THE SCHOOL OF CHURCH MUSIC.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 224, 21 September 1929, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE SCHOOL OF CHURCH MUSIC.

The Archbishop of Canterbury recently dedicated and opened the College of St. Nicolas, Cliislehurst, which has been founded by the School of English Church Music with Dr. Sydney H. Nicholson, late organist of Westminster Abbey, as warden. The choir of the college, with a contingent of singers from Westminster Abbey and the choir of Rochester Cathedral, collaborated in the music of a service in the open air, sung without instrumental accompaniment. *On the terrace which faces the main entrance to the college a large company assembled. The choir was grouped round the doorway to meet the archbishop's procession. A hymn was sung, and, a,t the request of the warden, the archbishop, standing before the door, blessed the house. Prayers were offered by the chaplain (the Rev. G. H. Salter,, vicar of St. Sepulchre, Holborn), and, the dedication of the house completed, the procession proceeded to the students' hostel in the grounds. During the procession three psalms were sung to plain-chant with faux bourdon verses. Later the procession returned, singing hymns, and after Stanford's anthem, "Glorious and Powerful God," had been sung, the archbishop addressed the people from the steps above the, lower terrace. He spoke of the age-long consecration of art by the Church, and particularly of the high tradition of English Church music, of symptoms of decay in the Church art of the last century, and of the need of recovery in the Church's attitude, not only towards music, but towards the formative arts brought into her service. He specially commemorated two benefactors, memorials to whom he had just unveiled in the chapel, Lady Mary Trefusis arid Canon Harold Hall Wright, late precentor of Chester, and he appealed to all sons and daughters of the Church, especially to those there present, to follow their example in supporting by personal effort and generosity the newlyopened college.