Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1853-03-10
Fugue Singing.

To work entitled The Rector of q,
Bardolph's" is the following graphic de-
scription Of singing hymn in fugue,' as
praciised at St. Bardolph's.
When you heard the brass rings ra,rle
over the iron rod 10 which the red cnytain
was auached, shutting up the choristers in
the seclusien pf'their perched up loft. then
you might know that some grand exploi,s Of
vocalism were TO come toff The sexton.
who has been despatched IN good season 10
the 'sacrisiy,' 10 obtain from the rector the
number Of the psalm and hymn, having re-
turned with small slip Of paper on which
they were indicated in pencil a great whis-
perlng and consultation having taken place,
which resulted in the selection of tunes. Nr.
Tubingen placed The music book on the
rack, and the bellows of the lillle-big organ
were put in play. Never was q more bril-
liant sparkle and scin,illation elected from
the windy bellows Of a blacksmilh's forge.
The head and shoulders OF the organist
swayed up and down like those of a Chinese
eater OF the narcotic drug, in the accompani-
ment OF an improvisation upon the KEYS
which made the whole congregation invol-
unfairly twist their necks and look aIolt, and
with full choral blast from tenor, bass, and
treble, the magical effect was complete.
There were, no doubt, many present, who
came expressly to hear the music and the
knowledge of this fact inspired the artists
WIN desire to do themselves justice. Il is
true some of the old people did not like The
concatenatlon OF sounds. These however,
were considered behind the age, and the
opinion of such was worthy Of small respect
IN the onward march OF improvement
lhey were swept away in their slender oppo-
sI;ion by The force Of public opinion, if not bv
whirlpool OF sound. At any rate Death
was fast removing them one BY one, while
their deaf ears were becoming sealed 10 such
annoyance. Ii was 10 the great surprise of
The Rector, that the choir one day struck up
on the lie DeuDa, which he had been hitherto
accustomed TO read, and through various
turns, and windIngs, and repeitions, they
dIscoursed upon il for full half an hour. 1t
was, however, The last time that they so dis
tlngnlshed themselves before ,Ie musical
world.
There was no piece Of cathedral compost
non Which Ihe choir at St. BardOIph's did
not consider themselves competent to per-
form, and bad they been allowed their own
way, would have sung the sermon, and made
more out Of the Amen than any other part
Mr.. HixOn had indeed composed some hing
original out of the theme Of an .4tUmen, full
fifteen minutes long. and we are sure that
when il was finished no hearer of sound
Judgment bur would have instinctiveIy eiac.
ulacd with his whole heart A,cnlen. But The
triumph of all the voices was in some fugue
tunes IN which they emulated to interrupt
and outsrrip each other, as in the one hun
dred and tliiry.third psalm:
"True love is like that precious Oil
Which, poured on Aaron's head,
Ran down his beard, and o er his robes
Its costly moisture she'd
In the prodigious effort of this performance
The ear-splitting cOmbinaion Of tho several
voices hardly bore a resemblance to that oily
current on AardaB head, and which
" Ran down his beard and Ger his head
Ran down his beard
- - - his robes
And DER his robes
Ran down his beard ran down his
. - - his robes
And DER his robes-
Ran down his beard-ran down his
- +" - DER his robes--
His robes, his robes, ran down his beard
Ran down his
. - - DER his robes
Kan down his beard
HIS beard
Its costly moist
Ran down his beard
-ure-beard- his beard-his-she
Ran down his beard-his-down
his robe-its costly moist-his beard
ure shed-his- cost-his robes-his robes
ure shed
I-t-s-c-o-s-t-l-i-e mois s.ture-shed =
1t was Of this very composition, similarly
performed, that the late Bishop Seabury on
one Of his visitatons was asked his opinion,
and his reply was that he had. paid no at
tention to the music; but that his sympa-
thies were so much excited tor poor Aaron
that he was afraid he would no. have q hair
left.