The Office of Holy Communion

Review Source: The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular, Vol. 15, No. 358 (Dec. 1, 1872), pp. 691-692 Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3353290 Accessed: 14-01-2016 05:50 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/ info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. Musical Times Publications Ltd. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 131.173.17.71 on Thu, 14 Jan 2016 05:50:42 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions  T MUSICAL TS. Dsc2M222 1, 1872. 691 slower pace than that marked would be advisable, especiaSy in large churches. In No. 37Dr. Gauntlett is very chro- matic without any proportionate gain in effect. The tune No. 40 (by P. BaUch),known as "Weimar," seems to have been the fount whence Reinagle drew his popular " St. Peter's." Sir J. Benedict has produced a very charming tune in No. 41, but one which we think might with aa- vantage be transferred to words of a more cheerful character. Barnby's " O world ! behold upon the Tree " if rightly read, both as to marks of pace and expression, svill be found solemn and truly devotional. We are glad to see (No. 47) Hewlett's beautiful tune originally set to the words " Weary of earth and laden with my sin " ("Hymns Ancient and Modern," No. 286). We began by commending three long-measure tunes, and must now close for the present by giving due honour to Nos. 48 and 49, by E. J. Hopkins and Dr. Dykes, both of long measure which will be of permanent value. T7te O,ffee of Boly C7ommunzon. Set to music by the Rev. :E. B. Whyley, M.A. NOTHING more strongly shows the advance of music in one particular direction than the constantly increasing number of compositions by non-professional writers. Not to speak of the productions of amateur ladies, now vastly in vogue, because to speak of them would be to deprecatc with few exception6, their acceptance and even their exisS ence, since the latter proves much ignorance and bad taste while the former promulgates the one and confirms the other; not to speak of these and the like, we acknowledge with pleasure the true musical feeling and erudition too that are evinced in the more serious works which emanate from a more earnest class of music lovers, who regard the art obviously as a medium for expressing lofty thoughts, and as demanding assiduous study for its comprehension and attainment. An instance of such music is the Service before us, the author of which is the head-master of the : 7-r r , < King's School at Peterborough, who has, it is evident, re- created himself from his classical and mathematical labours by application to the no less profound research into the principles of the joyous science. Thus, he has not only sought?but has gained a considerable mastery of the tech- |@9=! 0 t; ; J i_kJ_; §-g nicalitles of music, and he has developed a more than average aptitude in their use; but, on the other hand, though j -'- -F- J ; i I } #_ } J his mastery is considerable, it is far from complete, and we must often credit him with a stronger sense of beauty than t r-r r r-L: ; ; : fr---r |-n power to express it. We highly honour one WhOchooses such a subject as music for his recreation from othernot Gan anything be finer than this series of diatonic pro- graver pursuits, and who devotes himself so warmly to its gressions? Let the reader play them over slowly half-a- study as to have reached the knowledge his publication dozen times, and try their effect. It may be objected that evinces; but we marvel that a scholar can be content to put in this form the tune begins and ends on the dominant of forth a work containing such imperfections as he certainly the key. True, such a final close is not common in our would not allow to disfigure any piece of literature he might days, but all works of art are not strictly in accordance issue. with fashion,4and the structure of this melody cannot be To justify this last remark, and prove it not to be a cap- tampered with, without destroying much of its sublimity tious piece of fault-finding, let us call the author's attention The melody of " Melcombe " (No. 15) is better as here to the following inadvertences. At page 4, in the phrase given than with the dotted notes which often mar its 51Th1Ch 1Stwice repeated in ascending sequence, the top part smoothness, but both tenor and bass parts lie too low, and leaps to the eighth of the bass by similar motion, pro- the first chord of the fourth bar is slightly out of keeping priety requiring the step of a second in the top part with the context. A really excellent tulle by :Barnby(No against a leap in the bass to give good efect to 16) to a very musical metre-8.8.8.6, is followed by an " An approaching the eighth by similar motion. In bar cient Melody," founded apparently on the fifth Gregorian three from the end of page 5 there are consecutive tone (No. 17) not of much value. Mr. A. S. Coo'perwrites ninths betsreen alto and bass, the quickness of which can- smoothly and well, and gives a most useful setting of not render them agreeable, although it prevents the long " Glory to the Glorious One " (No. 18). The "Ancient continuance of their harshness. Some theorists have not Melody " (No. 19)is a tune by Gibbons, of which the treble it is true, enunciated a law against consecutive nillths, so and bass parts only were published; the latter of which immeasurably worse in effect than the ever-forbidden fifths has not, however, been followed. No. 20, by Mr. Barnby and eighths *but this can only be because such writers must which is published in his collected tunes to the words " O have deemed a.succession of ninths so obviously abominable day of rest and gladness," is here reprinted, and rightly so that no musician could need a law to prohibit their employ- as it is a capital tune quiet but cheerful and tuneful. Sir ment. Here may be mentioned the indecision of the final John Goss in No. 2i, has cleverly adapted two lines of close of the movement induced by a cadence in another key words to what is practically one line of music, by which in the very third bar before the end. In bars four and five xneans a long hymn becomes easily learnt and remembered. of page 11, there is the false relation between the A: of the The sweetness of the melody is striking. Mr. a. H. H. tenor and Aa of the soprano, which has frequent plecedent Pazry deserves great praise for his admirable setting of in the music of three centuries ago-the two chords being iEIymn26. H. Smart's tune (No. 34) is remarkably good Fi$ major and F: minor-but should be regarded as a speci- but would be still better with three crotchets in place of ality of past times and not perpetuated in the present. At the last three minims, which give great prominence to page 21, between bars two and three, the eighth of the bass wha unfortunately happens, uniformly through the hymn 1Sapproached by simila.r motion where the top part pro- to be an unimportant verbal termination. Sir W. S. Bennett ceeds chromatically from A# to At, making the bad eSect whose first line is, oddly enough, not unlike that of the of such approach worse than if it had been from a note of tune immediately preceding, has produced, as would be another name. It might give more bitterness to these re- expected, a tune of rare elegance in No. 35. Gounod's marks than is meant to characterise them were we to setting of Eymn 36 is very beautiful * great care must be extend the list. We will then but notice further the exercised lest it be sung too fast. We almost think a unusual use of the minor chord of the sub-dominant to ex- This content downloaded from 131.173.17.71 on Thu, 14 Jan 2016 05:50:42 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 692 T1IE MUSICAL TIMES.- DECE]rBER 1, 1872. - w press jubilation, which occurs thrice, namely, oll the word vith the notes; indeed we could point to soille portions " glorified " and on the declaration of faith in the " world where the English text is infinitely better than the Italian. to come,"-both in the Gredo,-and &gain in the Glorxs6 Vexletzanisc7zesGfozdellied- componirt von Eelix Men- Tn e$celsisX at the words " Thou only art the Lord- " but delssohn Bartholdy- fur das Pianoforte ubertragen von this use may be intended to refute the general idea that a minor chord can only indicate sadnesst and if sot we are E.MEND1BLSSOHN'S Pauer. beautiful Gondellied, in B minor is here :notinclined to disagree on the whole with tie somewhat so excellently transcribed as to merit the warmest praise. exceptional view. On the other hand, there is many an incident in the worl Eerr Pauer has not only evinced the utmost skill in his arrangement, but a commendable reverence for the subject that cannot but be admired, and thele are some whose he has chosen and the result is a charming piece, so beauty outbalances such irregularities as have been named artistically deveioped as to have all the effect of an original above. For instance, in the first number (which is an composition. In the opening the voice part i8 brought out Introit appropriate to the Communion OfEce,and available with admirable clearness * and there is much ingenuity ill as a short anthem for other occasions), the interrogative the treatment of the theme when surrounded by arpeggios passages "Who shall ascend, kc.," and their answers Careful practice will be required in order to give the efFect "Even he, &c.," are assigned to separate choirs of four intended by the arranger- but the passages are all duls voices, the one of sopranos and altos, the other of tenors considered, and will be found to lie easily under a trainea and basses, with capital pertinence to the text and excellent hand. musical effect. Again, there is peculiar freshuess in the phrase where first the higher and lower voices joinJ on the Wzeye711ie4. Meditation pour Piano; par Wilhelm words "He shall receive." The sanGtlls is perhaps the Schulthes best number in the series and it is to be pr&isedas much THERE is a refinement both in the melody and treatment for its reading of the words as for its purely musical variety of all this composer's pieces which must ever render them and interest. The great difficulty of treating this hymn so ;acceptable in a drawing-room, even when a more than &Sto fit it at once to the description of the multitudinous usually artistic auditory happens to be assembled. The heavenly choir with whom the singers &re to llnite in its " Meditation X}before us is one of the most graceful sketches utterance, and to the subdued and reverential feeling of the Herr Schulthes has yet given us. The theme, in G flat hearers induced by the solemn mystery of the celebration major, is extremely attractive, and the enharmonic change is happily met if not perfectly solved; the word " Holy " is into E major has an excellent effect. The variation " Quasi to be sung most softly, and the power of the voices to be Arpa " being written in four staves, two for each hand, at increased from phrase to phrase until the fTlll force is first sight may appear somewhat difflcult, but a closer reached on the words " Glory be to Thee." Lastly7-&nd this examination of it will prove that the composer has adopted for want of space rather than of further matter for pr&ise,- the very best means to show the parts clearly. Pianists whob there is a most charming efEectfrom the use of an inversion have acquired a perfect command of the key-board will of the chord of CVin the key of 13 minor &tthe words " O thank us for drawing their attention to this elegant and IJord God, Lamb of God," in the concluding number. brilliant little composition. Enough has been said, let us hope, to encourage the com- The aox-at Ggove. Glee, for four voices. Poetry by poser in further application to his musical studies, and perhaps to persuade him that to do justice to himself and to Perceval. the subjects the latter requires as much thought and appli- The Iros FO?GrB4erS. Glee, for four voices. Poetry by cation as can any other that may divide with it his Neale. attention. Composed by W. W. Pearson. We do not know whether Mr Pearson has had muel The Lord is m,y Shepherd. Anthem for fenlale voices. esperience in part-writing- but, with much to admire in Composed by Franz Schubert. the subjects of his Glees, there is a crudeness in some of ths THIS composition, forming No. 67 of Novello's Octavo harmonies which can scarcely be passed over. " The Coral Grove'2 is decidedlythe betterof the two, the theme is Anthems, has already made its way to the fame it deserves. attractive, and the parts (if we except two awkward skips of Those who remember its es:quisite interpretation bv the a ninth in the bass) move smoothly ellough as far as the female voices of Mr. Henry Leslie's choir last seasorl will be vocalists are concerned * but listeners will scarcely tolerate glad to find that its issue in the cheap form will place it the two chords of the sis-four, on the 3rd page (between the within the reach of aillchoral societies. It is also available 6th and 7th bars), or the consecutive perfect fifths, which for amateur drawing-room vocalists who desire to devote occur between the extreme parts, on the 4th page (last their energies to something better than the colourless chord of bar 8 and first of bar 9)7an efect which is repeated "part-music" especiallywritten for them. The anthem &lthoughdemanding trained soices and a feelin g for religious although the G flat in the soprano is (we presume aceident- compositions, is by no means difflcult, and the flowing ally) left out. There is a boldness in the treatment of the second Glee * but the attempt to get variety in the expres- triplet pianoforte accompaniment, which rulls throughout sion of the words produces a patchiness, of all things most is thoroughly within the powers of a moderately good unsatisfaGtoryto an audience. In the harmonies the acci- pianist. dentals seem thoroughly to bear out their name, for they La Ftylics del Reggierwenfo(The Daughter of the Reg;- appear almost to have come together by chance, as an ment)- a ComiG Opera in two acts. Gomposed by G instance of mrhichwe may cite the last two bars of page 2 Donizetti, edited by Berthold Tours, and transl&ted into where the F naturals and F sharps are strangely intermixed. English by Natalia Maefarren. In spite of a11these defects, however, Mr. Pearson evidences the possession of musical feeling, and may still do better HADthe music of this Operanot beell as attractive as it is things. the pleasing nature of the story would a.lwayshave ensured the interest of the audience, and that the heroine has GODDARD ANDa O. become the pet of every young prima donna may also partly be traced to the fact of its presenting &n opportunity for ThaXfoncZSeezile. Song. Words br Henry Gothard. effectively displaying those varied histrionic powers which The Roses are tn b1tooxn.Song. Words by H. Eccleston7 so materially aid a voca.list in estabIishing her fame before Esq. the public. But the brightness of the music, the melodious- Gomposed by IIenry Gothard. ness of the solos, and the military character throughout the MR. GOTHARD'S verses in the first song have a refined work (which the composer has so happily caught) have poetical feeling which admirably fits them for the simple made it equally popular with musicians and the general and melodious air to which he has wedded them. Indeed public; and no operatic season, therefore, is likely to pass they are so far above the averabe of the " lines for music," over without its constantly appearing in the bilis. The that we cannot but call the allthor's attention to the ungrace- edition before us is presented aecording to the version ful word " wont " which occurs so prominently as to mar performed at the Italian Operas in London, and is in e+7ery the effect of the concluding portion of the first verse * and respect equal to the many standard svorks in this form we must aRsotake exception to the line "And thy fond which have preceded it. Mr. 13ertholdTours has performed smile return again," which most unquestionably means that his portion of the task with much care, and has sho^7n the much prized " smile " has already returned once excellent judgment in indicating the most salierlt points of Musically, we are inclined to look upon this new composer's the score a feature rhich we consider of the utnzost im- efforts with much favour. In the song already mentioned portance in these operatic handbooks. Of Mrs. Maefarrell's we have an exceedingly vocal melody, in A major, accom- translationwe can also speak in the highest terms, the panied in that quiet and musician-like style which so unpre- words selected are in all places admirably in sympathy tentious a ballad demands. The modulations into :E, and C This content downloaded from 131.173.17.71 on Thu, 14 Jan 2016 05:50:42 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions