Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-02-11
Mu8i: IL Old English Churches.

In country churches the loft was,
and even il. usually known as " tine
singirg-galery," the Musical instru-
meuts being the clarione!, violin,
violonrello, finite, etc. Mr.. Noake, III
his E,mbles in Worcestershire, says
that IN Tenbury Church. il tho year
III, there were not only horns and
clarionets, b1t also u drum, whose
sound was heard in divine service for
some forty years after that date. In
some country churches the number OF
the psalm tEat was to be sung was
chalked on slate, and suspended from
the front Of the singing gallery. 1t is
said of the parish clerk of Isle Brewers,
Somcrsetshire, that in giving ont the
hymn, and suddenly finding that the
slate was not hung NJ, his announce
ment took the following shape: Let
us sing to the praise and glory-t say,
why doan't zee hang out the slate ~
During the singing the congreg atom
In the nave turned their backs upon the
clergyman and looked toward the sing
ing gallery, where the parish clerk and
his fellow performers were ensconccd.
In n Yorkshire village church early in
this century the instruments in the
singing gallery were the violin, violon-
cello, clasionet, serpent and bassoon,
and when the old clergyman wished for
the "OlA Hundred to be sung, he
called ont to his clerk, " Straack up a
bit. jock. straack upa bit ~ O, this
same Yorkshire pair it is related that
on the occasion Of this first missionary
meeting, when the congregation were
waiting in the churck-yard. tho old
Vicar said to his clerk, "Juck, ye
maunt let 'em into tn church; tn dip
pitation a'n't coom!' But on the ar
rival of the two clergymen who formed
the deputution, the clerk called out to
the people, g. le maunt gang hCame, i
dgppitation's COON T. Tho old Vicar
introduced tho two clergymen in adj
dresses that were models of hreyity:
/" L furst dcppitation will speak "T'
second 3tptltation will speak, after
which the clerk lighted some candles
in the sin&ing' gallery, and gave out for
an approx tate hymn, Vital Spark of
Heavenly Flame" The parish clerks
who give ont the hymns and lea! tho
congregational singing arc probably at
the present day only to be found lii Il
few remote places, and in parishes
where there is second church at some
miles distance from the mother church,
with its one Sunday service. Hero,
very likely, the man is still to be found
who unites in his, own person both
clerk and choir. A friend of miae had
such clerk, aud the hymns were those
of Tate and Brady. First of all the
clerk sounded the note on pitch pipe,
ard after this musical prelude ho wound
up his nose, as it were, and, with II
strong nasal sIarl, pitched the keynote
and began the psalm. A great fayori,e
with him was what he called "The Hap
py Man. the psalm beginning with the
line, Happy the man whose tender
care"-which word he pronounced
"car'-and the last line o! tho verse,
" The Loard sho.l give him rest" WAS
repeated twi"e and shouted with great
fervor. The rustic audience were
charmed with his execution OF this
psalm, and are greatly pleased when a
Boanerges out of their own ranks can
thus display the power of his lungs
All the Year Round.