So, if we must depart from Latin rules in one direction, it only tends to make things even, if we sometimes depart from them in the other direction. The retention of the four notes does not in the least alter the general character of the chant, but rather preserves it, for these three-note mediations occur much less frequently in Latin than they would in English, if we were to admit them. The practical convenience of keeping the same form of mediation all through will be admitted to be considerable by those who are used to the management of choirs.

Thus, unless the preceding arguments can be satisfactorily answered, we come to the conclusion that Mr. Helmore is right in his treatment of the four-note mediations. On similar principles his employment of slurs in many (I do not say all) other cases may be justified: for instance, at the word great in the third verse of the Venite, and the word end in the Gloria Patri generally. To deny the right of using such slurs, is, in fact, to oppose the use of the Gregorian Tones for English words; because our language cannot well dispense with such aids.

By way of example, I subjoin the Jubilate noted at length to two of the Tones, differing considerably in the inflected notes, thus showing how the same pointing may serve for all the Gregorian chants except the long endings of the First Tone. I add also the treble part of a simple Anglican chant, to show that there is no material difference as to rhythm between such chants and the Gregorian Tones. All three chants are here expressed in modern notation, for the sake of a fair comparison.

D

O be joyful in the LORD, all ye lands: serve the LORD with presence with a song.

gladness.

His

Beye sure that the LORD He is GOD: it is He that hath made} sheep of His pas - ture.

us, and not...

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be world without end.

:

A - men.

I am well aware that those who take upon themselves to mediate between two contending parties run the risk of getting abused by both sides but the prospect of having both Gregorian chants and decent Anglican chants properly used in every church throughout the land, instead of Gregorians only in one church, and indecent Anglicans in another, with perhaps a stray Gregorian horribly mauled, as is now the case, appears to me so delightful, that it is worth while to risk something in order to realise it. I therefore ask those advocates of

Anglican chants who may happen to read these pages, whether such a division as I have put forth does not suit all the best chants far better than those to be found in the ordinary books of pointed Canticles. What advantage is there in splitting up the last notes of "Farrant in F" in the following manner?

What would be thought of an organist if he struck each of the above notes separately, in all the parts of the harmony? I do not say that a choir of singers ought to be treated exactly as an organ; but the great vocal composers of the 16th and 17th centuries evidently thought that there was a strong analogy between the two, as far as the holding of notes is concerned; and I do not see that we can do better than follow their example, when we can do so without violence to grammatical accentuation. Again, why should voices chanting in harmony be in so great a degree dependent on the organ for good effect? To be sure, when it was the custom to play the organ so loud that the few singers were hardly audible, it made little difference how the words were divided; but those times are, happily, gone by.

There is one argument in favour of the modern way of dividing the words, which may be worth anticipating. It is founded on the theory of musical rhythm. It may be said that the last note of the chant, as it has the cæsura, must be at least as strong as the note which begins the preceding measure. In reply I would request the objector to try this theory upon any respectable piece of church music, from Tallis's Service down to "King in F." If this experiment does not change his opinion, it is not likely that any argument will.

It must not be forgotten that the system which I am opposing is less than a century old. In Boyce's Cathedral Music, we find two examples of chants with words to each note; and the following is an exact copy of the upper parts, with the words set to them:

O come, let us sing un- to the LORD: let us heartily rejoice in our sal - va- tion. the strength of.

O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us heartily rejoice in

our sal the strength of}

- va- tion.

Can any motive be assigned for Dr. Boyce's having edited the chants in this manner, at least in the latter case, unless it was the way in which he was used to have them sung? I have not met with any trace of the system which divides the last two measures between the words "our salvation," till the latter part of the eighteenth century. Marbeck, indeed, in setting the Benedicite to the Peregrine Tone, has brought the word "ever upon the last note; but it will be evident to

any one who has compared his settings of the other canticles, that his reason for not adopting the legitimate arrangement,

... set Him up for e ver.

was, not that it gives an unaccented syllable to the last note, but that it gives two notes to one syllable; which is not a reason that would be accepted anywhere in our days. The latter half of the 18th century, therefore, receives no real support from preceding times; and, surely, it is not entitled to give the law to all succeeding ages in a question about chanting.

I have already stated that the general rule which I have laid down, for the most part according to Latin precedent, cannot well be applied to the use of the long endings of the First Tone with English words, because it would bring more than one note upon the obscure final syllables which are frequent in our language. It is a curious circumstance that the pointing which suits these exceptional chants suits also those very modern Anglican chants which have two minims in their last measure instead of a semibreve; but I do not know that any of these last are worth thinking about.

I must not conclude without mentioning "The Canticles noted for Anglican Chants, by the Rev. James H. Simpson, M.A.," published by Novello. It is the best attempt at dividing for Anglican chants that I have seen; but I do not consider it perfect. It errs sometimes in giving too many syllables to the ending; for instance, "and the sheep of His hand," "enter into My rest;" and frequently, on the other hand, in giving too small a number of syllables to the mediation. The Roman form of the Third Tone

is a forerunner of the Anglican chant with respect to the mediation, as well as the ending; and it always has four syllables for the mediation, except when the half-verse ends with a single monosyllable or a Hebrew word. The mediation of a chant differs from its termination in being only a slight, not an entire, interruption of the recitation: consequently the mediation ought, as far as is practicable, to have more of the parlante, the termination more of the cantabile character. Yours, &c.

S. S. GREATHeed.

177

THE NOTTS CHOIR FESTIVAL. 1861.

ONCE more has the venerable Minster of Southwell been the scene of one of those complete and well organised ceremonials, which, under the title of "Choir Festivals," we have frequently had the pleasure of describing to our readers. On the 30th of April the fourth meeting of the choirs of Nottinghamshire was held. It was marked by the same excellence of arrangement, and careful attention to details, which we have noticed on former occasions, and without which it is useless to expect success.

The morning service, as usual, was preceded by a most imposing procession, consisting of no less than four hundred surpliced choristers, lay clerks, and clergy; three bishops bringing up the rear. The can

ticle, Benedicite Omnia Opera, was sung during the procession, in unison, to the short form of the Eighth Tone, First Ending. So long was the procession in making its way up the nave into the choir, that the canticle had to be repeated.

The music of the "Brief Directory" of Mr. Helmore, was used for the morning service, the choir singing in unison supported by the organ. The responses were given nearly as well as possible. We were pleased to notice a growing familiarity with the plain song on the part of the choirs, indicated by the easy and natural way in which the inflections were chanted. We consider this a great and important gain.

The Venite and the first morning Psalm were sung to a form of the Seventh Tone, not often heard in our churches, but exceedingly sweet and beautiful, viz. :—

The remaining Psalms were set to the Fifth Tone, First Ending. The "pointing was done expressly for the occasion, and was generally successful. We must except, however, such a verse as Ps. cxlv. 12, (Fifth Tone, First Ending,) "That Thy power, Thy glory, and mightiness of Thy kingdom: might be knówn unto mën,” instead of “knöwn un-to men." There were a few other instances of pointing on a mis

taken principle.

The Te Deum, from Merbecke, was extremely well sung, as was the Benedictus to the First Tone, with the unusual but effective mediation

It was a matter of common observation that the words of the psalms were heard with perfect distinctness in the morning service; a very important result of unisonous chanting.