CHAPTEE III. 



THE CANTERBURY FESTIVALS. 



The Erith Church Choir Dedication Festival at Northfleet Dedication 

 Festival at Erith Choosing a Precentor for the Diocesan Choral Union 

 What the Precentorship involved Compilation of the Festival book- 

 Practising the Parish Choirs Raising the standard of the Services Some 

 Cathedral spectacles Enlarging the Choir Fighting a Dean and Chapter 

 The Festival of 1869 Efforts to obtain a Processional Hymn Attitude of 

 the Dean His final consent An unlooked-for proceeding The Dean 

 obedient Effect of the Hymn Arrangements for the Procession How 

 the Hymn was "conducted" The rehearsal in the Chapter House An 

 impressive incident Brass instruments Increase in the Choir Resigna- 

 tion of the Precentorship Summary of work accomplished. 



IN the year 1867 the choir of Erith Parish Church, 

 which had then been for three years under my father's 

 management and tuition, was at its best. There was 

 one point in which it was almost unique. All the 

 adult voices were those of gentlemen, and the result 

 was a refinement in the style of singing quite beyond 

 the attainment of the ordinary village choir. Then the 

 constant practices ; the minute attention paid to every 

 detail of the service ; and, above all, the regular anthem- 

 singing on Sunday evenings : all these had contributed 

 to raise the choir to an unusually high pitch of excel- 

 lence, and to render the church an attraction to visitors 

 for miles around. 



In the early summer of this year a dedication 

 festival was held at the parish church of Northfleet, 



