CATHEDRAL MUSIC.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR.
SIR—I am as great an admirer of our cathedral music as you can be, and quite as anxious that no curtailment of our cathedral establishments, which could derogate from its proper performance, should be allowed. With the object of the article in your last number on this subject, I perfectly coincide; but it contains so unaccountable a misstatement, that I cannot refrain from en- deavouring to show you your error. You alluded by name only to the Cathe- dral of St. Paul's, and the Abbey of Westminster ; and therefore I will confine myself to them, in examining the two assertions you have made,—namely, that the Minor Canons are the only persons qualified to take the solo parts in the anthems and services, and that the Lay Clerks are generally poor chorus- singers, and only competent to the execution of the chorus. That the former ()Wit to be so qualified, I do not deny ; and I wish most sincerely that, in their selection, their musical capability to execute their duty were strictly examined. I have been a frequent attendant on the performance of the Sunday service at St. Paul's, Westminster Abbey, and the Chapel Royal ; and in the first, I can only call to mind one of the Minor Canons who has a good voice, and only two who can sing at all. At Westminster Abbey, I believe there is not one who ever joins in the musical part of the service ; at the Chapel Royal, certainly none. But the most serious part of your charge, is that the Lay Clerks in the Cathedrals are " as little competent to take the verse parts in the anthems of Purcell or Croft, as a journeyman bricklayer to act Hamlet." (1 write from recollection, but I think these are your very words.) If I had a list of the members of these choirs, I need only copy it, to refute your asser- tion ; but as I have none, I must take the names that most readily occur to me, and ask you, are 14r. VAUGHAN, Mr. SALE, Mr. GM,' LDEN, Mr. HA WES, Mr. Horses, Mr. WELCH, and a long et cadent of well-educated and skilful musicians, not competait to do justice to the most difficult anthem in our Cathedral book ? But why should say more, when fact contradicts both your assertions : the Minor Canons seldom, or never, sing in the verse parts of the Anthems; and the Lay Clerks always perform them, and generally most efficiently. 1 am still, of course, speaking of the London Cathedrals, as I have had but little opportunity of judging of the provincial ones ; but, at Canterbury, I have heard the service performed in a manner not to be excelled, and at Nor- wich extremely well ; and at both I observed that the clergymen took very little part in it. In justice to the gentlemen I am defending, and who very likely are too modest to defend themselves, you ought to correct in your next
number the error you have fallen into in your last. JUsTITIA.
PcsTITIA, quoting, as he says, from memory, has not stated our assertion correctly. It was diis—" The Lay Clerks of our Cathedrals are, usually, poor, half-starved chorus-singers, as competent to sing the Verse Anthems of Pr RCELL and CROFT as a journeyman bricklayer to enact Hamlet. The duty of the Minor Canons is to take this, the inure refined part of the musical duty; that of the Lay Clerks (to which alone they are, usually competent) the chorus."
Here is no assertion that the Minor Canons are the only competent persons in our choirs for the purpose mentioned, but that they ought to be. One of the abuses which has been creeping into our choirs for some years past, is the appointment of incompetent clergy to these situations—of persons who, by the statutes of our Cathedrals, are declared to be ineligible. To this shameful violation of duty is to be ascribed, in part, the decline of our choirs and the decay of cathedral music. Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's were mentioned, but not in connexion with the state of their choirs ; nor did any resident in London or Westminster need to be informed that the part of the service now under consideration is, occasionally, well—nay, admirably performed, in each of these churches. It was this circumstance that occasioned the qualified form of our assertion. These choirs are the exceptions which prove the rule. The usual class, character, and ability, of our Cathedral Lay Clerks, may be pretty correctly inferred from their common rate of wages. Take Canterbury and York as examples. In the former cathedral, they receive from 40/. to 501. a year • in the latter the highest salary is 451., and the lowest 8/. a year ! And for such a paltry pittance as this they are required to perform their duty twice every day. What sort of vocal talent such remuneration is likely or able to procure, may be easily and accurately guessed. On the state of the York Choir, we sehjoin the following passage from a late number of the Musical Library—" Before the Reformation, there were, besides the Vicars Choral or Minor Canons, several Chantry Priests who at- tended the Cathedral service. Their revenues were rated in 1534 at 1391. 19s. 2d.
— equal in present value to 1440/. Hence it will appear, that before the Re- formation the choir of this cathedral—as well as all other English cathedrals — was numerously filled, and adequately paid : whereas now the singers, in most cases, receive little more than the wages of footmen, without the ad- vantages of board, lodging, and livery! Can it then be matter of wonder that the service is generally performed in a manner so discreditable to our ecclesias- tical establishments?"
In making this admission in favour of the Abbey and St. Paul's, it must not be supposed that they are exempt from gross abuses. For example—Mr. KNY VETT is one of the Lay Clerks,—a gentleman who lives in the Isle of Wight, and whose attendance in the Abbey during the year must be reckoned by units, not tens : Mr. SALE concentrates in his own proper person two places in the same choir: Mr. ATTWOOD combines the incompatible duties of Lay Clerk and Organist. The musical strength of the Abbey ought to be a Pre- centor, six Minor Canons, an Organist, a Master of the Choristers, ten Lay Clerks, and ten Choristers : in point of fact, it usually consists of the boys and four or five men. Even last Sunday, the presence of the Queen induced the attendance of only half the adult Choir. Formerly the Choir of St. Paul's had thirty Vicars Choral : the number is now reduced to six, or more properly to five; and some of these hold the same situation at the Abbey, where the service is performed at the same hour. We should hardly have thought it worth while to notice so plain and pal- pable a misstatement of our assertions, but from a desire to renew public at- tention to the subject. A rigid inquiry is necessary into the conduct of our Deans and Chapters on these points—
The statutes by which the duties of the several officials in our Cathedrals are prescribed ; •
The capability of the several persons holding those situations to discharge those duties ;
The endowments of the various Cathedrals connected with and directed to be applied to the maintenance of the Choirs.
Such an investigation would reveal a scene of spoliation, jobbing, and abuse of every kind, that few persons would believe.—ED.)
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