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

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

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text excerpt

About 1842, we had a man living at our house named Richard Hudson. He was the son of Reuben Hudson, the composer, also father to John Hudson (formerly master at the Bridge Mill, Crawshawbooth). Now this man got some young men and women to practice singing on Sunday nights, and this was carried on until 1846. James Riley would come sometimes with his “cello,” so that everything considered, we often had a good time while we were together. We had a custom of each one choosing a tune in turn, and many a good laugh we had, when one happened to choose someone else’s favourite. Our teacher was very strict in keeping correct time, so much, that when dissatisfied, he would open the door of the old case clock in order to correct us by its rhythmic tick. He was very fond of tunes in the "Minor" key, so much, that I have often seen him shed tears. He used to tell sometimes of being knocked off the stool by his father for making a mistake at nine years of age. We had a half-witted or soft person with us, nicknamed, “Tommy-Oer-Fields.” He had a nice soft tenor voice, and James Riley would get him to sing “Luther s hymn” as a solo and he would accompany him on the “cello.” Music copies were very scarce, so that each singer or player had to have a written copy, and if a fresh tune happened to turn up, one had almost to steal in order to have a copy. I remember some young men once breaking into the Old Wesleyan Chapel in order to get a copy of a new tune someone had brought from a distance. I began to write tunes about this time, composing and re-arranging in my leisure moments.

excerpt from 'My Life and Times, or An Old Man's Memories' pp. 16 (300 words)

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1656932645089