A VILLAGE CHARACTER.
Many years since (I'll not say how many) I was a schoolboy in the village of North Niblev, Glostershire. There lived there one John Ors;an who filled the distinguished post of parish clerk and sexton, and. practised sundry other occupations. He was an eccentric sort of body, proud of his authority and office^, fin*l a matter of fact man, except when he entered into the realms of fancy in composing; enitys. as ho called thorn (epitaphs) for which he was famed. John was also addicted to taking strong liberties with the Psalms of David, making alterations in the version of Sternhold and Hopkins to give eclat to an}' village event. The Bishop of the Diocese, being on a visit to a family in the neighbourhood, signified his intention 61 preaching in North Nibley church on the following Sunday. John Organ could not let such an opportunity as this pass without signalising himself, and from the influence he had, he mustered a great array of vocn,l and instrumental music for the occasion (organs and organists being unknown in those parts.) He had as many rehearsals as could be managed, aud when the eventful clay arrived, the church was crowded, and excepting two or three instances of want of time amongst the performers, the service, generally speaking, went off well. John had reserved his grand effort for immediately before the Bishop commenced his sermon, and thus did he give out the Psalm in the broad Glostershire dialect — "Let us zing to the praayze an' ghuvry of Grod, three verses of the hundred and vourteenth Zaam, a version specially 'dapted to the 'casion by mysel' "—" —
Ist Verse. Why hop ye so, ye little little hills, And what var doe skip ? Is it a 'cas yearn proud to see His Grace the Lard Uiship ? 2nd Vekse. Why skip ye so, ye little little hills, An' what var doe hop ? Is it a 'cas to preach to we Is com'd the Lard Bishop ? 3rd Verse.
Eese he's com'd to preach to we, Then let us aal stride up An' zing a glowrious zong of praaise, An' bless the Lord Bishup.
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TT18710316.2.25
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 162, 16 March 1871, Page 6
Word count
Tapeke kupu
358A VILLAGE CHARACTER. Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 162, 16 March 1871, Page 6
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
No known copyright (New Zealand)
To the best of the National Library of New Zealand’s knowledge, under New Zealand law, there is no copyright in this item in New Zealand.
You can copy this item, share it, and post it on a blog or website. It can be modified, remixed and built upon. It can be used commercially. If reproducing this item, it is helpful to include the source.
For further information please refer to the Copyright guide.
Log in