Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 8.djvu/58

42 NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 s. vin. JAN. 15, 1921- In the Churchwardens' Account Books there are records of payments made in 1494-5 for repairs to the organ in the chapel of St. Mary and to another organ in the rood- loft, and in 1496 mention is made of a pay- ment to "Richard Gilbert, keeper of the organs." From that time onwards there are constant records of payments for repairs, for organ blowing, and to the organ players. Enough has been said to show why it is not to be wondered at that some old Church music should be found at Wimborne. The collection contains an Organ Book in which are some Toccatas, or Voluntaries, by Girolamo Fescobaldi (born 1601), and two other organ pieces, viz., a 'Verse for ye Double Organ ' (apparently a two manual instrument), by Mr. Richard Portman (b. about 1610, a pupil of Gibbons, and Organist of Westminster Abbey in 1633) ; and a ' Verse for ye Single Organ ' (or one- manual instrument), by Dr. Orlando Gibbons (b. 1583, and also Organist of Westminster Abbey). The Organ Book contains, too, many services and anthems by composers, some number of whom lived before the Civil War, when so much of the Church Music was destroyed. The Minster possesses what appears to be an unique setting of the Benedicite by Richard Farrant. It seems to have no connexion with the Alto part of a Benedicite, for men's voices by R. Farrant, which is in the British Museum, nor with his organ part which is in the Library at Christ Church, Oxford. There are half-a-dozen anthems by Michael Wise, who was Organist at Salisbury Cathedral, 1668-87 ; in par- ticular two very beautiful ones, 'Prepare ye the way of the Lord,' and 'The ways of Sion do mourn.' There is also one for Christmas, ' Behold I bring you good tidings,' which seems not to be extant else- where. It is not given in Myles Foster's book, nor is it in the British Museum Cata- logue of MSS. sacred vocal music. This Minster Book has six lined staves, and on the cover is the date 1670. One of the MSS. books, written in score* contains the Creed, Sanctus, and Gloria in Excelsis, by Ebdon in C. It is remarkable because it omits the Kyrie, and because it seems to be the indication of Choral Cele- bration of the Holy Communion between the Restoration and modern times. It contains, also, in addition to known anthems, one by John Goldwin, 1670-1719, 'Come ye children, hearken unto me,' which is not in any other library. The Organ Books, numbered 5, 6, 7 r contain, in addition to services which are printed and easily accessible, works by former organists of the church, e.g., George Day, 1695-1713; John Fyler, 1713-43, and George Combes, 1743-56. The latter was afterwards Organist of Bristol CathedraL An anthem of Day's, 'Haste Thee, O Lord,' seems to have escaped the notice of Mr. Myles Foster, in his ' Anthem and Anthem Composers. ' There are also some interesting books containing the separate voice parts in different volumes, including Weelkes's (b. 1758), 'Verse Evening Service in G minor.' He was Organist of Winchester College, and afterwards of Chichester Cathe- dral. Amongst other composers, whose works are in the Minster collection, are Thomas John Mudd (b. 1580, Organist of Peter- borough Cathedral), Thomas Carter (b. 1735), Samuel Howard, and Hawkins. The Minster MSS. ought to be useful for collating with other MSS., e.g., The Nicene- Creed by Tallis, in one of the part-books at Wimborne, shows variations from his Creed in Boyce's (printed) Cathedral Musie- (Warren's Edition). Enough has been said to show the interest of the old church music at Wimborne Minster, and why it is to be found there. I must add that I am indebted for what I have written about the music itself to the notes which were given to me by the Rev. Walter Slater, after his inspection referred to above. JAS. M. J. FLETCHER. LETTERS OF 1720 FROM THE LOW COUNTRIES AND HANOVER. THE four letters which follow (recently acquired from Mr. P. M. Barnard of Tun- bridge Wells) were written during a lengthy tour of the Low Countries and Germany (lasting from 1720 to 1723) by one Robert Whatley to a recipient whose name does not indeed "appear in the text of any of them ; but who is evidently Sir Peter King, later Lord Chancellor and at this time Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. This attribu- tion is arrived at primarily by reason of the fact that the cover of letter II has been preserved and is addressed in Whatley 's hand to King, while the four letters obviously form a series. If further proof wer& needed, we might observe that the writer is-