[CHAPTER VII]
STILL MORE MUSIC
AND now each morning there was a song rehearsal on the pasture, for Vinzi had organized a choir among the boys who had good voices. Some of them could not sing, and others would not, but that was not amiss for some had to watch the herd while the rest practised.
Vinzi had long known that Jos and Vereli had the best voices, and he chose them as leaders of his choir, Jos of the high voices, Vereli of the low, and they did their work capitally. They also helped in keeping order, for as soon as the lads learned anything by heart, they wanted to begin singing as soon as Vinzi had given the keynote on his shawm and did not like to be restrained. Jos and Vereli understood this was not according to Vinzi's wishes, and often had much ado to keep the noisy singers quiet until their time came.
Thus the week passed and Sunday came, the day Vinzi had chosen to carry out his project. Had his choir not been sufficiently well-trained, he would gladly have waited another week, for Sunday it must be, in order to fulfil his plan.
Jos and Vinzi marched up the mountain with their troupe of singers. The procession grew as it advanced, other boys joining them from the scattered cottages along the way. Some who were not singers came too, just to listen and to see what happened.
As usual, the grandfather was sitting on his bench in the warm sunshine, letting the refreshing mountain breeze fan his ruddy cheeks. He looked questioningly on the approaching crowd. Vinzi, Jos and Vereli were in the lead and came up to within a few feet of the old man. The others grouped themselves about and Vinzi began to play a merry tune. But soon the notes changed into a sadder strain, and finally sounded like real lamentations, as though someone were begging for mercy. Here the choir joined in and sang softly, as though to awake hope with the words:
"Yes, the holy hymn of grace."
And then the shawm again sounded its plaintive strain until the choir repeated in louder and fuller volume:
"Yes, the holy hymn of grace."