The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-08-12 00:00:00

BROMSGROVE CHURCH CHORAL
FESTIVAL.

The annual festival of the Bromsgrove branch of the
Church Choral Association of the Archdeaconry of
Worcester•was held at the Parish Church on Wednes-
day, when the choristers present numbered nearly two
hundred, from the choirs of Bromsgrove Parish Church ;
All Saints', Bromsgrove • Alvechurch ; St Mary, Selly
Oak; King's Norton; SA. Mary, Moseley; St. Anne,
Moseley ; All Saints', King's Heath; St. Stephen's,
Redditch. The morning service was full choral, and the
music throughout was rendered most effectively, in good
time, and with great precision. The choirs were under
the direction of Mr. Millward, of Worcester CatheJral,
the organising choirmaster of the association. Psalm
cxviii. was chanted as a processional to a chant by
Rimbault ; the pieces and responses were those har-
monised by Tullis ; the Venite, by Macfarlane; the
Psalms for the day (xix., xx., xxi ), by Sir F. Ousel..l ;
the Te Deutn, by Smart, in F ; the Benedietus, a double
chant, by Turk ; the Anthem, "0, send out Thy light,"
by Gounod ; the introit, by Stanier ; the hymn after
the sermon and the recessional hymn, by the Rev. J B.
Dykes. Mr: J. B. Tubutt most efficiently presided at
the organ. The prayers were intoned by the Rev. H R.
Taverner, minor canon of Worcester Cathedral; the
lessons were read by the Rev. 0, A. Dickins, Tardebigg,
and the Rev, A. St. John Mildmay, Alvechurch. The
sermon was preached by the Rev. Canon Barry, of Wor-
cester Cathedral, from Revelation xiv., 2 and 3. The
clergy present comprised in addition to those already
mentioned—Rev. G. W. Murray, Rev. \V. H Colmore.
Bromsgrove ; Rev. T. J. Kidd, Catshill ; Rev. G. F.
Fessey, Rev. G. Astbnry, Redditch ; Ito/. the Hon. H,
Douglas, Rev. Smith, Hanbury ; Rev. M. R. Moore,
Rushock ; Rev. S. Webster, King's Heath; Rev- T.
, Price, Selly Oak; Rev. Aston, King's Norton ; Rev.
Leveritt, Moseley ; Rev. J. L. Cheshire, Rev. a. C.
Vecqueray, Kidderminster; Rev. F. I'. Gilbert, Rev. F.
Clarke, Northfield.
After the service, the choristers, clergy, and a hinge
number of visitors sat down to a cold collation in the
National School Room.
Lord' LyttSiton presided; and the company included
Lady Mary Douglas, Miss M.ildmay, the Misses Dixon,
Mr..R. S. Bartleet and Mrs. Bartleet, Mr. F P. Murray,

Sze., Sze. . . .
In 'PrOposing the toast of the evening,. t6,Succe,s,to
the 'Clinch Assbeihtibll,' Lord Lyttelton,said
there could not be two opinions as to the thorough
goodness of the Objects the association had in view.
There was danger in large towns of church music be-
coming too ornate and elaborate, and of people attend-
ing church to gratify a taste in musielrather than from,
any religious feeling; but there was no such-fear in
country towns whetd there was 'not wsuperabundanee.of
zeal and money, and where such great difficulty-was
experienced in organising and keeping a choir together.
However, it was entouraging to know that by the.spread
of education most of the youths • were (cud •ho hoped
shortly all would be) more or less trained in music, and
therefore there would be less difficulty in , gathering a
choir and keeping it together; but there would be the
greater responsibility of singing to more critical congre-
gations: His lordship asked - for increased support lor
the association on account of its objects, and advised the
conductors of the festival not to neglect the fine-old
church music in favour of the new, but to give a
judicious mixture of the two. The toast was well
received.

Rev. the Hon. H. Douglas proposed the health of the
Rev. Canon Barry, with thanks to him for his services
that morning. The toast was duly acknowledged.
The Rev. A. St. John Mildmay proposed the health
of the Rev. G. W. Murray. president of the branch,
which was drunk, and duly acknowledged.
Mr. Murray proposed the health of the Chairman-.
with a feeling allusion to the late Lord Lytteltou, and
the interest he always showed in the association. . •
Lord- Lyttelton suitably acknowledged the compli7
ment, and the company then broke up:
The festival concluded with the performance of even-
ing service in the church, at which the service was full
choral, as in the morning.