Organ Music

Source: The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular, Vol. 39, No. 669 (Nov. 1, 1898), pp.
729-730
Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd.
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/3366814
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 THE MUSICAL TIMES.-NOVEMBER I, I898. 729

Confession, Apostles' Creed, and Litany ought always under]ying thought of the employment of the artistic
to be said and not sung." This opinion was partly wealth of the Church with appropriate judgment
based upon a desire to relieve the tiring tediousness and with the right application of all means, be they
of the monotone. simple or elaborate, old or new.
With regard to the Confession, it might be urged One feature of the Harvest Festival at St. David's
that the beautiful ancient comma and sentence Merthyr TydEl, was a violin and organ recital, in
inflections of the ancient Latin Confession, so which Mr. A. C. Handley-Davies with Mr. T. Davies
strangely neglected, will aSord the necessary relief of CardiS, took part. Further, at the Sunday services
and variety. Taking the question all round, it may on the same occasion, the assistance of a small
be asked, Is not the simple people's song their real orchestra was secured * an arrangement alike indica-
medium of public worship, as distinguished from tive of the advance of Church music and of the
private prayer? This view would seem to have growth of instrumental music in Wales.
guided the Church in ancient times, and surely remains From Thorpe Parish Church comes a list of special
a good argument for the complete employment of oratorio services for the ecclesiastical year beginning
choral services. with Advent. Among the new works undertaken are
The proposal of Sir Walter Parratt to judiciously Mr. Somervell's " A Song of Praise," " Intercession,"
mingle ancient with modern music was an admirable by H. T. C. Collis, Dr. Alan Gray's " A Song of
piece of advice. Some forty years ago the late Redemption," and "A Harvest Song of Praise " by
Cardinal Wiseman gave similar advice to the musical Stephenson, a composer whose name is not familiar
authorities of his own Church, with the diSerence to us. The year's work thus announced evidences
that he recommended the judicious employment of earnestness and method, and will, it is to be hoped
the ancient plain chant with the music of the various be crowned with success. An interesting feature at
great schools of Church music from the sixteenth a musical service at St. David's, Denbigh, during the
century onwards. This was not only eminently past month was the introduction of Garrett's
practical advice, but it further enforced an expansive Harvest Cantata, which, one would suppose, should
thought to the eSect that the Church belongs to all command a wider recognition than it has so far
ages, and possesses a glorious continuity of sacred received.
art linking all time into one great song of prayer The Harvest Festival season has been kept with
.

anc pralse. even more than " wonted fervour." At St. Anne's
One of the most valuable and practical utterances Soho, Handel's Twelfth Chandos Anthem and Dr.
of the distinguished organist of Windsor Chapel Hopkins's Cantate Domino and Deus Misereatur
Royal was his denunciation of the monster organs in were sung; the service music being orchestrated by
our Cathedrals and other churches, and he justly said the able organist of the church, Mr. E. H. Thorne.
" everything that can be desired could be obtained in At Uppingham Parish Church, Dykes's Te Deum,
Efty sounding stops." He further condemned these scored for orchestra by hI r. G. Lightfoot, the organist,
huge, roaring giants as disEguring our ISne churches Dr. Lloyd's setting of the Evening Canticles, and
and occupying precious space, an invasion never Hall's anthem " O God, Thou art praised," scored for
contemplated by the great architects of our noble orchestra by the organist, were sung. The instru-
cruciform churches. It is to be hoped these words will mental music was selected from Mendelssohn's
have good eSect ere the rage for organ idolatry has " Hymn of Praise," Haydn's Second Symphony
been carried hopelessly too far. Beethoven's First Symphony, and included Handel's
Dr. Percy Buck, the organist of Wells Cathedral " Occasional " Overture. The music at St. Philip's,
gave an address on the subject of the ancient Plain- Queen's Road, Battersea, formed quite an imposiIlg
song of the Church. He summarised the points in list, including, as it did, two of Smart's Services,
favour of the old Psalm chants thus:- Gounod's " Messe Solennelle," Barnby's " I will give
(I) Plain-song is the only authorised Church music (see thanks," Tours's " While the earth remaineth,"
Queen Elizabeth's injunctions). It is not for me to discuss Martin's Isoth Psalm, and Mendelssohn's " Hymn
how far this is an argument in favour, indeed, I will admit of Praise."
that if the music were proved unworthy, then no amount of At Abney Congregational Church, Stoke Newing-
authoritywould convince me that it ought not to be sup- ton, a place of worship recalling memories of Dr.
planted. (2) It is the most ancient Church music, having in Isaac Watts, the hymn-writer, the Harvest Festival,
the case of psalmody an origin possibly contemporary with the
on the I6th ult., was celebrated musically under the
words. Whatever may be the force of authority, traditions
direction of Mr. Leonard C. F. Robson. Spohr's
should certainly carry weight. Chants which survived
" God, Thou art great," was a vocal feature of the
throughout the Church down to the end of the seventeenth
century should not lightly be set aside for a substitute evening service, and the organ, it is satisfactory
certainly not superior. These " tones" owed their survival to note, was supplemented by a small " string"
to their strength, and their strength to their origine for they orchestra.
were the gradually-perfected work of a series of humble,
unknown men, who laboured in obscurity with love and
patiencel impelled from within to give utterance to the faith ORGAN MUSIC.
that was in them. (3) The tones preserve, and even adorn,
the beauty of the Psalms. This they do by allowing the ONE of the most interesting MS. compositions left
natural accent of the words, and by progressing at a slow by the late Dr. Garrett has recently been issued by
pace. The singers have but to know the notes of their Novello and Co., Limited. This is a Fantasie
tone by heart, and then accent the words exactly as they Overture for organ, built upon quite sonata lines,
would in reading. (4) The tones are easier to sing, both for with stately introduction, vigorous, but withal,
choir and congregation, and can be joined in by that large graceful Allegro in the keys of D minor and major,
number of persons who have no singing voice. This is
with, by way of episode, a singularly melodious
partly due to the absence of any suspicion of breathless
A ndante estressxvo. So characteristic and lSne a
hurry in singing, partly to the fact that, as all the notes of
piece of musicianship will soon have a prominent
the tones are well within the speaking voice, they may be
place in the rQertoives of organ players.
almost monotoned by those who cannot sing well.
The organ recital has long since claimed a place
Dr. Buck's words have a by no means indirect in connection with the harvest festival, and a good
ring of sympathy with the previously quoted opinions many organists have been engaged in unfolding the
of Cardinal Wiseman. In both cases there is an beauties of organ music upon these joyous occasions

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 THE MUSICAL TIMES.-NOVEMBER I, I898.
73o
during the past month. In addition, however, to At the Temple Street Wesleyan Chapel, Keighley,
these special opportunities, many excellent perform- Mr L. Barton gave a recital, in which Dr. Prout's
ances during the same period show that the recitals Ene Organ Concerto was performed with orchestral
of the musical year have recommenced in earnest. accompaniment. Mr. J. Keighley's organ recital at
Amongst these schemes is announced a series which the Parr Hall, Warrington, on the I8th ult., was made
has been planned and arranged for by Dr. Warriner specially interesting by the performance of Dr. H.
who has secured the Royal College of Organists as Hiles's excellent organ pieces, the Sonata in G minor
his ISeld of action, and has been fortunate enough to and Impromptus, Nos. 8 and I2. Mr. A. Herbert
obtain the services of so distinguished a performer Brewer, of Gloucester, gave a recital at St. Mary's,
as Sir Walter Parratt to lead the way, by a recital to East Brent, on the Igth ult. His programme included
be given before these lines reach our readers. two pieces of his own a Melody in A and Minuet and
r > g , s s
Mr. E. H. Lemare's excellent recitals at St. . .r1o 1n; D. Mr.J.Capnergave a recital at St.John's
Margaret's, Westminster, still continue to attract } Iacknen {, on the zoth ult. His admirable performance
special attention. To show the wide scope of Mr. included Mendelssohn's Sonata, No. 4, and Bach's
Lemare's selections, it will suffice to say that one Toccata and Fugue in C. A feature of the recital
programme included Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D was the expressive and artistic singing of Miss
minor, Saint - Saens's " Danse Macabre," and Bushnell, an Australian contralto.
Wagner's " Tannhauser" Overture. Another of the Mr. Sydney F. Somers, organist of Odiham Parish
St. Margaret's recital programmes included 13ach's Church, commenced a series of recitals on the
Toccata and Fugue in C and the Fixale to Dvorak's Igth ult., with the assistance of Miss Bessie Greenhill
symphony " The New World." A special feature of (violin). Mr. Somers proposes to play all Mendels-
interest has been the production of Mr. E. H. sohn's Organ Sonatas at future recitals.
Lemare's new organ symphony in G minor, the At St. Thomas's Church, Crooke, the Rev. J. S.
Adagio of which has been repeated by desire. Barry gave a recital, on the I6th ult., his pieces
At the Moravian Church, Salem, Oldham, Mr. including Bach's Prelude and Fugue in B minor and
Herbert England gave a good selection recently Widor's Organ Symphony, No. 5.
including a well-written Fantasia and Fugue by
Herr Otto Dienel, the well-known Berlin organist.
On the 4th ult., at the Parish Church, Ealing, Mr. THE LEEDS MUSICAL FESTIVAL.
Owen H. Mead played a recital, including in his
(BY OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)
scheme Bach's Toccata and Fugue in E major
IN one important respect Leeds is greatly to be envied
and Mr. E. d'Evry's Meditation in F and Toccata
of other festival towns. Its festival committee can draw
in C. At Kelvinside, Glasgow, on the I Ith ult.
up their programmes without being constantly haunted by
Mr. J. H. M. Ledger's programrne included a Sonata
the fear whether they may attract or repel the public to
in A minor, by Dr. Creser, which was listened to whom they appeal. A festival which, for the past eighteen
with interest and appreciation, and a Grand Marche years, has never failed to make a profit of from 2,000 to
Triomphale, by J. Grison. On the same date Mr. £3,°°° is an institution that commends itself to the hard-
F. G. M. Ogbourne gave a recital at Trinity College headed Yorkshireman, whose confidence is shown by the
(London), his scheme including Bach's Toccata and avidity with which he puts down his name as a guarantor.
Fugue in C and a well-considered rendering of It is understood to be thoroughly recognised in Leeds that
Etheinberger's ISne Sonata in A minor (No. I8). Mr. to have one's name opposite a substantial sum is to all
George Vincent has been giving a very interesting intents and purposes as satisfactory as its appearance in a
series of organ recitals at St. Thomas's Church, subscription list, without the annoying pecuniary liability
that attaches in the latter instance. Consequently, it is not
Sunderiand. Upon the last of these occasions his
surprising to find that the guarantee fund on the present
scheme included a Caprice of his own and movements
occasion amounted to over 4o,ooo-a record at this and
by Smart, Lemmens, and Widor. Mr. Herbert Gisby
probably every other provincial festival.
gave a recital at St. Nicholas Cole-Abbey recently, in An indirect result of this prosperity is the comparative
the course of which he played such interesting pieces absence of the hackneyed from the programme. I do not
as Rheinberger's Sonata in C (Op. I65) and an Organ so much refer to the orchestral pieces, which presented
Concerto in C by Dr. W. B. Gilbert, who, it will be nothing of commanding interest or novelty, as to the choral
remembered, returned to London a few months ago, works. At the Three Choirs the necessity of a liberal
after a long and successful professional residence in allowance of the most familiar oratorios is an obvious
New York, and who was one of the original members necessity. The wants of the people, who have not so many
of the Royal College of Organists. opportunities of hearing good choral concerts as are fairly
Recitals have recently been given at St. David's common in the West Riding; the necessity of appealing
to popular tastes; and, above all, the very limited time
Denbigh, by Mr. A. H. Allen, the programmes of which
allowed to full rehearsal; these aSord an ample excuse for
were of high class if not novel materials. At Holy
repeating, year after year, half-a-dozen stock oratorios.
Trinity Church, Upper Tooting, a recital was given
The committee, in a manifesto prefacing the pro-
by Mr. Charles Stott, whose programme included gramme, expressed their belief that the performance of
pleces by such recognised and promising younger Bach's B minor Mass and Beethoven's " Choral " Symphony
composers of the English school as Messrs. E. H. would be welcomed by all musicians, and went on to point
Lemare, E. d'Evry, E. T. DrifSeld, and Arthur Foote. out that not the least important feature of the festival
The organ at St. Walburge's, Preston, after a thorough would be the adoption of the low pitch, which would not
overhauling by the builders, Messrs. Hill and Son only enable these two masterpieces to be heard in accord-
has been re-opened, when the organist, Mr. Chas. ance with the intention of their composers, but should
Beddoe, played a suitable selection of organ music materially lighten the labours of the singers. Both these
vocal sacred music being also given upon the prophecies were fulfilled. Now that the majority of
occasion. London orchestras employ the normal diapason, its
adoption was a gain rather than a hindrarlce to the band,
Mr. H. M. Higgs's clever incidental music to Baring
composed as it was exclusively of London players. As for
Gould7s poem "The Building of San Sofia" was
the chorus, though it would be absurd to say they showed
performed by Mr. E. G. Croager on the organ, at the
any marked improvement in these great works, which they
Hall of the Blind School, Swiss Cottage, on the have long made their own, it can at least be affirmed that
20th ult., and by the composer at the Queen's (Srnall) in no respect was there deterioration. In delicacy there
Hall (on a Mustel organ) on the nd ult., Mr. Charles was indeed a distinct advance. That Bach's Sanctus
Fry reciting the poem on each occasion. was more impressive than it has ever been at Leeds

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