M US IC .
Dr. Greene's Anthems.: with an Areoiniutnintent.lbr the Organ or Piano- forte. I3g Elm. Alm Boon'. • While so much trash, miscalled sacred music, is almost daily thrust and puffed into public notice, a publication of such rare excellence as this should be cordially welcomed. " Whence proceeds this reprint of a work of such sterling merit ?" many will be disposed to ask ; and " to the organist of what cathedral are we indebted for a new edition of GREENE?" We are compelled to answer, that the Church has no con- cern with this reprint, which is the work of the organist of a Methodist chapel. When the sacred compositions of Prevers. were first collected and given to the world, it was accomplished at the risk and by the labour of aIloman Catholic organist ; and among the list of subscribers, the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's and Durham are recorded as the only patrons of a work unrivalled of its kind in any age or country, (as the production of a single mind,) and written for the service of the Church of England. These very reverend bodies have long ceased to be the patrons of church music, and have become, instead, the plun- derers of our choirs.
Gamexs: is the most popular of our church composers. Pont-mes models, whenever he chose to follow any models, were PasnwritiNa and CARISIMI: GREENE was the contemporary of IlaNnsti. and 3Ian- cntmo; to the latter of whom lie was manifestly indebted for the style and structure of many of his anthems. The two volumes of his An- thems, published by himself, were written in the regular dhiellarge of his duty as Composer to his Majesty,—a place now, for the first time, converted into a sinecure. It was the fashion among the partisans 01 HANDEL to undersehl.. Gni:ENE; but his sterling excellence as a vocal writer trill now be acknowledged by all who are competent to appre- ciate it. bet his " 0 clap your fiends," and " Lord, let me know mine
end," testify his power as a harmonist.
The former editions of Gni-A.m.: contain only a figured bass, with an occasional aecompellimets, chiefly used by way of sync bony, for the organ. The present \snuffle furnished with a regular accompanist meat thronallout, :grimed with greet skill by the editor, who lias thus rendered a most ereepieble service to his art by placing one of our sacred musical eta -les within the reach of the generality of play em's and singers. The work is printed at Leeds, and produced at it price which, we hope, will embrace a large range of purchasers.
Previous page
