Frederick seated himself slowly, gave one quick glance at the choir,
and waved his hand to them. Benda raised his baton and gave the sign
to commence. And now a stream of rich harmony floated through the
chapel. The organ, with its powerful, majestic tones; the trumpets,
with their joyous greeting; the drums, with their thunder, and the
soft, melting tones of the violin and flute, mingled together in
sweet accord.
The king, with head erect and eager countenance, listened to the
beautiful and melodious introduction. He seemed to be all ear, to
have no other thought, no other passion than this music, which was
wholly unknown to him. And now, with a powerful accord, the sweetly
attuned human voices joined in, and the choir sang in melting unison
the Te Deum Laudamus, which resounded solemnly, grandly through the
aisles. The king turned pale, and as the hymn of praise became more
full and rich, his head sank back and his eyes were fixed upon the
floor.
Louder and fuller rose the solemn tones; suddenly, from the midst of
the choir, a soft, melting tenor sang in a sweet, touching voice,
Tuba mirum spargeus sonum. Frederick's head sank still lower upon
his breast, and at last, no longer able to restrain his tears, he
covered his face with his hands.
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