Henry Croswell et al. in St James's Church, Rosemary Mission Hall, Islington, London - 21 November, 1880, 06:30 PM
from Transcript of the diaries of Henry Croswell, page 229:
[Croswell describes a relatively informal mission service, conducted by three laymen]
There was a dreadful lot of talking in the room.
O[rgan]. – An harmonium, dreadfully played by a lady. I quite felt for her.
H[ymns]. – Old books of the Islington Collection.
C[hoir]. – Twelve young women who never sung - an absurd lot of giggling sillies.
[The congregation numbered] 200 – A collection of old women.
Henry Croswell, Transcript of the diaries of Henry Croswell. In British Library, number 000826807, C.194.c.113 , p. 229. https://led.kmi.open.ac.uk/entity/lexp/1551178336964 accessed: 23 April, 2024 (By permission of the British Library.)
Listeners
Listening to
hide composers| hymns selected from the Islington Collection | performed by the congregation and organist of St James's Church Islington |
Experience Information
| Date/Time | 21 November, 1880, 06:30 PM |
| Duration | 1 hours 20 minutes |
| 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. ‘Psalms and Hymns for Public Worship, Selected for the Use of the Parish Churches of Islington’ put together by clergy of the parish, was published by Ford and Jackson, Islington, in 1841. Another collection, ‘Psalms and Hymn-Tunes, &c., for the use of the Parish Church of St Mary, Islington, edited by Charles Severn, was published in 1854. Croswell might have been referring to either of these collections.