My Life and Times, or An Old Man's Memories

urn:iso:std:iso:639:ed-3:eng

12–13

text excerpt

The same year (1840) a Baptist preaching room was opened at Deerplay, made from a cottage given for the use, by Mrs Simpson, the landlady at the inn. It was fit up in this manner. Near the door stood the pulpit, and above that an opening about five feet wide was made in the upper floor, and in a half circle which was railed round. The choir sat in the upper room, and the congregation was below, so the parson would be able to see and be seen in both rooms. I visited this place occasionally with some musical friends from the Dean Valley. I was at one charity sermons when they sang six or eight choruses from Handel's Works. No compositions suited these people like those of Handel. They believed in music going at a fine tilting speed. On one occasion the Rev. T. Dawson, from Irwell-Terrace, Bacup, was to preach a funeral sermon, and Job's Anthem was to be rendered. Dawson put his hand through the railing above, and pulled Old Helliwell's coat-laps laying, "You must not sing all that anthem, for I want to be talking" The old man replied, "Well, but you'll have to wait till we've done, or it will be nothing like!' So Dawson had to wait.

excerpt from 'My Life and Times, or An Old Man's Memories' pp. 12–13 (213 words)

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