CHAPTER VI.

The influence of Musical Festivals-Madrigal Society-Philharmonic Concerts-Society for Decayed Musicians-effect of the Cromwellian Revolution on Music-effects of the Restoration on Music-Dr. Crighton and others referred to—notices of Dr. Green, Dr. Boyce, Sir John Hawkins, Dr. Arnold, Dr. Burney, Charles Wesley, Samuel Wesley, James Leach, Dr. Miller, W. Edward Miller, Samuel Stanley, Will Matthews, and Marmaduke Miller.

We do not find any essential improvement in the theory of music during the last century; though its principles have been amazingly developed by the energy of genius in every possible species of composition. It must be observable, however, that this has been mainly affected in the dramatic, or secular department. For in the metropolis and large towns, there are always a considerable portion of the community, who eagerly repair to places where music is the principal attraction. Hence, ample remuneration is cheerfully given to superior merit, whether as composers or performers, while the candidates for public favour engage in incessant competition, each anxious to extend and embellish the art.

The public festivals, some of which have for a number of years been established, having generally a benevolent object, have drawn together the ablest

performers, both vocal and instrumental, in Europe. On some occasions the receipts have exceeded £20,000; but in consequence of the large sums paid to the principal performers, the net profits arising to the charity, have not reached half that

At the York festival in 1812, the astonishing number of 618 performers were engaged.

The Madrigal society was formed in 1741, the object of which was to stimulate glee compositions, which is said to have produced specimens superior to any of that class in Europe. The Concerts of Ancient music, were begun under the patronage of the Earl of Sandwich, and Josiah Bates, Esquire. Its object, agreeable with its title, was to keep alive the works of the great masters of the art. The assumption of its members, was, that while invention under the direction of genuine musical talent might make valuable accessions to its treasures, yet that the rage for composition often effects palpable innovations; or adds variety for the sake of difference, and embellishments which only please the novice, and fade with the hour that gives them birth. It was a rule with the society, not to admit any piece that had been composed within the last twenty years. So that its pieces might be supposed to have passed the test of time, and bore on their characters the signet of sterling merit. The band and singers have always been of the highest order; which has had the effect of preserving the pure traditional style of singing and

playing the music of the great masters of the science.

"The Philharmonic concerts were established in 1812, at a meeting held at the house of Mr. Dance, at which only that gentleman, Mr. J. B. Cramer, and Signor Corri, were present. The object of this institution is, to promote the excellence of instrumental performance; and in this the efforts of its directors have been most successful. They have a band, which is not equalled in Europe; and nothing has contributed more to promote our taste for instrumental music, than the example set by the members of this society."*

There are the society for decayed musicians and their families, professional concerts, and numerous other musical institutions, on a national and limited scale, which it does not seem necessary for us here to mention, A notice of a few of the most distinguished composers of sacred music may not be inapposite.

But we may first remark, that the revolution effected by Cromwell, had a depressing influence upon the fine arts; a full share of which fell upon the whole soul of church music. Indeed this might be expected, from its being so conspicuously incorporated in the ceremonies of a church, so obnoxious in the sight of the revolutionist party. Simplicity in its most naked form, was the order of

* Stafford.

the day; and to embellish was to sin. A writer in describing this alteration, uses the following sweeping expressions: "Nothing but syllabic and unisonous psalmody was authorised, or even permitted in the church. The organs were taken down; organists and choirmen reduced to beggary; and the art of music, and indeed all the arts, but those of killing, canting, and hypocrisy, discountenanced, if not proscribed."*

The accession of the second Charles to the throne renovated the spirit of music, and brought back the organists, and others of the profession into the service of the church. But he did not relish the character of the sacred music then being sung; and the composers under his attraction, produced a more spirited and elegant species, somewhat resembling the French. "In this reign, the violin first came into general use in England. About two years before the Restoration, Thomas Baltre, a native of Lubeck, first taught the art of shifting, and using double stops on the instrument. He was made master of Charles's band of twenty-four violins, which that monarch kept in imitation of the French king; and was succeeded by John Banister, who was the first violinist of any note."+ But in 1780, an Italian, of the name of Nicola Matteis, came to England, and very much surpassed

him, and any other that had ever been heard on the violin before; as the honourable Mr. North, in his Memoirs of Music, expresses himself, "every stroke of his bow was a mouthful."

Robert Crighton, D.D., united the study of music to that of divinity with great success. He accompanied Charles II. into his exile, and mitigated the evils of adversity by the pleasures of music. His principal composition is, “I will arise, and go to my father," &c., which is admired, and performed in the Cathedrals to this day. He died in 1726, aged 78 years. Dr. Aldrich had considerable taste as a musician; he composed many services, and about twenty anthems for the church. The names of Clarke, Hine, Hall, Heldon, Piggott, Tudway, Richardson, Turner, Croft, Hustridge, Isham, Hesletine, and Reading, are names familiar with the sacred music of those times. Dr. Greene is well known both as a performer, and composer of music. He was brought up in the choir of St. Paul's, and on the death of Brind, his master, to whom he had been apprenticed, became organist. In the latter years of his life, he engaged in the difficult and laborious task of collecting the services and anthems of the old church composers, which were used and known but in single parts in the different cathedrals of the kingdom, in order to correct and publish them in score. But death

closed his life in 1755, ere he had finished his work; and it was completed by Dr. Boyce, his