THE CATHEDRAL.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2104, 20 November 1880, Page 3

THE CATHEDRAL.

TO THE EDITOB OF THE P3RB3. Sib, —“Outsider” corrects “Onlooker,” but is no less inaccurate. With regard to the “Minor Canon and Precentor” it “is doubtless true that his duties should consist solely in intoning the services.” But, surely, he will have nothing whatever to do with “ the training of the choristers and lay clerks ” (other than in its moral aspect) nor should he have anything to do with “ the general supervision of the choir,” excepting in the same sense that the incumbent of a parish church generally supervises it, inasmuch as he supervises everything. Imagine the learned and practical man of musical genius, or any other professed musician standing aside in forced silence, while the choristers are “ trained ” by a clerical amateur, dubbed Precentor. Oh! shade of the departed Sir John Goss. Now, sir, I am a chorister of a good many years standing, and have had experience in some very good choirs. I have even pictured to myself the privilege of forming one of the cathedral choir here; but who would think of joining were there even the remotest possibility of such a style of “ training ?” Preserve me from such a fate! But what is the office of precentor ? It is an ancient office, and originally the precentor wag certainly intended to lead the music. But this was in ancient days, when the priests were, as history tells us, the real professors of church music, when they were the chief, and almost the sole depositories of musical learning ; and, moreover, when music was little else than simple traditional melody. How changed is the cathedral music of the present day! Now, in these days, it is incontestible that the clergy are, as a class, most ignorant of music, notwithstanding its intimate connection with religion ; hence it is only natural to find in a recent work, “In most cathedrals the revenues of the office of precentor have been taken away, and its dignity and status lowered.” Furthermore, the Rev. J. Strontbeck (himself Minor Canon of Westminster) thus writes:—"The exact duties of the precentor, from the performance of which he takes his name, are in modem times almost, if not altogether, in abeyance ; but the selection of the music, and the disciplinary control of the choir, should be in bis hands, even if be is not possessed of sufficient technical knowledge of music to be referee on purely musical points.” From the last sentence common sense must agree that “ the selection of the music ” must be understood rather as deciding the words that are to be sung ( e.g ., what canticles are to be chosen, or what anthem would be suitable) since it would be otherwise absurd that one who has “ not sufficient knowledge of music ” to be even musical referee, should really select the music of which he is thus acknowledged an ignoramus, or, at best, a tyro. The same high authority says, “ The choirmaster ought to be, in fact, the teacher and the conductor of the choir practices. .... The advantage of uniting the offices of organist and choirmaster is the more apparent when it is considered that, whatever may be bis position at the practices, when there is a separate choirmaster the organist must, after all, be practically the conductor, and had, therefore, better be in sole charge of practices as well as services .... the organist being the teacher, conducting all the practices and acting as chief authority in purely musical matters.”

This being a subject regarding which I could not presume to dictate a mere personal opinion, I content myself with these quotations, but surely such unimpeachable authority cannot bo set aside. I therefore gather that the duty of the Minor Canon is to intone the services, that of the Precentor to generally superintend the music, leaving the details of actual selection, teaching, directing, and performance to the choirmaster and organist. As cathedral appointments are looked upon as more permanent and superior to parochial ones, the Chapter should be most careful to confer selection upon those who have special ability for the post to which they may be elected. I cannot think that the Chapter will do otherwise, but it is not too much to caution them as to what is expected by Ohurchpeople who are deeply interested. 1 am, &c., Amatbub Ohoeisteb, November 19 tb, 1880,