Henry Croswell et al. in St Augustine's Church, Kilburn, London - 11 November, 1883, 07:15 PM
from Transcript of the diaries of Henry Croswell, page 359:
We got there at the first Lesson and left at the Offertory.
[…]
O[rgan]. – Fine and large in an organ chamber.
H[ymns]. – A. & M. Have they discontinued the Hymnal Noted?
C[hoir]. – Of course the Choir was good but far from lively. The singing was gregorian though we couldn't join in!
[The congregation numbered] 1400 – […] the sexes are separated. It was a wonderful collection all over. Some were over our heads, some in grand but funny side galleries.
Henry Croswell, Transcript of the diaries of Henry Croswell. In British Library, number 000826807, C.194.c.113 , p. 359. https://led.kmi.open.ac.uk/entity/lexp/1552930369738 accessed: 19 December, 2024 (By permission of the British Library.)
Listeners
Listening to
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Date/Time | 11 November, 1883, 07:15 PM |
Duration | 55 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. ‘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. The ‘Hymnal Noted’ was a collection of medieval hymns, many with plainsong melodies, published with the sanction of the Ecclesiological Society (formerly the Cambridge Camden Society) in 1851. A book of accompanying harmonies for use by organists and choirs was published separately, edited by Thomas Helmore.