The humble Author of this Epitome (wholly devoid of architectural talent) resided about a mile from the spot where the Menai Bridge is erected. Innate curiosity drew him frequently to the spot, to observe the growing form and feature' of a structure so novel, and which has left an indelible reminiscence on the mind's eye.' One sentence from the narrative' must at least be quoted; it records 'the final opening of the Bridge for the accommodation of the public.' To quote Dr. Pring's words: On Monday, the 30th Jan., 1826, this stupendous, pre-eminent, and singularly unique structure, was opened to the Public, at 35 minutes after one o'clock, a.m., by the Royal London and Holyhead Mail Coach, conveying the London Mail-bag for Dublin; David Davies, Coachman, William Read, Guard. It must have been a weird scene. A heavy gale was blowing on that January night; but, as Dr. Pring tells us, amidst the glare of lamps, the heavily-laden Mail-coach passed across Bridge in grand style : the The high-mettled steeds, mantling their proud crescent necks, As if conscious of the triumphant achievement. ORGENYDD 'n ei ddydd oedd ef-dihafal, His master music in the Church below the competition taking place at the Chapel Royal, with George Cooper as the umpire. One of the tests which the young organist had to undergo was to accompany a solo, the soloist on that occasion being one of the tenor Gentlemen of the Chapel Royal, Edward Lloyd by name. When Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Roland Rogers went to Bangor he found that the Te Deum was sung to two chants! When he left (in 1892) he had added to the repertory thirty services and 300 anthems. He played on the old Green organ, which had toe pedals and which stood on a screen in the Nave. At the restoration of the Nave, in May, 1880, he organized a performance of the Hymn of Praise'; and during his organistship of twentyone years he raised the musical status of the Dr. Pring was succeeded by his son-James Cathedral to a high standard of excellence. Sharpe Pring, formerly a chorister in the Moreover, he soon made a name as a skilful Cathedral and assistant to his father. During choir trainer beyond the walls of the Cathedral. his occupancy of the post (from 1842 to 1868) He conducted the celebrated Bethesda choir he edited the musical portion of the Bangor which won £1,000 in prizes at various EisteddCollection of Anthems adapted from various fodau, and discovered the contralto voice in composers' (1848), of which the English words North Wales. Till then the alto part in choruses were fitted to the music by Dean Cotton. was sung by boys whose voices were bordering The subscribers to this anthem collection on the 'breaking' point, and all the women sang included a 'Mr. Beer, Livery Stables, Bath.' soprano! He was quick to perceive that the Dr. Roland Rogers was the next man of beautiful deep-toned voices of Welsh women mark to hold the chief-musicianship of Bangor could be used with splendid effect in choral Cathedral. He was appointed in July 1871, music, with results that are too well-known to need further comment. Dr. Rogers has his hobbies is the history of the Cathedral, a opened scores of organs' in Wales, and is pursuit which he follows with all the zeal of an in great request as an adjudicator at musical enthusiastic antiquary. competitions. He is now organist of St. James's Church, Upper Bangor. The choir of Bangor-which consists of six lay-clerks and twelve (town) boys-had the Mr. T. Westlake Morgan, the present organist honour of being invited en bloc by Sir Frederick of Bangor Cathedral, was born at Congresbury, Bridge to take part in the Purcell Celebration Somersetshire, on August 6, 1869. He was a Service held in Westminster Abbey in 1895, chorister at King's College, Cambridge, and the only choir outside London that so par afterwards pupil-assistant to Dr. Mann, and ticipated in a complete form. The boys sing organist of St. Catharine's College. He studied remarkably well, and the lay-clerks can furnish the organ under Sir Walter Parratt at the a male-voice quartet that can give a very good Royal College of Music, and became organist account of itself. Bangor seems to be an of St. George's Church, Paris, in 1889, having excellent stepping-stone to other appointments for his Vicar the Rev. George Washington, and spheres of influence. Mr. Ffrangcon Davies was formerly a member of the choir, as were also Mr. William Davies and Mr. F. W. Norcup, now of St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey respectively; and Mr. Charles H. Moody, now organist of Ripon Cathedral, was at one time an assistant organist at Bangor. For valued help in the preparation of this article, thanks are specially tendered to Mr. T. Westlake Morgan, Cathedral organist: to Mrs. Turner, of Thornton Heath, for the loan of the portrait of her grandfather, Dr. Pring, which forms our special portrait_supplement; and to Mr. John Wickens, Retina Studio, Upper Bangor, for the use of his excellent photographs. DOTTED CROTCHET. VINCENT NOVELLO. 1781-1861. (Continued from page 581.) No biographer of Novello mentions the fact that he was organist of St. Patrick's Chapel, Soho; but he is stated to have held that post in the list of subscribers to the Anthems composed by Dr. Joseph Pring, organist of Bangor Cathedral, published in 1805. Although slightly out of chronological order in Twestlake Morgan the resumption of the narrative, the last reference MR. T. WESTLAKE MORGAN ORGANIST OF BANGOR CATHEDRAL. (Photo by Mr. John Wickens, Upper Bangor.) the direct descendant of George Washington. to Charles Lamb may find a place here. It is an unsigned letter from the genial scribe, and is preserved in the MS. department of the British Museum. Novello has endorsed this comical communication thus : A very characteristic note from Dear Charles Lamb, who always pretended to hate all kinds of memorials and relics, and assumed a look of fright and horror whenever he reproached me with being a Papist, instead of a Quaker, which sect he pretended to doat upon. The letter itself, of the year 1830, reads: DEAR N, Pray write immediately to say The book has come safe.'* I am anxious not so much for the autographs, as for that bit of the hair brush. I enclose a cinder, which belonged to Shield, when he was poor, and lit his own fires. Any memorial of a great Musical Genius, I know, is acceptable; and * Doubtless Novello's album. Lamb wrote to Hone, on May :: 1830: Pray, if you have time to, call on Novello, at 66, Great Quee Street. I am anxious to learn whether he received his album I sent an at the Old Bell, Holborn.' Shield has his merits, though Clementi, in my opinion, is far above him in the Sostenuto. Mr. Westwood* desires his compliments, and begs to present you with a nail that came out of Jomelli's coffin, who is buried at Naples. In September, 1828, Vincent Novello attended the celebrated Musical Festival held at York. He knew that the Minster Library contained four Anthems by Purcell in addition to the Service in G minor, all unique. After having obtained permission to copy these precious manuscripts, the copyist to whom Novello applied said that the transcription would take three weeks, but the next morning, on reconsideration, he said it would probably take five weeks to write them out. Novello smiled, and MR. J. ALFRED NOVELLO. replied that he had himself made a copy of the whole series on the previous day, for having begun to look them over, he had set to work at once and never left his task till it was completed. He was only just in time, for these original manuscripts were destroyed by the fire at York Minster on February 2, 1829; and the zealous transcriber had the pleasure of presenting to the Minster library transcripts of the anthems which, but for his assiduity, would have been lost to the world. Novello's anxiety to obtain access to various originals and transcripts of Purcell's works in order to collate them before publication, is proved by a little-known letter that he wrote to the Quarterly Musical Review and The old man (aged seventy) with whom Lamb boarded and lodged at Enfield. According to Lamb, Mr. Westwood had one joke; also he laughs when he hears a joke, and when (which is much oftener) he hears it not.' Anthem, No. 8. I will give thanks.' Anthem for five voices. No. 9. O sing unto the Lord.' Ditto. No. 1 is mentioned by Pearce in his Account of the Anthems performed at His Majesty's Chapels Royal' (edition 1826).* Of No. 2, I have the alto and bass parts, but the tenor voice for the verses, and the treble voice for the chorus, are both wanting. I have been informed that No. 3 was formerly in the choir books of Durham Cathedral, but it now no longer forms a part of the collection at that establishment, some mischievous person having torn the leaves out of the books at the same time with some other valuable MSS. I have a copy of No. 4, in the form of a hymn, for four voices, in the key of D minor, but not the anthem. Nos. 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are mentioned by Dr. Burney, in his History of Music,' vol. 3, as having been preserved in Purcell's own hand-writing, together with many other very rare MS. compositions, in the private musical library belonging to his late Majesty George the Third. But I regret to add, that notwithstanding all my researches, and having visited Windsor on purpose to examine the royal library there, assisted by the cordial co-operation of my kind friend, Mr. C. Kramer, who at present has the care of the King's Collection of Music, the manuscripts in question were nowhere to be found. Under these circumstances, I have ventured to request you will have the goodness to insert this letter, as it may perhaps meet the eye of some one amongst your numerous readers who may be able to point out where any other copies of the abovementioned compositions are to be procured. I have already ascertained that Purcell wrote between 130 and 140 Anthems, Services, Hymns, and other pieces of Sacred Music; and of this large number I have succeeded in collecting every individual piece, with the exception of the nine which I have enumerated. As I am very anxious to render my new edition of this great Composer's Sacred Works as complete as possible, I need not add how much I shall feel obliged to any musical gentleman who will enable me to fulfil properly the arduous task I have undertaken, by favouring me with the requested information relative to the nine pieces specified, or to any other authentic productions of Purcell that are different from those already in my possession, and of which I have subjoined an alphabetical list for reference and comparison. I remain, Sir, Your much obliged and obedient Servant, March 8, 1830, 66, Great Queen-street, Lincoln's Inn. He then gives a long list of Henry Purcell's compositions, with references to their sources, a list which the Harmonicon considered too long for insertion, but which present-day editors of the great Englishman's works may find useful. (See The Quarterly Musical Magazine and Review, vol. x., p. 472.) The publication of the Purcell Music was begun by Novello in December, 1828, and completed in October, 1832. zeal on the part of the young publisher, with practical counsel, moral encouragement and untiring sympathy on the part of her who aided husband and son in their public endeavours as in their private hopes and aims, made that original parlour-shop the germ of the mart for supplying England-nay, the world with highest-class music. It is beyond the scope of this sketch to follow the course of the music-publishing house of Novello; that may be found in A Short In the spring of 1830, Hummel paid a visit to History of Cheap Music."* Reference, however, London and gave two concerts with great may be made to an important publication success. At the first-on April 29-he played issued in the earliest days of the Novello firm, his Pianoforte Concerto in A flat, then in we refer to Mendelssohn's 'Songs without manuscript, and on both occasions he gave words,' originally called (in England) Pianoforteremarkable displays of his extemporaneous Melodies Mendelssohn visited England for powers on the pianoforte. The following note the second time in 1832. He appears to will show to what extent the pupil of Mozart have become an attached friend of the Novello had mastered the English language and the family if we may judge from the following difference between the first and third person, in interesting letter, written after the young penning this communication: A great and far-reaching event in the Novello family-life took place when they and their goods and chattels were removed to 67, Frith Street, in the month of March, 1830. Three months later the following circular, printed on paper of quarto size, was issued and distributed by Vincent Novello's eldest son, Joseph Alfred, who had then just turned twenty : MR. JOSEPH ALFRED NOVELLO respectfully informs the Nobility, Gentry, and the Public in general, that he has just opened an Establishment, at No. 67, FRITH STREET, one door from Soho-square, for the sale of his Father's Works and other Musical Publications of every class; all kinds of Instruments, Roman and Silver'd Violin and Harp Strings of the very best quality, and all other articles connected with the Musical business. He has ventured to annex a Catalogue of his Publications, and he flatters himself that, by his strict attention and punctuality in the fulfilment of any order with which he may be favoured, he shall prove himself worthy of the kind patronage and encouragement of his friends. composer's return to Berlin and addressed V. Novello, Esq., 67, Frith Street, Soho, London': MY DEAR SIR.-I have to beg your pardon that the first letter I write to you is to be a letter of business, but if it was not for that I should not venture to give you the trouble of reading so bad an English as mine is.—I do not try to repeat you the thanks for all your kindnesses because I am not able to express it as I wish to do and as I feel it. I want to-day to ask you whether you still remember your writing to me once that you wished me to compose an Evening and Morning-service for publication in your country? I could not then fix the time when I was to do it, as it was the first thing in that style I was to compose, but as soon as I got quiet here I tried to begin the Te Deum in the style of your cathedralmusic and it is now finished. Although it is not entirely as I wish it to be, and though I hope the following pieces will be better, I do not think it unworth being published, and I accordingly want to ask you whether you are still of the opinion, which you expressed then to me in your kind note, and whether I am to go on with the composition of the services and to send it to you, when it is finished. You asked me also for my terms; but I am really at a loss to fix them, as I never published any composition of the kind in your country; you would oblige me particularly if you would tell me your opinion on this subject, or if you do not like this let me know how you use to pay other composers in that style that I may fix my terms accordingly. I hope if you answer to this you will write me at large how you are and how your family is going on, I want to know which painting your son is working at, what progresses the charming talent of your daughter has made, pray let me know every thing that concerns you and your family. It is now so long, since I did not hear from you and you know how glad I shall be to have news of you and all my friends there. I have still to thank you for the kindness you showed me in having my pianofortemelodies sold at your house; I think they must now * A Short History of Cheap Music as exemplified in the records of the house of Novello, Ewer & Co., with special reference to the first fifty years of the reign of Her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria, with three portraits and a preface by Sir George Grove, D.C.L., &c. London and New York: Novello, Ewer & Co. 1857. In a The I. M. for M. B.' signifies that Ignaz scheles signed each copy for royalty purses on behalf of his friend Mendelssohn. It evident that neither Vincent Novello nor his uthful son, the publisher, would run the risk purchasing such an unknown quantity as endelssohn's 'Songs without words'! ter to Moscheles, Mendelssohn makes the lowing amusing reference to this Novello blication. He says: The work will certainly through at least twenty editions, and with the oceeds I shall buy the house No. 2, Chester ace [Regent's Park, Moscheles lived at No. 3], da seat in the House of Commons, and become Radical by profession. Between this and that, wever, I hope we shall meet, for possibly a gle edition may prove sufficient.' Mendelssohn was not very far wrong. During s visit to London in the year following the iblication of the 'Original Melodies,' he wrote Moscheles in the following witty strain : London, in my Club, May 16, 1833. This morning I forgot to mention, my dear Moscheles, what I have often intended asking and have as often forgotten-how matters stand in reference to that publication of mine, and whether there has been any practical result. I have an appointment with V. Novello to-morrow morning; and if he has only sixpence to give me as my share, I would rather not broach the subject. So please leave word at my house whether you think I should mention the matter, or whether it had better rest in eternal oblivion. I return home to-morrow at eleven o'clock to know which way you decide. The saying is: Merit has its crown,' so I scarcely expect I shall get as much as half-a-crown. Yours, F. MENDELSSOHN. The composer did receive more than sixpence, and even half-a-crown. In the intervening ten months 48 copies had been sold, his share of the proceeds amounting to £4: 16: 0; but it took four years to dispose of 114 copies of a work that has since become a household word. An interesting incident in the home-life of the Novello family may now be recorded-one of somewhat different from many of the wearying those informal musical evenings of long ago, at homes' in the present day. At this party given at Frith Street in July, 1833-the guests included Malibran and her husband (De Beriot, the violinist), and Mendelssohn. The occasion is pleasantly described by Mrs. Cowden-Clarke, the eldest daughter of the house, in her 'Life and Labours of Vincent Novello ': De Beriot played in a string quartett of Haydn's, with that perfect tone and style which distinguished him. Then his wife gave in generously lavish succession Mozart's 'Non più di fiori,' with Willman's obbligato accompaniment on the Corno di bassetto, a Sancta Maria' of her host's composition (which she sang at sight with consummate effect and expression), a gracefully tender air, Ah, rien n'est doux comme la voix qui dit je t'aime,' and lastly a spirited mariner's song, with a sailorly burden chiming as it were with their rope-hauling. In these two latter she accompanied herself; and when she had concluded among a rave of admiring plaudits from all present, she ran up to one of the heartiest among the applauding guests-Felix Mendelssohn-and said in her own winning playfully-imperious manner (which a touch of foreign speech and accent made only the more fascinating), Now, Mr. Mendelssohn, I never do nothing for nothing; you must play for me, now I have sung for you.' He, 'nothing loath,' let her lead him to the pianoforte; where he dashed into a wonderfully impulsive extempore - masterly, musicianlike, full of gusto. In this marvellous improvisation he introduced the several pieces Malibran had just sung, working them with admirable skill one after the other; and finally, in combination, the four subjects blended together in elaborate counterpoint. When Mendelssohn had finished his performance, Vincent Novello turned to an esteemed friend, who was one of the hearers, and expressed his admiration in these remarkable words: He has done some things that seem to me to be impossible, even after I have heard them done.' (To be continued.) ་ |