Presented to the LIBRARY of the
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
by
Father Edgar S. Bull
... THE ...
LDEN KEY
USED BY THE
[OIR OF <
(Curwen's Edition, 5664.)
)ICATED TO THE CHOIRMASTERS OF THE DIOCESE OF SOUTHWARK BY
MADELEY RICHARDSON.
LONDON • 1URWEN & SONS Ltd., 24 BERNERS STREET, W.
... THE ...
GOLDEN KEY
USED BY THE
CHOIR OF SOUTHWARK CATHEDRAL.
(Curwen's Edition, 5664.)
DEDICATED TO THE CHOIRMASTERS
OF THE DIOCESE OF SOUTHWARK
BY
A. MADELEY RICHARDSON.
LONDON • J, CURWEN &> SONS Ltd.. 24 BERNERS STREET, W.
Price One Shilling.
London :
J. Curwen & Sons Ltd., 24 Berners Street, W.
PREFACE.
^ ^ ^
""THE work done by the Choir of Southwark Cathedral during the last twelve years has attracted some interest, and I have frequently been asked to give particulars as to the ways in which it has been carried on. It having been arranged that the present organization is shortly to cease, this seems a fitting time to reply to these questions in a clear and brief manner.
Since it has always been felt that example is better than precept, I have endeavoured to follow out this old maxim by writing down in a few plain words some details of the method of work, in com- bination with the leading principles that have guided it and that have enabled the Choir to achieve some measure of success. I have done this in the hope that it may be of assistance to others treading the same path and with the same goal in view.
I have called the following description a "key" because it opens the door to a treasure house ; I have called the key " golden " because it has been formed from material that is imperishable — material whose beauty, value, and power are unaffected by time and change. I mean that spoken of by the Apostle S. Paul, who has told us what things there are that abide.
A. M. R. Southwark Cathedral,
November, 1908.
THE GOLDEN KEY.
FORMATION OF THE CHOIR.
The Choir was established twelve years ago. Before February ist, 1897, there was no such body; the members were appointed on that day, and commenced their public duties on February i6th following — the day of the opening of the Collegiate Church, now the Cathedral.
The boys have all been drawn from the Elemen- tary Schools of Southwark and Bermondsey, almost without selection.
The men have included roughly three elements : a few professionals as leaders of each part ; others who might be described as volunteers with a small honorarium, some of whom have had more or less experience in other places ; and some who have been trained in the Choir as boys and have passed on in course of time to senior rank.
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THE WORK OF THE CHOIR.
1. The Choir of Southwark Cathedral has worked hard. It has practised carefully all music sung at the services.
2. It has given constant and careful attention to small details.
3. It has thrown its whole heart into everything it has undertaken.
4. Although it has had to prepare each week seven Anthems, three Evening Services, one Great Mass, and frequently an oratorio, it has always found time to practise at every rehearsal all Hymns for the Sunday services, all the Psalms, and frequently the Confession, the Lord's Prayer, the Apostles' Creed, the Responses, and the " Amens."
THE WORK IN DETAIL
In practising these parts of the Service it has been guided by the following maxims :—
1.— THE CONFESSION, THE LORD'S PRAYER, AND THE APOSTLES' CREED.
(a) No flattening is allowed, it is against the rules of the Choir.
(b) The pace must be moderate.
(c) Every word must be pronounced distinctly.
(d) The accent of the words must correspond with that of ordinary cultured speech.
(d) Flattening is usually caused by want of care, by failure to realize its extremely unpleasant effect
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and extremely depressing result, by want of faith in the singers' ability to prevent it, and by want of confidence in their personal power to use that ability. It can be remedied by taking a full breath before every sentence, by practising to lift the pitch higher — to raise it above the given note, rather than allowing it to fall below it — and by determination not to be beaten.
(b) The pace is sometimes too fast through care- lessness, familiarity, or want of interest ; too slow through over carefulness. Let it correspond with that of ordinary quiet speech.
(c) Give every vowel sound its due ; open the mouth and separate the teeth. Give every con- sonant a clear rendering ; as for instance : —
" Almighty and most merciful Father ; We have erred, and strayed from Thy ways like lost sheep."
When ordinary monotonic recitation is examined it is astonishing how many consonants will be found to have been unwittingly omitted. None of us ever drops an aspirate. Do we? Then why drop other consonants ?
(d) It is in the accent of the words that the most frequent errors occur. Every word in our language, besides its vowels and consonants, possesses its own natural accent depending often upon its position with regard to other words in a sentence, always an essential to intelligible speech, and never to be ignored with impunity.
In Ecclesiastical monotone the accent is frequently misplaced, and this mistake occurs most commonly at the beginning, and at the end, of any sentence. For instance :-—
"Almighty and most merciful Father ; We have erred and strayed from Thy ways like lost sheep."
The Choir of Southwark Cathedral takes pains to avoid all these faults, considering their removal of more importance than the rendering of anthems and elaborate services.
2.-"AMENS."
Tone, precision, reasonable length, care and finish. The Choir of Southwark Cathedral has endeavoured to give all these to every " Amen."
It omits " Amens " at the end of Hymns when their appearance is not in accordance with common sense. It gives a separate and distinctive rendering of them at the conclusion of every " Gloria/' where the word means so much.
3.— HYMNS.
The Choir of Southwark Cathedral has given great and constant attention to the rendering of Hymns, practising them every day with care and interest.
The chief points studied are :—
(a) Tone.
(b) Distinctness of vowels and consonants.
(c) Accuracy of time.
(d) Phrasing.
The principal aim has been to bring out the sense of the words, and this is done by studying true rhetorical phrasing.
The words are sung as nearly as possible in the same way as that in which they would be recited by a person of taste, making a break in the con- tinuity of sound only where the meaning allows, always making a break where the sense demands it.
Instances : —
1. (a) " Without a wish or thought
Abiding in the breast, (no break) Save that Thy will be done."
(b) " O Love who formedst me to wear (no break)
The image of Thy Godhead here."
(c) " Then O, my Lord, prepare (no break)
My soul for that great day."
2. (a) " Light of lights, (break) with morning shine."
(b) " For ever with the Lord, Amen, (break) so let it be."
Similar important instances could be found on almost every page of the Hymn Book.
With regard to the alteration of degrees of loud and soft tone, only broad effects are aimed at. The somewhat weak and misleading marks that are often found in popular Hymn Books are carefully ignored, though obviously important and enlightening effects are sought after and retained.
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For instance, the following line is commenced with very soft tone which is gradually increased to the end :—
" Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty."
A hymn like " Jesus Christ is risen to-day " will be sung with a full and strong tone ; one like " Saviour, when in dust to Thee " with a soft and subdued tone ; one like " New every morning is the love," with a moderate degree of power.
The " Amens," so meaningless at the end of most hymns, are, as already stated, omitted ; only those that conclude a Doxology are retained.
4— THE PSALMS.
The Choir of Southwark Cathedral has made it its chief object to revive the manner of chanting in use in the days of Tallis, the nearest approach to which, in the present day, is probably- the method known by the name of Solemnes.
This method simply consists in letting the words lead and the music follow ; in giving to the words their natural length, accent, and emphasis, and allowing the music to correspond.
To achieve this end, the following rules are observed : —
(a) Sing any sentence evenly and naturally, from beginning to end.
(b) Emphasize the syllables that demand an emphasis, in order to point their meaning ; avoid a stress upon any others.
10)
(c) Regard the bars of the chant merely as guides to the places where the words correspond with the music, not as signs indicating musical accent and strict rhythm.
(d) When only one syllable is set to the initial note of the chant, always make it short, unless it is a leading word.
(e) When more than two syllables occur between two bars, extend the music in order to give time for their proper pronunciation.
(/) When two or more syllables are set to the final note of the music, sing them quietly and deliberately and avoid all hurrying.
The Choir of Southwark Cathedral has found that this method has given a new interest to the singing of the Psalms ; that it has revealed to them the meaning of this priceless poetry ; that it has given them an insight into the very foundations of true vocal art ; that it has assisted them in the rendering of every other form of music which they have taken in hand.
5.— ANTHEMS AND SERVICES.
The Choir of Southwark Cathedral has studied Anthems and Services of all styles, from Palestrina and Tallis down to Dvorak and Brahms.
In studying music of the Pure Choral School it has endeavoured to revive the old traditional way of singing it. Always practising without accom- paniment, it has been free to give to this music
11
the smooth, flowing, legato manner, " of linked sweetness long drawn out," with almost imperceptible diminuendos and rallentandos at the cadences ; with free tempo, following the sense and feeling of the words ; with a careful balance of vocal tone, allowing for an increase of power in any individual voice, when using points of imitation.
With music of the more modern styles, the chief aim and endeavour has been to secure brilliant tone, precision, expression, and a faithful interpretation of the words.
6.— PRACTICES AND METHODS OF WORK.
The work of the Choir has been accomplished by holding twelve practices every week, as follows :—
Sundays, at 5.15 — Boys for the Daily Service, to
practise the Psalms for the six following days.
Mondays, at 7.0 — Senior Boys, for Sunday work. ,, at 8.15 — Men for Sundays, until 9.30.
Tuesdays, at 6.0 — Daily Boys to practise two
Evening Services for the week, and eighteen Anthems for the Daily Services, three weeks ahead.
Wednesdays, at 6.0 — Junior Boys (Probationers), at 7.0 — Senior Boys, for Sundays.
Thursdays — (The same as Wednesdays.)
Fridays, at 6.0 — Lay Clerks (for Daily Services)
to practise six Anthems and two Evening Services.
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Fridays, 7.30 until 9.0 — The Full Choir, for the
Sunday work. Saturdays, at 10.0 a.m. — Junior Boys.
at n. o until 12.30 — Boys for solos.
The practices for Junior Boys have been devoted entirely to the study of exercises in Voice Production, and to two or three Hymns, in which the pronun- ciation of the vowels and consonants and the phrasing of the words have been the points held in view.
In addition to the Practices, there have been eight Services every week, exclusive of oratorios and " Special " Services, so that the minimum number of attendances each week has averaged twenty. It will be thus seen how busy and active an organization has been carried on.
REMUNERATION.
It may be of interest here to mention one final point. The golden key has been golden only in a figurative sense ; there has been very little " gold " for the Choir in its literal sense.
The difficulty of providing a Choir with remu- neration suitable and not disproportionate to the work they do is one which has not been confined to Southwark alone ; it is present in the majority of places. It may then be of use and interest to state in detail what amount has actually been expended upon the Choir at Southwark.
13
1. The six men who sing at the Daily Service, and are professional vocalists, have received salaries of £50 a year, latterly raised to £60. The amount of work they have done has included two services every Sunday, one service every weekday (total, eight services each week), and three practices each week. Total of weekly attendances, n ; total attendances in the year, 572.
2. The other men have received honorariums as follows : —
One solo tenor £30
One chorus tenor 15
One chorus tenor 5
One chorus alto 7
One chorus alto 5
One chorus bass 15
One chorus bass 12
Two chorus basses 10
Drummer 5
The Boys have received sums as follows :—
i. Boys for the Daily Service- Four Seniors, scholarships of £15 a year. Eight others, £2 8s. a year.
Attendances : 8 services each week ; 7 practices ; total, 15 attendances a week, or 728 in the year ; therefore the four Seniors have received 5d. an attendance, the eight others, |d.
(14)
2. Boys for the Sunday services : — -
Average payment, £2 8s. 5<i each, in the year. Total attendances in the year, 312. Average payment each attendance, 2jd.
In addition to the above, each boy has received pocket money of is. a month.
Probationers, numbering between 20 and 30, have received pocket money only, therefore their average payment has been less than Jd. an attendance.
CONCLUSION.
It will be seen from the above that the work of the Choir of Southwark Cathedral has been in the strictest sense of the word a labour of love.
Has all this labour been wasted? has this love been all in vain?
Let the poet Browning answer : —
" No beauty, nor good, nor power, Whose voice has gone forth, but each survives for
the melodist, When eternity affirms the conception of an hour."
" Enough that he heard it once ; we shall hear it by-and-by."
15
THE CHOIR OF SOUTHWARK CATHEDRAL IN DECEMBER, 1908.
Basses —
Mr. Henry T. Evans. Mr. Bertram Shepherd. Mr. Edward Allen. Mr. Richard Spencer. Mr. Percy B. Gale.
Mr. Ambrose J. P. Haynes.
Mr. W. Penn.
Mr. Edgar Mann Dyson. Mr. Charles Henry May hook. Mr. Weinrich.
Tenors — •
Mr. John Frost Lambert.
Mr. Charles Murray Rumsey.
Mr. Ernest Dumayne. Mr. E. A. Tozer. Mr. John Notman.
Boys — •
Charles Knight. William Boyes. John Knight. Albert Warren. William Barr. Ernest Hay don. Frank Hall. Richard Chapman. Ernest Mullison. James Lucas. Frederick Roberts. Walter Crook. Alexander Carter. Matthieson Fairfull.
Boys — •
Arnold Warren. Arthur Samuel. John Holden. Ernest Stewart. John Powell. Horace Brotherwood. Albert Fitzgerald. Alfred Brand. Thomas Marshall. George Cook. Joseph Blow. Ernest Roberts. Albert Marshall. Francis Evans.
Tympanist—Ur. W. Crook.
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Probationers — Maurice Cannings, Hubert Hay don, Leonard Sparkes, Gordon Mitchell, Percival Spencer, John Blow, Frank Mitchell, William Marshall, George Mitchell (aged seven).
To the above, my friends and fellow workers, I tender my thanks.
A. MADELEY RICHARDSON.
'08uv(0[/,£voi
OTI OUXSTI Oecopetv.
eiul TCO Aoyw cS TO iipoacoiiov ACTS xx. 38.
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Dr. MADELEY RICHARDSON'S WORKS.
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