180 OLD CHURCH BANDS AND VILLAGE CHOIRS. 



of the gallery. As it displays the arms of England and France 

 quarterly it is probably even more ancient and was found by a 

 previous incumbent at Weymouth, having been taken, so it is 

 said, from a broken-up ship. On the plaster of the west wall, 

 but now hidden by the organ case, are painted the Royal Arms 

 with the motto " Dieu et mon droit" and the date 1753. The 

 old oak desks for the singers and players are much mutilated by 

 the deeply cut initials of former occupiers, the earliest we 

 observed being "I. Willis, April i, 1691 ": notwithstanding the 

 date, it is believed to be genuine. 



A few notes on the music of this village will be of interest in 

 connection with our subject. About the year 1840 the gallery 

 boasted of the following musicians: Two Clarinets (T. Arnold 

 and J. Holland), a Flute (W. Brown), a Bassoon (S. Arnold), 

 and two "Base Viols" (T. Toms and G. Sherren). Of their 

 two " Bases" the villagers were naturally rather proud, as they 

 also were of their "Counter-tenor," who died only a few years 

 ago at over ninety years of age. In earlier times there was also 

 a Serpent player, .but it is not known whether the instrument 

 was used in the church music or only in the " Town " Band, 

 for the " true and original Weatherbury Band " is a venerable 

 institution with a record of nearly two centuries. At one time it 

 was menaced by a formidable rival, which adopted the pug- 

 nacious name of "The Scorpion Band" and consisted of a 

 Clarinet, Cornopean, Trombone, and Bass Drum. The piece de 

 resistance was "The Downfall of Pares," which apparently sealed 

 its own fate, though the local pronunciation, " pears," must 

 have appealed more forcibly to the rustic mind than any 

 misfortunes of la belle France. 



Some of the old church service books are still in existence, 

 and are in the possession of Mr. William Cover, who, as an 

 enthusiastic musician as well as an amateur organ-builder and 

 stringed-instrument maker, well maintains the fame of his 

 village. To him I am indebted for many details of its past 

 history. The books are bound in home-made vellum, and are 

 inscribed " The Gift of Mrs. Price to the Choir of Piddletown, 



