LANCASTER COUNTY. 227 



auditor. Their music is set in four, six, and eight parts. 

 All the parts, save the bass, are lead and sung exclusive- 

 ly by females, the men being confined to the bass, which 

 is set in two parts, the high and the low bass — the latter 

 resembling the deep tones of the organ, and the first, in 

 combination with one of the female parts, is an excellent 

 imitation of the concert horn. The whole is sung on the 

 falsetto voice, the signers scarcely opening their mouths, 

 or moving their lips, which throws the voice up to the 

 ceiling, which is not high, and the tones, which seem to 

 be more than human, at least so far from common church 

 singing appears to be entering from above, and hovering 

 over the heads of the assembly. ^^ 



The reader may form some idea of their music from 

 the following extract of a letter written by a tourist 

 duiing the proprietary administration of Governor 

 Penn : " The counter, treble, tenor, and bass, were all 

 sung by women, with sweet, shrill, and small voices, but 

 with a truth and exactness in time and intonation that 

 was admirable. It is impossible to describe to your 

 Lordship, my feelings upon this occasion. The per- 

 formers sat with their heads reclined, their countenances 

 solemn and dejected, their faces pale and emaciated from 

 their manner of living, the clothing exceeding white and 

 quite picturesqe, and their music such as thrilled to the 

 very soul ; I almost began to think myself in the world 

 of spirits, and that the objects before me were ethereal. 

 In short, the impression this scene made upon my mind, 

 continued strong for many days, and I believe, will never 

 be wholly obliterated." 



Tliis music is lost, entirely now, at Ephrata ; not the 

 music books, but the style of singing; they never 

 attempt it any more. It is, however, still preserved and 

 finely executed, though in a faint degree, at Snow hilly 



