Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-07-28
0Rlo Statesman.
nIa from The Cornhill Magazine.l
The Famous Choir of EarndaIe.

lhe Famous Ch0lr OF tarndale,
When, fifteen years ago, was inductcd
| to the Rectory OF Earndale, the parish
church possessed famous choir. Not that
the choir of Earndale differed much from
that almost obsolete type which fifteen
years ago it was deemed the young church.
mans duty to extirpate on first donning
the white-tie. 1t was famous choir which
every year-once or twice in the year
strangers would come to listen to. 1t con-
| sisted of but five men, one of whom played
| q clarionet with bold, firm tone, that sus-
tained the treble, and gave confidence to
the crack-voiced boys and rough-voicod
girls who hardly stood in need of encour-
agement. Another played violoncello, to
which he had attached a fifth string tuned
to + j, In ordeRt0sadd d-somOritystot the deep
er bass. A third performer played the flute,
on which he executed the cOunter-tenOr
part as it was written for him in the G
clef, aboue the treble or air. OF the remain
ing two men, one sang the air with the clar-
ionet, only an octave lower, and the last
| sang tine bass. But besides this, the vio-
loncello player sang bass, tenor, or air, or
counter-tenor In screaming falsetto, one
part or the other as he deemed it necessary
to ornament or support the service Of
song. ''
| Such was the choir of Earndale; they
| sang plpckily, and made cheerful, if not
| q mellodious noise. / gave them supper
once year, but could not induce them to
| adopt more ecclesiastical music than glees
and songs set to sacred words. Still, we
were better off than the Meeting, where
they all sang in discordant chorus, while
| the parson played the big fiddle in the pull
pit. Like other things in Earndale, the
| inc I n p
| tempt to remove it.
But after five years, clarionet left the val
ley, and began to feel symptoms of dissolu-
| tion. Flute wouldn't play the air, 1t was so
tame; and when demonstrated with, with
drew and carried off tenor with him to the
Meeting. Still we had sturdy voice for
the air, and the rural 'master of song"
But alas the master, always fond of drink,
became so uproarious that we were obliged
| to dismiss him. The crisis came when a
stranger was taking duty for me. A new
tune of Abel's own composing was to be
sung, one full of eccentric turns and nitric
ate distances. The choir made start,
quavered, and broke down. Abel sounded
the note anew, and again they broke down
this time pause. "Let us pray" said the
~ shouted Abel. ''Let's try again." 1t
For some Sundays we tried congregation
al singing, our one remaining voice, with
the help of pitch-pipe, leading the tune !;
but bit by bit the congregation grew tired
of duty which had always devolved upon
| paid officials, and many tune was sung by
| good old Jamie and the children-he with
| spectacles on nose and book in hand-while
the other hand, hooked in his red waistcoat,
beat time on his breast to the tune; save
when, in some pathetic verse, it was releas-
ed to cuff some yOungster who gave tongue
too Justify, and didn't tappreclate the stem
per" of the strain. Then in our perplexity
we procured small barrel-organ, which
had seen service in room used for dancing
on week days, and service on Sundays. 1t
was peculiar instrument; the first time
we tried it, it went off like musical snuff
| box, and played all the tunes successively,
including valse and "Merrily Danced the
Quaker's Wife, Earndale has not forgot
ten that Sunday yet. The, wardens and
sexton managed to carry it out (t was not
large) into the churchyard, but even there
it fired away tune after tune amid the snow
| and cold, till all the machinery was un-
wound. Before the next Sunday we had 1t
put in order, but it seldom went right.
Sometimes the wires just elevated the keys
high enough to let a portion of the wind in
to the pipes, producing mournful whines
| like key-hole music; sometimes, from want
of pinning the barrel, it wound from one
tune into another with marvellous deXteri-
/ ty; sometimes the wires were bent, and
| discord harsh and strong grunted and thun-
dered In one line, while In the next, for
halt line, was vacuum of notes of any
sort. At last we understood it better, and
congregational singing in some sort actual
ly was inaugurated. .-l..r-
| Like most old churches, Earndale had
| suffered under the identifying Juror of the
eighteenth century; whitewash, ceiling,
large square pews-one description serves
| for all. Far be it from our sober criticism
| to join in the outcry against that age what
would have remained of our old churches
without such Identification ?" the & all
events it preserved them to us, andghtlOba-
bly, in more seemly state than they have
been since the wars of the Roses.
| Earndale church had suffered in the pro-
cess; roodscreen, chancel, arch, reredos,
was gone; some windows were square,
some circular, some Grecian, and there was
an urn in each corner, and a sun-dial over
the door. We began to restore; and little
by little replaced arch and screen and win
dow, chancel and oak roof; seated the nave
afresh, and quarreled over the seats, as
churchmen will to eternity. We paid our
bills. The church was a seemly one; and
we began to think it was not quite the
thing for the district chapel of Oatgate to
glory In finger organ, while we ground
music on barrel. ". .. <r'T',.,. ~.
So we formed committee, Farmer jolly,
our church warden, In the chair. We or
dered new organ--a handsome instru-
ment: "plenty of music in it,, was old Jol-
| ly's instruction to the builder. The sub
scriptions didn't quite make up the cost,
but then committees never look at that in
significant item, and we resolved to open
the organ with ecldt, and have collection.
A week or so before the day, deputation
OF the ladies ofmy parish called at the rec
tory with mission to the rector. 1 am a
man of simple and retired habits. / felt
nervous on hearing 1t was adeputation of
ladies, but was greatly relieved to read on
| the cards the names of Miss Fanny Pea
flower and Miss Bessy Floskin, two of the
youngest young ladies in Earndale, both
very musical, both pets of the rector from
childhood-and knew it too. l suspected
they had some deep scheme in their pretty
heads, but all the same was infinitely glad
that they, and not the widow, my Lady
Topsticks--who always talks on pathetic
topics, goes to balls and can't come to
church--or Miss Stiers, whose conversation
is slearned or religious--had been chosen to
represent the ladies of Earndale. l don't
think 1 abuse confidence il say that all the
pretty speeches they could frame, and all
The charming looks they could put on, were
onthat atmorning Forthcoming, justto fathom
the temper In which their errand would be
received. They managed their mission