ion, music has once more made good her claim by filling the cathedral on "Good Friday. Friends of the Church had known for some time that the evening service was to be almost wholly musical, and but for a short Less bracing their pious. prayer for_m Pal Jews, Turks, luiidels, and Heretics," the whole services was devoted toa rendering of Stainer's "Meditation," entitled The Crucisivion, Such a new departure deserves encouragement, and from the success attending it, we may_ perhaps look forward next year to selections from some more ambitious production, Bach's Passion Musicforexample, There was but one serious drawback to the performance and that was perhaps unavoidable and lay in. the hymns which are intended to be sung by the whole congregation, Beautiful as thei A the fatal fault of bei 1 music must be fami-Had the hymns set to well-know tunes there would have been an added interest in the service.
As it was, the singing was almost entirely of the'concert order, As narrators and soloists, Dr, Hagherg and Mr, Wood proved equal to the occasion. Their music was by no means easy in places, and required considera) wattie vigour for its right interpretation. The chorus was well balanced, well in hand, and perfectly responsive to the baton of the conductor, Mr. Crompton.
The " Meditation" tells the tragic story of the eve and day of the first Good Fri The scene opens in the garden of Gethse mane, with reettatives and chorus, Then it shifts to the Judgment Hall, where sentence is pronounced, and the vie led away to death, An evident misreading of the metronome time rubbed the Professional to Calvary" of all stateliness and solemnity, and led to the next chorus, being taken somemple sense for fire and vigour of treatment in is undoubtedly a very fine chorus.
and simplicity' are combined in the sages for the various parts, and the deputy organist, Mr. G. £. Lanning, was not slow to avail himself of the fall re sources of the magnificent instrument at command. wile the gates, the waits, He has come from above, In his power and love, Yo die on this Passion As this sinks to a whis to Calvary" is resumed passages and hymns, including an able Tecitative leading to the un:
ed chorus, "God so loved the World,"
haps the gem of the pe+formvanee, ly rendered duet, nest: texture," Ie equally beautiful hymn, 'J; fied pleads for me," and then the narr: is resumed, two' members of the chai taking the parts of the Two) The vari chorus of tenors ast full chorus, From the throne of his Cross," coming amongst them. Here asi ample" scope for alternate imp musical declamation and tender pleading, and both instrument and voices rase to the occasion, xiving an admirable rendering of some noble music. The narrative is resumed and the end reached, the Medi tion closing with a hymn.
Mr. Crompton and his helpers are to be congratulated upon a very good recital, and as we have said, we trust the initial success of the new departure will lead to further efforts in a similar direction.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.