MUSICAL HISTORIAN

Grey River Argus, 27 May 1938, Page 7

MUSICAL HISTORIAN

| DEATH OF SIR RICHARD TERRY. ■ ' LONDON, April 28. > The music world loses an ardent ’ personality by the death at the ag Q of 72 of Sir Richard Runciman Terrv. It was Cardinal Vaughan who in 1901 - appointed him Westminster Cathedral’s musical director. During the ■ ,twenty-three years he held that post, - Sir Richard added lustre to both Roman and Anglican church music. Rei ! search was his long suit since his early , 'Cambridge days, and he was in real- ■ ity a great musical archaeologist. i Thanks to him our 20th-century ecclesiastical music has cast its spurious - vanities and reverted to the resonant i glories of earlier centuries. He dis-

| nlayed just as much enthusiasm in I digging out old sea shanties as in uniearthing forgotton church plainsong [With his shanties he was immensely I helped by his sturdy old relative, the [late Lord Runciman, who as a sailor in the windjammer epoch heard all those now obsolete sea songs. Sir Richard bowdlerised the words and authenticated the lilt for grateful posterity. But tolerant though his musical ear was. Sir Richard hate'd and abominated crooners.