CHARMINGLY MELODIOUS

Evening Star, Issue 21751, 20 June 1934, Page 2

CHARMINGLY MELODIOUS

NEW WESTMINSTER CHIMES , IN UNIVERSITY CLOCK TOWER The quaintly charming music of the Westminster chimes is now heard every quarter of an hour in the northern end of the city, the chimes of, the clock in (he University tower, given by the late Sir Thomas Sidey, having been set in operation yesterday afternoon. r fhe University Council specially adjourned its monthly meeting to attend the inauguration. The Chancellor (Mr W. J. Morrell) welcomed Lady Sidey, and thanked her for acceding to the council’s request to set the chimes in operation. The clock, which had been installed through the generosity of her husband, had commenced to operate in March, 1931. When the building was erected, the placing of a clock in the tower was contemplated, hut in the controversy which followed the sale to the Colonial Hank of the, first University building (now the Stock Exchange), the hank claimed that the clock was a fixture, and the University was left with a clock tower without a clock and without funds to provide one. Sir Thomas felt the lack, and later gave the clock. He spoke at the. time of installing chimes. Tlie feeling then was that the chimes might disturb the work of the University, but that possibility was later dispelled. Before his death, Sir Thomas left written instructions to his executors to make provision for the installs tion of the chimes. It was found that the chimes could be turned off at will; but he did not anticipate any disturbance to those iu the precincts of the University, as the Westminster chimes had a beautiful, mellow tone. Arrangements were made with Messrs Littlejohn and Sons, of Wellington, to install the chimes, for which gift the University was grateful. The chimes had a charming melody, thought to _be an old ecclesiastical melody. They had formerly been called the Cambridge Quarters meaning every quarter of an hour—and the music had been written by Dr William Crotch, a musical prodigy, who, it had been said, had played the organ at two years of age. (Laughter.) Crotch was a student at Cambridge when the chimes were installed at St. Mary’s in 1792. It was said then that the music was marked by a vein of charming, if old-fashioned, melodiousness. The chimes had been installed in the Royal Exchange, London, in 1845, and it was not till 1859 that they were placed in the House of Parliament, where they became famous as the Westminster chimes. It was a touching thought on Sir Thomas Sidey’s part to provide for the gift, said the Chancellor. Sir Thomas had made many gifts to the University, in which ho' had a constant love, ’file melodious chimes would bring fresh memories of a benefactor who did so much for the University. Lady Sidey, who informed the Chancellor that words had been written to the music, pressed a switch at 4 o’clock, and the chimes rang melodiously. Lady Sidey, the council, and the professorial staff were later the guests of Professor Strong and students of the Home Science School at afternoon tsa.