Henry Croswell et al. in St Gabriel's Church, Chrisp Street, Poplar, East End of London - 11 March, 1883, 06:50 PM
from Transcript of the diaries of Henry Croswell, page 325:
O[rgan]. – Very small, against the wall and simply played. It is my idea of perfection.
H[ymns]. – A. & M., a correct Lenten selection.
C[hoir]. – Large, surpliced and cassocked. The singing was poor. Two choir men were obtrusively High Church and crossed themselves at each of the Glorias.
[The congregation numbered] 130 – A nice selection of people. Some looked well-to-do. All knelt but none was ritualistic. … more >>
Henry Croswell, Transcript of the diaries of Henry Croswell. In British Library, number 000826807, C.194.c.113 , p. 325. https://led.kmi.open.ac.uk/entity/lexp/1552566190307 accessed: 18 February, 2025 (By permission of the British Library.)
Listeners
Listening to
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| Date/Time | 11 March, 1883, 06:50 PM |
| Duration | 1 hours |
| Medium | live |
| Listening Environment | in the company of others, indoors, in public |
Notes
Henry Croswell (1840–93) kept a record of his visits to churches in London over a period of more than twelve years (1872–85). He made methodical notes about the number of clergy, the churchmanship, the congregation, the sermon and the church architecture, as well as commenting on the music that he heard (the organ, the hymns and the choir). The above listening experience has been extracted from one of these records. ‘Hymns Ancient and Modern for use in the Services of the Church’ (1861; Appendix, 1868; Second edition, 1875; Supplement, 1889) was envisaged as an anthology of the best hymns available and became the most widely-used hymnbook in the Church of England during the late nineteenth century. William Henry Monk (1823–89) was musical editor.