REHEARSAL IN THE CHAPTER HOUSE. 51 



preparations necessary for the afternoon service prevent- 

 ing it from being held in the cathedral itself. 



The preliminary practice in the Chapter House the 

 processional hymn itself being of course rehearsed in 

 situ, and on the march occupied nearly two hours, and 

 obtained the honour of a special notice in one of the 

 leading musical newspapers. " There can be no doubt," 

 writes the critic, " that, merely as a singing lesson, the 

 practice in the Chapter House at Canterbury, under the 

 auspices of Mr. Wood and Mr. Longhurst, was of un- 

 told advantage to the choirs. It was amusing to notice 

 the astonishment of some of the rustics at finding out 

 the real meaning of a ' rest,' and their evident satisfac- 

 tion at the effect of the responses when sung with the 

 proper pauses. It was clearly a new experience, a real 

 revelation, to some of them. In like manner it is im- 

 possible to doubt that many young women were cured 

 for good of their odious trick of ' slurring ' one note 

 into another by Mr. Wood's clever caricature of them, 

 which made the Chapter House ring with laughter." 



At one o'clock the assembled choristers were dis- 

 missed, to fortify the inner man against the fatigue of 

 the afternoon ; and at three o'clock the surpliced con- 

 tingent again repaired to the Chapter House, in order 

 to vest, while the remainder were ushered at once to 

 their seats in the choir. 



Towards the end of the festival service in this year a 



most striking incident occurred. The day had been a 



very dull and cloudy one, and, although no rain had 



fallen, the sun had never for a moment been visible. 



E 2 



