1831-1836.1 



MUSIC. 



7 



Lewin's Mead Meeting was a violoncello (played by the vener- 

 able Mr. Percival) which was said to have belonged to Handel. 

 In that year, however, a new hymn-book was introduced, and 

 an organ, not without serious misgivings : and the old Presby- 

 terian habit of sitting during the hymns was discontinued. 

 The organ was played gratuitously by the Rev. S. C. Fripp, B. A. 

 (father of the eminent artists, George and Alfred Fripp), 

 formerly a clergyman of the Church of England. His exquisite 

 taste * soon reconciled those who had dreaded the innovation. 

 Mr. Fripp had planned the organ, which was built by Smith, of 

 Bristol. Philip was much interested in watching its progress ; 

 it was one of his amusements to draw designs for organs, and 

 by degrees he found the means of trying most of the organs in 

 Bristol. 



His chief delight was the service at the Cathedral : it 

 was not far from his home, from which there was a fine view, 

 through the trees, of its massive and beautiful tower. In send- 

 ing his subscription to the restoration fund a few years ago, 

 he wrote : " I feel that the Cathedral played a very important 

 part in my education, and therefore it probably will in that 

 of others." He hoped that a Montreal clergyman, whom he 

 had introduced to his sister Mary, would go " to the Cathe- 

 dral service as often as possible, especially to the Litany." 

 Mr. Corfe (who died in 1876) was then the organist, and the 

 Bristol choir had a high reputation : it had some musical 

 traditions of rare beauty. On those week-days on which the 

 Athanasian Creed is to be said or sung, it was a great treat to 

 hear it chanted. The chant is a very simple one (Philip after- 

 wards introduced it in his Collection of chants and hymn tunes, 

 " Athanasian "), but the organ accompaniment was remarkably 

 fine and varied. Perhaps a keen sense of the absurdity of the 

 cursing creed added a zest to our pleasure in the performance. 

 When we were at York, we found that it was not sung, but 

 read, at the Minster, and its fascination was gone. 



* Ten years later, after Philip was familiar with York Minster, he 

 wrote: " Every organist I hear makes me think more highly of Mr. 

 Fripp's playing." 



