The Sun.
London, England, 1868-02-26 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING,
_FEBRUARY 26, 1868,

SPORTING INTEL LIGENOE.

NOTTINGHAM SPRING MEETING—TuBsDAY.

Beautiful weather characterised the opening of this Mid-
land meeting, and as a consequence there was a large at-
tendance, especially after the first race, several of the fac-
tories having closed to afford the workpeople a holiday.
Not a very large number of turfites entered the town
before noon yesterday, the opening of business having
been delayed until two o'clock in order to allow of the
arrival of the Metropolitan trains. Six events were set
down for decision, Catton walking over for the first, the
Trial Stakes, and Sister to Maid Marian saving her stake.
For the Stand Plate five of the 18 coloured turned out,
and Chapel Royal was at once made a warm favourite
at 6 to 4, and he justified this confidence, winning
rather easily by a length and a half, the rest being close
up. In the great event, which came next, only a third
of the runners of the 39 displayed on the card went to the
post. Master Willie was elected favourite, and his great
form towards the end of last year warranted the confidence
reposed in him. The race was of a most chequered charac-
ter, for at first it seemed as if Leases, after his usual fa-
shion, when in the humour, were about to run completely
away with it, and then Master Willie showed so formid-
ably as to look all over the winner, when victory was
wrested from him iu the last few yards by Grey Stocking,
who ran with a remarkable gameness, which she has sel-
dom hitherto displayed. She is, as will be seen from her
pedigree, an own sister to the famous Athena, one of the
crack Danebury fillies. Maidment, with the most enviable
luck, rode here the winner of the third handicap of impor-
rance in the new season, having previously steered Indi-
gestion for the Lincolnshire Handicap, and Reindeer for
the City Handicap at Lincoln. The remainder of the races
will be found detailed below :

The Trial Stakes of 5 sovs each, with 30 added; three yr
olds, 6st 71b; four, Bst 51b; five, 9st; six and aged, 9st
31b ; m and g allowed 31b ; and maiden three yr olds at
the time of starting allowed 31b; four, 61b; five and up-
wards, 91b ; winners of 200 sovs at any one time, 51b ;
twice, 101 b; thrice, 141 b extra. One mile. 8 subs.

Mr. R. Walker's Catton, by Mildew— Bonny Blink, 3
yrs, 6st 71b (Kenyon) w.o.
Mr. Savile's Sister to Marian, 3 yrs, saved stake.

The Stand Plate of 50 sovs, added to a sweepstakes of 5
sovs each, 2 ft, to the fund ; a winner of any handicap
after February 21, at ten 71b extra; half a mile.

18 subs.
Mr. Pryor's Chapel Royal, by Newminster—Queen Bee,
5 yrs, 7st 91b
Mr. hinuery's f by Young .111eluoui.v--r3l;atur, 6 yrs,
6st 81b (Kenyon) 2
Mr. H. Goatees Secrecy, 4 yrs, Est 121 b (Peppier) 3
Duke of Newcastle's Nike, 4 yrs, 9st 21b (inc. 71b ex.)
(Murray) 4
Mr. G. Angel's Retirement, 3 yrs, Est 71b (Butler) 5
Betting-6 to 4 agst Chapel Royal, sto 2 agst Tightfit
filly, 5 to 1 agst Nike, 7 to 1 agst Secrecy,
.100 to 12 agst
Retirement.
After one false start the lot got away tolerably well
Nike on the left making the running, attended by the
Tightfit filly on the right, and Chapel Royal on the inside,
to the distance, Here Nike was beaten, and the favourite
got level with the Tightfit filly, and, taking a slight lead
at the commencement of the enclosure, won easily by a
length and a half ; a neck only separated second and third ;
Nike, close up, was fourth, and Retirement last.
The Nottingham Spring Handicap of 10 sovs each, 3 ft,
with 100 added ; winners once after Feb. 7 (at ten a.m.)
51b, twice or a winner of any handicap of 200 sovs 101 b
extra. One mile and a quarter. 46 subs.
Mr. R. C. Naylor's Grey Stocking, by Stockwell—
Heroine, b yrs, 7st 81b (Maidmenf) 1
Lord Westmorland's Master Willie, 4 yrs, Bst 21b
(Kenyo 2
Mr. T Jennings's Cauthleen, 4 yrs, 7st 31b...(Huxtable
Mr. S. Thellusson's Leases, 4 yrs, Set 81b (Deacon) 4
Sir C. Legard's Indigestion, 6 yrs, 9st lib (inc. 101 b ex.)
(Custance 0
Mr. T. Eskred's Edinburgh, 6 yrs, Bst 61b (-Whiteley 0
Lord St. Vincent's Lucifer, 6 yrs, Bst 21b (Fordham) 0
Sir W. Elliott's Three per Cent.; 5 yrs, 7st 121 b
(Cameron) 0
Mr. J. Dawson's Numa rompilius, 4 yrs, 7st 51b
(U. Covey) 0
Mr. W. Hale's f by Malcolm—Manoeuvre, 4 yrs, 7st 51b
(Mars h) 0
Mr. Bowles's Belzoni, 5 yrs, 7st 31b (G. Walker) 0
Mr. G. Ringrose's Lady Sykes (h b), 6 yrs, 7st 31b
(Mordan) 0
Mr. W. Davis's Fair Star, 3 yrs, 6st 51b
Betting-7 to 2 agst Master Willie, 6to 1 each agst
Cauthleen and the Manoeuvre filly, 100 to 15 agst Three
per Cent, Bto 1 each agst Indigestion and Lucifer, 12
to 1 agst Leases, 100 to 7 agst Grey Stocking, 20 to 1 agst
Belzoni and Numa Pompilius.
_ _ .

The thirteen competitors reached the starting post a
few minutes before the appointed time, but the start was
delayed a quarter of an hour, owing to several (causes.
Belzoni bolted twice, whilst Lady Sykes was very frac-
tious and had to be led to the post. Deacon broke one of
his stirrup leathers, and to obtain another had to walk
Leases back to the enclosure. Eventually the flag was
lowered to a moderate start, Fair Star whipping round,
however, was left at the post, and Butler returned with
her to the enclosure. Leases, the moment the flag was
dropped, jumped off in front and at a rattling pace cut out
the work, Master Willie, Edinburgh, and Three par Cent.
being his immediate attendants, Cauthleen, Lucifer,
Lady Sykes, and the Manoeuvre filly succeed-
ing them in a body, the rear being brought
up by Belzoni, Grey Stocking, and Numa Pompilius, the
latter absolutely last. After rounding the turn at the back
of the stand Leases increased his lead of Master 'Willie,
who was clear of Indigestion•and Edinburgh, Three per
Cent. and Lucifer being the most prominent of the remain-
der. On the far side Grey Stocking took her place at the
quarters of Lucifer, where she was immediately joined by
Cauthleen, Numa Poropilius still acting as whipper-in.
These positions were held till about two hundred yards
from the Mansfield turn, whore Lady Sykes broke a small
blood vessel in the head, and Afordan immediately pulled her
up, walking her back to the enclosure. Before reaching the
turn Leases for a moment drew back to his horses, of whom
Master Willie, Indigestion, Grey Stocking, Cauthleen, and
Lucifer were the mcst prominent, but when behind the mound
he shot out again, and came into the straight with a clear
advantage. Mr. Thellusson's horse retained his command
till within a hundred yards of the distance, when he gave
way, and Master Willie was left with the lead of Indiges-
tion in the centre of the course, Crey Stocking next the
rails, and Cauthleen on the right. At the distance Master
Willie looked all over the winner, and the cry was raised,
"Master Willie walks in." But at this moment Maidment
called on Grey Stocking, and the mare answering gamely
deprived Master Willie of the lead, and won in a canter by
a couple of lengths ; a similar distance from Master Willie
Cauthleen was third, whilst Leases was beaten a neck only
from Jennings's mare ; Lucifer was fifth, and Indigestion,
who had run prominently to the distance, where he com-
pounded, was sixth, the Manoeuvre filly was seventh, Bel-
zoni eighth, Numa Pompilius ninth, Three per Cent. tenth,
and Edinburgh last.
The Park Stakes of 5 sovs each, with 40 added ; three yr
olds, Bst 21b ; four, lOst ; five, lOst 101 b ; six and aged
Ilst ; m and g allowed 311); the winner to bo sild for

£lOO ; if for £BO allowed 5113; for £6O, 101 b ; for £lO,
141 b; for £3O, 181 b. Half a mile.
Mr. W. Goodman's Van Dieman, by Van Galen—Char-
lotte Busse, 3 yrs, Est 121 b (.£3O) (Goodwin) 1
Mr. Nighingall's Adjutant, 3 yrs, Est 121 b (.£3O) (Wyatt) 2
Lord Westmorland's Buckenham's dam f, 3 yrs, Est 121 b
(Kenon 3
Mr. Fletcher's Moses, 3 yrs, Est 121 b (£3O) (Cameryon) 4
Mr. E. H. Rhys's Paradise, 3 yrs, 6bt 91b (£3O) (Butler) 0
Mr. T. Stevens's Betlow Lass, 3 yrs, 6st 91b (30)
J. Clark
Mr. Beadman's Brenda, 3 yrs, Est 91b (car Est 11( 1b) (£3O) 0
(Peppler) 0
Betting-7 to 4 agst Brenda, 3to 1 agst Van Dieman, 4
to 1 agst Buckonham's dam f, 5 to 1 agst Adjutant.
At the third attempt Brenda and Adjutant jumped off in
advance, Moses coming next, Paradise, Van Dieman, and
Betlow Lass in the rear. At the distance Adjutant took
up the running, the favourite retiring beaten. Van Die-
man challenging Adjutant at the stand, won by half a
length, Buckenham's dam filly being', third, a length be-
hind her ; Moses was fourth, half a lepgth in the rear of
Lord Westmorland's filly, Brenda fifth, Betlow Lass sixth,
and Paradise last.

The Innkeepers' Plato of 50 sous ; a winner of any handi-
cap after February 21, at ten a.m., 71b extra; three
quarters of a mile.
Mr. Pryor's Chapel Royal, 5 yrs, 7st 111 b (inc. 71b extra)
)
Duke of Newcastle's Bismarck (tr. Covey 1
, 4 yrs, Bst 121 b 2
Mr. T. Eskrett's Alarmist, 3 yrs, sst Blb (II. Clark) 3
Betting-6 to son Chapel Royal, 6to 4 agst Bismark, 10
to 1 agst Alarmist.

Immediately after the start Chapel Royal took up the
running with Bismarck in attendance, Alarmist last.
Thee positions were maintained throughout, the favourite
winning by three lengths, double that distance separating
second and third.

The liacc,aroni Stakes of 50 sovs for hunters; four year
olds, list ; five, list 121 b ; six, l2st 41b ; aged, 12st 71b ;
thorough-breds, 101 b extra ; winners of 30 sovs, 41b ;

of 50, Sib; of 80 and upwards, 101 b extra; gentlemen'
riders ; professionals, 71b extra ; 2 miles, on the flat.

Mr. J. Wright's Lord Bagot, by Newminster—Yeatsall's
dam, 4 yrs, 12st 71b(inc. 211 b ex.) (Heartfield) 1
Mr. Calder's Marksman (h.b.), aged, 13st 31b (in. 101 b ex.)
(Mr. Bevill) 2
Mr. G. Carr's Elvire (h. b.), 4 yrs, list 101 b (in. 101 b ex.)
(Mr. F. G. Hobson) 3
Mr. Brockton's Primrose, 4 yrs, 12st (Owner) 4
Mr. T. Wilkinson's Verdi, 4 yrs, list 101 b (Mr Spence 5
Capt. Hetnsley's Wilford, aged, 13st 71b (inc. 141 b ex.)
(Mr. Woodhouse 6
Mr. Judd's Robin Hood, 6 yrs, 12st 41b (Mr. J. Perkins) 7
Mr. Coltman's Luck's All, 13st (inc. 71b cx.) (Owner) 0
Mr. Houghton's Mull in the Wad, 5 yrs, 12st 51b(in.71b ex)
(Mr. Pair) 0
Betting-6 to 4 agst Elvire, 100 to 30 agst Lord Bagot,
4 to 1 agst Marksman, 8 to 1 agst Primrose, 10 to 1 agst
Vefdl. Primrose made the running, followed closely, by
Marksman, Elvire, Verdi, Lord Begot, Luck's All being
last of all, a long way in the rear. No change occurred
in passing tho rear of the Stand, but on rounding the turn
at the bottom of the course Lord Begot joined the two
leaders, and all three mood to the distance, Lord Begot
winning by two lengths, and four lengths separating se-
cond and third ; Primrose was fourth, Verdi fifth, Wilford
sixth, Robin Hood seventh, the absolute last being Moll
in the Wad. Luck's All pulled up first time round,

CHURCH CHOIRS.

Canon Oakeley has done an invaluable ger,
vice to piety and. good taste, according to our
notions, in the recent pamphlets he has pub-
lished on the question of singing in our
churches. It is not our province to enter
into the question in its ecclesiastical aspect.
The Archbishop of Westminster has so clearly
taught us what oar view should be in that re-
spect that it would simply be a piece of imper-
tinence were we to offer an opinion. But what,
possibly, may not be unbecoming in us to do,
is to express our strong admiration at the
happy way in which the express wish of autho-
rity—put, ideed, in language which only just
falls short of a command--coincides with the
teaching of the learned and accomplished Canon
of Westminster, and with what seems to us
the only sound rules of healthy taste.
That the true spirit of ecclesiastical music
should have become lost in a country which
has had the spiritual life crushed out of it
by penal laws is not very surprising. And
that the direction and arrangement of choirs
and church music should have fallen into the
hands of well-intentioned ladies and gentlemen
in many of our congregations, is but a neces-
sary consequence of the cramp from which the
Church has suffered. Priests, doubtless, have
been glad to get a little singing at any price
almost, and in every congregation there is
generally a certain clique amongst " the faith-
ful " who are only too glad to get things in
their own hands, and to accommodate things
to their own tastes. No man who has had
to do with choirs of church singers has had
much reason to call in question the criticism
of the Pagan Horace. Of all the touchy
people this world ever produced, those who
have been accustomed to sing in church choirs
are without comparison the touchiest. Be
the choir one of the fashionable ones attached
to fashionable churches, or are they the vulgar
struggling of a parcel of country girls and lads
in a village hamlet, the result is about the
maioe. fiere is, we stiprvac, .u.ILLEGOIIIIg LLIVI
nearly touching the centre of the human
" ego " in the voice of a man or woman than
in anything else. The sound that they are
enabled to emit from their throats possibly is
something more intensely personal, is more
absolutely the possession of the singers, than
anything else ; and, consequently, any disre-
spect, or want of appreciation of that peculiar
form of sounds, strikes more forcibly home than
any other kind of blow. We have known per-
, sons of considerable pretensions to piety, who
could bear with a saintlike patience to be told
that they were somewhat untruthful, or not
straightforward in all their ways, who could
not stand for a moment to be told. that they
were singing rather flat, or that Miss Bobkins
sang with more taste and expression than
themselves. Some take their sensitiveness out
in one way, some in another. Miss Tremolo
is almost ill when Miss Tambureen is going
through her favourite " Et incarnatus," and
Mr. Blunderhead, who is of no religion in par-
ticular, is busily engaged with the latest in-
telligence in his newspaper while Mr. Growler
and Mrs. Squeekam are going through a
flourishing piece of figured sentiment at the
offertory ; and he only becomes conscious of
the obligations which are upon him when he
is roused to commence a solo at the elevation,
which draws tears of devotion from Mrs.
Greene and her two fat daughters, who go
in for groceries and British wines as a matter
of business, and romance as a matter of amuse-
ment. Mrs. F. Sharpe and Miss B. Flatt are
rival prima donnas. The whole service, as far
as their minds are concerned, consists in strain-
ing every nerve to outdo each other in the
solos ; and, between times, in thinking one of
the other—" If she only knew how she has
fallen off, and what a voice she has got, she
would not stick herself up there so boldly."
Some are sentimental singers. They have
learnt from good masters all the unreality of
acting a musical part, and sing with nearly as
much feeling, but not half so much devotion,
as some of the second-class chorus performers
at Covent Garden. Others are wondering all
the time what so-and-so will think of their
voices, and tune their song to please some spe-
cial friend, who is drinking in the fascinating
strains over his Garden of the Soul in the left
hand benches. The greater part of the medio-
crities are simply living in lively anticipations
of the break up of Miss Bobkin's voice, Miss
Tremolo's, and Miss Tambureen's, entertaining
distant hopes that Mr. Blunderhead, Growler,
and Mrs. Squeekam's, together with that never-
ending Mrs. F. Sharpe, and Miss B. Flatt, will
either get an incurable cold some day, go to
India, or get up one of those fortnightly quar-
rels, which may possibly end in their giving
up religion of a Sunday morning altogether.
That such a consummation as this has before
now taken place, we ourselves can assure the
reader from personal experience. The moral
discord of a choir of church singers, with such
extraordinary mixtures of conceit, vanity,
touchiness, worldliness, profanity, indifference,
self-assertion, as is difficult to describe, forms
a somewhat unharmonious accompaniment to
the deacon, subdeacon, and priest at the altar,
who with love, reverence, and devotion take
their part in the adorable mysteries, and offer
that tremendous sacrifice in presence of which
the angels stand in awe.
That all the singing portion of every church
in this country possesses the qualifications of
which we have been giving a faint description,
we are not at all ready to assert. Our picture,
possibly, may be a little overdrawn. We are
rather putting together a bouquet made up
of flowers, plucked out of different beds, than
pointing out what we have observed growing
together in one alone. That such qualities have
existed we do not assert so much as a matter
of conjecture and evidence, as a matter, from
time to time, of personal observation. And that
we have not put together one quarter of the
abuses, mischiefs, and worse, that manifest
themselves amongst singers at different inter-
vals, will be admitted, we feel confident, by
any man of experience and of observation on
this point. Looking, then, upon the matter as
a simple question of taste, we decidedly con-
sider it incongruous to have Mass going on
at one end of the church, and such perfor-
mances as we have been describing at the other.
And when we go on further and remember
that these musicians are the representatives of
the angels, or, at all events, of the love, re-
verence, praise, devotion, and thanksgiving of
the people of God ; and that before His holy
altar, and in His sacred presence, and in the
sight of His assembled people, they sing forth
holiest words at holiest times, we cannot help
the feeling crossing us that, as a matter of
taste, we should prefer something more in
harmony with the solemnity and holiness of the
occasion than the complicated display of vocal
blunders made by, pretentious men and women
over music, which very often is far beyond
their capabilities. After the moral incongruity,
to us, nothing is so distasteful as the jarring
effect upon the ear and temper, of music of
which one knows every note by heart, being
andst huntedraineda and
todeathjangled,by twisteda pack of and excruciated,
half-in-
structed and self-confident singers. To bring
into church all the mannerism, method, and
mimicry, of the theatre, without the possibility
of being able to introduce its fascinations, or
that which humanly bears about with it a
charm, is one of the most extraordinary blun-
ders we are acquainted with. The opera may
be very good in its way, but it certainly is
not quite the thing for a Catholic church. But,
where all that belongs to the opera in the way
of singing is introduced, except that which
alone lends it a beauty, the fault turns into a
sickly stupidity. It is like an antiquated man
of fashion thinking to ingratiate himself into
a new society by presenting himself without
his wig, his teeth, his paint, and those other
appurtenances which keep for the time being
body and soul together, and prevent the vari-
ous portions of his mortal coil from unwinding
themselves before the discriminating public.
Nearly all,: the inconveniences and all the
bad taste we have been referring to will be
avoided by 50stittiting boys iu the place a

women, and professionals or semi-professionals
in the choir. The innocence, unworldliness,
purity, simplicity, and candour of the child
seems to us to ring and resound again in the
full, clear, mellow silver of his treble voice.
T.he very tone is witness to his innocent boy-
hot )d ; it speaks of sins, dangers, falls unknown
to I dm. And the very fact of boys being cora-
plet ely under control, of nothing being expected
from them that a lot of singing boys cannot
perform, is security enough against those sick-
ening .attempts of adult choirs to. make dis-
plays which everybody knows are miserable
failures cxcept themselves. The worst faults
boys willl commit will be a little levity and
thoughtlessness in conduct, as far as the moral
side of the question is concerned. And as for
singing, doir voices may be a little loud, a
little harsh, a little uncultivated, but they will
be genuine. They will be boys' voices sing-
ing in boys fashion. And whatever may be
said, they will possess an elasticity and a hearti-
ness, a force and a reality, which lends a charm
even now to our grand old cathedrals, and
which, it is to be hoped, and as we believe
will be the case, will shortly lend a charm
also, unknown before, to many a church in
and outside the Archdiocese of Westminster.—
Westminster Gazette..