The times., 1901-05-06
IN HONOR OF SIR JOHN sTAINER
Memorial Services Held in st. Johns
Church, Georgetown.

Many people gathered yesterday after
noon in ST. Johns Church, Georgetown,
TO honor the memory of Sir John Stainer,
! Engiand's most famous composer of
| church music and choirmaster. most
reyerent service was celebrated. 1t was
| completely choral, and the music was
almost entirely of Stainer's composition.
The vested choir Of st. Johns Church
was augmented by select voices from the
boy choir Of Christ Church, Georgetown.
Miss Bell the organist of Christ Church,
played the organ, and r. L. McAIl was
choirmaster.
The following programme was rendered:
Professional Hymn--"All for jesus stainer
Versicles-Bristol Use---........-.J. s. b. Hodges
''''e' ''' "a ''-'-' ' Greeorian, ist Tone
Magnifeat in D. Nune Dimittis in F.. stainer
Anthem After Third Colect-"Yea, Though
| Walk k'..............-.-..---.- Sullivan
Hymn l75-"The Saints Of God''-Tune,
'Beati' ........-......-..-......... ,Stalner
ADDRESS.
Anthem During Ofertory-'I Am Alpha
and Omega -. .'-'...-'.. -Stainer
OfertOry Sentence-DOxology.
SeYenfold Amen. .Stalner
MaTche Funebre. -Chopln
Congregation remaining standing).
Recessional Hymn 6Ig-''There Is Blessed
Home" Tune, Blessed Home '-..... .Stainer
Bells playing of the organ was exquisite
ly sympathetic and clear cut. Her inter
probation of the Chopin funeral march
was deeply reverentiaL
A short eulogy of Sir John Stainer was
delivered by the rector Of the church, the
Rev. Frank II. Barton. He said in part:
There are some intellects that we meet
that are so brilliant that we feel that
they are brilliant by divine right. There
are some powers that we encounter that
we think ought to be more powerful.
Some such thoughts are aroused by
contemplation of Sir John Stainer's life.
He seemed to have such a primal claim
TO the brlliancy Of intellect that was his,
and the power that he welded over mu-
sic. He set the greatest songs OF the ages
floating from human throats. and it was
his privilege 10 make hymns that shall
have long life.
1T is said that some marriages are
made in heaven. ! am sure that the mar
riage of words and music in John Stain
ers hymns was made there. He was
always a musician. In his early years
he showed a great inclination toward
making music, and at seven sat at the
organ and played quite remarkably
Later, when he was fourteen, he had so
far progressed in MS mastery Of the in
that ne was made organist OF
q church 1t was only a few years after
ward that he was offered the position of
assistant OrRanist at St Paul's Cathe-
dral London. 1t was only when he
reached the age OF tWenty-On lndt he
felt he could accept the Offer but at
that time he was installed as regular
Organist.
HE was the beginning of a real refor-
nation in church music and modern
church music bears testimony to the
of his influence. He came with
a large number of ideas. ali of which
were scoffed at. Yet he lived long enough
TO see all his ideas adopted. He was at
the beginning q strong advocate Of the
Anglican chant, but gradually changed
around into an advocacy Of the Gregorian
mode-which he held until the end.
When he was forty-one, he was knight
ed He had made one of the most won
derful boys choirs that the world has
ever seen or heard. AS a choirmaster
he was a strict disciplinarian. He used
every method Of keeping them in order, |
from suspending them from service to
fogging them. lie was great as a teach |
er and il is our special privilege 10 have |
at the organ today one who has sung
under his baton and absorbed his musical |
methods.
An accident so impaired his eyesight |
that he felt obliged to give up active |
work i used 10 think that If / made i
one mistake ! was doing very poorly |
he said enc day. But during this service |
/ have made three, and he thereupon |
rendered his resignation. He then went |
10 oxford, where he was professor of |
music until the time OF his death
Staiuer took the talents which God had |
given him and multiplied them for the !
good Of the WORLD and the honor OF his |
Creator.