, that was amaz, lng in the phlegmatic city of London The , 'tGlory Song" became beS known than the-latest music hall jin gle, and men and women realized as they had neverdone before the dowpp and uplift of Gospel music. . JBut what shalir.be said of the man man with a Cause, and that Cause was dearer to him than life itself. 1 People have frequently asked, wiat is the 'secret of this man's unuaua.1 power? To me there was never any! auvui n. mm ie was conse crated, to God. In an unusual degree the Lord Jesus Christ was mirrored In that shining: life. It was nt surprise lng, therefore, that In his company you were constantly reminded of the Mas tor, Alexander's greatest contribution to the world was not his gift of song not his collection of Gospel ymns, but this: He showed ts how lo live rauianp unnsijanuy. ) JOWYE tkat you are hereby gujnmoned to appear at the NaUoMlnye and Rubber Company, 208 Market Street, Wilmington, N. O, any day, hour, or any time at your convenience to ascertain t)ie fact thatwecarry the lagest and most complete stock of all standard makes of TIRES and TUBES. We save yon 25 per cent to 45 per cent on all makes 2J 7lr a Tul?es uch as Goodrich, Ikomo. Howe. Fisk, Empire, Century, Plaineld, Lee, National, Etc, We ire the Cut Rate Tire Kings of the South. PREPAREDNESS 1 See us before makirig'your next purchase. Remember the old saying a Word to the Wise. Phone 2251. Call and convince yourself .' i Herein fail ye not. . (Signed) N.T.&R.CO. Judges of all standard make i' Tires at reduced prices Atteat :; W. ,T. 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Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, N.C.)
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Jan. 23, 1921, edition 1
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