52 THE REV. J. G. WOOD. 



The second of the two offertory hymns was that beginning 

 " Saviour, blessed Saviour," and at the commencement 

 of the sixth verse, just as the words, " Brighter still and 

 brighter glows the western sun," were being sung, the 

 sun broke out for a moment from behind the clouds, 

 pouring through the great stained windows upon the 

 mass of white-robed choristers, and flooding the choir 

 with light. It was only for a moment ; but the effect, 

 coming just at that particular moment, and while those 

 particular words were being sung, was striking and im- 

 pressive in the extreme ; and no one who was present is 

 ever likely to forget it. 



For the first time in the history of these festivals, 

 no sermon was preached upon this occasion, an omission 

 which provoked some amount of adverse criticism in the 

 press. .But circumstances had so altered from those 

 of previous years that the change was rendered abso- 

 lutely essential. When the choristers engaged only 

 numbered three or four hundred in all, and the congre- 

 gation together with the singers could easily be accom- 

 modated in the choir, a short address was right and 

 proper enough ; and Dean Alford, who was generally 

 the preacher, had a peculiar knack of saying the right 

 thing in just the right manner, while his clear pene- 

 trating voice was easily heard by all. But when the 

 number of choristers was nearly trebled, and every 

 corner of the choir was occupied by those who were 

 actually taking part in the service, some two thousand 

 people had to be accommodated with seats in the nave ; 

 and how was it possible that they should hear a sermon 



