Music

tea. Our thanks must go to the people who provided it for us and to all those who helped to organise our trip.

The Trebles have sung with added confidence this term and a general improvement in the standard of singing has been noticeable throughout the term. Among the anthems performed during the term were "Coelos Ascendit Hodie" by C. V. Stanford, and "Hear my prayer" by Mendelssohn. The former, dedicated to Alan Gray, 0.P., and the choir of Trinity College, Cambridge, is for double choir and gave the Cantoris and Decani the rare opportunity of singing antiphonally. The latter, which is not always heard in full, fell far short of the standard we had set ourselves, owing to had intonation.

Two members of the Choir, C. B. Hardie and J. A. Sutton, represented St. Peter's at the Royal School of Church Music Cathedral Course. The closing Service was Broadcast on Tuesday, 19th August, from Winchester Cathedral.

The following Anthems were sung during the term :-

This joyful Eastertide (Carol). The Strife is o'er—Vulpius arr. Henry Ley. Earth to-day rejoices (Carol). Motet : Coelos ascendit hodie—C. V. Stanford. Come, Holy Ghost—A ttwood. Hymn to the Trinity—Tchaikovsky. Thou wilt keep him—S. S. Wesley. Drop, drop, slow tears—Orlando Gibbons. Hear my prayer—Mendelssohn. Rejoice in the Lord alway (The Bell Anthem)—Henry Purcell. Almighty God, who hast us brought—Ford. Blessed be the God and Father—S. S. Wesley (Commemoration.

Anthem).

D.A.H.

THE MUSIC SOCIETY

The last two terms have seen some small changes in the policy regarding the Friday lunch hour recitals. During the Easter Term members of the Society were invited to select one composer or one topic for illustration, and recitals were organised as follows :- J. N. T. Howat on Gounod. R. D. Wheatley on Ravel.

Mr. Clifford J. Walker on "Unemotional music" (from Palestrina to Honegger). D. G. Hilton on Schumann. G. B. Pullan on Tchaikovsky. M. J. Quarmby on Beethoven. M. A. Butterworth on Mendelssohn. 37

During the Summer Term a series of recitals was devised illustrating the History of Music, using, perhaps rather arbitrarily, the reigns of the Kings and Queens of England as historical parallels. The idea is worth repeating. Recitals were given by D. A. Haxby, P. L. Bardgett, Mr. F. Waine, M. A. Butterworth and M. J. Baddeley.

MUSIC COMPETITION Judging the Judge

On Tuesday, 3rd June, the Annual House Music Competition took place in Big Hall. This year we had the honour of Professor Hutchings (of Durham University) as adjudicator. As usual the competition was divided into two parts; the first, the part-songs (for which more marks would be allotted if unaccompanied), and the second, the unison songs. Each House had had a choice of songs, and the order of singing had been chosen by lot.

The Rise first sang "Turmut-hoeing" with a supposed Oxfordshire accent which sounded definitely Somerset. Nevertheless, as Professor Hutchings said, he defied anyone not born in Devon to say "Brown Cow" as only West Country people can, and, indeed, the Rise made a very commendable attempt. Grove followed with "To take the air a bonny lass", and in their quartet, though the bass wasn't precise, we felt an understanding of the piece. Temple also sang this song and with three ex-Minster Choristers in their quartet and a very good bass, Professor Hutchings wasn't very far out in his estimation of them as all ex-Choristers. The tone was clear and rounded and the diction good—a brilliant performance. School House also gave this song and though perhaps at a disadvantage after Temple's display, particularly pleasing was the basses' tone. Manor, the last House to sing, sang "Turmut-hoeing"—without any accent—perhaps with two or three not sure of their parts—but a very encouraging rendering of a quite difficult piece.

In the same order the Houses tackled their unison songs—the Rise, "Yarmouth Fair"; here again the diction was very clear with perhaps a tendency of some of the basses to shout, whilst a choir of birds with very pertinent comments enlivened the performance. The Grove sang "The Two Grenadiers" in a direct translation from the German, and here there was a tendency to monotony in expression, but yet again the diction was clear, most difficult in such phrases as "bitterly wept then the Grenadiers". Temple also sang this song. (I was in Temple's unison song and cannot make any comments.) "Yarmouth Fair" again—this time by School House, and here there was a direct contrast with the Rise's performance because the birds were basses, not trebles, and, though we are unlikely to hear such sonorous specimens in ornithology, it was a pleasing contrast. Manor sang "The Two Grenadiers" with an understanding not quite shown by Grove but still with a tendency to one tone singing. A word of praise must be said 38