Last spring [1896] it was the writer's good fortune to be on a visit to St. Lawrence's in one of the finest weeks of April. Hearing of a band practice he made his way to the Study room and found the musicians at work in the open space opposite the master's desk. That spot was not connected with musical memories in his mind. On the contrary, it had very marked “prisoner at the bar” associations. The orchestra was by no means in full muster. They were not there for display, but for work. The “Jupiter Symphony ” was to be taken in hand for the first or second time. The performance was not a masterpiece, but it was hard to realize that it was only a college orchestra at work* It was plain to see that, ambitious as was the task they had set themselves, they would do it more than a moderate justice ; indeed, the conductor let them see that he was not going to be content with merely an ordinary performance. This high standard of work has been the tradition of the Ampleforth orchestra for some time. It will be a pity if the tradition is ever interrupted ; though this is only to be expected. Able and energetic conductors are not always to be found ; and Ampleforth has been blessed with an unbroken succession of such, almost since the writer can remember. It was his good fortune to have witnessed the birth of this musical era ; and this fact is his warrant for the pleasant task he has undertaken, of putting down his recollections of Ampleforth music in the period from 1863 to 1871. There are many others who will remember the facts better than he ; but he has looked vainly for those reminiscences of the past which it is the first duty of a college magazine to put on lasting record. His principal wish is that others may be moved to correct his impressions where at fault, to supplement them with pre-and postreminiscences, and so to complete the history of music at St. Lawrence’s.
In sixty-three, musical taste was active but not remarkably efficient. The choir had voices of over-average merit: Fr. Romuald Wood’s bass rang out in Haydn’s Qui tollis. 'Joe' Watmore still merited Mrs. Walker’s comment 'he sings like a hangel' ; Fr. Jerome Watmough had a fine robust tenor. The old organ stood in the present Relic Chapel and was played by Father Prior, then at the head of the poetry class. The choir sang in the sanctuary, and though the rood-screen was not then in existence, the distance from the organist was a serious drawback. The repertory had plenty of variety in it and some rather tall items. It ran from Webbe to Beethoven in C. The impressions on a small boy’s cerebellum are necessarily vague and critical faculties in the writer’s case were non-existent: he can say nothing as to the merits of the choir's performance. Dr. Hedley, who had recently been removed to Belmont, had left his mark on the music in more ways than one. His achievements in that sphere are for some other pen to narrate ; but the repertory of the choir at the period of which we are treating was an heirloom from him. His compositions were much in vogue. The motet for St. Cecily’s day took the boyish fancy more than the work of the greatest masters. Is it still sung on that day ? The Ode to Alma Mater everybody knows. In lighter vein were the Operettas which were the precursors of the Ampleforth Opera.
But the secular music deserves special notice. One has to acknowledge that the public of those days was musical. Catches sung round the flue were quite the order of the day. Some were pretty, others were mysterious and moral. One ran as follows:
Man's life's a vapour full of woes.
He cuts a caper and down he goes.
Larry Plunkett, a triton to us minnows, was the prominent element in playroom music. 'White Sand and Grey Sand', 'A Boat, a Boat unto the Ferry', are probably forgotten now ; but we thought a great deal of them in those days.
The old punch-nights had their own musical rites. Certain songs were always expected ; some of them appropriately. “ Come, Landlord, fill the Flowing Bowl,” was tuneful and did not at all shock us, coming from reverend lips, with its very pagan moral. “Billy Taylor,” “ Roger Ruff,” “ Robinson Crusoe,” “ Pit-a-Pat,” and others had each their exponent, and were duly produced» Each singer was only asked for his own song and the audience was quite contented with it.
We have spoken of the operettas. They were rather musical burlesques. “ Ali Baba ” had just been done and J. Watmore’s rendering of Balfe's “ Power of Love,” adapted of course to appropriate words, was a tradition for some years after. Though much of the music was borrowed from popular sources, a part, and perhaps the greater part, was either by Dr. Hedley or Father Romuald Woods. “ Ali Baba ” was repeated afterwards, with Charlie Wright as the hero and A. de Normanville as Morgiano. The latter had a good treble voice. He used to sing Moorat's “Sancta Maria” together with Bernard Suter, a performance which touched the zenith of a boyish conception of the possibilities of music. “ The New Boy ” was a very popular opera, containing some very pretty music, notably the stirring Football ballad, and the “Going Home' song. Of course topical allusions abounded, and prominent officials were caricatured in a way that modern theatrical censorship would not allow.
About this time the Christie Minstrel furore bit us. Nigger performances were frequent, and at one of them a photographic skit went as near to libel as was possible. The two able practitioners of photographic art were represented as closely in personal appearance and peculiarities as possible. There was a broad spirit of tolerance in these matters.
Musical tuition was not of a high standard at that period. The piano teacher was Brother Wolstan Barton, a great favourite with us boys on account of his wonderful patience and tolerance. There were two pianos for practice ; one in the hamper-room, afterwards the “ shop," and now the boot-place ; the other in one of the present piano-rooms. The hour's study on month-days was supposed to be devoted to piano practice, and the great feature of those occasions was the performance of “ Old Bob Ridley" as a duet by the two Lynches, who took good care that we should not miss it by opening every available door and window. The writer received one lesson from Brother Wolstan, the five finger exercise. After a twelve months' application, he became perfect in a one handed rendering of “ Rosalie the Prairie Flower," an accomplishment which has not been of much assistance to him in afterlife. Later a Mr. Beck came from Helmsley to teach the piano and singing. His professional advice was given iri broad Yorkshire : “Hight notes in a hoctave ; hallegro," and so on. The vocal tuition consisted in teaching the school a catch or so : “ Coom foller, foller, &c, me ! Whither shall I foller, foller, &c, thee ? To the greenwood, greenwood, &c, tree." We “ follered " Mr. Beck with greater energy than musical accuracy.
A humble brass band was in existence led by Fr Romuald Woods with his cornet. Its solitary appearance in public was at the Corpus Christi procession, where they joined in the Te Deum. It had just enough vitality to authorize the statement that the college was never without a band during the period.
Strangely enough the first sign of a revival in music showed itself in this department. Fr. Benedict Talbot took it in hand soon after his return from Belmont. He showed plenty of energy and the movement speedily caught on. New instruments were bought and many boys supplied their own. Apart from Father Benedict's help, there was no tuition. We took our respective instruments to various corners of the music-room and there ground away at scales, tunes and noises that refuse to be classed under any category, utterly regardless of each other's feelings. Aubrey Coward was our best cornet player. Though he was not a brilliant player, yet he had a wonderful purity of tone. A. Firth, who owed much to his previous musical training in Holland, succeeded to Coward as leader in the band. A very good flute player was George Shea, who however accommodated himself to the wants of the hour by taking up the clarionet.
The energy which developed through the brass band soon communicated itself to other quarters. Father Prior had been summoned back from Belmont and was again the organist of St. Lawrence's. About this time the old instrument disappeared and the present organ was set up. Every one who hears it recognizes its merits : what must have been the sensation it caused when these merits were measured by comparison with its poor predecessor. A Mr. Helsby of Liverpool came to inaugurate it at the Exhibition of 186-.
Father Prior's first step was to start what we called the String Band. He himself took up the violin and was helped by Joe Turner, who already had attained some proficiency on the instrument, and later by his brother Frank. Father Farrant laboured at the double bass ; Coward played the cornet and the writer the piccolo. From this small beginning sprang the present efficient orchestra. The first pieces were “ Libbiano " from “Traviata," the “ Silver Lake” “Varsoviana” and others of gradually increasing difficulty. The energy of our conductor knew no limits and we delighted in the work. We grudged no amount of practice and we were quite satisfied with ourselves. Equal attention was given at the same time to the choir. A modest beginning was effected and a steady progression maintained from that date. From Schmidt and Est we went steadily to Mozart 7 and so on. A novelty was introduced into the chorus singing by the impressing of a number of the elder boys into the ranks of the tenor and bass. Naturally the voices were in the transitional stage ; but some good quality was developed in time. Firth's alto developed into a bass which gave early promise of its present quality. T. Craven had a sweet reed-toned voice which was well worth listening to. J. Flanagan's tenor was already powerful and wonderful in range. Amongst the religious Father Romuald Morgan had a bass voice of exceptional quality and Father Benedict Talbot, though he used to allow us to joke him about “ tearing flannel," had some very sweet notes in his register. Father Placid McAuliffe had returned from Belmont, and his firm, clear tenor is too well known and too dearly missed to need further commendation.
The Operettas had meantime been of some assistance, in keeping the secular music up to mark. One of them, “ the King of Trumps," has had a modern revival. Its original appearance was successful, though in reality it marked a stage of decline inasmuch as there was scarcely any original music in the piece. It was, however, well mounted and more speccacular than its predecessors. Tugginer was present at one of these productions, and surprised us very much by not showing any great admiration of it. He promised us better things and was not slow in pro-ducing them. In addition to his musical talents he was a fair worker with brush and needle. “The Miller of the Sans Souci " was soon on the stocks. With what anxiety did we come to each band practice, wondering how much new score would be ready for us. The composer and the librettist, Father Placid Whittle, who was a stage manager of experience and success, were in a chronic state of excitement. The piece was a complete success. Tug- giner’s music was tuneful and spirited ; the plot was sufficiently striking to command interest, and the mounting was picturesque. Some of the visitors were so enthusiastic over it, that they talked of putting it on the stage in Liverpool during the summer holidays. Luckly the project fell through. Of the individual voices none call for special comment except J. Turner’s sweet alto.
The next opera was, in many respects, a flight higher. “Robert of Sicily" was altogether more dramatic and offered wider scope for all concerned. Father Paulinus Hickey composed the book and staged the play. The orchestra was more equal io its task and new voices had come to the front. Firth made a great hit as the king and T. Wilcox had a pretty, though not remarkable treble. There was a mild attempt at a pas de deux between the latter and Corrie James’ man at arms, which was a decided hit.
Two such successes made a precedent for the Ampleforth Opera, and it will be for other writers to say how it has been maintained. Father Prior established the tradition more firmly, after Tugginer's departure, with his “Robin Hood." Father Placid McAulifFe was principally responsible for the libretto and stage managing. Albert and Nicholas CafFerata came into notice as alto and treble.
Naturally the operas absorbed most of the musical interest and energy and concert music was not up to the same level. Little was attempted beyond the Exhibition programme, which was never heavily laden in this respect. Both the choral and orchestral departments would have made more solid progress if they had not been made subservient to the stage. Still, it is open to us to maintain that the latest efficiency of both these branches was due to the impetus given by the opera.
This brief record of musical doings is inadequate in almost every respect. At the best it may serve to incite others to complete it. If it should succeed in this, and if further it should lead others to give us their memories of other scenes of college life, the writer will be more than satisfied.
T. L. A.