Chants, Services, Anthems; THEIR WORDS, DESCRIPTION, AND CHOICE : SOME FEW DETAILS AMONG SO MANY OF INTEREST TO CATHEDRALS. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY THOMAS GEORGE LOMAX, LONDON: SOLD BY JOSEPH MASTERS, ALDERSGATE STREET, AND NEW BOND STREET. MDCCCLVIII. 138. d. 139. ΤΟ THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD, WALTER KERR, By Divine Permission Lord Bishop of Salisbury, AND PRECENTOR OF THE PROVINCE OF CANTERBURY, (WHO KINDLY CONCEDES THE PRIVILEGE,) THIS LITTLE BOOK, WITH ALL ITS FAULTS, IS HUMBLY DEDICATED, IN MEMORY OF One WHOSE MEMORY HIS LORDSHIP AS A DEAR SON, AND I AS A BEFRIENDED SERVANT, MUST EVER HONOUR AND LOVE. PREFACE. On the final Review of our Liturgy, at the Restoration, James Clifford, minor Canon of S. Paul's, edited the Archetypal collection of "[Chants; Words of] Divine Services and Anthems [some collateral subject-matter,] &c." The second edition of his interesting little work (black letter, 1664) may still be met with in (the British Museum and) rare and curious collections. Thenceforward periodically, as the musical repertoires of Metropolitan and Provincial Cathedrals expanded for the reception of fresh musical stores, more enlarged, or again, more exclusive, selections of "Words, &c.," issued, under the care, . in 1712, of the Subdean of H. M. Chapels Royal, and Dr. Croft; ... in 1736, of Carleton; . . . in 1749, of Pordage; . . . in 1769, of Bayley; in 1795, of Pearce; these last two almost contemporaneously with the wellknown collections of Cathedral Music by Drs. Boyce and Arnold respectively. Since the latter date, no general collection of Cathedral Music of considerable magnitude by English Composers (except Page's Harmon. Sac.) appeared; until about fifteen years ago an impulse was given, the vis viva whereof is manifest now. Chants, Services, Anthems, similar or supplemental to previously complete or incomplete editions, were undertaken by Dr. Marshall, Messrs. Goss and Turle, Dr. Rimbault, Mr. Novello, and our own (Dr. Boyce reanimated as it were and happily once more restored to us) Sir F. Ouseley, of whose original and selected compositions some will be recognised in the small space of these pages, engaged moreover this very year in editing a Collection of Anthems. Pending the issue of this last work, "Words of Anthems" in quick sympathy with the mind of the Church all the year round, (or, at the least, during the Sacramental half year from Advent to Trinity) have been so impervious to the Author's search, that one only is known to him, the Motett Society's Anthems for Festivals; the Music is first-rate; the Words most admirably chosen; alas! with rarely an exception the " composures " are foreign, and affiliated to entirely ungenuine words or syllables. Without re-opening the question whether Præneste's gifted denizen or any of his followers excelled or equalled or improved (he certainly could not have originated) the excellencies of Robert White, Tye, Tallis, Gibbons, and the like; the Author must be excused from ignoring at once the whole school of English Cathedral Great Masters; a school which, even allowing it to have died out with Dr. Boyce, "outlasted " to use the words of a high authority "in duration, even the greatest school of Painting, in the world." The present work aims at indicating a practicable number of the best Cathedral Compositions for Precentors to choose from, without entailing an endless liability of change or derangement whenever this or that voice may be absent. Abbreviation, a precedent notoriously and judiciously set by our best Choirs, in such instances as "Behold how good and joyful," (Battishill), "O LORD, Thou hast searched," (Croft), &c. &c. &c., has been enough, perhaps just enough, acted upon in the present compilation. Another precedent, transposition upwards, to lessen the absolute dependence on the presence of double voices, has been charily followed, denoted in the margin, or implied all along, as on pages 97, 121. The fault, if fault it be, that the choice of Services and Anthems, to which the present collection was confined, embraces too many easy too many ornamental ones, too few severe compositions, too few "verses for men," may surely be counterbalanced by its almost constant practicability, and the avoidance of unnecessary and presumptuous dogmatism. Is not eclecticism the less evil of the two? As will be seen the stream flows on Spaced printing, (troublesome in so small a form), the determination to avoid turning a leaf in the course of any one subject, the purposely limited number of pages, the desire to satisfy inquiries which in years past have emanated from various quarters, on the part of incepting as well as finished Choristers, of rural as well as urban choirs, have interfered with all "lucidus ordo," necessitating much abruptness, disconnection and disparity of topics. The errata are now exposed in every way, they scarcely could mislead. Out of the existing materials here, perhaps a sufficiently characteristic variety of Anthem Tables more or less pointedly in accord with the dial of the Church Year, is displayed for Precentors to examine. Twelve pages (98 and following) might be of service to quite rudimentary, (almost to chaotic atoms of) choirs, while the really profound musician will be the last to deride or misapprehend their object or intrinsic worth. The suggestion to develop the Pedal Organ carries a step further and completes a valuable feature in the plan of Robson's noble Organ at Huddersfield (and elsewhere). Besides indirectly saving an outlay of perhaps a thousand pounds in the effects so economically obtainable, it has distinct advantages. The fault is a nominal majority of 4 foot Registers in the ensemble. It is not so great a fault as the usual mode of coupling Grt. Org. Bass to Ped. Org. The weight of wind on this developed Ped. Org. may be constant for any given stop, heavier doubtless on the Harmonic Flute and Tuba than on the Violone. If this book should soon fall, as I trust it may, in the way of Choristers for whose sake I have purposely enlarged a suggestive index, page 130, to prompt them to curiosity and study; my young friends will see that it would be out of place in a circumscribed book like this to carry any further towards completeness the few hints earnestly offered them: beyond therefore the 9th section of the 1st Book of the immortal Principia, if happily they get so far, they will be at no loss for books (on Physical Astronomy) and advice from those far better able to inform them. But there are better books than these. Dear young friends, you doubtless often think of the line in your "Devout Chorister," Vide ut quod ore cantas, corde credas, et quod corde credis operibus comprobes. And Oh! be ready for Communion, and so, for ye know not the hour, be ready for your LORD. It seems not unlikely that the musical Service and Anthem may gradually become assimilated to the homophonal and antiphonal (but unisonal) recitative for voices, with rich and majestic Organ harmonies (but rarely loud except at the vocal pauses), Gregorian tones (real or supposed) and the stilted coralè recurring as frequent subjects. Utopian and visionary schemes are in agitation where men are restlessly good. The Madrigal style (an inaccurate but intelligible epithet) under different phases (such as Rogers in A minor, Gibbons in F, Elvey in A, and other species,) possesses, however, certain proprieties: and will not, says the amiable and instructive Mr. Jebb, be so soon likely to die out. Reader, let us cordially close with the like wish and hope. Many points (not now) attended to would help congregations to hear (and join in) the words. It is not needful to ignore or supersede the actual Cathedral Choirs-a rash or reluctant alternative which many a one, now perchance committed to it, might rue. Forget Tallis? forget Purcell? No! like the heart-broken Queen of Sweden they would have to face a great change and try and try in duty so to do, "but-the Rose! the Rose !-they could never forget!" Cathedral Close, Easter, 1858. Hans Andersen. |