Birmingham Festival-Powers of the Musical World-The Market Place-Service at Rev. Mr. James' Church-Sermon-Choir-Organ-Tunes-Church of St. Mar- tin's-New kind of Chanting-Bread for the Poor-Wesleyan Chapel-Rehearsal Wesleyan Chapel, Great Queen Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields--Rev. Baptist Noel's Chapel-Lesson on Chanting, by G. C. Spencer-Anecdote-Stoke Newington- Musical Letters. LETTER I. The Voyage-Burial at Sea-Liverpool-Worcester Cathedral-Choir-St. NicholasRev. Mr. Havergal-Psalmody-Organ Playing. LONDON, Jan. 9th, 1852. We were just rising from A VOYAGE across the Atlantic has been so often described, that I will not attempt any account of ours, except to say that it was, with the exception of a day or two, a succession of blows and gales, rough and cold. A single circumstance may be mentioned in a death at sea. the dinner-table, at about 6 o'clock, the fourth day out, when a messenger came in to announce to the captain that one of the passengers in the forward cabin had just died. The captain immediately went out to ascertain the facts, and soon returned with the information that a man had died suddenly, and apparently of delirium tremens. The burial took place in an hour afterwards. The Episcopal service having been read by Rev. Dr. Robinson, who was a passenger on board, the body was consigned to the deep as its last resting-place. Death is always solemn, but it seemed peculiarly so at sea—in a storm, just at night, it being already dark, the wind blowing, the ocean foaming and roaring, and the ship, though by the power of her mighty engines steadily pursuing her way, tossing here and there a nut-shell upon the mighty billows. Eleven days and a half brought us safely to Liverpool, where we arrived on New Year's morning, at about 6 o'clock. Taking a hasty look of the city, where we landed, we proceeded the next day to the old city of Worcester, delightfully situated on the banks of the river Severn, where we took lodgings for the Sabbath at the "Star and Garter Hotel." This was the last city that held out against Cromwell, and in September, 1651, the decisive battle was here fought which established his authority, and which destroyed the hopes of the Royalists. The Cathedral is, of course, an object of curiosity and interest. It is in the form of a double cross, in different styles of architecture, yet exhibiting unity or harmony of design. The tower, about 170 feet in height, is very beautiful and grand. There are many interesting monuments contained in different parts of the building; that of King John in the CHOIR attracts, perhaps, most attention. A full-length effigy of the King lies on the top of the tomb. The King was buried here, (1216,) by his own desire, in a monk's cowl, to expedite his passage through purgatory. We attended the daily service on Saturday, at 3 o'clock. The prayers, litany, &c., were all intoned or recited to the plain chant by one of the canons of the cathedral, with the usual responses by the choir. The psalms for the day were chanted by the choir, consisting of sixteen or eighteen boys and men, who also sung the canticles set in the service or anthem form, by Dr. Nares. The chanting was poor enough, at least, for three reasons: 1st. Great rapidity of utterance. 2d. No two members of the choir kept together. 3d. The enunciation of the words was so careless, that it was with difficulty one could keep the place and follow the performance, even with book in hand. There was, of course, nothing like attention to the sense of the psalms there was no appropriate emphasis, or any more expression, than would be given by a hand-organ or grind-stone. The great leading object seemed to be to hurry on, and get through as quickly as possible. One good point, however, in the chanting was the absence of all drawling in the cadences. The tones were not prolonged, but were delivered in quick succession. On Sunday morning, at 11 o'clock, we attended divine service in the parish church of St. Nicholas, Rev. Mr. Havergal rector. The exercises commenced by a few measures as a voluntary, or rather prelude, and the "giving out" the tune on the organ, after which all the congregation united in a single stanza sung to the old tune called "Tallis's Evening Hymn." The hymn was not read nor named, but it appeared to be a common thing for the worship to commence in the use of a stanza well known, always the same, and to the same tune. It was a hearty commencement, for every one seemed to join with full voice. The service was read by the curate. The chanting was done by the whole congregation, and the responding was between the occupants of the lower floor and those of the gallery-but the song was universal-men, women and children uniting harmonious voices. The Venite and the Te Deum were chanted responsively; the psalms were not chanted but, read in the usual manner. Two metrical hymns were sung during the service. The tunes were both of the old ecclesiastical class, and were in the same rhythmic form as St. Ann's, York, &c. appear in the Cantica Laudis. The first and last words of each line being long, and all the rest short. They were sung by all the people, and in very quick time; as fast as propriety would allow the enunciation of the words. They were sung somewhat quicker than the writer has taught this class of tunes in musical conventions and singing classes in |