The Story of the Organ

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Walter Scott publishing Company, Limited, 1903 - 327 pages

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Page 108 - Now here you must take notice, that they had then a custom in that church, which I hear not in any other cathedral, which was, that always before the sermon the whole congregation sang a psalm, together with the quire and the organ : and you must also know, that there was then a most excellent, large, plump, lusty, full-speaking organ, which cost, as I am credibly informed, a thousand pounds.
Page 100 - Alas, Gossip, what shall we now do at church, since all the saints are- taken away, since all the goodly sights we were wont to have are gone, since we cannot hear the like piping, singing, chanting, and playing upon the organs, that we could before?
Page 139 - Church, at the foot of London Bridge, consisting of four sets of keys, one of which is adapted to the art of emitting sounds by swelling the notes, which never was in any Organ before; this instrument will be publicly opened on Sunday next, the performance by Mr.
Page 109 - But when that vast concording unity of the whole congregational chorus came, as I may say, thundering in, even so as it made the very ground shake under us ; oh ! the unutterable, ravishing, soul's delight ! in the which I was so transported and wrapt up in high contemplations, that there was no room left in my whole man, viz. body, soul, and spirit, for anything below Divine and heavenly raptures...
Page 99 - ... confidence, one of them, (lest their wickedness should want formality,) began to sing a Geneva psalm; and then, as if the trumpet had sounded a charge, the spirit moving them altogether, they fell upon the effigies of the Mother of God, and upon the pictures of Christ and his Saints. Some tumbled them down, and trod upon them ; others thrust swords into their sides; others chopped off their heads with axes ; with...
Page 102 - ... for the comforting of such as delight in music, it may be permitted that, in the beginning or in the end of the Common Prayers, either at morning or evening, there may be sung an hymn or such like song, to the praise of Almighty God, in the best sort of melody and music that may be conveniently devised, having respect that the sentence of hymn may be understanded and perceived.
Page 31 - To such an amount does it reverberate, echoing in every direction, that every one stops with his hand his gaping ears, being in no wise able to draw near and bear the sound, which so many combinations produce. The music is heard throughout the town, and the flying fame thereof is gone out over the whole country.
Page 89 - Parsons : Death, passing by and hearing Parsons play, Stood much amazed at his depth of skill, And said, ' This artist must with me away ' (For death bereaves us of the better still), But let the quire, while he keeps time, sing on, For Parsons rests, his service being done.
Page 87 - Dr. Tye was a peevish and humoursome man, especially in his latter days ; and sometimes playing on the organ in the Chapel of Queen Elizabeth, which contained much music, but little delight to the ear, she would send the verger to tell him that he played out of tune ; whereupon he sent word that her ears were out of tune.
Page 89 - Blitheman lyes, a worthy wight, Who feared God above ; A friend to all, a foe to none, Whom rich and poore did love. Of Princes' Chappell, gentleman, Unto his dying day, Whom all tooke great delight to heare Him on the organs play. Whose passing skill in musicke's art A scholler left behind ; John Bull (by name), his master's veine Expressing in each kind.

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